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desertmountainbearThanks for the pictures Pat. It is really nice to be able to see it in progress.
Joanne
This is great, Pat! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Pat...wish I could just send my bear to you and let you do it. I know I could never get it like yours...
Faux Paw BearsWhen I met Michelle Lamb this year, she was generous enough to share her method of eye cording with me and told me that she pulls the cord through the head and uses no glue.
Since I just LOVE Michelle's bear's eyes, it reinforced my bias for the technique and so I decided to continue to use it...rather than the punch and glue method.
...I still go back to her web site and study her bear and bunny eyes... they are just AWESOME! For you newbees who are not familiar with this artist you should visit the One and Only Bears and see what eye cording can do to make a bear come to life.
She does double and triple corded eyes as well...now THAT's spectacular! Maybe the catheter method will make that easier...if you pull the cords at the same time since inside diameter of the tube is large enough to accomodate a couple of cords.
Pat
The Littlest ThistleAhh, sorry, I had a sneaking suspicion I wasn't on the right track with my original reply, hence I said I hoped I was answering the right question! That'll teach me not to post when tired! Glad you figured it out though, it's very effective 
MelbourneGreat explanation and photos Pat.
Just looking at some photos and wondering if some of the bears only have cording on top and bottom of the eyes and no eyelids? I'd been wondering what was on the bottom of some bears eyes.
I need to go and check out instructions on doing eyelids now.
Emo Bears:clap: Thank you for sharing Pat 
and thank you for the mention of michelle's bears - I hadn't seen her work before, she's amazing. I see what you mean about the cording effect now - it makes her eyes look so real. It looks exactly like my Chinchilla's eyes... I think I will have to give the technique a go - as ultimatley, I would like to be able to make realistic Chinchillas.
Faux Paw BearsJulia, I'm so happy I was able to direct you on to a great artist! I can assure you that her work is just as spectacular in the real fur. I think it is good to have an ideal to work towards...even if I never arrive, at least I know where I'm trying to go. 
But what I want to know is how Di get's a bear in a turtle shell? Is that not the cutest, cleverest thing ever done? I love it! Di, I do hope you made more 'mock bears.' Fabulous creatures. Where on earth do you find them?
Since I posted, I've practiced on five more bear's heads with this technique and it does get much easier with practice...the trick seems to be to clear away as much of the stuffing between you and the eye as possible ....or ideally run the cording just below the surface of the fabric...so their is less stuffing to interfere with its passage.
Pat
BrisbaneDi's Bear looks like one of Ilze Linssen's. Am I right. Heres a link... http://www.bearzbyilze.com.au/PATTERN_TOMMYTURTLE.html
MelbourneDi's Bear looks like one of Ilze Linssen's. Am I right. Heres a link... http://www.bearzbyilze.com.au/PATTERN_TOMMYTURTLE.html
Yes, you're right. Sorry I haven't been on for awhile until today. I'm very proud of little Tommy. I'd love to make some more of her patterns one of these days.
I've just started the Basic Bear Boot Camp with Nancy Tillberg on EBearz. Printed and cut out the pattern today so that's a start!
Faux Paw BearsSince my orginal post, I've discovered that it is really easy to start the first eye cord by going backwards...that is threading the cording UP through the catheter and pulling it out of the corner of the eye and then DOWN into the corner on the other side. This works so much faster and easier.
Still perfecting the technique...
but thought this was an important addition to the above.
Pat
Just wanted to add, I cut strips of ultrasuede for my Sloth eyelids :)
