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South AustraliaHi All,
I have just read and put my comment in the post "favourite piece of TB making equipment" I still concider myself as a newbie to bear making and speaking for myself and I am sure all newbies it is a very scary journey, SO I got to thinking and I want to put a question out there...
What advise would you give someone starting out and what tips and tools would you recommend to help make us newbies lives a little easier????
Sheree the best bit of advice I can give you is never try to do anything the quick way...I think the exciting thing about bear making is seeing the progress you make with each bear. Everything I do takes ages but the pay off is that I am happy with how my work turns out.. As far as equipment goes I can't live without my pointy nose pliers , my wooden chopstick for stuffing and my whipping twine for putting the eyes in with. Top tip..a bit of wood wool in the muzzle makes sewing the nose a doddle....and pluck out the pile first so the hairs don't poke through...I use my pliers for plucking..works a treat!
desertmountainbearMy advice would be to use a mirror. The mirror tells the truth, where as our eyes make things symmetrical. I use the mirror when I place the eyes to make sure they are even. I use the mirror often when felting the muzzle and nose, and I actually shade the bear in front of a mirror. If you don't see the truth before you take pictures, then the pictures will tell you, and by that time it is often to late.
My favorite tools are my hemostats. I have 3 pair, I use them for all of the stuffing, and for so much more.
Joanne
South AustraliaJenny, I have just learnt to take things slow and enjoy the making process rather that being in a hurry to see the end result.
I know things are easier when you know the right techniques but I think the enjoyment of making the bears has a lot to do with having the right tools, up till now I have hated stuffing my bears but yesterday I used a stuffing tool for the first time and really enjoyed doing it, I was amazed how much stuffing I could get in one small arm and proud of the fact that my sewing held up to all that pushing and grunting, and I was sooooo please with the results, my first firm, professional looking limb.
I am going to put him all together today but I am sitting here writing this to put it off as I don't really want to finish him and end all the fun.
Oh well I suppose it's time to plan the next one. Lol
And I'm gonna start to do the mirror thing, thanks Joanne.
I don't know what size bears you're making, Sheree, but if they're not minis, I'd recommend using tap bolts and locking nuts for jointing the limbs.
When I started out, I was frustrated when my bears' cotter-pin joints came out all floppy, or worse yet - some tight and others floppy. I was so happy when I started using nuts and bolts that could be tightened, but also loosened if I went too far! 
That gave me control that I didn't have with cotter pins and a consistent end result.
Becky
i am still learning ..
so i say thank you for the tip with the mirror joanne :)
i started off with some old scissors ... get yourself as soon as possible a good pair ... maybe even 2 ... one for cutting the pieces and 1 just for cutting the hair off the material ... and nothing else ...
get yourself some stuffing tool ... it makes live so much easier
splints just for small bears
i make now 30 cm bears, the spints for those are a PAIN to get tight, and the smaller ones dont hold
now i use bolts and nuts ... as danger bear says,... sooo much easier
and after the first bear had a broken seam now ... use good thread ... and better thread 
