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Tatty Bears South Australia
Posts: 305

Hi,
    It's Sunday, finished all my housework and I am now having teddy time, and I was just wondering......

In what order do make your teddies?

Do you completely finish the head before sewing up the body and limbs?

When the head is finished do you put the eyes in first? Put on the ears first? Or do the nose first?

Just curious how you give life to your bears.

Ok, I admit it I'm getting a bit bored. Lol

karenaus Melbourne
Posts: 694
Website

Can't have you bored Sheree!  bear_grin

I always sew the head first, then legs, then the rest in whatever order.. I hate putting in footpads so i get them out of the way early.
   Then stuff (head first always lol) joint and close arm and leg seams (for cotter pins), then assemble..
   For the face, I put ears on first, i had to start doing this as I was prone to losing them lol... Then eyes then nose. With my newer 4 or 2 piece heads though, I've had to place eyes, do nose, then set eyes then attach ears, as with these heads I don't have the gusset seam to use as a reference.
    I don't often finish a head without having the rest of the body finished.
     Will be fun to see how many different ways everyone does it! bear_grin

ScaliWagGrrs ScaliWagGrrs
Denver, Colorado
Posts: 1,157
Website

I gotta do the head first. I also hate sewing the footpads and usually leave them for last. ln making the head I now do the nose first then the eyes then ears. I used to do the eyes first but once I did the nose they always seemed crooked so had to be redone. So now I do the nose first. Seems to save time that way.
Beth

desertmountainbear desertmountainbear
Bloomsburg, PA
Posts: 5,399

I do the face last.  First I wire or lockline and add the joints inside the limbs, then I do paws, next stitch ears to head, then I joint the bear, stuff the bear, limbs first, then I do the face.
Guess everybody does it different, I have done it many different ways myself.

Joanne

Boogaloo Bears Boogaloo Bears
united kingdom
Posts: 1,096

I always sew the body first (leaving head til last - I don't mind footpads but hate sewing the head!).

I then stuff and sew all limbs and then finally start the head.  I do nose first, then eyes and then when whole bear assembled and attached, I then sew on the ears.

Hugs

Lisa

bearlady13 Posts: 177

I sew which ever piece I pick up first. Then i stuff all the pieces.  I do noses, eyes then ears. I attach the head to the body first then the arms and legs. I am sure everyone does it differently.

tcfolk TC Folk Originals
Tempe, AZ
Posts: 1,553

I lay out and trace all my pattern pieces on my fabric, then I cut out only one section at a time.  I always start with the head.  I completely sew and stuff it.  If it has an open mouth, I do that first.  Then I do the eyes, then the nose, and the ears last.  I then close the head.  I cut out and sew the body next, then joint the head to the body.  Next I cut out one leg, sew it, put in the armature and stuff it.  I close it then joint it to the body.  I do the other leg next, then each arm in the same manner.  I stuff and and close the body and I have a bear!!!!   Boy, do I sound anal retentive or what!?!?   :crackup:

Francesca KALEideaSCOPE
Rheinfelden
Posts: 1,306
Website

I always do the head first. I want to have a sense of the bear face before I commit to cut and make the rest of the body because I need to see his-her face and then I can think of the exact shape of body and limbs. Sometimes I find myself with two or three different shapes of body+limbs turning around in my head and I can decide what to do only when I have a better idea of the head 'in the fur' and not only in my mind.
With the head, after it's sewn I play around with the ears, positioning eyes and my selfmade positioning noses (I have made different shapes and sizes of felt shapes) to have the sense of what I want to do. Then I shave what I need to shave of the nose area and needlefelt. Then go the eyes, nose, ears, shading.

Then I make the body, the limbs (arms or legs it doesn't matter what comes first). Then I attach the head. Then I stuff and finish the legs, the arms and try their position on a partially stuffed body. Then I empty the body, attach legs, then arms, then stuff and sew the body.

Well, this at least is what I do at the moment...

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