Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Posts: 5
Hi I purchased this from Gerrys and for the life of me - I can't get the darned thing to work properly (my bad I know). I thought if anyone can help me - you ladies can. I understand that you can't have a head joint. I put the shaft through the neck and into the head but when I sew the head to the body it turns sometimes then stops!!! 
Maybe I need to somehow create a neck or something but I have no idea how to get this to work. Any help you ladies can offer would be sooo greatly appreciated. I have pulled the head off about 5 times and my poor little bear is looking very sad 
. I did check the library but there wasn't much information about them. Thankyou.
Leanne xxx
Strange BearsHi Leanne
First you need to have the head stuffed with something very very firm ..........ginned cotton is the best, this will keep the shaft in place and also not wrap around the mechanism as it moves. It is best NOT to sew the head to the body at all but to use a longer to cover up the fact that the head is not jointed to the body in anyway.
So on your pattern lengthen the neck bit about 5mm and then turn the raw edge up and you may wna to gather it a little to keep the stuffing in place but basically you bring the stuffing down into the neck area and around the shaft......I hope this makes sense.
Id you really really feel the need to sew the head onto the body again use a long neck section that normal and sew very very loosely as the head must have room to move and so must the shaft. Four to eight taking stitches is the most I have used when I feel the need.
Also stuff the body with ginned cotton to hold the mechanism in place in the body. Polyfibre is too osft and will left it fall and shift in both the head and the body. Once you have used ginned cotton in the head it will be very hard to get the eye needle through as it is very dense, coat in the talcum powder and use a screwing motion I have actually drilled a small hole in the handle of my stuffing stick that takes and holds the eye of my needle for this purpose. Stuff the muzzle with wool to sew the nose or you will be here to next year trying to sew one through the cotton.
I hope all this helps PM me if you need more help.
Bearhugs
Posts: 5Thankyou Sandra - you are an absolute angel 
I will try this tonight and if I need any further help will PM you. Thankyou thankyou thankyou. :hug: :hug: :hug: 
