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rikkisbears Mar 5, 2010

Hi,
it's been a while since I was last here so not sure if I'm asking in the correct forum.
I normally do mini's but I want to give using real fur a go.
First up , what sort of old vintage furs are useable??
I've been looking at some of the beautiful mink bears.  Is that the only fur that is really suitable?
I have a beautiful vintage silver fox jacket, but I don't want to chop it up & find it won't work. Not that I'd wear it, but be a shame to destroy it.
Sooner try & pick up an old stole or something on ebay to practice on it first.
Any suggestions other than mink?
Has the size of the bear got something to do with the type of fur one would choose??

ArtHeart Mar 6, 2010

Hi Rikki,
I have an article on exactly this topic posted at the EbearZ University library.
Here's the link:
http://www.ebearz.com/Agora/tiki-read_a … rticleId=6

There's also a link to a scissor and razor sculpting demo on the main page at www.ebearz.com  The 'model' for the video is a fox fur bear.
enjoy!
nt

rikkisbears Mar 6, 2010

Hi ,
thank so much.
Really helpful information, especially the video clip on clipping the face.
May just put the blue fox away for the moment & find something a bit less expensive & easier to work with for practice , just in case I really mess it up.
Big jump from the 2 inch bears I'd  been  doing. haahaa
The upcoming class looks interesting.

Thanks again.

Michelle Helen Mar 8, 2010

I love Nancy Tillberg's book on making bears with real fur. It is full of good information and tips. You can get it off of Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Bears-Past- … 199&sr=1-3

honusms Mar 8, 2010

I second the recommendation of Nancy's book.  It's been my most precious resource these last few weeks!

Sue

2catkiss Mar 9, 2010

Hi
Sounds like you are receiving alot of good tips.  I wanted to say the length of the fur definitely should be considered when you are planning what size of bear to make.  A tiny bear will be impossible to turn right side out with very long fur.

Good luck !

minkbears Mar 10, 2010

Absolutely!
I totally agree that Nancy is the best source for information for making real fur bears. Even though I had already been making real fur bears for several years when Nancy published her book...I bought it and I learned different and new techniques from her book.

You might be interested to know that I have made real fur bears as small as 2 inches when I could find the right fur. I prefer mink for all of my creations but ermine good for the tiniest bears because the pelt is really thin. You also have to remember that real fur is very unforgiving because once you  pierce the skin with your needle the hole is there to stay. The smaller your bears the less option for error.

Here is a photo of one of my larger mini mink bears at 3 inches...but still small enough to wear on a necklace. As you can see I sheared down the fur or you will just have a mink ball of fluff with no details.

Sew carefully~
~ Kathy

nealabear Aug 9, 2010

I have worked with real fur for years and fox is my all time favourite to work with.  It makes the most gorgeous bears although I wouldn't make anything smaller than 13" with a fur this long.  It is also one of the easier long haired furs to work with as the leather is not as thick as most of the  longer haired furs such as wolf, coyote and raccoon.  I'm attaching a picture of one of my fox fur bears so you can see just how nice fox is made up.  Hope this helps and hope you like PengPeng (means fluffyfluffy in Japanese).