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Feather Heart CreationsOk I've got another question about real fur. This fur is vintage so the leather backing is super dry & fragile. I was going to use inferfacing on it but can't get this stuff to stick (I think it's Craft Bond or something close that I'm using). I looks like it's on there (after I iron it) but when I go to turn the pieces it comes off & the leather rips 
It stays on the seams & they are not pulling it's just on the cute edges of the fur. Any tips on what I might be able to do or is this old fur shot? Thanks in advance everyone!
Taber, Albertahi 
use glycerin, rub it into the leather gently [ as it might rip if you rub it in too hard, if it's that fragile] and let it soak in for a day or so.... until it's more supple. I hope it's not too far gone for even glycerin 
but I would do this before you cut out the pattern
I would suggest you not use craft bond as the fur has to be able to breathe and no iron.Use something like muslin to line the bear pattern pieces in which case it may mean you baste all around the edges inside the seam allowance on every pattern piece
Hugs
Gail
Feather Heart CreationsThanks I'll try both things as I have a lot of fur. Someone I know also said to try liquid latex and "paint" it on the back of the fur (leather part) to make a flexible backing. Has anyone tried that before?
Taber, AlbertaI have never heard that before, only softening the pelts with glycerin, but I am interested about the paint thing
VallierBearsI'm interested in this topic too, my fur is pretty much the same.
I am going to line it, but maybe I need to make the fur more supple too?
Richy~
Feather Heart CreationsI'll be going to the craft store on monday & I'm going to try all 3 things. I'll let everyone know how the latex thing works out. And on the glycerin I guess I need liquid? Or can you use the bars and rub it on the leather part of the fur. It's a good thing I have a box full because I have the feeling I'll be messing up a few 
Tuppies TeddiesI use the spray stuff that quilters use.
To stick the lining on the pelt I cut the patten out of muslin or light cotton,I spray each patten piece which I have cut out and then press this onto the pelt with my hands. Let it well and truly dry and then cut out the pieces...I tried watered down white craft glue once, what a disarster...
LuxembearsIs this fur something that is very important to you, like from a vintage coat that belonged to someone special?
The reason I ask is because some fur is too far gone to make a really good quality bear. If you are going to invest your time and talent into a fur bear you will want it to last years and years. Even if you are able to get a good backing on it, the leather can deteriorate from the outside as well making the fur fall out. 
Fur bears are wonderful and can last just as long as mohair bears as long as the fur coat is is really good shape. If this fur means a great deal to you then I would go ahead and try to make the bear...if not you might want to try another fur. You can get fur coats from ebay relatively inexpensively. Just a thought. Good luck which ever way you choose.
Little Bear GuyI have to agree with Judi on this one. If the leather of the fur is that hard and brittle I just wouldn't bother with it. If you think you are having problems now, just wait until you try and turn the pieces or try stuffing it. It won't matter what you back it with at this point, the fur will eventually just start falling out and you will wind up with bald patches and just an overall mess. I did try the glycerin once many many yrs ago and I did not find a difference in the leather at all.
Like Judi says unless the fur was something that was handed down to you and means a lot to you, then I wouldn't really bother with it. We have had people ask us to make a bear out of a coat for them, but if the coat is stiff and crunchy then we won't even touch it.
hugs
Shane
Feather Heart Creationsthanks everyone. No the furs not meaning full to me just got a box full of vintage fur at a good price. This was just the first piece I pulled out of the box & started to work with. I knew the fur was old but had no idea that it was starting to dry rot like this. I think I might just play around with this piece or make cat toys or something & hope that not all the pieces in the box are like this. There was 7lbs + of fur so hopefully some of it will be useable, this mink piece was just soooo pretty that I hated to toss it away... but there is also some pretty beaver and fox pelts in the box that I might try next. Yea when I went to turn an ear the leather just ripped But I'm also trying a fairly small bear about 10" so maybe I should try larger? I've never worked with real fur before so this is all new to me (unless you count shed dog hair in needle felting LOL) Thanks again everyone is so helpful to a new-bee like me
Chaska, MinnesotaDear Nina: Judi gave good advice about the quality of the fur. It may be too far gone to make anything from it. Mink scrapes make wonderful cat toys. Also you could use it as trim for your bears i.e.: making mink hats or something.
Now, I have a different view on how to line fur pieces. I never use glue or iron-on interfacing, for it can erode and break down the leather. You want the stitches to last for many generations. What I do is hand baste a muslin lining to each piece of fur. When stuffing the bear, the muslin takes the brunt of the stuffing to keep the leather intact. This is just my two cents on that topic.
Best of luck with making a fur bear. Please post pictures.
I agree with Judi on this one too. I tried using some fur like that when I first tried making bears... I found that the end result wasn't worth the effort and I was too unsure of how well it would stand up to cuddling to offer it for sale. When I used some good quality fur it was amazing how much easier it was to use! I find that the time I save when I use a good quality fur (easier to turn, less recutting of peices, etc) is well worth the few extra dollars that the good fur costs. I recommend trying out a better piece from your box first and definitely lining it with fabric as suggested! Hope you have fun with it... working in real recycled fur can be rewarding.
Feather Heart CreationsWell I got some glycerin and tried it on a few different pieces of fur. It didn't seam to help but it did make the fur smell better Some of this fur I know is too fare gone, a few pieces rip like paper when you pick them up so most of it's becoming cat toys (but my cat doesn't mind) I'm also going to use it for little things like trim and so on. Still digging though this big box so maybe there is hope yet. On a side note a found some weird and kind of neat mink heads in the box! They have glass eyes so I'm sure I can use the eyes if I don't do something else with them, oh and there was a bag of tails in there too. I also got some muslin and plan on lining the rest of it.
DENBY BEARS
Hi, go into the index above in the library and go to real fur, there are a lot of questions and answers there, perhaps it will give you some insite as to what you are up against. I line with muslin and use glue sticks, it works but if the pelts are stiff it is hard to turn the completed items. I made one from black seal fur, it came out okay but the bear seems a little stiff. I would try the library. Good Luck with your project!
