Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Kim
Iron on interfacing is excellent to use on knit back furs!
Sonya

You guys are very welcome! I usually put 5 in for each, but I make rather large bears. The beauty of doing it this way is that you can push the claw thru most of the way for larger bears and if you remember to maybe add a little extra seam allowance when cutting out the pattern, you can actually only poke a little bit of the claw thru on smaller bears by sewing it further back on the seam allowance. Hope that part made sense
Sonya

Hi Rita
I have used them. The trick to using them I learned from Susan Arnot. After sewing your paw pads in place, turn the foot/paw right side out. Close to the seam line, lightly mark where you want the claws. Use an awl to poke a hole for each location. You might want to fray check the hole at this point.  Turn the foot/paw inside out again and insert the claw into the hole so that the claw is pointing towards the pad. Stitch it in place by sewing it to the seam allowance on the inside. At this point I also add a tiny drop of fabri-tac glue to the end securing it more firmly to the seam allowance. Continue with all of the claws then turn right side out again. Your claws will stay in place and will not twist or turn either.
Sonya

Shelli
I subscribe also. I am not sure if mine has arrived yet. I think it should be here in the next day or two. I can save you my copy and send it to you if you want to pm me your address. Congrats!
Sonya

Deb
I had to laugh... when you said

LOL A girl after my own heart! Yea! Nascar is back!
Sonya

Aleta,  You simply never fail to amaze me!  How creative are you?? What a wonderful card!
Sonya

Nose first.. then I sculpt the mouth.. then sculpt the eyes, then set the eyes. Then I go on to the body, legs and arms and the ears go on last.

Sonya

Jenny, I just had to say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture

It makes me smile everytime I see it! Great job!
Sonya

whats a dohickey?   
ducking

I do hope you will be very cautious. I too received a similar email after my auction ended. many times these are scams and I would be very suspicious. many times they have you stop your auction with a promise of a quick sale, then offer to send a money order. They send the money order made out for an amount way more than your item, then want you to refund the difference. Then after they get the refund amount you never hear from them again. Then within a week or so you find out the money order that you deposited in your account is fake and you are out that amount plus the money you "refunded" to them. At least that is just one of the many many scams going on. That is why ebay is always reminding you not to enter into an agreement outside of ebay.
It may be legit, but if you have that funny feeling about it, listen to your feelings. They are usually right.
Sonya

Aww Thank you Charise! I really appreciate that! Everyone has such good ideas! Sometimes it just takes a bit of experimenting. Good luck!
Hugs
Sonya

Charise
It may not be that the sewing is the problem. I could possibly be the stuffing. When stuffing the muzzle, you should use tiny bits of stuffing and constantly adjust it's positioning. If you notice that it is starting to shift to one side you can add stuffing to the side it is shifting towards and it will push it back into place. Use your stuffing tool to help control where the stuffing is ending up. Also, make sure when you are cutting out your pattern to always cut either inside your drawing lines  (or outside) as long as it is consitant. I have found just a little difference will make a big difference.
Hope this helps
Sonya

I have to say that Mary Holstad and Donna Hager were the inspiration for me when starting out. I love, love, love thier sweet innocent faces. And I also love the vintage styles of Terry John Woods and Whendy's Bears.  I think my bears exhibit a mix of both vintage and innocence.
Sonya

I vote mohair! You double your money and let boyfriend pay for dryer, wedding and vegas!
Sonya

absolutely PERFECT! outstanding concept! I love it! Did I say I love it?
Sonya

Hi Pepper and Kassie
I am not sure I understand what you mean when you say they are hard feeling. Do you mean you can feel the disk? If that is so, it is normal. Your disc size should fill the shoulder or leg area except for about a 1/4" space around the seam. Hope that makes sense.
Sonya

Maybe I shouldn't say that my daffodils have all bloomed!
Sonya

Gail, Kodiak is outstanding! Great job!
Sonya

Amen Jared!

Jodi/Shelli/Judi/Dilu/Jenny/ oh heck I can't remember everyones name!

What wonderful inspirational messages. of course we all feel bed when we don't get picked and I have gone thru the same soul searching wondering what is wrong with my bears?  don't they like me? is it because no one knows who I am? I too realize that it is NOT the bears, it is NOT me (at least I hope not) lol
It is just there are so so many deserving entries and I would not want to have to pick from them.

Judi, yes I also entered these in the TOBY's so we will see how that turns out. And if it doesn't.... I WILL try again. Thanks so much for your kind words about them. I am so glad I started this thread. It has been wonderful therapy the last few days!
Hugs
Sonya

Trapunto is always nice too! Its a bit tedious, but the end result is so rewarding. The easy way is as follows:

1. On your paw or foot pads, draw your toe design with a quilters pencil or other disappearing pencil.

2.  Pin a piece of muslin under the area that you want to have raised. Set your machine up for free hand stitching. (Drop feed teeth, take all the pressure off your presser foot [unless you're using a "hopping" foot], and put on a darning foot.)   Thread with a color to match the outline you want to stitch, or something to blend.
Take a stitch and pull up the bobbin thread. Hold both thread tails, and with small stitches, go backwards about 1/8" and then go forward.

3.  Completely outline the area you want to pad, and reverse about 1/8" to end. Do this for all the areas you want to have raised. Clip all thread tails.

4.  From the back, make a small slit, about 1/2", in the muslin only. With the tweezers or hemostat, pull out a small amount of stuffing and push it into the smallest area, like a point or channel. Continue inserting small amounts of stuffing until you have the whole thing stuffed. Don't stuff it too full, or you'll have the fabric around it quite puckered.

5.  Look at the design from the front. If there are parts that don't have enough stuffing in them, you can use the strong pin or needle to shift the stuffing around by pushing it in from the muslin side and gently moving the stuffing around. Continue this way until you have the design the way you want it.

6.  Using a hand sewing needle and thread, make a quilter's knot in the end of the thread. Stitch from one side of the hole to the other, creating a web to keep the stuffing in. Don't close the hole tightly, because that will also cause puckering of the fabric around your padded area

You can use this method to make the pads prior to sewing the pad in place on the foot.

The other way to do it is to cut each of the individual toes out of leather or fabric and stitch it in place on your paw pad. Then from the back side, slit the paw pad and insert the stuffing and close as above.

Sonya

Awww, I love it! The color is wonderful!!!
Sonya

Eileen, STOP!! Look out for that truck!
No, I purchased them from a lady that had them for her sons when they were toddlers. Actually I purchased 2 outfits, one I still have. The bagpipes came with them. They are practice pipes for beginners. The jacket was a vintage toddlers suit jacket that I re-made to have a pointed hem in the front and waist length in the back.

Libearty actually has white ultra suede stars sprinkled thruout the blue mohair, but they are hard to see in the photo.

PS.. MacBeth is the typical manly Scotsman. he is ah-la-natural under that kilt!

Sonya

Count me in Aleta! I would be more than happy to help in any way I can.
Sonya

Aw, thanks you guys! Llibearty was planned for so long. I knew how much work he was going to be. When I designed him, I then had to take my pattern and section it into pieces and number each piece and keep a key to the numbering so I could put humpty dumpty together again. I have pretty much decided I may keep him. He also has a music button in his paw that plays "God Bless America".
MacBeth just turned out exactly like I envisioned him. Proud, strong, and handsome! lol. I know I am glad I don't have to play those bagpipes. I blew them up and tried and lets just say, it is good I don't have cats. The dogs singing along was funny enough!
The other one I didn't show here is a set called, "Pa and the Red-Headed Step-child, Don't tell yer Ma"
It is a set of a father and son bear playing pool. They have a pool table and balls and cues, and the step child is standing on a beer crate to reach the table. lol. Thier pictures were so hard to do. and they can't even begin to compete against Judi's Snow Bear and the Dwarf Hares!
Sonya