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Aude-Mesange CreationsDo you know how much time you spend on a single bear? 
I look throughout the topics and didn't find any specific to that matter (if there is one already let me know).
I feel I may spend more time than other bearmakers on my bears but I may be wrong! I read that a bear should take 10 to 15 hours to complete. But lots of people seems to think they are really slow, what do you mean by that. I'm spending much more than that. About 30 hours is the less I spend on a bear and that is for faux fur bears. It can sometime go over 50 hours with a lined fur bear with needle felted details. This includes the pattern making and the work on the fur but still... Am I so very slow or is it just because I am a newbie? :redface: I have always worked my bears one at a time and I'm now considering making several bears at the same time. Do you think it's going to be much faster this way? I don't want to downgrade the quality of my bears but would appreciate being able to make more. :dance:
Do you have tricks to work faster?
I'm curious about how and how fast you do it so if you don't mind let me know!
sewing starswell, i am a newbie, but it usually takes me 15 hours, sometimes 20. but i spend a good deal of time on the outfits. the bears themselves usually take me a day, maybe 8 hours. i have found with any stuffed critter i have made the more i do it the faster i get at it. i am curious how long it takes some of the others too!
Burlison BearsOmigosh! I must be really slow cause I do miniatures and they take anywhere from 14-20 hours to complete. I do put a lot of detail into them and distress them and usually sew a hat for them or something like that. I completely handsew my bears...no sewing machine. I read in a teddy bear making book recently that making miniatures is easy and fast and only takes a day to make one! I totally disagree with that. My miniatures can be quite difficult to make and since I put so much detail into each one it takes a long time. If I'm lucky I have it finished within 2 full days of working. But my daily schedule is not just sewing all day. I have daily household chores, got to cook supper each evening, give attention to my pets, take the collie for 3 walks a day...etc, etc.
If I could totally devote the whole day to sewing I might have them done faster.
And here I am on Teddy Talk wasting time. 
-Eliza
Aude-Mesange CreationsEliza, I read that miniatures can be sometimes longer than big bears to make, you have to do both to know I guess. 
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsUmm, I couldn't tell you EXACTLY as I've never counted. For my 10" bears I'd say 14-16 hours..the needlefelted feet alone take about 3 hours! My miniatures take about 7 or 8 hours to complete.
It takes me about 2 - 4 whole workdays per bear (depending on how big, how complex, how new the pattern is, etc. Which because I have two crazy-busy kids, sometimes gets spread out over a week or more because I don't HAVE 2-4 WHOLE workdays to spend on just bears. I have to spend some of that daytime on gym lessons and homework help and all that other stuff the rest of you moms do too... plus something most of you don't do -- driving my kids to their dad every other weekend, which is five hour round trip on those Fridays and five more hours round trip on those Sundays. And yes, I do work evenings and weekends, all the time!
Takes me about 12 hours for my little needlefelted bears with clothes and hat. Depending on the "accessory" that will just add more time. I made a wood bed that took forever to make. There was the planning stage, then I had to hunt for the right sticks, cut them, whittle them down and tie it all together. THEN I had to make the bedding; quilt, mattress and pillow. I had a good 20+ hours into that project. I can't needlefelt for more than a few hours at a time because it hurts my arm in about the third hour. I like to split it up into 3 days for just the bear.
Flying Fur StudiosUrgh, I am soo slow at bearmaking! I must get so distracted but if I work on a bear almost everyday afterwork and at least one good day on the weekends, a bear will take me a month to make. It takes me a whole session just to stuff the head!
I wish I was faster so I could make more
Seamore CollectiblesMine takes me as long as it takes. But approximately 15-20 hrs on a miniature and longer on plush.
It all depends what mood I'm in... and often my husband says, stop fussing around with that bear!! zIt's great the way it looks..
Dolls N DreamsUsually takes me about 12 - 15 hours for a smaller one like my Baby Doogles, but the bigger Doogles, Mermaids well over 24 hours!
And this last creation the Woodland Wabbit took even longer!
Bears by Jodi
Past Time BearsHard to say since I work in spurts and don't time myself. Probably around 15 hours give or take a few.
hmmmm good question, I usually have a few different ones on the go at various stages of completion, and bop around to each... but I think for my next one I will keep track of time and then know how long exactly..
hugs,
krista
Aude-Mesange CreationsWow, thanks for your answers to all who have replied yet! :clap:
I guess I was right, I am little bit slower than most of you! But I do enjoy spending time on my teddy and I guess that's a good point! 
I put lots of time in the faces. I found lining and stuffing are quite long as well. I also often like to try new things which of course take more time than when you know how to do them.
Let's hear some more!
Jellybelly BearsI work it out by days too...around 4 for a normal bear and anywhere up to 7 for a fairy...depending on complication etc. my workdays are around 3-6 hours depending on what step I'm up to, wings drying etc. I don't add in drying time
Little Bear GuyWow that's a good question, we work on several bears at one time. Currently our coffee table is full of heads waiting for noses (eyes are in and ears are on and faces trimmed). Their bodies are on the kitchen table arms and legs stuffed and toes pulled and seams sewn up, just need to be attached to the body 
. I don't think we have ever timed ourselves , but with a real fur bear I would say anywhere from 15-30 hours. Mohair bears take less time so maybe 10-15. I tend to hand sew most of the bears so that adds a few hours on to it, but if we machine sew then they go up in no time. It's the scissor sculpting and razor trimming and thread sculpting that takes so much time, the face to me is the most important part of the bear (not that I don't care about the rest of the bear but people are usually attracted to a bears face first so we spend the most time on it).
It's great seeing everyone's response , it also depends on the particular bear and with us there are two of us working on a bear so that makes it faster as well.
big hugs
Shane
VallierBearsSince I started in late october last year, I've made...... 5 bears! One about 16" the rest minis.... I do hand sew all mine and I am pretty new.
Recently, I've been making a bear, Taken me about 4 hours from pattern making too sewing up a body, arms and 1 leg! Have to add other peices what are alot more tricky so they will take me quite a few hours more...
It's interesting what speed people sew at......
Keep um coming!
Richy~
Chaska, MinnesotaDear Aude-Mesange: Your bear in your avatar is wonderful and I can see the detail. I think, as others wrote before me, the more detail the longer it takes.
As for me, I sew when I feel like it (and very slow). I might be working on a bear for three months. I can't say how many hours it takes but I would venture to say at least 25 plus hours and for my minky bears, up to 40 hours. Again Im very slow sewer.
I can take around 14 to 16 hours for a 9" to 12" bear, sometimes longer depending on the techniques used, less for a smaller one and longer for a large one as the stuffing takes for ever on big ones. It can go into days or a week even if I dress them or do any special techniques.
Warm wishes
Pauline
Newelley.BearsAs someone new to bear making, I find that I will start a bear, but then other stuff gets in the way and it end up taking a few days to get the bear completely made. I currently have 5 bears in different stages...cut, sewn but needs limbs attached, finished but face not done, etc.
Sincerely
I think it actually takes me LONGER to make a bear than when I first started This is because along the way I have learned so many great techniques to make each bear even more special... and those take time 
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsI think it actually takes me LONGER to make a bear than when I first started
Dotto! It also comes from expecting more of yourself as you progress in the art. I still can't answer this question properly....I'd have to go with an estimate of "full work days" like Shelli did. I'd say 3 or 4 full work days. Also I think it was Richy who brought up the design part of it. Most of my bear patterns grow out of other bear patterns I have previously designed. When I start a new one from scratch though, the design process adds to the time.
Paws In My GardenThis is funny, I am the slowest bear maker here ha ha ha.
Easily it take me 2 months to make each dog or bear because I work full time.
I am amazed when I see someone list a bear per week. Even if I took a week off I could not make a bear in one week no way ~ ha ha
Hugs,
Angela
Posts: 1,836I've been thinking about this question myself lately. I can't say honestly the exact time it takes because I've never tracked it in exact "working minutes and hours". Like most of us I'm in a studio in my home so getting up to make tea, walk the dogs, switch the laundry, work on portfolios, make business related items, create a listing, or take 5 minutes to post out here is all still part of the "day". I'm just finishing up a bear right now and with the next one started I am going to note all "real time" of creating. I'll note each time when I start and when I stop, keep a little log, and then add up the minutes/hours. It's not going to be helpful to anyone else really, we all work at different paces and in different styles.....but it's still very much worth knowing.
:hug:
~Chrissi
Just making the bear (and I make big 'uns) takes me between 10/12 hours. That doesn't include design time or embellishment time if for example, I'm knitting clothing or doing something more complicated than a classic design.. I guess it makes a difference if you are machining - hand stitched bears must take quite a bit longer. The more complicated the design, the longer the bear takes to finish.
