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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
I usually make modern looking bears with very new fabrics but like most bearlovers I, too, adore the vintage, well-loved, old-fashioned look. So I have been toying with the idea of keeping to my usual styling, but doing something really old and distressed with my chosen mohair. I am just too, too afraid to start, though. I'm not sure how to proceed. I have never dyed or altered the mohair I use in any way, other than to trim and shade it after making up my bear. So I'm feeling a bit... reluctant.
I've tried reading up on distressing mohair many times, and it's actually not an easy subject to research. There are ten thousand ways to do it, apparently, but nobody is all that forthcoming on their particular method; I can't find any "Here's how you do it: (1), (2), (3)" kinds of instructions, probably because the distressing technique itself is a part of what makes those bears so admired and successful! I do understand the wish, on some level, to hoard trade secrets.
Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be willing to share your distressing techniques. I've read about techniques ranging from tea-dying, to sanding... running over mohair (before sewing into a bear) with a car... scraping it across pavement. Using paint to randomly color patches. Trimming erratically. Plucking entirely.
But... doesn't all that leave unsightly holes?
Do you distress before or after making your bear?
Shoe polish? Walnut stain?
WHAT?!?
HELP!!!!!!
Past Time BearsHmmmm . . . I've never gone to the extremes that some people have to distress mohair. If I want a more vintage look, I just get the sparse or ultrasparse mohair and go from there. I have dyed mohair with tea, Rit dye (oops), and spray dyes and have always been pleased with the outcome. Dyeing and, certainly, drying it in the dryer will change the appearance of the mohair, so I always let it "drip dry". I, too, am reluctant to pull out the mohair or randomly trim it. I have heard of sandpapering where you want worn spots, but haven't tried it. The curly matted, or ratinee as Danni calls it, gives a vintage look - especially when it's brushed out. Sorry, I know I haven't helped much . . . but I'm a little conservative when it comes to beating up on the expensive mohair!! 
Posts: 1,153Hi Shelli...I can't imagine anyone being able to teach you anything...we all rely on you for so many wonderful ideas. I may have some ideas that I will learn at a class I am going to attend shortly...not sure if it will relate to this or not.
I have some fabulous family artifacts that I would like to incorporate into 'scrap-booking'. I have never done scrap booking, but we have a wonderful little shop near us and one of the classes she is about to offer is called "Distressing Anything".
I called her and asked her if this process or technique could be used on fabric, because I wanted to make a group of distressed mini's (boy does that sound funny) and she said...absolutely!
To the extreme, I have a friend in Missouri who makes aged beauties and she washes the fabric, drives over it with her SUV, dyes it in a tie dye technique and starts all over again. By the time she is done with this fabric, it looks like it has been around the block a few times!!!:D
If I learn anything in the distressing class, I will certainly share it with everyone.
Shelli, did you get my email that I sent in reply? I never know if they go thru or not because it doesn't say it went thru.
Hope I will finally be able to find something out to return all the help you have given each of us.
You are a treasure, for sure!
Nanc.......
That would be great! When you find out do share; I'll be waiting with anxiously wringing hands and a pot of tea, some sandpaper, and my minivan!
Laughing here...
Posts: 3,177Hi Shelli and Anyone else who might be interested
Here's what i do to distress mohair........
1. Choose any mohair you like - long, short, dense anything!
2. Tea is the best for a real authentic 'drab' colour - wash the mohair in gentle soap solution to get all the manufacturers finish off then squeeze it out and dump it in a plastic bowl filled with a tea solution
The solution should be about 12-15 strong tea bags, about a 1/4lb salt and roughly 2-3 pints of boiling water.
Let the tea stew and stir it to get it really well mixed then dump the mohair in for as long as you feel is right.
Lighter colours take quicker than darker, stronger ones - just judge it by eye Shelli
You'll know when you get enough colour
3.Sqeeze it out - give it a cold rinse then let it dry naturally - you can leave it quite crinkled as this only adds to the aged affect - i find laying it out in the garden dries it beautifully!
4.When it's dry it should be a lot softer than it was originally. To matt the pile - put on a newish pair of jeans - sit down and RUB!!!!!! Pressing hard in a circular motion the mohair will pick up a slight colour from the jeans and it will matt beautifully. THIS TAKES TIME - i suggest marking out the pattern on the back of the mohair so you are only working on th areas you'll be using.
PHEW - i'm just off to the loo be back in a mo...
OK i'm back again
NB: if you use a semi sparse/sparse mohair to start with it will be easier to matt and distress - dense mohair will take longer but if you don't want to use anything else - go for it
5. You get the best results if you've got an old bear to look at - they age in a particular way and in particular places - if you don't have an old bear, use a photo
Start trimming the mohair back to the backing in certain places to give a worn look - you can pluck the mohair as much as you want but remember that a lot of plucking weakens the fabric and it may need strengthening with muslin.
6. You can use any method you like to add a 'dirty worn' colour to the areas you've plucked - gentle air brushing - pencils - pens. You name it you can use it - just make sure you don't add too much colour or it looks false. Dry pigment is great - get it from art suppliers - it produces really soft colouring when used sparingly EVERYTHING depends on how you want YOUR bear to look.
I model my distressed bears on old bears in my collection - sometimes the colouring and distressing does'nt show up too well in photos because i like to keep it subtle - but you could beat the bejeezers out of a bear if that's your personal preference:lol:
WELL - i'm sure there's loads more i could say but i'll wait and see if you've got any questions before i begin on a 'War & Peace' length posting
Penny 
Posts: 3,177:lol::lol::lol:
Penny you are PRICELESS!!!!!! Thank you for such wonderful directions! And they way you said "everything" made me feel that you were right here in my bear room with me :D
May I add also that I am one that has taken some sandpaper to my finished bear... I've even rubbed a few on the sidewalk. It is SO scarey the first time!
Also.. I'm going to try Penny's tea method and when I set it out to dry I may wring the fabric a bit extra (and of course I won't brush out the mohair!) for a more distressed look. I've got some white 1/2" straight mohair begging to be an "old" bear...
Posts: 3,177If you overdye any pale mohair (not just natural) you get fab effects Laura.
I also forgot to say there are WONDERFUL ways to stuff a bear to give it an old feel too - that always gives a lovely finishing touch to a distressed bear - ther's nothing worse than a bear looking old but feeling 'new'
The more you wring out the mohair the better Laura - see you're planning already :D
Penny
Country BearsPenny - Hee!! Hee!! Spending a 'Penny' luvvy??
Anyway - I too LOVE the tea staining, especially for the accessories on the aged bear, ribbons, lace, clothing etc. I do intentionally buy sparse mohair to help me along with the ageing process, it's a head start. Actually, one of my artist friends actually takes a lighter to her mohair to age it, but if I did that I would burn the house down so I tend to try other things!! 
I love my copic markers, newpaper print works well and of course plucking mohair. As an antique bear collector I have lots I can refer back to, nearly all old bears have complete bald patches so get those tweezers/forceps out - sounds mean but has to be done to get the look!!!:o Ahhhhh........they don't mind really!!! Gives great effects.:D
Clare, do you pluck after finishing the sewing and stuffing?
And Penny, exactly what ARE those techniques for stuffing a bear to feel "old." I don't have any antiques in my own very small collection, sorry to say. Is it that excelsior, "crunchy" thing to which you refer?
I'm still dying to know how to get that rumpled, crumply, rolled tummy effect. Anyone want to share on that?
Anyone? Anyone?
Posts: 3,177Ho Ho Clare!
I just luuurve those old jokes don't you?
I've never tried a lighter but i can imagine i'd set light to the whole damn thing :lol:
Penny
Posts: 3,177RUMPLY - CRUMPLY TUMMIES
Get your fibre - roll it into balls - about 2"
Softly stuff the legs, arms and slightly understuff the head too (put steel shot in the paws and feet as it makes them wiegh down the limbs).
Stuff the top of the body just below the neck and then put a little stuffing into the bears bottom - pop just a little steel shot into the bottom and then start adding the fibre 'balls' - don't overfill - you just want enough to make them slightly lumpy.
The best thing to use is old woodwool if you can get it from a dilapidated bear - but you've got to de-bug it if it comes from an old bear (chuck it in a paper bag - wrap it in an old towel and put it in the freezer for about 7-10 days).
I use all or some of the following to stuff old saggy bears:-
fibre balls
woodwool
wheatgrains - acts like pellets but is irregularly shaped and feels goooood
dried lavender flowers - nice and scrunchy feel so you may not need any woodwool
sawdust
steel shot
I mix and match all of the above until i get the feel i want but if you want just ONE piece of advice when stuffing old bears - UNDERSTUFF UNDERSTUFF UNDERSTUFF
Penny - the old stuffer
Country BearsHi Shelli
I get that rolled tummy effect from the way I stuff the bear, not too much, not too little, in fact the bear in my avatar has that lovely rolled tummy but it's hard to see.
Try to imagine the bear............he's been around for some years........lost bits of stuffing here and there.......mum's tried to fix him............grandma's had a go............a loose limb, ear, or even an eye, bless him........Ahhhh............
Ooooh I love old bears!! I find looking at my old bears does give me hints and tips on recreation, I do look in books etc for ideas too......the old shapes, and the wear and tear, I'm sure I was born in the wrong era!!!
Penny, you crack me up!!!
Posts: 3,177STOP CRACKING CLARE - AND GET STUFFING!!!!!
I must just say that the best way to get a saggy baggy old bear look to the tum is to make sure the pattern allows for ample understuffing. If you generally use patterns that don't allow for a Teds fat tum - adapt them to give a bit more room - this way you still get the space to stuff and leave enough room for the saggy bit!
Penny
Country BearsHee! Hee!
Yes defo - what Penny said re stuffing. And I must add, it's all in the pose too, I always make old looking bears with a very wobbly head joint, I'm sure this helps too.
Posts: 3,177Yeah and they must have a hump too
and wibbly wobbly joints that flip and flop a bit - i always test the joints to see if the bear can do a 'starfish'
if he can then he's jointed about right
I shift the bears head forward about a 1/4" so that his head hangs slightly
maybe i should get out more
Penny 
"The Starfish Technique." I love it!
Understuffing will be a huge issue for me. I stuff my bears to firm and hard they are practically rocks. I might have to come up with an entirely new "line" of bears.
I take it the old-looking, understuffed bears then have no chance of ever standing upright, right? And that you never, ever use an armature for them?
Curiouser and curiouser...
Hi Shelli
On top of what everyone else has said re distressing mohair you can also soak it well then wring it out and leaving it in the twisted shape you got from wringing it out, put elastic bands around it to keep it twisted and let it dry that way. I have also used wet newspaper and rubbed it over areas where I have shaved or plucked the bear. I did a bear for a competition here in Toronto which was supposed to look like he was 100 years old ( it was the 100th year of the teddy bear ). This bear took first place in the category If I can locate the picture I will post it here
Hugs
Gail
Just Us BearsShelli,
I posted about the tummy rolls on the 'other' board back when we were talking about it...but my post was the last on the topic and you may have missed it so I went and 'dug it up' and have pasted below. I have since tried this and it worked a treat..and this way the tummy doesn't need to be so softly stuffed because the needle sculpting gives the rolly impression.I just left the back open so I could put just the right amount of stuffing in when I was done.
Shelli,
There is a bear in a magazine I have which has belly rolls..it certainly gives it a very cute look..although the bear is made from shorter kind of matted mohair so you can see the rolls really well. She has just made the rolls by doing a ladder stitch across the tummy where she wanted the rolls. You could do a line of ladder stitching across the area just below the chest and the stuff the tummy out further..or ideally I guess..make your pattern plumper in the tummy area and stuff it softer.I have heard of a reverse ladder stitch too where you sew through the mohair from side to side so the excess fabric comes forward rather than back(rather like a dragon's tummy)...that way you could make fat rolls sticking out instead of lines across the tummy...depends what kind of look you want. I always wondered why potbellybears..when I can't see any poddy tummies!
_________________
So Shelli...why 'Potbelly bears"??:P
Winneybears and FriendsThis topic is exactly what I wanted to read about...as I am making a small vintage type baby but..he won't be distressed too much as this one was taken care of, he, he....
Use a foot grader...on the fur to wear some bald spots in it...( that thing is for feet, looks like a cheese grader).
Some people make the bear first then distress it...when you think about it, that's the way old bears got distressed.
Using tea bags by hand here and there for stained spots works ...I heard coffee grounds makes a different color.Let it dry naturally on the made up bear....
This comes out of one of my books;
Boot button eyes can be made by sanding them all over with emery paper( nail board) to rough up the surface then give them a sealing coat of varnish diluted with an equal amount of white spirit, let dry over night. I think I'd stick with acrylic varnish..it's a lot faster.
Worn patches of fur usually on the head, arm ,chest areas. You can shave the fur with small pointed scissors, snip it away a little at a time until it appears as you want..always clip in the direction of the fur.
I will add the ears especially get worn so plucking them will do here...dangeling threads work too with an odd color of a old repair that came loose.
The addition of one or two felt patches OVER the original ones...Don't try to match the colors exactly and don't stitch them on real neat ...you want them to be noticable but not too glaringly so ...put the patches where obvious wear would normally be.
Worn bears that have seen a lot of use often have a repaired seam or seams. Use an overly too thick thread or wool in a slightly prominant color, take uneven stitches to give the effect of a rushed repair..(I have seen ears like this too)
General discoloration of a sort that comes with age especially on lighter mohair. How to simulate this is to sharpen a soft pencil into a saucer , remove the wood shavings and leave the graphite . This can be scrushed with the bowl of a spoon. Use your fingertip, apply very small amounts to an area gently in small circular movements...gradually increase the movement size to blend in the discoloration with the other surrounding areas.
The nose...Over many years the emb. nose will be unravelled and need repair so simulate this by emb. the nose sort of unevenly , with irregular gaps in the threads...don't exaggerate the effect as it will look less convincing.
I read to stuff the limbs around the joints and pads as usual with polyester.... then add a small amount pellets to the middle section between the polyester.
Stuff the neck and shoulder area with polyester just enough to support the arms and head .
I have heard some artists stuff mainly with excelsier..I use the fine excelsier in the nose to make it rock hard to support nose emb. ...but exceilser comes in regular size too. When an excelsier bear gets old they get scrunchy and really sag...so I asume you could simulate this by beating up your poor bear...give him lots of " drop kicks " . If you have small boys in your house they could help... Winney
Drop kicking a bear... now THAT's putting all that testosterone to good use. I am surrounded by men (three sons and an infant ==> my husband Tim. ) Ha! ;)
You have all given me some wonderful ideas. Keep em coming!
As for you, Miss Hayley... thank you for the tummy roll tutorial. I can actually picture what you mean with the inverted vs. pooching out tummy rolls (the ones like a "dragon." Do you know many dragons, personally?!?)
My bears started out with very big, pouchy tummies and I still use that body shape from time to time. But it's the ROLLS I'm after, and that I havne't yet mastered. Not just the size or the pouching out, but the ROLLS. Ya know?
Gail, if you find your picture, YES, do post it here. I'd love to see it. And congratulations on your first place win!
More later...
PottersHouse BearsRule #1 when distressing mohair - anything goes.
I do not go hog wild when I distress mohair. I have seen bears that basically have no hair left. I have not gone that far. I have my dad's 75 year old bear. He has had most of his hair loved off of him. But I think that when I make them I want to leave some hair for someone else to love off. When I am making an old looking bear, I usually use tea to dye but I have used coffee and dyes and a combination of all of these. I dye the pieces after I have them cut out rather than dying a whole piece of mohair. I do the distressing after the bear is made. I have a cheap set of dog grooming clippers. This works great for making bald spots or even just nearly bald. One of my favorite ways to darken spots is with shoe polish (the paste not the liquid). I use cotter pin joints most of the time on these style of bears. If you are looking for boot buttons for eyes, try antique shops. I found packages with old boot buttons (5 pair) for $1.00. These were the right size for a 10 - 12 inch bear. I also like to find little things to accessorize with (antique puzzles and toys, clothes and jewelry).
Just Us BearsRe using tea and coffee for ageing......this is NOT my personal experience so don't crucify me here:(...BUT..I have heard that the natural tannins in both of these eventually break down and the colour will fade. I prefer to use a product you can find in the baking items section of the supermarket called 'Parisienne Essence'. It is used to make fruit cakes darker in colour. It works wonderfully for aging fabrics, and a little bit goes a long way, so the stronger the solution, the darker the brown. You need to dilute it with water...and it doesn't smell that great so you need to rinse the fabric well after dyeing with it. I have used it heaps...even just in a spray bottle to spray on areas of the bear that you wish to shade darker (the smell does fade eventually) or to spray on calico(muslin) for a blotchy effect. I have used both tea and coffe to age fabrics and haven't had it fade much, but if definately fades a little. The Parisienne colour stays true.:cool:
Fool's Gold BearsI have never seen 'Parisienne Essence' here. Sounds wonderful. Anybody know if there is a counterpart in the US? Do you know what it is made of? I ordered some 'black walnut ink' (?) from a site that was recommended here..hasn't come yet. Seems like it could be used about the same way.
Walnut ink is awesome stuff. It looks like... ground walnuts. And makes a terrific mess, so be careful to drop cloth where you use it. I've only used it previously for scrapbooking and will soon pull it out to assist my bearmaking. That is, if I can ever get off my computer.
