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Posts: 65What's your personal best (or should that be 'worst'?) for one teddy's nose? I'm on my SIXTH attempt with the latest bear's nose. Is that a world record????
MerBear OriginalsNot even close! I spent 3 hours on a darn nose last night and I'm still not finished. Made the mistake of looking at it this morning before I left for work and realized I still am not happy with it.
Marion
Brisbane
Don't even ask!!!!!!! I was so unhappy with a bears nose one time (after so many attempts I lost count) that I chopped it off and replaced it with a polymer clay nose!!!!! 
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsSarah Jane, A polymer clay nose is a good idea for those occasions!!!
Jare Hares & BearsYou have to be in the mood to do noses. If you don't feel good then don't do it. Otherwise you end up re-doing it later.
Little Bear GuyI agree with Jared, if you are trying to work on something and it's just not going right then put it down and leave it then pick it up at another time. There are times like that where things just don't work and it's best to put them aside and work on them later and you'll be surprised at how quickly it all comes together.
big hugs
Shane
Posts: 65Ah I just posted in a lighthearted way - nothing too serious. In fact, it struck me as funny. I'm not one to be defeated by anything - so ended up re-making the entire bear's head from scratch (as I'd already beheaded it and re-stuffed in case my nose wasn't stuffed hard enough, or something) - and then the first nose went on fine. It's just practice, as I'm a beginner. I think all in all, it took 9 attempts in the end. But no, I was just posting in a light-hearted vein, didn't mean to give the impression I was deeply upset!
Anyone beat 9?
VallierBearsI haven't beat 9 no.
On my first bear I tried once and then needle felted the nose on! haha
But did cheat on my second bear. I just made it to get a little more experience. I stitched it up and it was a mini, took me 2 hours and I Missed a few threads out. So I used a permanent marker to fill in the gaps! :crackup:
By my 3rd bear it was a clay nose haha, I vowed never to embroider again!
With my most recent bear the on i'm working on now, took me 3 attempts!!!! Over 4 hours of stitching just on the final attempt!
It's real hard work to embroider a nose! I have such sore hands and quite the bent needle too! Just couldn't get the needle through with out using my trusty forcepts!!!
Wonder what everyone elses most attempts are?
Richy~
Jare Hares & BearsStarHawk2003 -
Have you ever tried using excelsior/wood wool in your noses? Give it a try, it is much easier to put your needle through.
Back Road BearsOK, I hate excelsior. 
But perhaps I ought to give it another try!
I spent 6 hours sewing one nose... THAT was a record for me! Wasn't a redo.... just that I had to keep embroidering over and over to finally get all the threads looking nice and even. Each stitch required the pliers to pull the needle through because my fingers were so tired and there was so much stuffing tand thread in there! I didn't sew for a couple of days after that! This was the nose in question.... I went back and did a little more 'fixing' after this photo... the light was picking up more imperfections! :doh:
Jare Hares & BearsDaphne -
Good grief! That nose looks fine to me. In fact, it looks excellent!
LuxembearsI agree with Jared and Shane. Boy, if you're not in the mood then walk away. Also, I never like to work on noses or facial shading at night. Even if I have good lighting it is just better to have lots of natural light pouring in form the windows to see what I 'm working on really well.
Daphne I had to laugh at your post. I bet you started out with a really small nose. They can drive you nuts can't they?! It looks great by the way. 
Here is a little tip if your nose threads dont look perfect, spritz it with a dab of water and run the palm of your hand over it several times...it smooths out the stitches and makes them look more even.
Now if your nose is crooked or lop sided..redo it! There is no way around that *smiles*
I definately agree with Jared, Shane and Judi...if your tired, not in the mood or feel restless...walk away! Come back to it when your rested and relaxed or you will create double the work for yourself.
I also find if I start a nose, I have to be prepared to finish it in one sitting. If I walk away and come back to it, my thread tension, spacing, or something is always off and I cant get it to look right.
Bear hugs,
Kim
Wild Thyme OriginalsI sometimes loose my mind on noses! They really can determine much of the personality of a bear, and sometimes I finish a nose and even if it happens to be well executed, it just doen't "fit" that particular bear well. I think I've redone a single nose maybe 3 or 4 times before.... it sounds like you are in good company Penny!
Kim Basta
KiddoBearsI have trouble with noses too! :doh: I agree they do set a personality to the bear. So now if my nose comes out croquit I just leave if alone and stitch it as evenly as I can,and from that personality I decide weather to dress it up or not. Would I be wrong in doimg this? :hug:
KiddoBearsDaphne Wow! that nose is perfect to me. Its not easy to get those stitches so even and straight. :hug:
q.D.paToOtieSI usually work on a nose and if I get slightly frustrated, I'll put it back down and pick it up later. Have you tried felting on a nose yet? It's loads of fun and I think it's much easier. That's just my opinion though...
I have gone almost exclusively to needle felted noses. Right now I'm working on twins. I got one nose just right and now the trick is to repeat it.
Baird'sBears:crackup: You're more centered than I am Penny--I admit to some major tantrums over noses! 
Jared and Shane and Judi are right--some days are just not Nose Days, or Ear Days, or Footpad Days, and some are. I've learned at last to recognize these, and I think it's made me much more efficient--certainly more even tempered.
The one thing I can always do right is to start a new project!
Posts: 65And it gets worse.
The second head for that bear, had a nose that went the best any nose has to date (and I'm a novice bear-maker only been doing this since Oct 2006). But you know what? I experimented with the head shape and the shape I'd already tried out in a longer mohair and it looked great - well, on reflection, despite its 'good' (for me) nose... I now decided I don't like head # 2 in this mohair on this bear. Off with her head!
Head 3 is on the sewing machine as we speak. Wonder what this nose will turn out like?!?
By the way I'm making 2 bears for a local craft fair competition. They have a category for people who have been doing their chosen craft less than a year, so I'm entering as a newcomer. I've found that the thought of them being looked at critically is helping me 'up my game' enormously. It's just a small local fair's 'toy' category, not specifically bears - so I'm hoping they won't embarrass me too much! But am finding the fact other people will be seeing these, not just friends and family, is making me improve my skills. What a learning curve this is!
On the plus side, look what I found - Teddy Club international's TV nose making masterclass.
