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Coraleen DallyMay Teddies
Secunda, South Africa
Posts: 122

I don't know if anyone else does this but I have now started to tack my bear pieces after pinning them.  I just got so fed up with sticking holes in my fingers and bleeding on my bears and have found that tacking works for me.  It doesn't take much longer to do and helps to keep my bears blood free  bear_rolleyes
Hugs from Coraleen

DENBY30 DENBY BEARS
EDISON, NEW JERSEY
Posts: 1,586

bear_wub I believe Coraleen means basting, long stiches to hold the bear together until you sew it and then pull out the thread.  It probably is easier than sticking your fingers with the pins all the time, I know how she feels.
Hugs Pat bear_flower

wubbiebear Braille Teddies
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Posts: 671

For me, I just hold the bear together and try to keep it fromcrawling the best I can.  I do stab myself a lot, though, and then my husband gets to hear all my original expressions that I use instead of cussing.

lovenshire Love and Cuddle Nursery
Missouri
Posts: 945
Website

I use about 30 pins in each piece to keep all that fur tucked in.  Some pieces I then baste and I still get stuck frequently but it works great!

Michelle Helen Chaska, Minnesota
Posts: 2,897

I tack in key places such as the nose, middle of the head and end of the head the meets the end of the gusset. Ankle curves are another place I tack. Oh, I use hydrogen peroxide to get blood off the fur when I stick myself. It should be a part of every bear makers tool kit.

Coraleen DallyMay Teddies
Secunda, South Africa
Posts: 122

Hydrogen peroxide, hey?  I must put that on my shopping list!  bear_laugh
Hugs
Coraleen

Snookums Posts: 285
Michelle Helen wrote:

I tack in key places such as the nose, middle of the head and end of the head the meets the end of the gusset. Ankle curves are another place I tack. Oh, I use hydrogen peroxide to get blood off the fur when I stick myself. It should be a part of every bear makers tool kit.

Duly noted!!

boohbears Booh Bears
Glendale, Arizona
Posts: 1,833
Website

I never pin!  I always baste by using tiny blanket stitches around each piece prior to sewing, so it's more secure than simply basting using a running stitch and it takes quite a while to blanket stitch each piece but I must say I've never gotten injured with a pin!
Hugs,
Janice

Sammybeardog Hobart Bears
Ferndale, Michigan
Posts: 67

I use small alligator clips, I trim out the seam allowance, match the pieces up and clip the pieces together.  I use between 4 and 6 clips, I move them along as I go.  Works wonderful for me and I have been using them for over 15 years.  Not to say that when I am sewing I haven't gotten myself poked here and there.  My daughter calls it "sacrificing to the bear goddess".   bear_original

Karon Posts: 751

I don't pin my bears at all - I just "oversew" them then either handsew or machine sew.

Karon

Fairybear Wagga Wagga
Posts: 346

I do both, first I pin and then I oversew to hold it together as I have found mine don't sew straight on the machine if I don't oversew.

crafty chris Cootamundra
Posts: 5
boohbears wrote:

I never pin!  I always baste by using tiny blanket stitches around each piece prior to sewing, so it's more secure than simply basting using a running stitch and it takes quite a while to blanket stitch each piece but I must say I've never gotten injured with a pin!
Hugs,
Janice

I do the same. I blanket stitch before sewing together. If I dont do this I find my pieces are out of shape.

jenny Three O'clock Bears
warwickshire uk
Posts: 4,413
Website

I pin..then machine...never stick myself..I do that when I hand sew! OUCH!

boohbears Booh Bears
Glendale, Arizona
Posts: 1,833
Website

I'm laughing, Jenny, because I do pick myself when I hand sew (even when I do the blanket stitch prior to machine sewing)...BUT, never got a pin stick!!!
Hugs,
Janice

tcfolk TC Folk Originals
Tempe, AZ
Posts: 1,553

I like to do a whip stitch all around those tricky curves like the muzzle and paw pads before I sew!   And I agree, no matter what, I always stick myself!

huwibears HUWIBEARS
Posts: 117
Website

I always handstitch my pieces together before sewing them with the sewing maschine ..I believe all turns out much neater and more perfect  bear_original

lovenshire Love and Cuddle Nursery
Missouri
Posts: 945
Website

Depends on the size of the bear but I always pin before stitching...hand or machine.  And, I get stuck a lot!

talesia Posts: 54
Coraleen wrote:

I don't know if anyone else does this but I have now started to tack my bear pieces after pinning them.  I just got so fed up with sticking holes in my fingers and bleeding on my bears and have found that tacking works for me.  It doesn't take much longer to do and helps to keep my bears blood free  bear_rolleyes
Hugs from Coraleen

Hi Coraleen,
I find video about pinning and stitching just look on my blog:
http://taleobears.blogspot.com/2011/07/ … orial.html
Good luck

wubbiebear Braille Teddies
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Posts: 671

I don't think I've ever gotten stuck with pins, but I hate them because I usually drop them and that's not fun when you don't have sight and there are pins in the floor.  Ouch!!!  Of course I hand sew my bears and I have to feel where the seam allowance goes.  My thumb looks like I've been using it to play guitar, there's a great big callus where I've gotten too close to the needle.

BeauT Bears BeauT Bears
Rotterdam
Posts: 190
wubbiebear wrote:

I don't think I've ever gotten stuck with pins, but I hate them because I usually drop them and that's not fun when you don't have sight and there are pins in the floor.  Ouch!!!  Of course I hand sew my bears and I have to feel where the seam allowance goes.  My thumb looks like I've been using it to play guitar, there's a great big callus where I've gotten too close to the needle.

Hi Wubbie, a Grabbit magnetic pin cushion might be the solution for the gravity problem with your pins. Cheapest seller online I could find is this one :  http://www.save-on-crafts.com/grabmagpincu.html
I hope this helps!

wubbiebear Braille Teddies
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Posts: 671

It's not that.  When I have pins in my bear I wind up dropping them as I sew from where they just fall out.

Boogaloo Bears Boogaloo Bears
united kingdom
Posts: 1,096

Hi

I always whip stitch the whole bear and then start to sew each piece.

It takes a lot longer, but does secure the pieces nicely and makes for a more symetrical bear as the pieces don't move at all!  I didn't get on with just pinning, I am too clumsy and ended up with more pins in me than the poor bears!  bear_grin

Hugs

Lisa x

Coraleen DallyMay Teddies
Secunda, South Africa
Posts: 122

I agree with you about the pins stuck in you, Lisa  bear_shocked  I think the whipstitch is a very good way to go about it and have begun using it instead of tacking (basting), especially around the difficult bits like the nose and pawpads.  Thanks for the tip. xxx Coraleen  bear_grin

Gabriele~GJOYfulBears GJOYful Bears
Posts: 511

I pin and whipstitch too ~ it takes longer but saves your fingers and your bears from looking like vampires lol. The only time I don't whip-stitch is for my minis as the stitches show to easily.

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