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daria_cher Minimishki
Moscow
Posts: 36

Hi,

I'm new to this forum so not sure if this question has been asked before (sorry if it has bear_happy ).

Is there a trick to making a bear's shoulders narrower? Every pattern that I try (none of them are my own), the bear's shoulders seem to turn out a lot wider than in the picture. What am I doing wrong? I've tried stuffing them less but then the arms are too soft and flop slightly. This only happens to my bigger bears, smaller ones seem okay.

Thank you in advance for your help! bear_original

dangerbears Dangerbears
Wisconsin
Posts: 6,021
Website

Hi, and welcome! Are the shoulders wide because of the arms, or because of the body?

If it's the arms, you might be using a disk that's too small. That would let you over-stuff the top of the arm, and a larger joint might fix the problem.

If it's the body, you could modify the design. If it's a two-piece body, sewing some V-shaped darts at the top might help. For a four-piece body, you could change the angle at the top of the front and back pieces where they meet at the top (to make the body narrower at the top).

I hope this helps! (I see that you're from Moscow, but you sound like native English speaker? If not, your English is fantastic, but it's still hard to describe and understand bear-making techniques with words. bear_original )

Becky

Bearalive Bearalive
S.California
Posts: 791
Website

Hi  and welcome to Teddy Talk bear_flower
Well said Becky. I remember the first bear I made ( not from my pattern ) the disc was small and bear_wacko oh boy! The right size of a disc for sure makes a difference. bear_thumb
Have a great Blessed day.
Gladys

daria_cher Minimishki
Moscow
Posts: 36

Hi!

It's usually wide because of the arms, I think the joints may be the problem, like you said, Becky.

Gladys, I have a bear I made a while ago and only realised the joints were too small after I had finished it all. He now wears a jumper to hide his floppy shoulders :P

Thank you for your help! bear_flower
Daria

PS I'm russian but I've been speaking english since school as I grew up abroad and, until recently, lived in the UK:)

dangerbears Dangerbears
Wisconsin
Posts: 6,021
Website
Daria wrote:

PS I'm russian but I've been speaking english since school as I grew up abroad and, until recently, lived in the UK:)

How wonderful to be truly bilingual (or trilingual or more)! (My second language is Spanish, but I definitely don't speak it like a native! :lol:)

Becky

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