Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Just finished this bear this week - only one week late for Halloween!  Made with a goldish distressed mohair with black hairs.  Loved working with this mohair!  But I don't think its available anymore............      I purchased it from Intercal.  Anyway, here she is - about 15 inches tall.

Cute bear!!!!  I really love the smile!!!!!!!!     :clap:  :clap:

Wow!  Everyone's kids look really great!

Not the world's greatest photo but here is my gladiator, my special forces soldier, and Michael Jackson!

Richy,
I completely understand how you are feeling.  Making bears is a difficult art to master.  It takes a long time and lots of false starts before you finally create something you can be proud of.  I myself have given up many times.  Right now I have a bear in my head that I have started 3 times.  One tip I will give you though, to save you time and heartache - just work on the head to start with.  If you are happy with how the head looks when you have the nose and eyes and ears in place, then you can put in the effort to create the body.  If you are not happy with your head, then you will not have wasted the time making the body to go with him!

Wow!  What a beautiful piece, Mikki! Just lovely!!!!  Great work on the tail!

What a wonderful display!  I love this!!!!  LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds fun!  Count me in!!!!!

Wow Bobbie.  That is one beautiful polar bear!  Just really stunning!!!  You certainly have a gift!!!   :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

OK, here is my first and my most recently completed bear.............

Waving my arms madly............  ME, ME, ME!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, the person below me loves sushi, especially with a cold beer!

All you folks getting all that rain are making me jealous!  Here in Cincinnati, Ohio and the rest of the Southeast USA are experiencing the worst drought in history.  If things don't improve soon, some areas will run out of drinking water!  It is dry, dry, dry.  EVerytime we are supposed to get rain, the clouds dry up and vanish just before they reach us.  This has been going on for months and months.  Trees look terrible.  Its depressing.  I have never looked forward to rain so much in my life!

Update on my first attempt at a miniature bear.................  So far no luck!  I have started two bears with different fabrics and they have both landed in the UFO pile, never to be heard from again!  However, I just placed an order with Sassy after hearing about that site here, and am waiting for fabrics from her that are better suited for minature bear making!  I think the backing on the fur I was using was too thick.  And lots of fraying as well...........  So back to the drawing board when my order arrives!!!

Congratulations to you, Jane!!!!    :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Wow!  Great looking bears, everyone!!!  And I love all the accessories!!!!

Sigh........  I thought that was a tough one!!!!  You guys are too good!  Your turn, Jane!!!

"The rabbit's foot.  Where is it?"

"Happy Gilmore!"  The boys have been watching that one in my car over and over and over!!!!

Wow!  I don't have the slightest clue how you manage to crochet a teddy bear, but you do it very well, Marion!  What a pretty little bear!!!

Bobbi,
It makes absolute sense what you are trying to say and I thank you immensely for taking the time to make that explanation!  Thanks everyone for your input!  I hope to get started on this fellow in the next few days.  Unfortunately my oldest son has fallen behind on his school work with all the goings on here and now I am trying to get him back on track.  He started September with an A in honors math and he now has a D!    

OK, I looked in the subjects listed for information on sewing minatures.  I would like to make a small bear (about 5 inches)  I hate hand sewing but am willing to do it anyway.  Is that what everyone does?  Is the back stitch the usual method of hand sewing?  Do you mark both sides so you can make sure you are sewing evenly?  Any hints are very appreciated!!!!  Thanks everyone!!!

Bobby,
Thank you so much for posting this video.  My family and I watched it OVER AND OVER!  The face on the polar bear staring through the glass at that girl is absolutely PRICELESS!!!!!

Thanks everyone!

Stunning!  Love the color combination.  A bear well done, Paula!!!   :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Very cute bear, Bronwen.  I especially like the bent legs!

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to comment on my two new bears.  You've made my day!  Heck, my week!!!!

I forgot to mention the worst thing that happened when I was making the smaller bear.  I had just enough, and I mean Just Enough- mohair to make a 14-inch bear.  So I cut out all my pieces and then laid them out.  Then I realized one of the leg pieces was going the wrong way!  So I had to take all my tiny scraps and piece them together to make another leg piece.  So one of the inner legs is made out of 6 scrap pieces!  Because the mohair is so ratty, it is hard to tell the difference - luckily.....