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Posts: 751If you buy material in small quantities like I do (normally 1/4 to 1/2 metres) always leave enough material to re-do a new head needs be.
Had to make a new head for one I am currently working - PHEW! thanks goodness I had enough.
Karon
The Littlest ThistleThe advice I gave to a lady I met in the queue for Hugglets was to make sure your pattern pieces are all in the right direction, especially when you haven't much fur!
Posts: 751Good one Katy
Once I bought a meagre quarter of hand dyed coral moral only to find I had two left arms!!! I ended making SMALL bear out of it in the end but I was really upset about it.
The bear maker Gertie Wiggins once told me she did this with a leg and ended up making a pirate bear with a peg leg!
Karon
YorkshireRead TT 
Take your time when pinning the head gusset to the side peices to ensure that it is central on the nose!
Hugs Ali
Posts: 751Read coral moral as "CORAL MOHAIR" - sorry 'bout that - my brain and my fingers are obviously not in unison!!
Posts: 751Hi Ali
Yes, I have suffered from "swiffy gussets" and jolly annoying it is too!!
What works for me it to oversew the gusset from nose to back on both sides then hand backstitch the head. I oversew all the bear pieces first as I have found they tend to slip if I just use pins - but this could just be something I am doing wrong as I know a lot of people pin
Karon
Tuppies TeddiesDon't be afraid to experiment ......change direction of the head gusset..your bear can have a lovely fringe if the fur pile is long.....most of all enjoy yourself with this craft.....it is a journey well worth taking.....
Emo BearsTake the time out to make all the pattern pieces; so 4 leg pieces amd 4 arm pieces (if two part arms and legs), 4 ears etc; That way, not only will you be sure it fits your fabric, but you are less likely to end up with pieces that face the wrong way or not enough pieces!
(I forget how many times i've messed up which coulod have been saved by taking a bit more time at the template stage)
Jac-Q-LynThrow NOTHING away :crackup: :crackup: the amount of times I have lost the back of an ear is incredible, I now have enough odd ear pieces that I have found after the bears had been finished that I could sew them altogether and make a bear from them :crackup: :crackup:
Hugs
Jacqui x
LALand BearsDon't try too hard to make everything exactly perfect. The bears that seem to attract people the most are the ones with a crooked smile or one ear lower than the other which gives them personality.
and
Have fun with it!
Warm Regards 
Lee Ann
Buy a box of disposable surgical masks at the pharmacy and wear them when you're trimming the fur from the seam allowances (maybe even when you're cutting out the pieces). Breathing in a lot of tiny fur fibers is hard on the old lungs. 
Becky
My Teddy TalesJacqui, lol, that is soooo true for me with my elephants, I have enough ears to make two elephants. After I re-cut the ear, that's when I find the old
one.
Louise
Make bears because you love to make bears. 
Back Road BearsRemember that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to make a bear! Don't be afraid to do your own thing! 
Take notes... record finished size, joint and eye sizes, materials used and where they came from... in case you ever want to make another one!
Keep an open mind, be flexible... that bear you intend to be a boy may look like a girl when you're done! 
Don't forget to give your bear a hug! After all, isn't that the purpose of Teddy Bears???
Tickled Pink Bears I love all your comments and suggestions. This is great for me as a newbie,
only at it for about 7 months. I love it so much!!! :hug:
Use a bit of woodwool for stuffing the nose ...it makes the stitching so much easier. Hold it in place with a large stitch which can be removed ..it keeps the seam nice and straight while you stuff!
My advice would be...Remember that everyone's taste in bears is different...so please yourself! We don't all march to the same drum. (Thank goodness! 
My second piece of 'wisdom' is that if something I am making just won't go right and it starts to fluster me, I leave it 24 hours and look at it with fresh eyes the next day. It's amazing how many problems solve themself overnight.
Regards
Sue
desertmountainbearUse a mirror now and then when working to check symmetry. Your eyes make things look symmetrical, the truth is in the mirror.
Joanne
Sophie Z'OursI am surprised so many of you keep loosing bear parts. Maybe that is because you make more bears together.
What about puting all the parts of one bear in a box or bag while waiting to use them?
I do not remember I ever lost any bear part. Now I am not working at bear making as a mad woman... 
Plus my cat never tried to steal any bear part. I just have to be careful when using leather, as she loves playing with leather bits.
Beary hugs,
Sophie.
I leave the neck open while I do the nose. Then I can adjust the stuffing in the nose if it shifts while embroidering.
Posts: 751I think the missing ears must go to same place as the "odd" sock.
I have tried to be organised I really have, but I always loose something and as Louise said, how come it turns up when you have cut out its replacement.
Emo BearsI agree I always keep my bear in a zip lock bag - but nearly always loose half an ear or something
Carlyle Bear Co.
Whenever I am missing a part I always ask our gray tiger cat Davey Crockett what he has done with it. He will steal my parts while I'm at work. 
My best "tip" (even though I"m relatively new at this myself) is to not compare yourself to others. Also, even though you may be anxious to work on a bear don't do it when you are tired. You will just end up frustrating yourself.
Fulrfun BearsWhen sewing mini's get some fine fishing line and thread all the pieces on it in the reverse order of how you sew them. This way everything stays together. (if you sew your head first put those pieces on last).
If you change a pattern during the construction of a bear make sure the original pattern piece gets seperated I swear if you're anything like me you will not remember which bit you're supposed to be using next time!
