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q.D.paToOtieSI recently completed this Gingerbread Witch for an upcoming show. It was the first time I positioned the ears very low on the head - almost to the point of looking like they are going to fall off! I did it because of the hat but now that I look at her, the "low ear" look is really starting to grow on me. Where do you guys position the ears on your bear's head? Do you put them in the same place each and every time or do you vary your position each time? I'm a regular old 10-2 person myself. Anyway, I did a little poll for fun. I'll try to put the html code in here so you don't have to "travel" - LOL! You'll find the link to the poll below.
P.S. If any of you own the book "A Bear of My Own" by Rotraud Illisch, it has a great diagram of ear positions in it and how it really changes the overall personality of your bear.
YorkshireHi, I'm still a newbie (just finished bear no 5!!!!!) and although four of them have the 10 - 2 position, I did make an amine bear with low ears which I really liked. It was a pattern I bought from Jennylovesbenny. I think it suits the flatter faced bears best and will probably do it again when the right bear comes along. I also turned the ears on their sides, so the fur was face upwards and the suede faced the side of the head (hope this makes sense!!!! 
)
Love your little witch - hope she does well in the show. 
Hugs Ali x
CandybearsHi Lisa.
I think you should have added... like to change them depending on the bears personality! Cause thats what i do. If the bear calls for them to be low i make them low, if it needs to be 10 -2 then thats what I do.. The bear has to talk to me first!LOL
anne-marie
Chaska, MinnesotaOh my....ears....My down fall.....I still can't get the even. So when I position them, it is not calculated but rather taking off and reattaching several times until they are even. When I achieve that, I breathe a sigh of relief and that is that. So I would love to know how others get the ears looking even on the head. Any tricks Teddy Bear Friends? I short Lisa, the position of ears is driven on where I can get them even!!
Holy cow that guy is adorable! I think the ears have a lot of character and they look perfect. The cookies and candy are fabulous. Are the polymer clay? Love the green mohair!
FenBeary FolkYour witch looks fab, I think the ears look great, somehow they would not have looked so good if they had been higher up :dance:
Michelle, I find positioning a bit difficult, my bears sit for about a week with the ears just pinned in place, I then somehow, maybe its because I see the bear alot and fiddle, they just seem to sit right when I sew :pray:
PS 10-2 at the mo as I am new
Little Bear GuyThat's a really good question Lisa. We tend to put our ears low on the head and pointing more down than straight out. It does depend on the bear itself though. Now that said we don't use a traditional design for our ears so they would never look right sitting at 10-2 as they are more elongated and not traditional in style. We tend to adjust them from like 9-3 position and somtimes the 7-5 position which makes them very low but adds character.
Love your little bear and I think the ear positioning is just perfect.
OH and we did take a course in England from Rotraud a couple of yrs ago and she did not like my ear placement at all 
, she kept trying to reposition them to the 10-2 position but whenever she turned her back I would move them :crackup: :crackup: , her book is fantastic though and should be one that everyone has in their library.
big hugs
Shane
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsThis is a good question!! I tend to use the 10-2 placement because I tend to make somewhat realistic or traditional bears. I really think it depends on the overall design look of the bear. Your little witch is perfect!
I'm a 10 and 2 girl too......always fussing about getting the ears perfect! However, I've recently begun to make some really fun, quirky bears and I'm not being fussing about getting them just right at all. It's rather exhilerating just sticking them on the head and sewing them on!! It takes a lot less time too! Gee whiz though, they still seem to be about 10 and 2 
....I think because the actual head is still traditional.....or perhaps because I've been setting at 10 and 2 for (EGAD!) 7 years!!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
P.S. The ear placement on your witch is absolutely adorable!! Just right!!
Hi Lisa
Mine are always low, i think they suit my style of bear better that way and it's sort of become my trademark I guess, but I think you have to play around and find what look right on the particular bear you are working on.
The ears on your gingerbread witch look great to me :clap: She has given me some ideas for christmas pressies for a group of witches i know well, they are not real witches just a bunch of craft peeps who fly around on broomsticks...so they say :crackup:
q.D.paToOtieSThanks guys! Great to hear all the stories and about all the preferences for ear placement. Shane you guys are so lucky to have taken a class with Rotraud. I'm am so envious. Like I said, I just love her book and it was the first one I purchased back when I started making bears. Reading it made me think I could design my own pattern and umpteen patterns later, I am now addicted to having a "Bear of My Own!"
Jennifer, the little candies on the witches hat are a mixed lot of buttons and these tiny accessories you can buy around Christmas at Michaels (heck, they're probably out by now). Anyway, they have a Christmas Gingerbread village there and these were some of the candies/treats you could use to decorate your house.
Michelle, about getting your ears even. I heard about this trick I believe from Laura Lynn Matthews but someone can correct me if I'm wrong. What she does is she pins on her ears and then looks at her bear in a mirror. She does that until they look even and then just sews them on. Here's another thing you could do given all the "modern technology" we live with every day. Take a quick pic with your digital camera. Look at it in the viewfinder. If you don't like what you see, adjust your ears and try it again.
Anyway, thanks for all the comments on the little witch! That bizarre fabric is "as is" - I didn't dye it or anything. Unfortunately, I don't think they sell it anymore but I'm telling you the green practically GLOWS!
Chaska, MinnesotaLisa: thanks for the tip on ear placement. I never thought of looking at it in the mirror. I'll give it a try.
DENBY BEARS Lisa, I love the witch and the ears are quite in line with the eyes and make the bear, along with the color! I am 10-2, stuck in a rut I guess, maybe I should try a little different and see what happens. Take care!
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I'm with those that said you didn't put in the option of: Depends on the Bear/Mood/Emotion/Season/'Look'
B
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)(slapping forehead...)
Do you mean you're already working on Halloween 08??? YIKES!!
Pandy Potter Bears
Good post Lisa. Mine tend to be low but then as the mood takes me higher! It made me think of how it can totally alter the bears look when I looked through the photos. 
I think it's fun to play with ear positioning ... most of the time I find my bears suit the standard '10-2' position, but occasionally one will only come to life if I position his ears much lower. Lisa, I love your witch! Very creative and such fun!!!
Cheeky chappy 'Farthing' with low ears
Serious sensible Peregrine with classic '10-2' ears
ArborybearsI am pretty new to bear making and to be frank my husband has the job of sorting out my bears ears, as I always manage to get them sitting wrong. Its all practice I suppose.
Posts: 51I used to get my ears at the wrong position all the time but nowadays I pin them on look at the bears for a few days or weeks until I feel it's okay and then I sew them on. I do the same with eyes.At the moment there are 7 bears on my shelve staring at me with pineyes and pinears... :redface:
Remem-bear Artist Bears
Hiya
I love doing the low ears, as low as poss, lol, they create cute silly little bears. Though sometimes they are as high as they go too, lol!!
Hugs
Tina xxx
Lakeland TeddiesOne trick I learned is to position the eyes and ears and then put the bear in front of a mirror. You can immediately tell if one eye or ear is higher than the other. It works every time.
Peggy
Posts: 51good trick, peggy! I'm sure going to try a mirror next time!
All the tricks don't help me...I get mine pinned on just where I want them but somehow they always slip when sewing! I have long pins and same result...they slip when sewing! Is there a way to glue them in a couple of places to hold then while you sew?
The Littlest ThistleLenora after I've done the first one, I line the second one up and start sewing at the top down, that seems to keep them in line
Tuppies Teddiessuch an interesting post...I do the mirror test too, but I don't have a set rule for the position, the ears go where ever it suits for the particular bear I am working on......I love the low ear placement some of you do.....
