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Thought I'd post this oft-asked question again to see if anyone has new tips and pointers to share.
HOW DO YOU GET THAT FLOPPY BODY THING IN YOUR BEARS??
I'm still working to find a just-right way to achieve this, myself. Usually I'm disappointed with my outcome(s) and end up stuffing firmly to get around the fact that what was in my head didn't translate well into reality. Stuffing really, really firmly is my go-to method of filling my bears. But I'd really like a softer, more "huggable" effect.
I'm afraid I have not much to offer in the way of help at this point! Understuffing is the closest I've gotten to achieving what I'm after, but sometimes the head is then just too lolly and heavy, and I end up firmly stuffing the body after all.
Do you have any ideas to share, for me and others to benefit from...??? Please be specific!
Thanks!
Hi Shelli
If I want a softer more floppy bear I use a different grade of stuffing. We have 3 different types here where I live- one is firm, one medium and one soft. The head I always stuff firmly
Hugs
Gail
PS I bet those silicone pellets that Kelly Dean uses would also do the trick. Maybe he will give us his source. I know they can be purchased in the UK but shipping would be expensive
Chaska, MinnesotaWell I made one bear that was slouched over. I weighted him down in the tush area with pellets and used the normal stuffing for the lower 1/4 to 1/3 of his body. Next I used the softer stuffing (can't recall the true name of it) but it bounces back and it is not used for stuffing the bodies hard. Oh, well on with how I did it... Yes, where was I? Oh, weight down the tush and stuff the lower 1/3 to 1/4 of the body with your normal stuffing. Now for the softer stuffing, put it in the neck and shoulder area. You can use tine stitches to anchor it in so it does not move. So now you have the shoulder, neck and lower body done. Next you stuff the middle part sparingly, making sure you don't put too much in so that it is not sitting up straight. Play with the amount you put in to make sure you get the slouchiness you want. You could anchor that in as well but it is not necessary.
The head, legs and arms I stuff firmly. I did do a floopy joint in his head. Again, I don't know the correct terms for it but it was two cotter pins and two joints to make the head floppy...
That is my way of doing it...
Michelle
Past Time BearsHi Shelli
If I want a softer more floppy bear I use a different grade of stuffing. We have 3 different types here where I live- one is firm, one medium and one soft. The head I always stuff firmly
Hugs
Gail
PS I bet those silicone pellets that Kelly Dean uses would also do the trick. Maybe he will give us his source. I know they can be purchased in the UK but shipping would be expensive
A US source for the baby fat pellets is: http://www.bountifulbaby.com/seaside/in … k=eDRkfxEA
Just scroll down a little.
Back Road BearsI've been hoping someone would have an answer to Shel's question because floppy bodies elude me, too. Like Shel, I naturally stuff HARD. And no matter how hard I try I can't do it any other way! One of my favorite bears is a floppy Gund bear and I'm sure he's so tired of being my model and getting squeezed to death. But, he's made like Michelle describes.... weighted in the butt, stuffed well at his neck and not a lot in the middle. For some reason I never thought of taking stitches to anchor the stuffing. Great idea!
Michelle - Thank you! 
I am also trying to achieve this, as I tend to not like the finished look so go back and add more stuffing until I am back with a firmly filled bear. I am working on some smaller bears 6" and trying to achieve this as the fabric I am using is some antique German mini pile that I purchased while at Hugglets show, and I want them to have an old look.
In another question about this , it was mentioned that around the joint area one would place some filler but as you did not want it to be "rock" hard you placed a little filler and to prevent it slipping into the lower arm, you stitched from side to side, inside the area to keep it there. I have not tried this and might not be explaining it correctly so I am sure someone will soon have some more answers.
For the bears I am working on, I am placing weight(stainless steel pellets,glass beads) in the lower half of the body, almost 3/4 of the tummy, then adding a little filler to the rest of the tummy, this is resulting in the bear having a bit of a "slouched" look.
Soft poly fiber coils also give the soft feel, and is often used in upholstery.It is not that easy to work with as the coils jump everywhere except for where you want them to be. I keep thinking of using baby powder on my hands to try and prevent this, but again not done so.
The wobbly joints are when you take to round headed cotter pins and loop them together, this will hold the joint firmly in place but give the look that they almost want to fall off.
For what it is worth this is my two tuppence worth, so also interested in what others do.
Lynette
Thanks, you guys! I'm definitely thinking that pellets are involved in this effect. I use them occasionally in my bear bellies but that's more for weighting and touch purposes than to keep my bear "floppy." I think I've figured out how to make the limbs appropriately floppy -- starting at the paw, I stuff hard, then use pellets, then stuff softer near the joint. But it's the body that eludes me.
I'm wondering if it all comes down to a combination of the right body pattern, and the correct head placement, so it doesn't bow over onto itself. ???
Keep the ideas rolling! These are all good ones. Thanks again!
VallierBearsI know its not a traditional method, but how about a "spine"?
Placing a wire or lockline spine at the back of the bear body attached to the neck joint. In this method I THINK that may keep your bears head up and keep you free to stuff the body almost how you like... Almost belly full of "baby fat" would be super cuddly squishy and would "flop" as its not so dense.
Just throwing some ideas around!?! :hug:
Richy~
LuxembearsT
I'm wondering if it all comes down to a combination of the right body pattern, and the correct head placement, so it doesn't bow over onto itself. ???
!
I agree with this Shelli. I think you also need to be careful so the bear does not feel like a sack of rice either.More stuffing in the body top.
Another way for a different effect is ot add small pouches of pellets into the tips of the feet and paws. This gives nice options for posing and when you pick up the bear they hang down as a real animlas paws would do. I am working on a non-jointed floppy right now.....from the urgings of my daughter..."Mom...would you please make a bear without joints for once? 
I love the squishy pellets. They give a totally different feel than the plastic. I like the squishy ones better...they feel softer and give the finished bear a better quality. try them!!! I got mine from Cr's crafts but am going to try Sue Anns link. Thanks Sue Ann.
Thanks for your help with the source for the pellets Sue Ann
Hugs
Gail :hug: :hug: :hug:
Past Time BearsThanks for your help with the source for the pellets Sue Ann
Hugs
Gail :hug: :hug: :hug:
I got mine from Cr's crafts but am going to try Sue Anns link. Thanks Sue Ann.
You're both very welcome! :hug: :hug: :hug:
Back Road BearsShelli - you might also need to try NOT stuffing the head so firmly so as not to make it so weighty. I'd also use the little 1/8" bolts in the neck as they are smaller so might weigh a tad less. I should think you'd still need to put a fair amount of stuffing in the upper body to help hold his head up but not so much that he's not squishy.
You could also stitch 'wrinkles' in the front of his body where the material would naturally fold if he was really softly stuffed and slumped over a bit.
Chaska, MinnesotaI never heard of baby fat pellets. But that leads me to a question though. How do you place the pellets in the body? Do you put them in the tush, stomach...do you surround it with fiberfill? I never really did get the knack of how to use the pellets frankly. I just stuff them in the body and sometimes you can feel them somethimes you don't. Any tips on this?
Back Road BearsMichelle - if I'm using plastic pellets I put them right into the body - I don't make a pouch for them. I usually put a bit of stuffing in the very bottom of the body then fill with pellets. If you don't mind feeling the pellets then there is no need to make a pouch or surround with stuffing. I typically aim to get more in the tush than in the belly so that the weight doesn't make the bear fall over forwards. Where you place the pellets will depend in part on your pattern design and which direction your bear tends to lean. Use the pellets as counter weight.
For weight in the feet I put some stuffing in the very bottom of the foot, a layer over the foot pad so the pellets don't poke through. You could also cut out a piece or two of felt a 1/4 in. smaller than the foot pad and place that inside as a lining. Then I fill the feet with pellets. This weight in the very foot, rather than the ankle, helps the bear to stand quite nicely. When I do this to make the bear stand I use less in the tush/tummy.
If using small glass beads or fine steel shot its wise to make a pouch so the little bits don't come through the mohair seams or through the backing depending on the kind of mohair you use. Some is much more tightly woven than others. you'd simply place these pouches in the same place you'd put loose pellets and just stuff around them.
Chaska, MinnesotaDaphne: thank you so much for the tips...very helpful!!!
I'm working on a pattern incorporating some of these ideas. I'll let you know how it goes! I'm sticking with poly fill and poly pellets rather than the squishy ones, though; I kinda like the noise they make as they slide past one another in a bear belly!
DENBY BEARSPoly pellets are the best for floppy, you can even purchase them on Ebay, they are polyethylene plastic pellets. Lucky me I work for a plastics company so I get them by the 50# bags. I am sure if you write to plastic companies, you could probably get them shipped to you in 50# bags or even smaller. Look in your area under plastic companies and give them a shout. We used to sell to a doll lady for years.
Hope this helps in some small way. Make sure to ask for round pellets or water ring cutters, not chopped as they have sharp edges.
Awesome tip, Pat! Thank you!
