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Boz's Bears Dec 29, 2014

Hi All,

Really pleased to have found this site - I'm a relatively new bearmaker - I've been making them for about a year now, but I don't make many as I can't afford the materials very often!  I started out from kits, and have now progressed to designing my own patterns & creating my own unique bears.  One thing that has always stumped me however is how to make the pattern for the right kind of head shape.  So far I've had success with creating varying head sizes & muzzle lengths, but my bears always come out with a sort of flat head - for a case in point see the fella in my profile pic, and the attached WIP pic of the bear I'm currently making for my new Niece (apologies for the creepy hanging eye pic - only one I've got of him/her so far!).  I've experimented with varying widths of head gusset, (the wider it gets in the middle, the flatter the head!), and varying sizes of profile piece, but so far I've not been able to find a way of getting a really satisfyingly domed head. 

For an example of the kind of head I'm thinking about look at the bears made by Jenny of Three O'clock bears, or Cheryl Hutchinson's bears from Bingle bears.

I have ideas for some lovely bubble headed bears in my head, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to translate them into patterns!

At the moment my bears all have three part pattern heads (gusset & two side pieces) - should I be keeping the gusset wider at the base, or be adding darts in around the ear section to add more roundness?  I would be interested to see what more experienced bearmakers do to achieve the desired shape...

dangerbears Dec 29, 2014

You could try a narrower head gusset, and I'm a big fan of darts to get a rounder head: http://teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=46383

Becky

koonienett Dec 30, 2014

I agree with Becky.
But if the head is already sewn and you want it smaller at the top (that it looks rounder), you can sculpt it, before you add the ears. You repeat some stitches from one side to the other (near the point, where do you want to place the top edge of the ear)
You can mark the stitchpoints with needles. Before sewing you try with your fingers, where do you want to stitch.
I hope this Explanation ist understandable. Maybe I find a Picture, then I come back later.

1 user likes this: dangerbears

Boz's Bears Dec 30, 2014

Fantastic - thanks for the advice!  Sewing the darts in once the head is fully sewn makes complete sense (I was thinking I would need to add darts to my pattern!) - I will be trying this on one of my next creations!

1 user likes this: dangerbears

gugu"s teddies Dec 31, 2014

Hello Koonienett I also have had this problem and your advise sounds good  looking forward to seeing a diagram
Thanks Paula

Francesca Dec 31, 2014

Another possibility, if you like to try new designs, is a four pieces head pattern. Imagine the head shape you want and think of drawing an imaginary line from the nose splitting the top muzzle into two parts and going all the way up the head and to the back neck. Another line goes from the head base in the middle of the head side, up the head top and crosses the other line at the center of the head top, then it goes down symmetrically on the other side. A third line from the nose down to the lower muzzle to the head base. This is how you would split the four parts. You design them to fit together accordingly and you can give the head a rounded shape depending on how you draw the curves on the four pieces.
I don't know if it makes sense, it is very difficult to explain it with words and no visual. I hope it helps.

Boz's Bears Dec 31, 2014

Thanks Francesca - I was wondering about 4 part head patterns - something like has been used on this little guy here I presume?
http://teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=44171

koonienett Jan 1, 2015

Hi Paula,
i didn't found a Picture, so I made some Fotos.

please klick on the Pictures to enlarge

You repeat some stitches from one side to the other (near the point, where do you want to place the top edge of the ear)
You can mark the stitchpoints with needles. Before sewing you try with your fingers, where do you want to stitch.

when you are ready, there must be a hollow - there you can put in the ear

1 user likes this: Boz's Bears

Francesca Jan 2, 2015

Thanks Francesca - I was wondering about 4 part head patterns - something like has been used on this little guy here I presume?
http://teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=44171

Yes, that looks definitely like a four pieces pattern! The visual surely helps understanding! :-)

gugu"s teddies Jan 12, 2015

Hello Koonienett Thankyou for your reply sadley i cannot pull of the photographs I will follow the above info and give it a try  HUGS

jenny Jan 12, 2015

Darts play an important part...but so does stuffing. Looking at your bear i would say try to shape the head as you stuff. If you stuff on a table you will get a flatter head.

Boz's Bears Jan 15, 2015

Thanks Jenny!  I am definitely going to have to try with the darts.  I actually learned the stuffing method that I used on this one from you - I was at a beginners bearmaking class you taught at Silly Bears in Aberdeen a couple of years back! I used my thumbs on the inside and pushed round to the outside as if I was making a clay pot, but it is possible I put too much attention into getting it all packed in at the top, and didn't push enough out into the bottom half of the head (is that what you mean?). She has a head like a rock now though - I don't know if I could get more in there if I tried! I could maybe have stuffed the top less, but I worry about saggy bits if the stuffing settles? No tables used in this one though - I stuff on my lap with the bear's head upright and facing me so I can see the shape as it forms.

jenny Jan 18, 2015

I'd say that the gusset on your bear is a bit wide too. I graduate mine more from the nose so it's a gradual curve. Some patterns seem to have a long nose which then widens abruptly to form the forehead. That's why you get the wide flat look. I would try doing a narrower gusset and add some darts. With a narrower gusset you might not need darts.

Boz's Bears Jan 19, 2015

Fabulous! Thanks for all your comments everyone! So glad I found this forum - I've already got buckets of ideas for my next one now!