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Clarebear Feb 28, 2009

OK so someone asks me to make a teddy bear out of an old fur coat.  It is African Goat so I thought beautiful soft angora type fur  WRONG!  It is coarse,wiry, goes every which way and of course like many deconstructed furcoats is made up os a million pieces of patchwork.  I have so far made a head, body one leg and one arm but am not happy.  The head I tried to stuff last night and the fur is long and very unruly so I decided to give it a haircut.  This has helped a very little bit but does anyone have any advice they could give me on progressing further - it has already taken me over 12 months because I am far from passionate about it (Rosie please don't read this)!!!  I have used gallons of hair conditioner on it trying to tame the hair can I leave this in or will it wreck the fur done the track?

Little Bear Guy Mar 1, 2009

Hi Clare,

My first thought was why are you trying to tame the hair?  If the hair goes every which way and you can't control it then don't. I'd just cut out the pattern and sew it up, I  mean it's not going to be a perfect hair bear  :crackup:  :crackup: .  We have worked with all kinds of fur that just doesn't obey and the bears come out so cute, I mean that's part of the fun.  It's not working with perfect mohair that will do what you want it to do, just don't worry so much about the fur going wonky.  As for stuffing well that's another story, with fur like that you just have to do little bits at a time.  The worse fur we have worked with was chinchilla, it was so difficult to stuff as it kept getting pulled inside as I stuffed it.  Mongolian and Tibetan lamb are really bad as well.  I stuff for a little bit and then put it down for a bit and then pick it back up. It took me a couple of nights just to stuff an arm, but slowly it got done and it looked great when it was done.

I say just go at it and don't worry so much sweetie, whoever you are making the bear for will love it.

Big hugs

Shane

danceswithteddybears Mar 2, 2009

Hi Clare
I agree with Shane, let it loose!  Shane, I loved your 'perfect hair bear' thing. Now there's a name:  The Not So Perfect Hair Bear Bears.  Maybe not. 
I had a something or other fur (I don't know my real furs) that did the same thing.  Went every which way.  I knew it'd win every battle, so I let it.  Like Shane, it (eventually) came out really cute, a true one of a kind!
  :hug:

Berwickbears Mar 8, 2009

Hello, you poor thing!  I have to agree with the others, just keep going and let the bear show you who it is going to be in the end!