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All,
For those of you who dress your bears do you find it takes longer to create the bear from start to finish or that dressing/costuming the bear takes longer?
I've been working on one bear that didn't want to wear the dress I made, couldn't get it to fit for anything. The bear was a boy and here I was trying to make it into a girl, no wonder it wouldn't fit. Now I'm working on a new outfit and accessories to go with it and that also seems to be taking much longer than it did to finish the bear.
I would love to hear what experiences others have had.
Hugs,
I find that done properly making the outfit can take a comparable time to making the bear. I just made a little hat...it took a [i]whole day[/i]..and then I finished it off with and hour and a half the next day too. The bear took 3 days to make..and I made a hand painted silk ruffle..which didn't take long coz I have ruffles down to a fine art now...but dresses, coats, hats....they take ages. I made a sailor hat and collar for a baby rabbit..which ,when I finished it, didn't look right..after I spent an hour putting two button holes in the hat for the ears to poke through and won't do for a teddy...so now i have to wait for someone to come along who wants to wear it.
I love doing them though...it's half th fun!
Newcastle, OntarioGizette,
I make smaller bears (under six inches) and often make smocked dresses for the girls. It can take me a day to make a dress completely, and it takes me two days of working to finish a bear completely. I love making the clothes as well.
hugs,
Brenda
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsSince I don't often dress my bears I might have a different perspective..
The main rule for me seems to be that things ALWAYS take longer than I think they will!! :crackup: Good thing I love it!
Like many artists, who do not dress their bears, I spend a great deal of time detailing the bear itself. But sometimes I think something like "I just add a simple hat and collar," then I find myself spending the whole day on a simple hat and collar! I guess that's still not as much time as the bear which can take 3-4 days. If I made a whole outfit though...
I find that it takes as long to dress a bear as it does to make the bear - often longer. However, I find that it is not always easy to ask twice the price. When making bears is your full time job and therefore your only income, this has to be taken into account. I am a bit strange in that I really like bare bears, but I love making outfits for them as well. One outfit that I made for a BBAA entry took the best part of a week to make.
Dawn, Hugs Unlimited
I rarely dress my bears, mainly because I am not very good at making clothes, so find it a bit frustrating!!! However, I can sit and spend a day making a little outfit. I then put it on the bear and decide I prefered the bear undressed!!! This has happened SO MANY times!!! However, I love experimenting, so I always feel I have learnt something, and my clothes making skills may slowly improve until one day I actually prefer a bear in the outfit I have made for it!!
p.s. Dawn - nice to see you on TT!! 
Definitely the bear! A face can take me a whole day to complete in itself. Dressing is the most enjoyable part of bearsmithing for me. I think it's just because I like to decorate everything!!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Posts: 3,540I'm another who usually doesn't dress my bears. With all that real fur, it seems a shame to cover it up.
My bears are really on their own little personality kicks just now. I've had two bears that were supposed to be girls, names picked and everything, and they both ended up being boys. They chucked aside any thoughts of wearing anything frilly or having girly girl names 
I don't mind, though. Half the fun of making them is watching their little personalities come to life 
I find making the clothes for a bear can sometimes take over a week, especially
when they have a lot of detail ie. jackets with lapels and buttonholes and welt pockets.
I do enjoy dressmaking and love that part of bear making.
Hugs
Carolyn
Past Time BearsI don't ordinarily dress my bears either, but if I think something is needed, it'll most likely be a vest, tie, or something easy and quickly made. On the other hand . . . I currently have a collection called "As Time Goes By" and spend waaaaay more time creating the box that accompanies the bear, than I do making the teddy. But I thoroughly enjoy the challenge and using all my "altered art" supplies.
Jane Perala Designs Ltd.It really depends on the style of clothing. Some of my dresses are two piece - a dress and a smock over top. Those can certainly take nearly as long to make as the bear. However, I would have to say the bear overall takes longer.
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsI don't ordinarily dress my bears either, but if I think something is needed, it'll most likely be a vest, tie, or something easy and quickly made. On the other hand . . . I currently have a collection called "As Time Goes By" and spend waaaaay more time creating the box that accompanies the bear, than I do making the teddy. But I thoroughly enjoy the challenge and using all my "altered art" supplies.
I was lucky enough to get Sue Ann's exchange pin at the Teddy Talk Fuzzy Slipper Night. It came inside a beautifully decorated box AND a beautifully decorated gift bag. I love it so much! You can tell it took a lot of time.
Past Time Bears:redface: :redface: :redface: :redface: Oh my, Tami . . . thank you!
Newcastle, OntarioOOOh Penny, you've been hiding your dressmaking skills! I love the dress and hat in the second picture!
I guess I got lucky - my mum taught me to make patterns and alter bought ones, so I was sewing all my own clothes at 14 years old. Then I got tired of it and never did it again, until I was an adult, and started to play with teddies LOL!
hugs,
Brenda
For me it mostly is the bear ..... but I have been dressmaking since I was a teenager too, that helps. I always have something going on in the way of outfits, either sewing or knitting and sometimes end up with a little stash so I can sometimes take a bear for try on of these when finished, but most of the time I have to make a fresh piece specially for the bear I am doing, depending on the complexity it can take nearly as long as the bear. Some bears don't suit any clothes except maybe a collar, they tend to let me know and sometimes I put on a dress and the next day I think it looks like a transvestite and I have to take it off and make him a boy, they are definitely all born with their own characters arn't they!!
Pauline
PS. Dawn Hello!! Welcome to Teddy talk, nice to see you
Matilda Huggington-beareWOW Penny, to have such wonderful talent.
I dont often dress my critters but I do accessorise quite a lot and find it all takes equal time. I just love the fiddling that comes with accessorising. I can buy upto 10 ribbons just for one wee Puddle and then discard them. 
Thats basicly how my stash grows.
Wendy
Posts: 3,540Some bears don't suit any clothes except maybe a collar, they tend to let me know and sometimes I put on a dress and the next day I think it looks like a transvestite and I have to take it off and make him a boy, they are definitely all born with their own characters arn't they!!
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Glad I'm not the only one who has this happen 
Wild Thyme Originals
Dressing/accessorizing definitely takes longer for me. But, it's something I enjoy immensely. I like to tat or crochet little collars and hats with tiny beads woven in, or make ribbon flowers from scratch. I LOVE doing that stuff.... sort of like a side hobby. It's a good thing that the bears are so eager to wear my little side-creations... otherwise my poor little girl would probably be covered head to toe in beads and ribbons!
Kim Basta
puca bearsKim - your wee accessories are STUNNING!!!!!!!!
I don't dress too many of my bears - but i do LOVE it - and yes - it takes me forever!
I just finished a "Hamlet" doing the "Alas poor Yorick" bit, with of all things, a plastic dinosaur skull (being long in the snout, it looks like it could almost be from one of my bears).......I think his little doublet alone took me two days to sew...............
And I do have a huge stash of bits of fabric, braid, lace, leather - you name it.........seems I just can't throw anything away!
huggies
Maria
Posts: 8,574Having sewn clothing for all sorts of people and critters for 42 years + I find the dressing the least of my troubles.....getting the doll or bear stuffed, now that's the tough part!!!
Hey SUE ANN-I got the25 lb box of what you said you use, and you are right!!!! so much better, more easy to stuff in and so much easier on the hands! Thanks Dearfriend!
gollyhugs
dilu
Posts: 8,574PS I love doing heirloom sewing, lace and ribbons and pintucks and i am a happy camper.....unfotunetly the gollies can get rambunctious so I keep the heirloom sewing for the dollies.....
dilu
Past Time BearsHey SUE ANN-I got the25 lb box of what you said you use, and you are right!!!! so much better, more easy to stuff in and so much easier on the hands! Thanks Dearfriend!
gollyhugs
dilu
You are very welcome, Dilu . . . so glad you like it. If you didn't, 25 lbs. would of stuffing would be a huge inconvenience. Maybe you could stuff your turkey with it? 
