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Tatty Bears Jan 22, 2014

Hi,
    Just wondering how do you make your eye whites?
Only just learnt by accident that suede make much better whites than felt 

gugu"s teddies Jan 22, 2014

Hi Tatty
Hope you wont mind me jumping on your post
my question ive noticed artist attaching upper and lower Eye Lids if i may call them that  to there bears
Are these ready made and attached to the eyes or are they made from suede and atached by the artistto the eyes
Sorry it sounds so long winded
Tatty use Ultra Sued for your whites its much neater and looks so much nicer than felt also is much easier to attache
Good luck lots of Hugs to all and Happy New Yera from SA
Paula

Elli Jan 22, 2014

Hi Sheree, I have only done that one time and used a thin faux leather, I first tried felt but it was too fuzzy for the small eyes.

Paula, some use ready made plastic eyelids (but they are only available in big sizes) but most artists make them theirself. There are many ways to make eyelids, they can be modelled of polymer clay or epoxy, sewn of fabric or suede, made with a simple leather cord,...

Mo Beary Jan 22, 2014

I've used both white felt and white suede for my eye whites. 

I bought a set of punches so that my eye whites are round as I can't seem to cut anything perfectly round, it helps a lot!

tcfolk Jan 22, 2014

I'm no expert, but here is how I do this:

1.    Mark a 2inch by 4inch scrap of muslin with a line horizontally down the middle and 2 lines vertically each about an inch and a half in from the outside edges.  Pin to a Styrofoam block. Glue the back of the eyes with craft glue and poke the loops into the crossing lines.  Let dry.
2.    *Cut and glue 2mm white cord under each eye.  Let dry.  Cut and glue 2mm brown cord pleasingly under and over the white cord.  Let dry.  Trim cords at horizontal lines on muslin.
3.    Cut and glue 4mm leather strip over top of eye.  Trim inside corners with a slant and tuck point under cords at line.  Arrange strip pleasingly over outside eye, covering cords and trim. 
4.    Allow to dry completely, and then cut out the eyes from the muslin.  Place eyes in bear head as usual.
*If you prefer lids only with no whites, use the brown cord instead of white and omit the lower lid cord instruction.

Hope this helps!

jenny Jan 22, 2014

That's a really clever plan Thelma. I just do mine straight into the bear. I sometimes needle felt the eye whites but generally I use felt. The reason I think it works better than ultra suede is the texturally it's similar to the mohair so blends nicely. On tiny bears I would needle felt the eye whites. Then felt the lids...or use suede which I attach in much the same way as i do the eyes using long threads either end if the lids and a dab of glue to hold it in place on the glass eye.
Good job everyone has a different method!

gugu"s teddies Jan 23, 2014

Thelma and Elli
Thankyou for your tips
Thelma im going to give your way a try
Have a great day
Hugs Paula

tcfolk Jan 23, 2014

Jenny - I used to do them straight onto the bear also, but I found that I had a hard time getting them even that way.  It seemed easier to me to get them even was by having them side by side! 

Paula - Hope this is successful for you, too!  I will add that when I place them in the bear "as usual", I pluck all the fur away from the eye socket behind the eye and then I put glue on the muslin back of the eye.  Once they are all finished, I put a coat of clear nail polish over them to seal them all together, but this is "usual" for me!

Tatty Bears Jan 23, 2014

Lots of great help there, thank you all, yes the suede definitely looks, and is easier to use than the felt. I'd bought a eye whites kit that he'd felt whites in it, I had always been using them it never dawned on me to use suede until I opened a kit I had and it had a small piece of white suede in it  I will be trying the eyelids soon 

Teachth Feb 28, 2015

Thelma, I am seeing your post on how you do your eyes.  Brilliant!  What brand of glue do you use?   

Thanks,
Trish

tcfolk Mar 1, 2015

Hi Trish, Thanks!  For the eyes, I use just simple Aleen's Tacky glue for the whole process.  When gluing in the eye sockets, if something ever goes wrong (glued crooked - it happens!) then just a drop of water with a q-tip to the back of the eye and they release.  Then I straighten them and the glue will dry in the correct position without adding any more.  Good luck!

Teachth Mar 1, 2015

Thanks for the help.  I am way out of my comfort zone with something like what you do, but I am going to experiment. 

Thanks again!
Trish

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