Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

That´s really helpful Becky, thank you so much. I´ll give it a go and let you know how I get on. Thanks again! xxx

Thanks Becky!
I wondered about a gusset too but I wasn´t 100% sure if there was one or not - I´ll maybe give it a try in some practice material first and see how I go.
I hadn´t thought about contacting Alisa directly - maybe she wouldn´t mind helping me with a technicality!
Thanks so much for replying to me, its much appreciated xxx

Hello everyone,

I am looking for some help with a dog that I am making as a Xmas gift. My question is probably something super-easy, but I´m a bit stumped with it.

I´m not an expert teddy maker, but I´ve made a few - enough to give me the confidence to try my own design this time. However, I am having some trouble trying to to figure out how to shape the face, and I have attached a couple of pictures here to let you see what I am trying to do.  I would like the muzzle to come in near the eyes as I think it gives it a really nice ´doggy´ look,  but I´m not sure how to achieve this.  I´ve marked arrows on the pic to show what I mean - I hope its clear enough!  Is it something that is done with a bit of needle sculpting after the head is stuffed, or are the pattern pieces cut in a certain way to make this shape naturally?  If it is needle sculpted then I think I can do that...but if its the actual pieces of the pattern that make that shape, then could anyone point me in the direction of a pattern that I could buy with similar shaping?  The jump from bears to dogs is trickier than I thought, but I am determined to get it right!!

(Photographs courtesy of Alisa´s Wonderland - my dog-making idol!!)
Thank you for your help xxx

Hi Michelle,
I think it would be worthwhile doing that as I'm starting to think that there is something solid underneath some of these noses.  I have been all day pottering around with them and I just can't get that clean, crisp, seamless finish that I see in the pictures  - I think that there is definitely more going on than meets the eye!!  I'm sure that I have some clay somewhere in my stash, so I'll give that a shot - that's a great idea, thank you!!

Ooh, now that's a good idea Jenny -so sort of half-stuff it so that it can be sewn on securely, and then fully stuff it once it has been stitched in place.  I would have never thought of that - thank you!  I will go and give all of these ideas a try and I will let you know how I get on. xxx

Hi Becky,
Thank you! I had thought about trapunto before as I have done some embroidery with that technique and it seems like a good option. I hadn't been sure if it would work on a bear's nose, but I wiil certainly give it a try now that you think it might work too!
Thanks again xxx

Hello Pink,
Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it.
I am trying to make the underside of the nose flat, and the outside of the nose curved. I have been using cotton fabric up until now, stuffed with polyfill. I don't want to make the nose completely flat as I like it being big and bulbous!
The more I look at the pics, the more I think that it's a single layer of fabric, sewn on around the edges, as opposed to the completely round ball shape that I have been struggling with.
I'll have a play around with some stretchier fabric in a single layer and see what happens.
I have been a cloth doll artist for many years, and bear making is presenting lots of new challenges for me.
Thank you for your helpful advice xx

Hi, yes I have heard of needle felting before and have done it quite a bit in the past.
I am almost sure that they are fabric though as some of them have patterns on them...like this one...

I'll maybe resort to needle felting if I can't figure out how to do it with fabric, as at least I know how to do that!
Thanks for your help xxx

Thank you Francesca.  I haven't thought about using glue before so maybe it would be worth a try. Thanks again!

Hello everyone,

I am just new here and am a beginner bear-maker.  I have made a few basic critters that I have enjoyed so much, and am just starting to experiment with different techniques.  I'm a bit stuck on something that is probably really easy for people who know about bear-making, so I hoped that maybe someone here could help me out.

I really like the look of big fabric noses.  I have attached a couple of pictures here to let you see the kind that I mean. However, I am having trouble achieving this look and I just can't figure out how to do it properly.  I have been making the nose from two ovals of fabric, sewn, turned, stuffed and then sewn onto the face, but I just can't get it as flush and flat to the face as I would like. I think my noses are just too round. Is there a secret to doing this that I am missing? I have been sewing them on really firmly, but when the face is stuffed, the curvature of the nose against the face makes the nose 'pop up', if you see what I mean.  I am wondering if these noses are sort of appliqued on - maybe only one layer of fabric, stuffed and then the edges sewn onto the face? They look so smooth and flat when I see them done properly and I am driving myself nuts trying to understand how to do it.  I have googled everywhere but fabric noses don't seem to popular and I can't find anything.If anyone here could give me some advice then I would be really grateful.
Thank you so much!!