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Jare Hares & BearsInquiring minds want to know...
Oh BTW a final selling price would be nice to know too, but if you feel uncomfortable sharing that information or you just can't plain remember that is ok too.
The Largest bear I ever made was Orson. He is 42" tall and lives in not so sunny FL. I do hope that he took swimming lessons, I didn't have time to teach him. I told him to stay out of the pool, as I thought the chlorine in the water might wreck his fur. But who knows if he listened. I made him for one of Gallery Shows that ABC did and he didn't sell. But I sold him on Ebay. I took him into work because the portrait studio is there and I wanted to have pictures of my niece taken with him. Everyone loved him and wanted him. Well that was until I told them the selling prices of $425.
He is made of a thick domestic plush and is stuffed only with polyfill. I didn't dare add any shot or other weight materials. My brother-in-law made the discs for me.
A few years before that I made an elephant out of the same fabric that was 32". He went to the fall auction at ABC and it was a bit of a joke on Martha and the elephant noise she makes. I can't tell you what he sold for because I went to dinner with a friend.
Pictures of MaeLynn & Orson
MaeLynn liked kissing Orson's big nose. At the time she was 15 months old.
It didn't hurt that Orson's nose was waxed with bees wax that had just a bit of the honey smell to it.
In this picture I am behind the bear kneeling on the floor holding him so that he won't topple over onto MaeLynn.
MaeLynn just loves the guy that took these pictures. He is a very sweet person. Unfortunately he left the portrait studio to pursue other career options. Rather selfish I think.
If you would like to see more pictures of my little niece here's the link.
http://www.criffenbergbearco.com/maelynn.html
BEAR ME SHOOTKA
WWOOWW!!!! I 've never made SUCH a big bear!! Maybe someday..
How much stuffing did you use for him? Tonns, I guess... :D
Mine was only 27 inch.. :P
Love that little cuttie! How old is she now?
I was doing some search on internet and found this goreous bear. I couldn't help saving his picture on my computer. Maybe someone recognize him. I don't remember where I got this pict.
Julia
Posts: 1,277Very sweet photos! Your niece is adorable and your bear...outstanding!
Apple Dumpling DesignsGoodness what a big bear...makes you wanna just crawl right up in his arms for a big ol' hug...and then sweep that darling little girl up for some sugar smooches. What a cutepie...
Kiprie BearsWow wow Orson is so gorgeous big ! : :clap: :clap:
What great bear ! 
I think sweet MaeLynn will never forget about him. :hug: :love:
My big bear is only around 20". 
Thanks for sharing photo!
Hugs/Marie
Just Us BearsJared,
You need to be congratulated on the bear...he is FANTASTICO!! Really!
The biggest bear I have done was 1 metre tall.....inches??? don't ask me.
You won't be seeing him though...he was made back in my early bearmaking days and he's kinda....odd. :wacko:
It took me 2 kilos of stuffing and he is only lightly stuffed. He was designed to wear size 4 clothes, so I have him dressed in an outfit I made for my son when he was littler. I used to make all my kids clothes...but now it has to be surf brand stuff. 
We live on an island with magnificent surf beaches and it's kinda the in thing here.
I can't believe that your bosses didn't want to snap that bear up for the studio...even at that price (which I may add is more than reasonable for that bear! Some of the enormous cr***y bears in the shops nowadays for astronomical prices aren't a patch on this one.
AND, your little niece is to die for..what an adorable child! I can see 100% mischief in those eyes and grin!
I really enjoy your posts...it's great to have a fella actively posting...maybe it will encourage some of the others to come out and participate. Your bears and hares are sensational! :clap:
Past Time BearsHey, Jared . . . my largest bear to date has been 31 - 32 inches and sold for $435. Your gigantic Orson is wonderful and your little niece is adorable! Thanks for sharing!
Jare Hares & BearsMaeLynn is now 2 3/4 years old. I remember adding that 3/4 to my age it was important! She will turn 3 in Jan.
I don't remember how much stuffing I used. And he was well stuffed. Every once in awhile I like to make a big piece. I think I am over due for one. Maybe for Schaumburg in the Spring, it will be their 20th. It seems like we just celebrated their 10th, my how time flys.
I forgot to ask, if you have pictures please, please, please post them.
The portrait studio runs under a license that allows them to use the Wal-Mart name. So the portrait studio is not run by the local Wal-Mart store. If they buy any props it comes out of their little operating budgets or they have to sell enough packages and use the profits to buy props. Many times the studio employees wil buy the props themselves and use them, that's just not right. And for them $425 is the whole thing. I work in the store right now as a front end associate. That means I cashier and work the customer service desk. IT'S JUST A JOB! (I keep telling myself that). :lol:
I almost forgot to mention this little tid bit.
Amber from ABC told me this after the gallery show was over. She heard one customer say, "Well I would buy him if he was out of mohair and for that price." Amber thought to herself, "Geez lady, if he made that bear out of mohair you couldn't touch it for that price." the price = $425. I think if I had made him out of Mohair he would have been marked $1500. Then I know that he wouldn't have sold, but you never know. :whistle:
1 yard = 36 inches
1 metre = 39 inches
1 metre is 3 inches longer than 1 yard
2.54 cm = 1 inch
I use to work back in fabrics, and I always loved it when we would get customers on holidays from Europe. They would say I need 4 metres. My co-workers would look at me like HELP! I would figure say 4 yards and then multiply 3 inches X 4 = 12 and then add that all together and end up with 4 metres. In the US we would say 4 1/3 yards. My co-workers were amazed, that I could do that. It's just good sense.
Personally, I wish the US would switch to the meteric system it is easier to figure things.
DoodlebearsJared the bear is fantastic! There is no way I would ever make a bear that big as I sew by hand and I can't ever imagine how long a bear that size would take to sew, or stuff.
Maelynn is soo beautiful, you must be one proud uncle! I used the name Maelynn for a pretty pink and white panda that I made around two years ago but she ways no where as cute as your little niece. :love:
Jane 
Pandy Potter BearsIts funny about metric. I make my own curtains. Its always 52" to 54" wide but I ask for the length in metres. We drive in miles per hour but I measure in centimetres and metres. My bears are always in inches, and my height is 5 foot 8 inches. Amy is 1.5 metres in her clothing label sizes. My tins of beans come in grams but if I weight flour for baking I weigh in ounces. No wonder we are confused. :wacko:
If I remember my largest bear was about 22" (see inches, not centimetres) I was lucky to get £140 at the time. Those were the days.
Jare Hares & BearsHere's a more current picture of MaeLynn. It was taken in April 05.
Now she has more hair and it is longer. She went from being an infant to a little girl in one step. She was never a toddler.
Just so you all know and no it does not upset me...
MaeLynn is spelleed M-a-e-L-y-n-n. The L is captialized. It was my sister's idea. I just shook my head. OH well.
Her full name is MaeLynn Jane Ross.
Jessie Mae is her paternal grandmother.
Jessie Lynn is her mother. (side note: it is Jessie, not Jessica, never has been never will be. We still have some people that insist that her name is Jessica. I jut laugh.)
Jane is her maternal grandmother.
So she is named for both grandmothers and her mother.
My sister was named after our paternal grandmother.
Mom asked my sister if she would continue the family tradition of naming the first-born daughter after the paternal grandmother.
Jessie's repsonse was "Mother... that would be too many Jessies in one family."
I thought who cares.
love the big bear...he is gorgeous. My biggest bear was made for my brother-in-law about 36 inches complete with joints, kilt and tam. I don't think I have pictures, actually I made him 2, one with the dress tartan, the other with the hunter. My brother-in-law did research on the MacMaster family name in Scotland, then registered the tartan, had some made and asked for a bear to wear the kilt I made. My Mac Bear on my website wears the tartan sash with a celtic pin. If I can get pictures at Thanksgiving, I will post them. He paid for the materials only.
I regularly make a 26 inch baby-safe bear for shows. He gets tired of sitting, so He will walk up and down the aisles with me......gets lots of laughs, but not much in sales.
Ellen
Kim-Bee BearsWOW! love the BIG bears!!!! My biggest was about 2 1/2 feet standing..... but I think she was smaller than that... I want to make a really really big one though!
Ruby Mountain BearsAwesome bear Jared, Ilove those pictures of your niece. She is just adorable.
Nice story of the names too. Jessie is a family name for us too. Though I did the same as your sister and took thier middle names because we already had so many Jessie's. I Like unique names and MaeLynn has a great sound to it.
Kathy
Flying Fur StudiosWow, huge bear!! LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I want to make one that bignow. Good thing to do with all my fake fur.
My largest bear is 14". not big at all to most of you guys.
She's the panda that I have in show and tell.
If I were to enlarge a pattern to be really huge, do I need to make any adjustments?? And how big is your seam alllowance??
Heather
Jare Hares & BearsI kept my seam allowance to 1/4" to 1/2" like normal. Yes you will need to made adjustments. Most likely you will need to lengthen the body.
I forgot to do that with Orson, but he turned out OK. But If I were to make one in the future I would make the body taller. Your head, ears, arms, & legs tend to stay in proportion, but the body doesn't. Atleast that is what I found.
Anyone else care to chip in?
Jared, what size eyes did you use? If you can't remember exactly, can you guess?
I love this big ol' guy.
Good gracious! That bear of yours is huge, Jared! He's also quite handsome indeed. 
My largest bear was 27 inches tall and sold for $750.00 on eBay. (Those were the days!) I rarely design the real biggies anymore......it's too much like a wrestling match.....and the bear always comes out ahead! :(
Warmest hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Jare Hares & BearsAleta... You are too funny... a wrestling match with teddy... and did you expect anything else of course the bear wins.
Shelli - I used sew on plastic eyes and the biggest I had at the time were 15mm, I would have liked to have used something in the 20mm+ range.
Flying Fur StudiosThanks Jared,
good to know about the adjustments.
I hate make such a large bear and mess it up. NOt good!!!
Heather
UK42 Inches!! WOw thats a big un !! i love the pics of Orson & MaeLynn !! how incredibly Cute !!!
12 inches is the biggest I've made 
Posts: 8,574
Hi ya Jared
Meet Benbar Franklin 32"
I started him last year for Christmas.....He isn't quite done.....He has a cut- out vest, and I do need a tricorn hat instead of my girlie sunhat, and since then I have learned so much here That I have come to the decision on yanking out his eyes and redoing them, with some needle sculpting and eyelids, and then shaving the muzzel and adding some shading and then finding him a quill pen to go with the copy of the constitution that he has.....
And so he sits, a truly wonderful Schulte from Intercal mohair....took a yard...I think.....golllygeewhiz this was so long ago!
Selling price?
Jared, my friend, when I finally get this bigboy done he's not going anywhere....I will convince the Hubs to find a small chair and table and he will have a little spot of honor to be Ben Franklin in......Maybe a bottle of ink to go with his feather pen and oh yeah, a bottle of wine! Of course! And a candle........and a glass....
oh dear.......sometimes our projects do get ahead of us
Dilu
Posts: 8,574Just saw the latest pic of MaeLynn- oh she just is a heartbreaker- what a beautiful child-you can tell she's a well loved child. That is so wonderful to see!
When I made him It never occured to me that I could buy clothing......Of course It wouldn't have Ben Franklin clothing......
Dilu
Past Time BearsDilu . . . don't forget the kite and key for Old Ben!!
Jare Hares & BearsDilu - don't let him fly the kite in bad weather. I would hate to see him with shinged fur.
