For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
hi guys! it has been a long time since i've been here! holy cow! i had to have surgery on my arm due to a car accident last easter, and am just able to get my foot back into sewing my bears. my hand is finally working good enough to do it. yahoo!
i've been wanting to try a humpbacked bear, and can't seem to find anything on one. how would you do the body for it? that is the part i have the problem with. i just wanted to see if i could do one. i want to start with a small one, and then maybe go from there. the few bears that i've done since being able to, have been around 5-6 inches tall. any help would be greatly appreciated!
BTW... been looking at all of the wonderful bears in the gallery! beautiful! good job guys!
thanks in advance for any help!
jen
hi again!!! i just wanted to make sure that i was talking about the right kind of bear. it is like an old fashioned bear with a hump at the top of the back of the body. maybe i'm thinking about it too much. is it easy to do? i keep trying to sketch a pattern for it, but it doesn't seem to look right. ARGH!!! i hope that someone can help. it is really starting to drive me nuts.
take care!!!
jen
Hi Jen,
I'd just go for it--you can always widen your seam somewhat if the hump looks too humpy.
You need to start the hump curve out at the back neck, but then curve in again for the back and out again for the rump.
Since the humpbacked teds are usually looking down (just a bit), their necks need to be slightly longer at the back than at the front.
It really helps to look at pictures of grizzly bears:
thanks so much! reading what you wrote, now makes sense! i will definately give it a shot. and thanks for the tip about the neck too. i guess i really was over thinking things! LOL!! i'm off to go and try it out! thanks again!
jen
Thx Eileen, wonderful color blending on those grizzlies! That pic is a KEEPER for inspiration! TXX...
This is the general shaping I use for a four piece design Jen ... it would translate easily enough into a two piece pattern, which is what you want for a small bear (mine are big 'uns!)
Thanks, Bobbie! Aren't those beautiful bear backs?
Actually, I think I saved this pic from one of Judi's posts!
Paula, your lovely design is much clearer than my muddled description . . . thanks!