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PottersHouse BearsI need a bit of help. I am trying to remember info pertaining to pattern making. I know if you are making a bear, the body is a certain size compared to the head. For example if the head is 2 inches the body would be maybe twice that size. I had a book that gave all of the dimensions, but I lost all of my books in the fire. So what I would like to know is either the dimensions or what book gives this info. I had several books, but I can't remember which it was that gave this info. Does this make any sense? 
I'll be the first to say that there are no rules to a bear's proportions. That being said, I always lay out the pieces of a new design (in both standing and seated configurations) to get a rough idea, and to see whether I like the look.
Not what you were after, I'm guessing, but you can trust your own judgement on proportions. When it comes to measuring, that really only applies to the pattern pieces that need to fit together, e.g. the side seams, feet and paw pads, head pieces, etc. That's my two cents 
Becky
Chaska, MinnesotaI agree with Becky and Pink. There are no rules really to pattern making. That is what makes the bear unique.
I agree that there is no rule really. But I seem to remember that there is a sort of 'rule of proportions' in Jennifer Laing's book "Teddy Bear Art". I have it at home and I'm away now so I can't check, but I'm pretty sure I remember something of the sort. Said that, I would suggest to follow your instinct and design following your tastes. If you mean to design a realistic bear, then you could simply look at real bears pictures, and measure the body and head and start from there! That is what I do when I design my animals, if I wish them to have a realistic look.
PottersHouse BearsThanks all. I think the reference to Jennifer Laing's book is what I am thinking about. I guess I am just suffering from a lack of confidence. I have made many bears and other critters from my own designs, but I think the loss of all of my patterns and books threw me for a loop. Maybe they were my crutch.
