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Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorFeb 17, 2006

Hi again, resource people.

I usually use leather cording or elastic to do my bear lids but I want to try using fabric.  I've done this a few times in the past but haven't yet developed a straightforward method for sewing/adhering the fabric to, or around, the glass eye.  Basically I've done it slightly differently each time.

I wondered if any of you make lids of this type routinely...

... and, if so, whether you could offer some pointers?

I'm including photos of what I want the end result to look like.  The first one, OAKLEY, also has leather cording along the fabric upper lid.  The second one, LIL PUNKIN, is just fabric.

Obviously, I can already "get there,"  in terms of getting that fabric eyelid placed.  It's just that my path to this outcome isn't well-trodden yet, and needs some improvements, in terms of ease and guaranteed success!

Thanks in advance for any help you can give,

Shari Feb 17, 2006

I can't think straight enough to help but your two bears are stunning!! Of course  I love both looks     

Deb Feb 17, 2006

No help here, but they are sure adorable.  Very sad looking, but adorable.

kbonsall Feb 17, 2006

I was trying to figure out how to do this better... I did it for Oscar, my T4C bear... I just glued it directly to the fimo eye and took a few stitches to the edge to attach it to the head portion... there has to be a better way though..

AnnG Feb 17, 2006

I just use a good white craft glue that dries clear and flexible. I spread a little with a tooth pick over the back of the fabric and gently rub the lid until I get it wear I want it and let it dry, no sewing involved. So far so good.

psichick78 Feb 17, 2006

Well, I'm no expert. But I just use glue. The strongerst glue I can find. Works like a charm I think. And easy.

Shelli, you say you're looking for a better way. What did you use on you super cute LIL PUNKIN? And why did it turn out to be not so good?

Here's the only picture I have, that has a bear with fabric lids. Simple ultra-suede ones.

Deb Feb 17, 2006

Heather ~ That bear is wonderful.  I don't remember seeing him.  Love the lids.

Shelli ~ Could you either:

1) Make a "jacket" for the eye, sewing the lid by hand to a backing which would remain behind the eye and even have a hole for the wire to go through?

or

2) Use liquid Sculpey to put the lid on the eye and bake the sucker on there?

kbonsall Feb 17, 2006

Is that how you made your eleylids on your adorable avatar, Deb?

Deb Feb 17, 2006

Nope, they're just leather, no fabric.  I used the heavier cord though.

Tracy Feb 17, 2006

I am definitely no expert here, but I always cut my ultrasuede lids long enough to insert the ends (which are tapered) into slits I cut into the mohair on either side of the eye.  (That cutting into the mohair always scares me!   )  I fray check the holes/slits and also add glue inside.  The lids are stitched into the holes and tied off.  I also add a little glue to the back of the lid so it's secure over the eye.  This all works very well every time I do it---really the hardest part is not getting glue into the fur! 

Tracy

Tracy Feb 17, 2006

Close up pic of eye/eyelid.  This is my CSI pic--if you look you can see my propane tank and kid's toys and camera, etc reflected in the eye (so glad I moved out of the way before the shutter snapped, or I'd be in it too ).  If this was CSI, you could zoom in and find all kinds of things!  Love that show!

Tracy

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorFeb 17, 2006

HA!  Great pic!

And some really great tips; thank you all.

Heather...  For LIL PUNKIN I superglued the lid to the eye, then notched the fabric (like a dart, more or less) and adhered it well behind the eye as well.  But this is a clumsy method, and while I think the glue will do a wonderful job of holding the lid in place over time, it didn't "feel" sophisticated and secure like a process which also involves stitching might.

Deb... the jacket idea intrigues me, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around what such a thing would look like, and how I would get it tight enough for a smooth fit.

I have tried SCULPEY; in fact I used it in my earliest days for lids.  I don't enjoy using it and prefer to stick with an all fabric method.

Winney Feb 17, 2006

This job sounds diffficult but its not....I designed a long legged frog once...for lids for those ball looking eyes ( sew on type ) and cut a circle of fabric ( use muslin and  keep trying for the right size  diameter ) fold it in half...the folded edge will be placed on the right side of the eye and you can adjust how much lid you want for it to be more wide awake or sleepy by varying the diameter sample...

Now...with thread make a running stitch all around the raw circled edge ( back of the fabric piece) ...gently pull to make the half circle gather into a  cup.....this should cup up enough to where it looks like a little cap for the eye....getting the picture now ?...

OK. so try the cap onto the eye top   then fit it so both SIDES in the back  will touch...here is where you will overcast those sides together ...and while you are at it you could tack it to the back eye loop  ....then go ahead and glue it to the back of the eye...no need to glue on the front eye...this saves it from perhaps getting glue anywhere on the front....

Anyone lost here ? Just give it a try... in experimenting you will see how easy this is...

If you plan on using real mohair fabric later for the lid it is possible to only use a little more than half of your circle then flod under the lid edge...fray check ....Winney

Winney Feb 17, 2006

I may have confused the instructions....those sides I was talking about are actually the part
of the raw circle edge that are located just behind the eye corners...after the lid cap is made....you will see what I mean after you make it....Winney

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorFeb 17, 2006

Winney, makes perfect sense to me.  I have trouble working really small so this wasn't an immediate draw for me but now that I think harder on it, it may just be the solution I'm after for a neat, fabric method that avoids glue on the front eye part.

Will let you know how it goes...

Maybe I'll make a fairly large circle rather than trying to keep to the size of the eye itself.  Experimenting ahead, I can see...

Thanks, Winney!!!

Winney Feb 17, 2006

Shelli...Go look in your e-mailbox. I mailed you a picture to post here as I could NOT figure it out how  to do it ...
It is probably already pictured in your head except I noted a few changes I had made when I made them up...and other artists may be able to visualize better with the drawing...

Now..lets see lots of eyelids !!!!...Winney

psichick78 Feb 17, 2006

Tracy, that is one neat eye there! Wow, it's nice and such a clean job.

Winney, your instructions make perfect sense

Winney Feb 18, 2006

Good tip Erin...larger eyes...to start with.... Winney

Winney Feb 18, 2006

Hey Shelli !!! I finally figured out how to get a picture, photo or a drawing up here !!!! Well. thnks to Quy, I found his detailed instructions in th HELP file...yeah hhhhhhhhhhh! Thank's Quy, you are a gem...!

Now this pic goes with my message above on doing those fabric eyelids...from now on I can draw illustrations of what I am trying to explain instead of just being stuck with wordy messages...a picture is worth a thousand words...Winney

Winney Feb 18, 2006

Wow...sorry its so big....this says glue to front and back of eyes...no need to do that really.

In the pic it looks like they used ultrasuede with all those little clips taken out of the back...I didn't do that, I just gathered the circle raw edge in the back ...then glued only in  the back , then installed the eyes.
If you want you can take a tiny blind stitch at the elylid corners to tack them to the face fabric.... Winney

Deb Feb 18, 2006

Thank you Winney!  :hug:

Visuall learner here ... always gotta have a picture.

ScottBear Feb 19, 2006

Great thread we have going !! I love the exchange of how our brains work to get to the finnish line lol I always say that artists travel on a totaly different highway then the rest of the world and the fewer exits the better !!!
BearHugs
Scott