Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I LOVE tabby cats! They're my favorite kind of cat. 

I LOVE the bear! I especially like his paws. 

You know, I've searched again and again for that particular bear...I love his claws and his mouth- all those teeth! No such luck, though.

Wow, look at those claws!

I love him! He looks so nice and "scruffy!" 

Oh my goodness, is he sucking on his toes?!

This is SUCH a good idea! Teaching skills that can be the basis for a lifelong love of "crafting," and giving the kids such a feeling of accomplishment, too. 

I LOVE his face! He looks so gentle.

I don't think that you should feel guilty about having bears. If you feel that they contribute something to your life (give you joy, or make you feel safe or comfortable), then keep them. I can understand not wanting to buy more, at the moment, because of finances or having to move, but surely the ones that you already have aren't doing anyone any harm. About your current living situation- that sounds REALLY difficult. I hope that things will be better for you when you move! Most importantly: You ARE worthy of life and existence. You are worth something. I know from experience how easy it is to get into the mindset where you think that you "don't deserve to be happy." It's a terrible place to be. You deserve to be happy, just as much as anyone else does. 

Well, the bear arrived today, and I've never been more surprised in my life!! As it turns out, the burn test isn't necessary, because he's made of sheepskin! Unsheared, but treated to straighten the wool, like those sheepskin rugs from Australia. His ear is ripped, as mentioned in the seller's description, and I was surprised to find that it was because the leather had deteriorated (not sure if I'll be able to piece it back together)! Upon inspection, the back of his ear was also leather on the underside, but in excellent condition. Certain areas near his pads even retain a little curliness, and when I spread his fur out with my fingers, to look at the "skin," there was the leather.  Does anybody have any advice on how to keep him in good condition? I live in the South, so humidity is a concern, but I keep my house pretty well air conditioned.

Every year for my birthday, and for Christmas, my uncle buys me a bear. This year, the bear-of-choice is this fluffy fellow:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Unmarked-Mohair … true&rt=nc

This guy will be the largest jointed bear in my collection- just beating out his nearest competitor, who is 27". He seems a lot chubbier, though, and I can't wait to get my fingers on that fur!  I've never seen such fluffy-looking mohair! His face reminds me of those bears made from alpaca in Peru. I've never actually done "the burn test" before, but I'll probably try it with this one. So excited!

Wow, I am in LOVE with the first and last bears! That perky little smirk! And that beautiful tipped mohair! Fantastic! 

Have you found homes for the bears yet? 

You're so lucky! I dream of finding teddies at my local antique stores, but they're practically extinct here. 

Awww, that's such a sweet, snuggly looking bear! I want to make one, too! 

Oh, I LOVE them! I bought a bright yellow bear last year that I was able to clean up a bit. He's antique, so. he was incredibly dirty and matted, but he's much fluffier now andyellow instead of brown.  Now I'm working on a navy blue bear to go with him, made from wavy Tissavel fur.

He's so sweet! 

Oh, wow, he's gorgeous! 

I've just gotten some really nice dark camel long-haired fur, and I'm wondering what kind of bear to make with it. What are some of your favorite patterns to use when working with long, shaggy fur? This is the longest fur that I've ever seen, let alone worked with, so I'm a little nervous. I figured it would be prudent to ask for suggestions, so I don't dive into making a bear and end up with Chewbacca.

Here's the fur, in case it would be helpful to have a visual (or un case anyone else wants some! ;))

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FAUX-FUR-MONGOL … 27ccd80c24

Thanks so much for the tip about Tissavel! I never would have thought to search for that brand, because it's SO expensive, and I consider myself to be too much of a beginner to go for such high end fur. BUT, I found an auction for a yard of ths: http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRENCH-TISSAVEL … 2a14416692 (only in black), for ridiculously cheap!  And I was able to combine shipping with another of their auctions (for some camel-colored mongolian fur, long and shaggy, but not wavy.), which is great because their high shipping prices have always kept me from ordering from them.

I can't wait to see the fur "in person!" 

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.asp … 146c6e5967

I can't seem to find out what company makes this. I love curly fur, but it's really difficult to find, so I was really excited to find this! I'm nervous, though, that it might be that "silky" type stuff that so many factory bears seem to be made of. I know that I could just find out the easy way by ordering a swatch, but I figured that it was worth a shot to see if anyone else has used it. Also, hs anyone found any other nice curly faux fur that I might have missed while searching?

Well, only part of it. I know I can't post things for sale here, and although I love buying from ebay, I'm nervous about selling there. The only other place that I've heard of for selling supplies is Etsy, and I don't have enough to justify setting up a "shop." What would you guys suggest?

Or buy yourself one as a late present? I was lucky enough to have one under the tree: my uncle buys me one (of my choosing) every year. This year, it was my very own Aloysius!  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nisbet-England- … true&rt=nc.

I never thought I'd actually own one, let alone the large size! He's stuffed to be sort of lumpy and saggy in places, as though he really had been carried around for 18 years, which I think is charming. He doesn't have his British Airways flight bag, but I don't think that matters, since he won't be doing anymore traveling.

So how about you? 

That sounds perfectly reasonable. PM me your shipping address and I'll start getting him ready to go. I think that I have a box that he'll fit in, and I should be able to mail him by Wednesday if circumstances are favorable (I don't drive, snd the relatives with whom I live have been sick lately. ).

I tell ya, if he were a foot shorter, he wouldn't be going anywhere!