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Burlison BearsJust wondering what everyone thinks. Both about the making and the selling process.
Finishing and distressing my bears is my favorite part of the process. I even enjoy the long hours of sewing. My other favorite part of the selling process is getting nice emails and feedback from my happy buyers on ebay.
The worst part is stuffing my tiny little bears. I hate the tedious process of making little tiny balls of woodwool and I usually end up with splinters in my fingers. I used to hate the jointing process...that's when I was still using the locknut joints. Now I'm cotterpin joints all the way and it's so easy.
The worst part is not selling my bears the first time around on ebay and having to lower my prices...and also I hate the visits to the post office...which is why I sometimes have my husband do it! Ha ha!
What are everyone else's thoughts?
-Eliza
Posts: 3,540I truly love when I'm finished and the little guys seem to come to life all on their own 
Sometimes this happens as I'm finishing the handscissoring, sometimes sooner, but almost all seem to come to life when I'm taking their pics :photo:
As for the worst thing.... each and every bear I've made has demanded blood! 
I work mostly with real fur and I handsew (don't even go there with the sewing machine...its possesed :twisted: ), and I think I seriously have punctured myself with each bear I've made. Some of them I puncture myself more than once. But I still love making them.
Kim-Bee Bearsworst thing is sewing up stuffing holes! I HATE IT! ARRGH! if i could train my husband to sew, I would be all set HA HA :crackup:
I love every other part, my favorite part is making the faces though 
great topic!!! I too hate sewing up the openings....but I love doing the heads and faces!!! Also sometimes I dread doing the final touches since they will be complete and done and then I have to start the whole process all over, I have been know to drag out the final bits just so I don't feel like its over....to me it feels like the end of good book...glad to be done, loved the story, but you just wish there was more!
Hugs,
Krista
BrisbaneI love all the finishing bits..especially the faces but like most of the others I hate ladder stitching the openings closed....I also hate sewing ears on!!! (or one of them anyway!!)
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Definitely - Ears & Pricing!!! Oh and Bookkeeping . OK, that's 3....
For those with problems doing Ladder stitching, I come from a knitting background and learned a better way of placing the Sts than the normal shaping that bear makers show. Factoids are things seen in print and accepted as the truth, whether or not it is. That's how I view the usual sketches of Ladder stsitching. I'll have to look up the samples I made for my accrediting as a teacher for the APNR, Amer. Prof. Retailers' Assn. to show pix.
BrisbaneBobbie I'd love to see pics if its not too much trouble!!
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I'll have a look for the samples and LYK when I post pix.
I love setting the eyes, that's when my bears come to life. And I really like putting on their clothes.
Worst part...photographing. Stressful.
Dolls N DreamsI hate sewing ears & waiting in line at the post office. 
I love doing the faces, they dont seem to come alive until you pop those eyes in and then they stare back at you and that is when I get that warm fuzzy feeling!
Love doing the faces, although there's always a bit of anxiety. Don't really love sewing up the body parts or cutting out the mohair. I could close openings all day; that's the excitement of being "almost done!"
Isn't it interesting how different we all are? Combine us into one giant bearmaking entity and we could probably be happy every step of the way!
Back Road BearsI used to love to do noses.... now I hate them! (the last 3 have been horrible!)
I don't like stuffing the muzzle.
I don't like sewing on that second ear.
I hate it when the glass beads get everywhere but IN the bear!
I LOVE doing feet, sewing everything together and closing seams.
Also love eyes.
Shading to bring out the bearsonality... that's so exciting!
Delartful BearsI am with Daphne, and I LOVE shading - I think the bear just looks great after it's added... I'm doing a custom order for a customer, who has requested NO shading!! What??? :twisted: I tried to explain it adds so much character though.. but nope LOL Oh well...
I don't hate any part, but closing is a least favourite part - especially the tummies, because on my modern bears with those huge bellies, it makes it really difficult, then I do the other openings, and sigh a sigh of relief.
I also love doing the faces - seeing them come together...
It's all fun isn't it really!
Danni
Flying Fur Studiosinteresting
my favorite part by far, is when I have finished all the parts of my bear and I put it together. It's that first "hello" that's my favorite part.
My least favorite? probably stuffing the head, although now that I've had a chance to think about it, i really like the whole process, including closing seams and ears! must be in a good mood today...........LOL
sault ste mariehmmmm... the part i hate the most I will have to say is definitely the ears mine always seem to shift and I eventually have to undo them and resew them makes me almost unbearable to live with !!!! ( no pun intended ) Favorite part would have to be seeing the legs and arms after I,ve turned them and also faces after sculpting !!! 
Teddy Hugs
Tynna
My least favorite part? Noses! I enjoy every other aspect of the art process. If I had to go out on a limb for a favorite step I would probably say adding the finishing touches.....accessories and dressings.
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsI love doing every part of the faces, because they seem to come to life in your hands. I love brushing them out when they are all finished and at this point my family think's I'm crazy because I've been known to start talking to them in the voice usually reserved for our cats!! 
I hate the carpal tunnel pain I get when I am working lots of hours to gear up for shows. It particularly flares up when I do a few small all hand sewn bears or stuffing trapunto toes. I guess one adavntage of the snail's pace I've been working at lately is that I don't get those pains!
'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsI I love brushing them out when they are all finished and at this point my family think's I'm crazy because I've been known to start talking to them in the voice usually reserved for our cats!! :D
LOL that's hilarious! But only because I do the exact same thing, and sometimes my husband looks at me with an eyebrow raised. I'm sure he secretly wished I'd talk that way to him though! 
My kids are still little enough to get excited and mimic me when I act that way.
My FAVORITE parts of bearmaking have to be when the bear's personality starts coming out and you can feel it tugging at your heart. It looks up at you and you almost swear it's looooove... lol I also love the feedback and when the collector or just anyone emails me to say how much they are in love with a bear I've made. It reminds me and makes me appreciate why I make bears. Also, I really don't mind packing and shipping; I'm always nervous and excited for the new 'mom or dad' to get the bear I've made.
I really don't particularly like sewing the footpads on. Or sewing up the stuffing holes. Occasionally the sculpted toes get me all frustrated when they don't come out straight... argh! lol Then I have to pull all the stitches out and start over again... YUCK!
I also have to admit sometimes I don't like the 'departing' from my bears part... call me a big baby. Then I have to suck it up and remember I made it so that others can ENJOY THEM TOO!!!! lol
Kimberly W.
Fulrfun BearsWorst part - ears I have several earless teddies around that would be presentable bears if I would only sew their ears on. But it isn't just sewing the ears on - it is sewing the ears I don't know why 'cos they only take a few minutes in comparison to every other body part but I just don't like it.
Best part the first stitch! It just enables me to take time out for a while and know that at the end fo the process I will have something worthwhile.
I also don't like cutting them out but that's because it causes me pain so does stuffing them - I once damaged my shoulder badly by stuffing a bear - 6 weeks of pain and cortisone injections!
I HATE the ears!! Also sewing up the stuffing holes.
But I LOVE everyother bit of making a bear!
