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Hi,
I read on another thread about people finishing 2 bears a week. I was wondering how you do it. It takes me such a long time to finish a critter. I make new patterns for most bears, which can take a few weeks to get the way I want, then making the bears takes a long time as I am redoing things all the time. We also are still homeschooling our daughter, which mostly consists of driving to classes and activities at this point (and waiting for her if the class, etc. is far away), so the day tends to be broken up some. I do have much more time than when she was younger, but would like to make the time I do have more productive. (I would also love to do a show next year, but am worried about having enough stock.) I am hoping, since I am a fairly new bear maker, that more speed will come as I make more bears.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Hugs,
Ellen
Back Road BearsIf I was designing every bear from scratch it would take me a lot longer to get one piece made too!!! 80% of the time I use an existing pattern, simply tweaking a little here and there for a new look w/o taking hours and days and weeks to create a whole new pattern.
Because I've been doing it that way for so long I think that when I DO create an entirely new pattern I can do it pretty quickly with minimal adjustments. I use a cheap material to make the first bear from a new pattern and usually don't bother completing the face... I just want to be sure my proportions and over all look are to my liking.
Also, I don't work on just one bear at a time any more. I used to but then if I was at the jointing stage or stuffing and wasn't "in the mood" I wouldnt get ANYTHING done. No I usually have about 3 going at once, in various stages, so that chances are I'll be in the mood for working on at least one of them. When I get to the head/face (which I do last) and accessorizing I stick with one bear to completion so I can get to know his personality. I work on new patterns while still making other bears.
Where I sometimes get stuck and Elle, you may too, is when have I become obssessive about getting the bear "just so"? When am I being too fussy and critical of my work? When do I need to step back and say "DONE" and stop picking and adjusting and redoing. I learned after doing a few shows and bringing along bears that I was "OK" with but kept thinking "I should have trimmed a little more there, attached the ears higher up, used a different color embroider yarn, etc." and yet those questionable bears end up being the first to sell. Often the ones I worked endless hours on are the last to go.
You just never know what will strike someone's fancy!
You might consider getting a few patterns to where you like them and then start using them regularly. You could enlarge or reduce the pattern, make a couple of different ear shapes or paw pad shapes so they don't all look exactly the same but will give you the basic pattern, already done so you save time. Using different materials, eye size and nose shapes and accessories on each will make everyone unique!
Edie creates new patterns for each of her bears if I recall correctly, perhaps she'll have some advice for you as she seems to crank out bears and elephants and other critters at a good rate. 
Swan Valley BearsI've never had to make a living from bears. If I did it wouldn't be fun for me. I can make more than a bear a week because I've done it for upcoming shows. Then it wasn't enjoyable and I didn't feel like I had time to perfect each one. I like to have my bear follow me from room to room for a couple days so I can get to know him/her and decide on the finishing details. But like Daphne, the ones I had to finish more quickly were the bears that went first.
I have a few basic patterns and I tweak them each time I make a new bear such as bent arms and legs, longer snout, wider head, longer arms, longer legs, fatter body, longer body. I keep all the pieces for each basic pattern together and then for my next bear, mix and match or make a new piece to get the look I want. Then I might enlarge or decrease the basic pattern and start with the tweaking again. Each time I design a new pattern, I do the same. I do the same with clothes patterns I design. That way you might be designing only one new piece of a bear each time.
Also, do you sew your pieces together on the sewing machine or by hand? I started out sewing by hand but after having hand surgery (due to sewing by hand) I started using the machine. That sped up the process considerably.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Where I sometimes get stuck and Elle, you may too, is when have I become obssessive about getting the bear "just so"? When am I being too fussy and critical of my work? When do I need to step back and say "DONE" and stop picking and adjusting and redoing.
There is exactly ONE moment that it happens with every single bear, since 1990. I wish I'd kept count like Bettina and a few others of you have...
I call it 'The Indy Moment'.
In the Indianapolis 500 (Mile) race over Memorial Day weekend, near the end of May, when each car needs to pull into its pit spot for servicing, the crew descends upon the car and they can change out the oil, all 4 new tires, refuel it, insert new spark plugs, etc... all in 13.5 seconds.
There is a point where they all are "Hands Off!" and the car shoots back onto the track and into the race.
The same moment happens for me in bearmaking: a Hands' Off moment that just screams - Stop!!! You're Done!
Hi Daphne and Patty, -- And Bobbie! (We must have been writing at the same time. 
)
Thank you for all the great advice! I have been doing one at a time, but will try to work on more. Three at a time sounds doable. I do sometimes tweak patterns. It does go a lot faster, but new heads always take me a lot of time.
And yes, Daphne, I am way too much of a perfectionist for my own good. Sometimes, though, things look too sloppy to me or I have something like one leg that is dangling oddly. I need to work on fixing major things and try to let go a little. Thank you. My teenage daughter is good for bouncing off of - sometimes she says "What are you talking about - I don't see anything wrong." Other times she says, "Oh, you have to fix that!"
I also use the sewing machine, Patty. I agree it is a great time (and hand!) saver.
:hug:
Ellen
Bears by EdieEdie creates new patterns for each of her bears if I recall correctly, perhaps she'll have some advice for you as she seems to crank out bears and elephants and other critters at a good rate
Well, actually, Daphne, I don't completely design new patterns for every bear. I do usually DRAW out a new pattern for most bear but a lot of the time I am working from old patterns and not designing right from scratch. For example if I have a certain bear in mind I will take one of my old patterns to work from and, knowing how it turned out, make the legs longer, the arms shorter, the body fatter, the head smaller with a longer snout, etc. etc. This way is much faster as I am not starting from scratch with the proportions. And once I get the leg pattern drawn, rather than trying to figure out from scratch what size to draw the footpad I will find a previous pattern that has the same size of foot and just copy that foot pad - or adjust it if I want wider or narrower at the toes - still easier than trying to measure it out again from scratch. I rarely make "permanent" patterns - I just draw them out on paper so it isn't an expense to make a new pattern for each bear. I can't bring myself to throw any of them out though so I am getting quite a stack of them! I like the idea of having basic pieces and just mixing and matching but it sounds like you'd have to be way more organized to know which combinations you used each time and to keep all the sizes organized. I think it's too late for me to try !
I also usually just jump right in with a new pattern rather than trying it on test fabric first. I will make sure that I am using a fabric that I have lots of though as there have been times that the proportions turned out NOT to be what I wanted. Then I end up making two bears if I have to redo the head smaller and make a bigger body for the first head - but that's okay! I think is more likely to happen with miniature bears where the size of the seam allowance can make a huge difference or just the difference in fabrics.
I also often work on several bears at a time and I do as much on the sewing machine as I can. I usually take pieces along to sew if I am travelling in the car (or if you know you'll have a long wait for an appointment) - sometimes just things like footpads to put in, or arms and legs to stuff - the simple boring things! Sure makes it seem a lot faster to make a bear when you sit down to work on him and his legs and arms are all ready to just attach! You will also get faster with time for sure, Ellen - I've been at this for over 20 years now!
Ellen,
I have been making bears for almost 10 years. I'm still slower than snail poop. I usually complete one bear a week, some weeks none! Take your time with each creation, don't rush. The time and patience will show. These are labors of love we are creating. When I have a deadline, I think I make the worst looking bears.
To help speed things up to prepare for shows, I have hired my daughter for grooming seams and other simple tasks that are time consuming. Taking stuffed heads along and embroidering the noses is a way to get a little work done during piano lessons. Or, take a sketch pad along to draw up new designs. Just find ways to squeeze in a little bear making here and there. Oh, and get your husband to do the dishes! I cook, he cleans and I can get a little more work in each evening!
Hugs,
Alison
Well...I too am slower than snail poop! I love that, it's hysterical. And I agree with Daphne in that I have bears in varying stages of 'doneness'. Mainly because sometimes I just feel like doing the grunt work. I don't want to work on a face....or ears or whatever else. I found out years ago that if I work on a face when I'm not in a good mood....well....I have two in my stash that will always be here because they are my 'PMS' bears. Oh...you can tell I wasn't in a good mood when you see them. Everyone works at a different pace and sometimes when I can't get enough done I just come to a show with seven bears. Oh well....at LEAST I made an effort to get there! Good luck!
Back Road Bears"Snail Poop".... I must remember that one! 
Thanks for all the advice and encouragement Your ideas for speeding up pattern designing sound really helpful too, Edie!
Slower than snail poop! :crackup: :crackup: Well I join you there, Alison.
Hugs,
Ellen
I am a beginner at this . I felt lucky to get one done a week but I am getting faster. Faster and better. I look at my some of my first bears and want to redo half of them. I don't make new patterns for everything but as I don't have too many yet I find I am making a new one every couple of bears. And am finding I will pretty much have to start from scratch for most dogs as they can all be so different. But I am having fun experimenting with making different patterns. and am so happy when one works!
I work a 40 hour job so do most of my sewing on one of my days off. Then I work evenings at stuffing, jointing etc. And I take whatever I am working on to work to work on on my breaks. I don't usually get much done there but every little bit helps.
Beth
