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aRTy BearsHey Everyone
So I'm having minor meltdown :P.
I purchased some lovely Sprase blonde Mohair (with a light yellow backing) at Hugglets in Feb and have now designed the perfect pattern for it. Pulled it out, laid the pieces in the direction of the pile and have cut it out, it's now sat eagerly awaiting the machine.
However, I read an article today which says DO NOT cut on the diagonal of the fabric and, well... this is exactly what I have done 
The pile of this fabric runs diagonally across the backing and seeing as I've always read to cut with the pile so the fur lies right this is what I have done. Is this wrong? How will this affect my bear and is there anything I can now do in construction to ease any weaknesses cutting like this may have created?
I know one reason to cut with the backing edge is to help nose stitching later but is there any other more technical reason?
In addition should you cut in line with the threads of the backing or inline with the pile? If you cut following the selvage or edge what do you then do when the pile doesn't run right?
Please tell me I've not thrown money away by making these cuts :pray:
Thanks
Richard
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Hi Richard,
I hope I can be of a little help to you here, sorry if I'm not!
Just don't panic! You certainly haven't ruined anything. Firstly, I would just say that generally most pattern pieces are laid on the fabric with a straight line on them somewhere indicating "straight of grain" meaning that the line follows the direction of either the warp or weft thread on your backing fabric, to be used as a guidance when laying out your pattern pieces. You have to give consideration to the direction that the pile is running and sometimes the pile seems to run diagonally from one corner to the other when your fabric is laying flat out in front of you. Sometimes this causes bit of a dilemma as to whether to lay your pattern pieces vertically or horizontally onto your mohair. The actual direction of the pile can always been changed, some more easily than others depending on the length, density etc. Often just a gentle dampening to the mohair (not the backing) is enough for the mohair to be brushed into the required direction and can either be left to dry naturally or even blown dry with a hairdryer. I like to use a hairdryer because you can then really tease the mohair just as you would like, plus it's a darn sight quicker so you can see your results! I know some artists use actual hair products for styling, as mohair is a "hair" so these are fine. I haven't used them personally so can't comment on them but I am sure someone here will be able to help in that direction.
The fact that you have laid your pattern pieces out following your pile direction although not ideal, does not mean that you have ruined everything. I would suggest though that you are careful in the tacking, machining and stuffing of the head and keep checking that the muzzle in particular stays in shape. If the backing fabric is nice and tight, then this will help. Loose backing fabrics are more of a pain and could stretch more. It just means that you will have to be careful when machining and stuffing because the backing fabric stretches on the diagonal, but is more stable on the warp and weft threads.
I know I have forgotten something, hopefully it will come to mind shortly. (Probably after I have hit the "submit" button!). Hope it all works out well Richard.
Hugs
Marilyn
BrisbaneI have made several bears from fabric where the pile runs diagonal. I aligned my pattern pieces with the pile direction and had no problems. I agree with Marilyn about being very careful with head pieces. You might want to use some fray check ( I use watered down leather glue as it doesn't stiffen the fabric) on the head pieces so it doesn't fray and warp so much.
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Therese
The "don't panic" advice from Marilyn is right on! 
With the body and limb pieces, if you don't stuff them very tight, they probably won't twist or give you issues. If the pawpad/hands/wrists do something out of the ordinary, you may be able to use some well-placed needle sculpting for adjustments. The head is trickier, as was mentioned. I could see getting a nonstretchable thin lining fabric and using that under the head pieces when you're stitching them together so that the stuffing pushes against the weave of that fabric instead of the mohair backing. I think that all real-fur bears have to be lined in this way so the more fragile backing is not stressed.
I hope you will work on this bear and then show him to us when he's finished! 
~Debora
aRTy BearsThanks everyone. I can assure you I'm calm again now 
I have just enough to recut the head pieces so I think I will do this then simply groom the fur into the right direction. Can't wait to crack on now and will most certainly show you all once I am finished.
Thanks again.
Richard
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Belper, DerbyshireIf you have cut on the diagonal, you may find the fabric stretches in different ways to what you expect (have a go a pulling a piece of sheeting on the straight and the diagonal, and you will see what I mean).
If you plan to stuff firmly, or are worried about the stretch, you can always use some iron-on interfacing to control this -just as you might for a knitted-back man-made fibre fur.
cheers,
G
VallierBearsWell, you wont need to worry about the head if you've recut it on the grain 
With the fur going in another direction, I have had quite a few pieces like that and all I do is gently steam them and brush. If you ever have mohair like that again, I'd reccomend steaming the mohair before cutting them out
Everyone else has said great stuff Just be careful when stuffing, else they will stretch oddly
Richy~
Fort Worth, TexasRichard -
I'm just a beginning bear maker, but for what it's worth the first bear pattern I purchased actually directed that the head be placed on the bias! And it turned out beautifully, so I wouldn't worry too much. If your mohair has a nice firm backing and you're mindful about stuffing I don't think you'll have a problem.
Sue
aRTy BearsThanks for your help everyone.
Started sewing last night so will let you know how I get on.
Sue, just have to say I don't believe you're a 'beginner' that bear on your avatar is simply gorgeous!
Richard
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Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Hi Richard, Please do sew together the first head! Sometimes that's the most serendipitous occurrence! It could turn out to be magnificent and more beautiful than the second one that you've cut out.
And for nothing else if it doesn't work out, heads like this as well as every other rejected head, are fabulous for testing techniques that you want to try out but are afraid to do on any current work for fear of ruining it — — practice them on a real head like this!
aRTy BearsThanks Bobbie. Unfortunately due to pattern mishaps other parts have been re-cut but everything happens for a reason so we'll see what comes out. How strange (or serendipitous as you say) that you should post here today when I actually came on to PM you and say thank you for saving my life with your matress stitch post a while back. Last night I completed the best, smoothest, and un-holed ladder stitch seam I've ever done. You're a star :lol:... so Thank you.
Richard
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Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)You are Welcome - and I too haven't been here for several weeks due to my workload, but had a few minutes while waiting for my printer to finish a job so I decided to pop in!! It must have been your telepathy that was nudging me.
The mattress st comes from my knitting background, so I cannot take credit for it. But I have gathered several sources in the past year, from my links to the sheep/yarn/fiber/knitting word, who curiously enough, have all had occasion to post information about seaming and they all gave photographs or drawings of the Mattress Stitch, and ALL showed it as I do it - going back across into the same hole on the opposite side you exited from and then up under 2 threads (only one when beginning and ending) and across to the other side, to enter the same hole you last exited from on that side.
The seaming thread forms a Z rather than an H. In the print/publishing world, the way that the Mattress St is being taught would be called a factoid: an assumption or speculation that is reported and repeated so often that it becomes accepted as fact. In this case, the current method for teaching the Mattress St actually creates puckers unless one takes very short sts forward because the impulse is to run the needle further forward with each stitch than would be beneficial.
And may I ask who is the sweet-faced girl in your avatar with you, Richard? The rest of us are always curious about seeing who we are in our pix!!
hggzzz!
aRTy BearsThe stitch does just seem (no pun intended) to work so much easier when you do it the correct way. I am so relieved as it's something I've tended to struggle with.
And the girl in the avatar is my friend Sarah. Known her for years and we get on like a house on fire. I'm slowly trying to lure her in to bears :P
Richard
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Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Off Topic!!
Great for Sarah - you look like Best Buds - Good Luck on your campaign. And is that to turn her into a Bear creator or Collector? -
I just noticed your business name and loved how you worked your initials (I'm assuming) into it - very clever!
I like alliteration myself, I named the printing/publishing portion of my business -
TB³ of RKR4CDS
The title of the first book on bearmaking (minis) was Tried & True Tips for Better Bear-Making so it was a double T & B combination that lead me to the branding of using the 'TB³ of RKR4CDS©' when I write anything.
I still use this on the cover of ever pattern:
To Be
The Best
+Teddy Bear
TB³
It's really fun to play with words and names. Before I used titles for my bears, which I do now, I used maps and the dictionary to name my bears!
hggzzz
B
aRTy BearsThose are my initials yes and thank you, I was very chuffed when the name came to me. It's.... ideal.
Wow, very clever word play from yourself though I must say. I absolutely love it. I'm a huge vocab geek and love reading and playing with words. Clever idea with maps and dictionaries to name bears too.
Richard
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