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AndreaM Jan 29, 2007

I haven't had the time to make a bear since Thanksgiving (Canadian) of last year , it's just terrible I know.
So, feeling overwhelmed by the 'real world' I decided to sit down and make a start on a new bear.  I went through my patterns and found the one I wanted to use, traced the pattern and then cut it out.  I then laid out all of my 'tools' and supplies and began sewing away.  I'm a hand stitcher (even the big 32" bears!).  I was working away for about half an hour when I started to pay attention to the way I did things........I never really have before here's what I noticed:

-I have to use the same needle to sew the entire bear, unless it breaks.......then I have to find a needle that I can be 'comfortable' with for the rest of the sewing.

-I always knot the end of my thread three times, and I never cut the tails of the thread unless I'm doing a closing seam.

-When pinning the pattern peices, only use certain pins.

-I always sew in order of: head, ears, body, legs, arms and then foot pads (probably 'cause I find those the most frusterating......I've always hated going in circles  :crackup: )

-I can't put down a peice unless I've finished sewing the entire peice........even if I'm starving, or have to go to the wahsroom. (Ok that one's weird I admit!)

-I always stuff the head first.

When I realized that I do all of these things, I was curious to know if anyone else had any bear/golly/animal making habits?

Gosh! I hope I'm not the only one, I'll really be embarassed :redface:

Hugs,
AndreaM

Delartful Bears Jan 29, 2007

Well, I work in the very same sequence as when I started making bears - so you're not alone.

I started with the body - because I had never hand stitched before, I figured that looked less complicated, and I could learn on that.  Then the arms, then the ears, then the legs, and footpads then finally the head. I thought I would be more experienced by then. I would sit for three hours and stitch probably 4" of thread !!!! LOL  Oooh that bear took me over 3 weeks to make  :crackup:     that's working solidly too LOL

Then I make the head, completly, then I pop it onto the empty body, then pop on the legs, then the arms.  Then I stuff the arms, then the legs, then the body and close.

Gee, I must be a creature of habbit - so you and I Andrea can be strange together!
Danni

tuppies teddies Jan 29, 2007

I do the head first, sew, stuff, add the eyes and embroider the nose and insert the cotter pin and discs.  Then I prop the head in an EMPTY port glass and he /she watches me sew the rest of his body.

I complete each piece, do the cotter pins, stuff and then I attach the head first to the body, then the stuffed arms and legs.  Then I fill the body, add any shading and then he /she sits on my sideboard for a week or so until I decide when to e-bay him/her.

Usually watch TV or listen to music while hand sewing the little critters..

Daphne Jan 29, 2007

I have a particualr sharpie I MUST use to trace my patterns onto mohair.

No particular order to my sewing except the foot pads which are next to last, head gusset last (I always save the worst for last!)

When it comes to assembly I stuff the head first, joint it to the body, then add legs then arms. Then I go back and finish the head then stuff and sew legs, then arms, then the body last. I tried doing the whole head to completion last week before putting it on the body........ everything came out crooked..... too many years doing it the other way so guess I won't change!

I have a favorite doll needle for inserting eyes (this is sort of like the Sharpie thing.... I have tons that all LOOK the same but some how I still know which is THE one and must use that one!)

My worst habit....... I go right to my studio to work as soon as all the boys (hubs and dogs) are in bed. It's then that I can get in a few hours of uninterrupted work and I LOVE very minute of that peace and quiet! 'Til I realize it's 1:00am and I should be asleep myself! Like right now!!

thumperantiques Jan 29, 2007

Oh this is an interesting post!  Andrea, I was stunned when I read your about not eating or going to the washroom until you're finished the piece.  I am so obsessive when I am doing something, I do exactly the same thing!  NO KIDDING!  For me, it was exactly that behaviour that started me searching for answers, and found I had ADD.
      I was hand colouring a photo with oils on New Years eve 1999, and hubby was working (because of the millenium and Y2K etc)  I had told myself I was going to get to a certain point until I would stop.  Well, I kept smudging and ruining it, so I would wipe it off and start over.  I won't tell you how many HOURS I was working and wouldn't eat etc.  I ended up ripping it up, because it was the only way I could force myself to stop.  It really freaked me out.  Now I have ritalin, and don't always use it, but if I know I am going to be interupted, or can't work to completion, I always take it, as it allows me to break the cycle.
       Now, I watch our 3 year old grandson run his cars off his play table into their box, when it's bedtime.  He has to do EVERY ONE, or he loses it.  Once he's done, he's off to bed with no problems.  I'm just glad I understand why, now.

                                             hugs,

                                             Brenda

matilda Jan 29, 2007

Here's a habit that is totally weird Ladies. I stuff joint and close all my seams befoe I attach them to the body. So when I come to the tails, I of course ladder stitch them closed. Then I will unpick it because I have forgotton  to add shot for weight.   so then I restitch. I DO THIS TO EVERY TAIL and it is driving me NUTS. Even notes on the table telling me not to forget to weight the tail dont work. aaarrrggghhhh.
Maybe it is my goodluck charm    

Jellybelly Bears Jan 29, 2007

haha, Wendy, so funny about those tails    I work the same way as you do 

Okay...while my niece emily was over i sewed a few things...anyway, she said to me, aunty sarah, why are you making that face?  i found out i stick my bottom lip out like i'm sulking as i sew!  so silly and   haven't a clue why i do it lol

I find it hard to put work down, why i have so many low sugar hypos  and even when i know i must stop to eat, i don't till i really need to!

and i sew in order of limbs, body, head...stuff different ways, but ears are always last to sew up and attach...and who leaves the paw pad material uncut until you absolutely need it!  lol

sarahjane Jan 29, 2007

and who leaves the paw pad material uncut until you absolutely need it

:crackup:  :crackup:

I had to laugh at this, that's what I do...in fact I leave everything uncut until I need it!! (comes from losing a few pieces  ) and I always sew and completely finish the head before I start anything else!! 

Jellybelly Bears Jan 29, 2007

lol, sarah glad i'm not the only one    But, i leave the head features till last...i don't know...i just wanna get the bear together and ready to cuddle 

psichick78 Jan 29, 2007

It’s funny how we all have our 'ways' of doing things.

For me, I'm pretty flexable but for one thing. When I am done a bear/project I MUST completely clean my studio, but while I'm working on something I can't stand to put anything in that room away.

Wendy, funny about your tails.......lol

Pumpkin & Pickle Bears Jan 29, 2007

Sarah said:

i found out i stick my bottom lip out like i'm sulking as i sew!

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  OMG - I do exactly the same!! James sometimes says to me 'mummy, why are you sad?'.

I only ever cut the pieces out when I need then (with 2 children around the pieces would get lost too easily!). I completely sew the head first then needlesculpt the eye sockets and embroider the nose and mouth (I just 'place' the eyes in the head as I leave the shading till last). Then I sew the body, then the arms, then the legs, then the ears last. I then joint the whole bear (always legs first and head last), then stuff it (legs, arms, body). I finish off with shading the bear. Quite often I will have a bear that sits there for a week with it's ears only pinned on instead of sewn on....it's because it's my least favourite bit!! LOL

I also HAVE to use the same needle to stitch my bear...even if it means searching for it for 10 minutes!!

MerBear Jan 29, 2007

I guess I have some "habits" as well. I like to cut out the whole bear and tack the arms together with the paw pads, legs with pads, etc. That's because early on I cut things wrong  :redface: and didn't realize til I needed the piece. Then I sew the head and complete it before I do anything else. I like to have the head propped up watching as I make the rest of the bear. I also have favourite tools handy for use when needed.

Marion

AndreaM Jan 29, 2007

This has been very interesting so far!

Danni: that first bear must have been somethng to take 3 weeks.........do you still have it?

Sarah:  I leave the paw pads un-cut 'till I need them too!  That's funny :crackup:  :crackup: I didn't even realize I did that 'till now!

Brenda: I've often wondered about ADD to be honest.  It must have been frusterating that night to go through all of that work only have to tear it up.

Wendy: that's really funny about the tails :crackup:   I'm sure it's not funny when you realize that you've done it again though, but it is funny

Marion:  I'm not sure I could handle the pressure of the bear staring at me the whole time I was making it's body........what if he didn't like what you were doing and asked you to start all over again? :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:

Well thanks everyone for making me feel a little closer to "normal".  It's always good to have company in the land of strange  
I look forward to hearing if there are any other 'habit's out there...............

Big hugs,
AndreaM

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorJan 29, 2007

I can't start a bear unless my studio is spotlessly clean.  I fully finish the head, attach it to the body, then attach arms and legs but not necessarily in that order.  I'm still playing around with which to stuff first; limbs or body.  Can't quite decide how I like to do that best, even after all this time. I'm leaning hard in the direction of stuffing the body first, though, as a habit going forward; it seems to help me find a better balance point, especially for the standing bears.

When I do faces I have a very particular order in which I sew the head and then work on the face; nose, mouth, eyes, ears.  That never varies.

Dilu Jan 29, 2007

I vacuume every single day except Sunday-that way you can't really tell how much time I have spent sewing-I try to do it before the hubs is due home or to come in.

I sew the mouth last-you all think I'm kidding when I say the little gollikins start yammering for fancy dresses just as soon as they have a mouth!  It's either true or I'm pschiZofrentic, hearing voices....I'll never tell which.......

I have to use the featherweight to sew the bodies....the Pfaff just isn't as easy to use-BUT when I sew the clothing the PFAFF is easir.

Like Andrea I have some antique needles from my grandmother that I have to have.  And if I can't find them, they got knocked out of the pin doll or something, I go absolutely nuts until I find them, to the point of tearing apart the livingroom.  I tore off the dust cover on the bottom of my favorite chair so that they wouldn't get caughht there but would fall through so that I could get them....

For some odd reason, even though I make the templates out of great plastic material,  I always seem to want to redo parts-a new head, new hands are the most common.  Why can't I just use the same patterns....And then when I want a particular pattern, even though I have a "great system" I can never find the pattern....what's up with that?

Whenever I am looking at fabric, I don't look with the idea that its pretty or interesting-it is [b]ALWAYS "oh a gollygirl would look nice in that."
I told my son I needed grandkids before I go completely over the edge

ooops too late.....

I also make the bed every single day- that also helps hide how many hours I was working on something.

I always stuff their legs first-then the arms and then the head and finally the body....I don't know why- it makes no sense to me.  But then little does.

If I am needlefelting the hair on the gollygirls I wait until they are dressed and ready to go then I wrap them in a tea towel tightly and do the hair.  The little fuzzys don't get on the dresses this way.

You don't notice it until you are taking piccys

Why is it every single little tiny flaw shows glaringly in the piccy?

Shoes-  very bad habit....always wanting to buy shoes, but never seem to have the size I need right at THAT MOMENT---so I end up making alot of shoes.  You'd think I'd learn.....

or not........

kallie214 Jan 29, 2007

Zip Lock baggies work WONDERS! I cut all my pieces out at one time, then I put them in a zip lock so I dont lose those darn ears!
When I make new patterns, I use computer printer paper and then run stripes of clear packing tape across the piece of paper and THEN I cut them out. It makes it rigid enough to use over and over, yet I'm still able to make "notes" on it.

I always start with the head and normally finish it before I even start sewing the body. I always save the feet for last...hate 'em, hate 'em! Its not that they are that hard, just a little more time consuming.
Ears drive me nuts! It can take me an hour to place my ears sometimes....they just dont look even and I re-pin them, and pin them again and again until it looks just right. A good way to check if your ears and eyes are even is to face your bear into a mirror...a mirror never lies (unfortunately). This sounds silly, but it works!

It baffles me to hear some of you say you do the face and then joint the head. Doesn't all your stuffing fall out or shift when you do that? I have to joint my head right after I stuff it and then do the eyes, nose, then the dreaded ears are last.

I reward myself after each step. I figure tracing and cutting out is one step, pinning them is another step, sewing is yet another step etc.....I make myself a cup o' coffee or treat myself to something small as a reward, or maybe break away from my sewing room for a bit to do a small chore or come here and chat.  I could never just sit here for hours on end working...I would go nuts! Maybe thats why my production is so low...hummmm....*laughing*

Shelli...you would DIE in my sewing room! Its always a disater area and it drives me crazy! I call my sewing room "the drop zone". Everyone enters our house through a side door, which of course leads into my sewing room. They leave all their books, backpacks, coats, shoes...you name it, they leave it in here! Every once in awhile I simply go postal and freak out about it, then it stays clean for awhile and then its back to the same ol' same ol'.

I cant stand it when my sewing table is piled with stuff. Im one of those people that when I get on a roll and just go with it and before you know it, you cant even see a desk anymore. Then all of the sudden, I have to stop everything and clean it before I can go on. I keep telling myself, if I clean up as I go, this wouldn't happen.......I never seem to take my own advice though *sigh*

Well, this was my "reward"...back to work I go!

Bear hugs,

Kim

matilda Jan 30, 2007

I just realised after reading all your posts that I have a few more odd habits than I thought.  
Last year while having coffee with friends I admired the fabric  of the suit one of my friends was wearing. Of course when I said it would make lovely paws I brought the house down with laughter :redface:
A week later arriving home I found a shopping bag had been left on my door step.
YES it was the suit. :crackup:  I see bears everywhere. I cant even go to a dress shop without seeing a criiter in a blouse. Shoe shops are a bugga as well. Theres some lovely leather in a shoe shop.  

At times I interchange some of the pattern pieces but usually forget who got what a day or so later so I trace the pattern pieces for the new  criiter onto paper which goes into their very own ziplock bag.  I have a contents list that goes in as well which I staple fabric samples to.  I add a photograph as soon as it is finished as well.
If I dont do this, give me two months and I will forget the poor wee critter ever existed. Sad isnt it??

kbonsall Jan 30, 2007

Here is what I do...

I always finish my heads first, completely (except attaching ears, unless it is a felted bear then the ears as well).... I pick my fur or wool first and then pick my ribbon/accessories and then start my bear... I rarely ever change what accessories go with a bear after I start...

I always use the same size needle for everything but attaching ears, stitching up the holes and inserting eyes (in which case, I use a curved needle for the first two and a really long doll needle for the eyes - my stitching needle is about 2" long)

I cut my bear out and then vaccum up all the fuzzies before I start

I sew both leg pieces together from the bottom (back) to where I want the stuffin hole to start - does that make sense? I do this before I stich the arms for some reason, dont ask me why LOL

I take pictures and list a bear before I stitch up the stuffin holes... dunno why LOL... yeah, I do... I HATE CLOSING BEARS UP! HA HA

I wait until a bear is bought to do its info tag and shrinky dink tag.

For fimo noses, I do a whole bunch of them all at the same time in different sizes/shapes/colors so I don't have to do them every time I make a bear...

Thats all I can think of for now but I think that is plenty LOL

kbonsall Jan 30, 2007

P.S.  my work area has to be spotless with lots of elbow room for me to work (kind of like my work area at work)

K Pawz GuestJan 30, 2007

OMG me too!!!! I cut out all pieces but the foot pads...hate them things...and then I sew up the head, complete the head, eyes, ears, shading the works...it spurs me on to complete the rest if I really like the way the head looks...and then I alligator each limb and body piece, and over cast each piece, and then go and do a running back stitch to finish each piece...add the paw pads, turn all limbs, stuff and close, go out to the garage and cut however many joints I need, glue them to the screws, wait for them to dry....attach limbs to body, attach head to body, stuff body and close...and then of course take bunches of pictures to end up with a couple that are selling worthy!!! I also wait till the bear is sold to do hang tags and certificates, I guess I see it as part of my shipping process, and that way if somebody wants to change a name there isn't a load of paper work to change...

Hugs,
Krista

Michelle Helen Jan 30, 2007

Well this is an interesting topic. I was thinking on my bear making habits and the only one I have is that all sewing stops when my kitty decides he wants to be held or sleep on my chest. I don't want to hurt the little guy's feelings.....

Jellybelly Bears Jan 30, 2007

Sarah said:

i found out i stick my bottom lip out like i'm sulking as i sew!

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  OMG - I do exactly the same!! James sometimes says to me 'mummy, why are you sad?'.

haha....Angelina Jole watch out!  lol

Heather, me too, my workspace is a mess while I'm working and then i clean and put everything away after I'm finished...even if i'm about to start another bear straight off 

StarHawk2003 Jan 30, 2007

We all seem to be so different!

I can't stand to cut all the pieces out at once. I like variation. I always cut an arm out including pad. Sew him up. Then a leg and foot pad. Sew him up. Then another arm, Then body. Sew them up. Then the leg. Then the head. Then last the ears together. I then pin all pieces once stuffed to the body and usually hate him or her! Then they sit there for a few weeks until I get strong thread to close the seams. I always attach legs first, then head, and then arms. It is then I start to add eyes and nose and mouth. Eyes first as I can see how I want him to look, Cute or mad or happy. Then the ears stay around forever by what time I always love one! I can never sew more then 2 pieces a day as I always get interrupted to go shopping or do this or get that!

I think I should do my heads before I attach them to the body but I always forget!

Richy~

kbonsall Jan 30, 2007

Sarah said:

i found out i stick my bottom lip out like i'm sulking as i sew!

:crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup:  OMG - I do exactly the same!! James sometimes says to me 'mummy, why are you sad?'.

haha....Angelina Jole watch out!  lol

Heather, me too, my workspace is a mess while I'm working and then i clean and put everything away after I'm finished...even if i'm about to start another bear straight off  :wacko:

LOL... I sometimes stick my tongue out as I sew LOL 

Tracy Jan 30, 2007

Ohhhhh...............those kinds of habits!  :crackup:  :crackup:

I always cut out everything at the start.....hate having to come back to cut paw pads later.  All pieces go in a baggy so I don't lose them (I know myself well ) Then with sewing the pieces, it depends on whether it's a mini or bigger bear how I do things....only difference I guess is the minis are all hand sewn. I just realized I work in the same order no matter what size bear! :doh:   Anyway, for the bigger bears, I do all the machine sewing first, starting with the body pieces, then head (except gusset....hand sew this), then legs (minus paw pads...hand sew these too), ears and tail.  Do the hand sewing next: head gusset first, joint areas of neck on both head and body, paw pads.  Then stuff the head, attach to body, armature and attach limbs......stuff these (finish the toes when stuffed up to the ankle.....have no idea why this step ), do needle and scissor sculpting on head, stuff body, close all seams, do the eyes and then the nose, attach ears and tail, and lastly a good grooming followed by shading.  I always seem to work in this order.......if I stray at all, it messes me up!!!