Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Dilu--

I'm guessing it was somewhere around the 20s. Flappers looked boyish, flat chests, short hair, etc. Before that were the Gibson Girls, nicely padded. Maybe when the depression hit, it made a necessity of the fashion?

Eileen

I know!! My British hubby gave our kiddies a copy of "Strewelpeter" when they were young. :rolleyes:

For anyone who doesn't know it, this is a nineteenth-century picture/story book about the awful things that happen to naughty children. :(

Once my kids were a little older, of course, they loved it.

Eileen

Thanks, everyone, Great Ideas and a Big Welcome, Teddygerda :D

I've got Nancy's book coming soon in the mail, and I know I'll be a lot wiser when I've read it.

Winney, your idea of cutting the stoles etc in half is brilliant. After the furrier's gone to all that trouble matching tiny little pelts, why not take advantage of work already done? I never thought of it! Thanks!

Eileen

Yes, but keep clicking on the forward arrows when you have time. There are about 72 pages in all, and the story's almost as cute as the illustrations!

Eileen

Marie, you're even cuter than your bear!! :D

Eileen

I found a complete full-color version of Florence K. Upton's "The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwog."
This is the little book that started the Golly craze--it's delightful. :D

[url]http://www.bis.uni-oldenburg.de/retrodig/seite.php?id='0167'&seite='003'&autor='von%20Florence%20K.%20Upton%20[Ill.]'&titel='The%20adventures%20of%20two%20Dutch%20dolls%20and'[/url]

Eileen

What an old brute that teacher was. Seeing kids or animals bullied drives me into a rrrage. Actually, my kids never got into so much trouble as when they knew more than the teacher did, which was pretty often. We've seen so many kind, talented, altogether great teachers fired and so many old hags kept on. Nothing you can do, though that doesn't stop us from complaining.

I don't think I'm really a talented knitter. I learned most of what I know making toys for the kiddies, all of which are long gone. I've never managed to make a sweater. My only triumph in garment-making was a Beatles scarf--you know the long red and white ones they wear on one of the album covers--using circular needles.

It's a whole new thing for me, knitting artist bears. IF we ever get this stupid plumbing done so I can find all my stuff again, and IF my tutoring business slows down (two more new students this week--whatever happened to summer?) I'll be able to get back to my knittie.

The great thing about the knitties, is that you can change colors as you go, and get some really neat effects.

Eileen

Awwww. I do love those Gollies!! Isn't there a series of children's books that got the whole golly craze started?

Glad I could help--it's a big thrill for a novice!

With a little practice, and your experienced eye for bear patterns, you'll be shaping on your own in no time.  You can lengthen the nose, widen the cheeks, add a hump, etc. by increasing and decreasing.

It's the internal increases, the ones in the middle of the row,  that give you body bulges, by the way.

I had trouble finding very thin needles, so as I mentioned before somewhere, I sanded down some bamboo sticks (skewers? those little things you get for shishkebob at the dollar store) gave them points, and waxed several times over with an old candle end. They're flexible, but very very strong, and don't snag the yarn.

Eileen

Sandy's right. :D

A quick tour of eBay will show lots of those ears placed on the side. It seems to me that seaming ears is an old technique, and I doubt that TM was the first to think of it. As a matter of fact, lots of manufactured bears are made this way.

Eileen

That's a great idea, Hayley. Thanks! :D

You don't want to do anything to compromise the HUG!!

Eileen

Belated welcome, Sandy :D

I checked back on the piece of grey mohair I bought on eBay some time back, but it's not yours. It came from a lady in the UK. Sorry.

I think grey bears are wonderful!

Eileen

Thanks, Jane :D

What a sweet bear--and tapestry wool! Lovely stuff

The instructions look very similar to what I or anyone else does--there's a similarity in knitted pieces, just as in fur/mohair pieces.

For anyone making this little guy, I'd suggest two changes.

First, make the bottom edges of the head sides and back gusset  longer by several rows to give him more neck.

Second, I'd add some curve to the arms. You can do this easily by increasing on the outside of the elbow and decreasing on the inside. This way you maintain the same number of stitches in your row, but you produce a curve in the knitted piece.

Eileen

I know much less than Danni, but

I think we need some expert advice on the distinction between "learning from" and
"reproducing" the work of others.

I made my first bear pattern from a sculpted clay model I also made, to be sure that the design was 'original'. Even so, I've got to say that many of the pattern pieces looked exactly like other people's.

Some of my books recommend taking someone else's pattern and changing the parts to find your own design. It's a way to learn bear design, but the Pros just seem to sketch from memory/wisdom/instinct.

While we're waiting for some expert opinion to rise and shine. . . you designed  or redesigned everything but the ears, right? Lots of people love those Ted Menten ears. Could you state in your auction that this is Kirsten's bear with Ted Menten ears?

Eileen

I've only used fishing line and artificial sinew. Both unbreakable, even by me. :/

The artificial sinew can be separated into narrower strands, if you need them, and has a nice "grab"--not exactly sticky, but not exactly not.

Fishing line is cheaper and easier to find--Walmart, etc. It's stiffer than sinew or thread, which means that the ends seem to have minds of their own, but it sews and knots well.

Eileen

AAAHHHrrgh. Angora roving is twice the price of the yarn. :mad:

Your site sells at bargain prices, Judi, considering that you don't have to spin the stuff yourself!

Just in case, I checked out the Toronto Humane Society. No angora rabbits up for adoption today.

Actually we used to have a beauty, named Cocoa. I spent hours brushing her fur to keep the tangles---and I DO mean tangles---from getting too bad. To think I tossed all that fur in the garbage. Double Aaargh.

Eileen

Hear Hear!! :D
Eileen

Wow, Judi !! What beauuuuutiful yarns.

$8.75 US/oz. I still say it would be cheaper to raise your own, but . . . if I bring another animal into the house, I'm in big, big trouble. My husband has finally figured out that "foster" means "keep". 

I wonder if it's possible to buy angora roving for (much) less. I'm going to check . . . back later

Eileen

I wasn't dissing your bunny, Shelli, honest!  :D

I've just read negative comments about rabbit, and I'm here to defend it from all and any detractors.

Now, live rabbits shed like crazy . . .

Eileen

I tried equal-sized disks first, but the head wouldn't wobble very well unless the joint was loose. I liked the unequal disks better, because I could use a really tight joint and hide the innards! :D

Great idea about weighting the limb-ends. Thanks!

Eileen

Where (exactly ) on the tush is the tag usually sewn? Is it sewn into the seam as you're putting the bear together?

Eileen

That's exactly what I did! I told the kids running the store what I wanted the paint and brushes for, and they got very excited and very helpful--I guess I'm not the typical art student. I tried for the seniors' discount, but I"m not old enough yet :(

Your info on the actual painting is very helpful. I wouldn't have known how to begin, or what to expect. You and/or Judi mentioned starting with light colors first, then building to dark. I'm assuming that I can go right down to the pelt/backing with the oils (if I want to)?

Eileen

Beautiful diagram for aged eyes. Thanks!

Shelli, the method I learned from one of my books (can't remember which) suggested using a smaller disk in the body side than in the head side. This allows the head disk to wobble in a larger arc.

Eileen

Almost forgot . . . rabbit is lovely stuff, but has a reputation for shedding. If the coat sheds, I'd look for another one. Well-tanned rabbit skins do not shed (got this from a furrier).

Eileen

I think the first most important tip for a beginner (as I am) is to watch the placement of your pattern pieces very carefully.

Unlike mohair, real fur varies in nap, color, pelt quality, pelt-to-pelt stitching, quality of undercoat et al. throughout the fur. Since you'll be placing your pattern pieces on the pelt side, you need to first examine the fur side very carefully.

Next time, I'm going to cut a set of transparent plastic templates to help with the placement. This way I'll be able to see which bits I'm choosing for which templates, and make sure that matching pieces match, and that areas to be seamed together are as close in nap and color as possible.

The second most important tip is about cutting apart the vintage fur in the first place. It can be incredibly messy, and it takes time to remove those stitches without tearing the pelts. Old linings and tapes and threads can be most yucky. The furs I've cut apart have often been full of tiny granules--these are bits of the bran, or ground corn husk or something else used for cleaning. Nothing to worry about, unless they have legs!! :D

Eileen

Great sites, Shelli and Nanc!!! Thanks very much . . .

Shelli, MonsterTjanks for all the work you're doing on this new section. It's wonderful.

I've bought vintage lace on eBay a few times. Prices and lace are very nice.

Eileen