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artbyrjandreae
I was just curious about your preferences and why. I made my first sewn teddy back in October and am thinking of making more. He was hand sewn. Are there any advantages of hand sewn over machine and vice versa? Do those of you who machine sew use an industrial heavy duty machine or a regular home machine? What's your favorite brand and model? There are probably as many variances on sewing as there are artists. Thanks in advance for your response to my questions.
Back Road BearsWe talked about this last year.... here is the thread: http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=23997
There are many new people here now so it'll be interesting to see what others say but this link will give you even more feedback to your question! 
I wonder if anyone who used to hand sew has switched to machine sewing now!?
Plum Cottage BearsEspecially on the muzzle, I like the control of hand sewing. I have hand sewn bears up to 12 inches but usually machine sew larger ones. However, on curved parts like the head, hand sewing with a tight backstitch gives control.
artbyrjandreaeThanks Daphne for the link. It was very interesting reading. I started thinking of doing sewn teddies beacause my arm is taking a beating from needle felting and I can't keep up with the demand. I thought I'd never say that. My other art used to languish on eBay and Etsy for seemingly forever. Now I'm so busy felting and I can't seem to do them any faster. I've had to stop taking commissions for a while. I'm backed up until at least September. I've always loved teddies, all kinds and styles. I can't wait to get started on my next one.
Fulrfun BearsI hand sew almost everything. The only time I gave up and used the machine was when I was sewing real fur. When I discovered how quick it was I almost became a convert but then I lose the portability of sewing where and when I like (mostly in front of TV). I have done one other bear on the machine (it was 42 inches) but must say I didn't enjoy the process because i still needed to hand stitch the muzzle and paw pads. That's how I felt anyway.
Tuppies TeddiesI hand sew all my bears, as Clare said, it can be done anywhere anytime...and I find I have more control by handstitching..
I enjoy hand sewing, but I machine sew a lot so I can save my hands. I do hand sew foot pads and the gusset in.
Emo BearsI 100% hand sew 
I don't have much experience with machines and would mess it up quite a bit I suspect! I find it theraputic to Stitch away and am proud of the fact my bears are all 100% handsewn.
artbyrjandreaeThanks everyone! 
When I was reading through the older thread, I noticed that there were at least a couple of people who cuss out their sewing machines. My family used to take cover everytime I got the machine out. Lol. I know it would definitely be a love hate relationship. It's good to know that I'm in good company. I think you would have a lot more trouble trying to keep the mohair from getting into the seams. Does the mohair sometimes get stuck in the feeder dogs? That's what would really get me going with my old machine, fabric getting stuck in the dogs. I only remember once sewing anything vaguely like mohair. It was synthetic fur for my son's Halloween costume. He was a bat. You should have heard the words fly. I'm reluctant to take it up again. But my arm definitely needs some rest. I had surgery on it about 10 years ago. I used to be a chef and I took a nasty fall in the walk-in. I nearly severed my ulnar nerve. I had to have surgery and it was the most pain I can ever remember. It was like hitting your funny bone 24/7 and that lasted for 5 years. I hadn't had any trouble with it until recently. I knpw I have to do something to save my arm. So I guess it's back to the sewing machine at least part of the time. Thanks again for your imput.
EJ's CraftsI haven't been able to hand sew a whole bear for about 10 years. It use to be fun but my fingers go to sleep now so everything I can do on the machine I do. Of course, I have been using a sewing machie since I was a child so it was no problem for me to make bears that way. Best of luck with your switching to a machine.
Cutiepie Bearshand sew its too hard to machine sew on little tiny bears, anyway. so many curves in a second or two. 
Robin, on my machine at least (late 1950s Singer dressmakers model), sewing mohair fabric is MUCH easier than sewing synthetic plush. And I've never had any problems with getting anything stuck in the feeder mechanism (dogs? Had never heard that before!). As far as hand sewing, mine just isn't good enough! If I want straight, tight, regular stitches, it's the machine or nothing:)
Becky
Goldelocs BearsHi, I started out handsewing everything, but several months ago decided to buy a 1950's singer featherweight sewing machine, it makes the proccess a bit faster for me, I found that when I'm preparing for a show handsewing an entire peice was too time consuming for me. I usually only sew the body, arms, legs and ears on the machine, I always handsew paw pads and the head to make sure I have complete control and that their is a very strong tight stitch so the head doesn't come apart when I'm stuffing it, or show threads.
I've now become addicted to antique & vintage machines and now own 4 including a Singer 28K from 1902, a singer 99k from the 1950's and a gorgeous bronze lillies 1914 Frister & Rossmann handcrank I bought recently, I can't wait to try and sew a bear on it :dance: My 222k Featherwight is my little workhorse though, I love it
BrisbaneSewing mohair on a sewing machine is a breeze. I use mine all the time, especially for the bigger bears. Make sure when you pin (or oversew) you push all the fur to the inside so it doesn't get stuck in the seam. If you are really worried about hair getting caught in the seam you can trim your seam allowances. I still sew the head gusset and pawpads by hand. I know you can sew these on the machine, but I need more practice for these parts.
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Therese
