Teddy Bear Artist

For the bear beginner or casual bear crafter. The following will help you with step by step details to support you as you begin to get to grips with a new bear making hobby!

 

 

Teddy Bear Fabrics

 

FAUX FUR

This covers all synthetic types of fur fabrics.

 

MOHAIR

Mohair derives from the Angora goat. The goat is sheared, and the mohair is processed and woven on looms. The backing is usually cotton.

 

ALPACA

Alpaca is made from the fleece of a member of the Llama family. It is different in appearance from mohair its pile is much more dense and springy; it also has a woven backing.

 

VELVET

This is a very luxurious short pile fabric. However it does fray badly, so will need edging with fray check.

 

TAPESTRY

Tapestry can be used in bear making, to a wonderful effect. There are so many different types to choose from. Care should be taken when cutting and pattern matching.

 

COURDROY

A good strong fabric bears can be solely made from this fabric or it can be used for paw pads.

 

DENIM

A good strong fabric bears can be solely made from this fabric or it can be used for paw pads.

 

HESSIAN

A good fabric for making primitive vintage style bears using your imagination. It can be difficult to work with. It frays but a good fray check on raw edges prior to stitching will cure this problem

 

CANVAS

A good fabric for making bears in many styles. Remember this can be hand painted so just let your imagination crate a masterpiece. It can be difficult to work with. It frays but a good fray check on raw edges prior to stitching will cure this problem

 

FELT

Felt a good fabric for making paw pads. However it can also be used to make bears miniature bears can be made very successfully using pre felted fabric.

 

SUEDETTE

This is a manmade fabric which has the appearance of leather or suede; it has a woven backing and is excellent for making paw pads. Miniature bears can also be made solely form this fabric.

 

ULTRA SUEDE

This is a manmade fabric which has the appearance of luxury chamois leather it is a superior fabric to make paw pads from. It comes in different grade (thicknesses).

 

 

LEATHER

This is excellent for paw pads, if you use clothing leather.

 

SUEDE

This is excellent for paw pads if you use clothing suede.

 

NATURAL WOOL ROVING

This is loose wool fibre, it is used along with felting needles, to hand needle felt.  It comes in many different types and colours. The bears made from this method can be exquisite.

 

 

TOOLS needed to make bears

 

 

• SELECTION OF NEEDLES 3” 6", 8", & 12"
• JOINTS plastic, lock nut, cotter pins, hardboard discs
• GOOD QUALITY SEWING THREADS upholstery thread (for closing)
• SHARP SCISSORS - shears and small embroidery size
• NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS
• PERLE COTTONS to embroider noses
• GLASS EYES have an assortment so that the "best size" for your bear can be chosen
• AWL for making joint holes
• MARKER to mark pattern on fabric
• TEASEL BRUSH for taking fur out of seams
• LONG PINS
• BEAR FABRICS
• FRAY CHECK stops seams from fraying
• STUFFING TOOL
• BEAR FILLINGS Polyester Fiberfil, plastic pellets, steel shot, excelsior. Kapok.

 

LAYOUT AND CUTTING

 

 

1)       Make a pattern from stiff card so you can use it again and again and will find it easy to trace around. Transfer all the markings onto you bear fabric. Straight of grain arrows are important.  You may choose to make a template for every piece you are going to cut (i.e. side heads, two inner and outer legs, etc. etc.) This way you don’t miss cutting out all the pieces.

2)       Look for the correct direction of the pile of the fabric by stroking it.  Lay fabric fur side down on a clean work surface with the nap running down.

3)       Arrange cardboard pattern pieces on the fur backing.  Check that the pieces are aligned with the nap according to the directional arrows.   

4)       Using china marker pen, or permanent laundry pen, transfer your pattern pieces to your fabric.  Be really cautious about ball point ink and felt tip marker.  The colour may bleed through to the right side of the fabric.

5)       Before you cut your fabric please do a final check.  Are there enough pieces?  2 bodies, 4 ears, 2 or 4 arms, 2 or 4 legs,2 side head,1 gusset.

6)       Treat yourself to a pair of small bladed, sharp scissors. 

7)       Cut out by only gripping the backing with your scissors, by taking small snips just inside the traced line.  Make sure you are not cutting the fabric pile on the right side.

8)       Once your pieces are cut, then gather them carefully and give them a good shake outside to loosen the fur fibres.  Nice if there's a wind blowing!

9)       Place the pieces carefully away until you are ready to pin.

 

TIPS

 

"Grain" is just as important as the nap.  A piece which has been cut off grain can twist when sewn and stuffed.  Lay out the pattern pieces so that the grain line arrow is parallel to the grain of the fabric.

Place the pattern pieces close together to save on fabric. Many little bruins can be made from small leftover pieces of fabric.

To create a bear with a different look, consider placing pattern pieces against the grain.

Hold pen vertical as you trace to get a best proportional bear.

If you have not made a template for each piece then reverse pattern pieces as needed.

Mark joint and eye placement.

 

PREPARING AND STITCHING

 

 

1)       Leave a wide enough opening on the body parts that will be easy for the turning and jointing.  Hand closing with the ladder stitch is a breeze!

2)       Reduce the bulk when sewing ears.

3)       Add 1/4" to the openings on the body parts for loosely woven fabrics tending to fray.

4)       If you plan to shave the muzzle, then consider removing the fur before stitching.  This step will eliminate the "row of fur" or "rooster tailing" that can happen along a seam line.

5)       Use a 90/14 needle on your machine and a stitch size that is slightly smaller than normal.  Double stitch along pressure points especially along nose, eye corners, bends of legs and arms.

6)       Double stitch every piece of every bear if using mohair.  First one side, then turn over and stitch again.  Even with careful pining there are slight imperfections you can correct the second go around. Double check paws and pads for smooth curves and that the sizes are matching.  Consider drawing a stitching line before you pin to guide these critical stitches.

7)       Always, ALWAYS use a matching, closely coordinated machine sewing thread that is good quality.  Avoid disappointment with threads breaking at the stuffing step.  Use a balanced stitch and back stitch at the beginning and end of every seam.

8)       Sewing the gusset. Traditional method:  Sew the seam from neck to nose, then set in gusset piece and stitch one half first then the other. Leave neck open.

9)       Sewing the foot pads. Use lots of pins to put foot pad in place as shown below.  Stitch in place from the pad side being sure to get a nice rounded curve.  OR stitch from the leg side - the assembly will "set up" because of the pins and allow you to get a nice smooth rounded curvy seam.

10)   After stitching, and before turning, reinforce the jointing holes, with blanket stitch, or facing on the wrong side.

11)   Once pieces are turned right side out, you may wish to snip the fur around the holes very slightly so you can quickly locate joint holes.

12)   TIME TO TURN…  A good stuffing stick is great at helping turn the pieces right side out.

 

STUFFING MATERIALS

 

 

1)       Stuffing sticks are available, although the handle of a wooden spoon or chopstick is equal to the task.

2)       Wood wool (excelsior) has been used for years.  This thing finely shredded wood looks like straw.  These days, wood wool is available from specialist suppliers.  An important use is for stuffing the nose which makes embroidering much easier.

3)       Polyester is the most common filling available and is extremely easy to use.  There are many different grades and qualities.  A top quality high loft product will fill the  bear to a firm stage and not form lumps.  Be choosy because no one wants a lumpy bear!

4)       Kapok is a material that is very silky to touch, but as it is handled, the fine fibres float around, so wear a dust mask.  Kapok is best used for small and miniature bears since it gives a 'weighty' feel as it is packed in.

5)       Pellets are available in plain and scented varieties.  These 'food grade' pellets (means they pass harmlessly through if swallowed) create soft stuff squishy tummies or add weight to bear bottoms and limbs.

6)       Glass beads are easy to use.  Beads add weight without a "bean bag" feel to your bear.  Glass beads are recommended over steel shot due to health reasons.

7)       Barley, rice and lentils may seem like good fillers - Careful!!  Insects such as beetles and moths may not only be attracted to the mohair but also the free lunch inside....

8)       Polystyrene (foam) beads used in bean bag chairs are not suitable for stuffing bears.

 

 

FITTING THE JOINTS

    

The jointing system you choose depends on your own personal choice.

 

SAFETY JOINTS (for children’s toys) plastic joints are light and easy to install.  Since they are washable, they are excellent for teddy bears made for small children.  You can't make fine adjustments on joints with a flange system.

 

NUT AND BOLT LOCKING JOINTS These joints are easy to install and cannot be removed.

 

COTTERPIN JOINTS The disks are connected by the cotter pin, whose ends are bent like a snap or a crown with needle nose pliers, to secure them.  It takes some practice to learn to do this.  You can flatten the loop of the cotter pin to a T or thread a small washer to the loop to keep from pulling it through the washer.

 

THREAD JOINTING using strong upholstery thread.

 

WHAT SIZE TO USE?  Well that just depends!  Of course you will be limited somewhat by the dimensions of the upper portion of your bear limbs.  Otherwise you can really decide yourself.  Most patterns make suggestions, but as long as the disk fits inside the space in the top of the limbs you can be creative. For almost all of the jointing systems in order to get the stuffed head jointed to the body you are advised to glue the assembly which will end up inside the head... then of course its tough to tighten down and you get a nodding bear even if you didn't plan on it.  We recommend the head bolt joints which come in three sizes (small, medium & large).

 

MINIATURE BEAR JOINTING When a bear is too small for solid joints you can string joint. The limbs will still move but should not be twirled the entire way around.  Use dental floss or really strong upholstery thread. You just take a stitch through the inside of one limb, thread needle through the body - out the other side - through the inside of the other limbs - back through the body and out.  Tie threads securely and bury the threads.

 

 

STUFFING AND JOINTING THE HEAD

 

 

1)       Decide if you intend to fit plastic safety eyes or the glass/shoe button type.  Plastic eyes must be put in place before shaping the head.

2)       Place small amounts of polyester filling into the nose area, placing them as firmly as possible.  Continue to add filling little by little into the middle of the head first and then placing bits around.  Do not use large handfuls since this will create unevenness and empty pockets which will cause your bear to droop later on.

3)       As the head fills, use your stuffing stick and firm the filling down evenly and frequently as you work.  At first the filling will be bouncy but as the head fills it will become more firm and allow you to shape the head.

4)       Stuff the nose area very firmly.  It will be very difficult to embroider on a soft crunchy nose.

5)       When you believe the head is filled, be sure to stuff the stock repeatedly into the under chin area and into the nose tip.  Really be sure the nose is firm.

6)       Fill the head approximately 1/2" (12mm) of the neck edge.

7)       Complete final inspection to sure that there are no lumps or hollows.  Fix the problem areas now BEFORE you close the neck edge.

1)       Once you are satisfied then insert the head joint.

2)       Invert the head joint and lay the joint on the stuffing.

3)       Hold the head still upside down and with joint in place.  Stitch a running stitch around the neck opening using extra long thread.

4)       Pull the stitches tightly around the joint pin to gather the material around the joint pin.  Stitch from side to side through the gathered fabric.  Be sure there are no gaps which would allow joint to slide down.

5)       The most important part of this work is to be sure that the joint cannot slide out.

6)       Arms and legs are jointed in a similar fashion... and you decide whether to fill the limps with stuffing before or after completing the jointing to the body.

 

 

 

STUFFING THE REST OF THE BEAR

 

 

1)       Use small wads of stuffing (no bigger than the size of a cotton ball).  Start at the neck and use a stuffing tool to get the filler in and around the joints. 

2)       Even a soft stuffed bear needs to be firmly stuffed at the neck to avoid a floppy head.

3)       Stuff around the shoulders and arms and then begin at the lower part of the body.

4)       If you are thinking of a growler or music box, place it now

5)       Stuff the bear so that the final seam can be squeezed relatively easily with your fingers while you stitch.

 

TIPS

Make a cotton sack for the growler to protect it from bits of fibrefill getting inside the mechanism.

If you want the bear to growl if tipped forwards, then place the growler in the middle of the body cavity in a horizontal position with the holes facing backwards toward the centre back seam.

Pack stuffing around the growler so it won't fall out and also around the top so it cannot be felt when the seam is closed.

CLOSING ALL THE OPEN SEAMS

 

 

1)       Close seams invisibly with a ladder stitch.

2)       Thread a needle with a strong thread and knot the end.

3)       Place the needle at the top of the seam to be closed and anchor the knot.

4)       As illustrated below take the thread horizontally across the opening and make a small stitch on the opposite side.

5)       Repeat on the other side and all the way down the length of the limb or the body seam.

6)       Pull the stitches to close the seam.

 

 

 

 

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Finishing your Teddy Bear

 

Careful finishing of you new bear is so important.

The finishing is what will finally determine the difference between

A good or bad bear…

 

 

CLOSING ALL THE OPEN SEAMS

 

1)       Close seams invisibly with a ladder stitch.

2)       Thread a needle with a strong thread and knot the end.

3)       Place the needle at the top of the seam to be closed and anchor the knot.

4)       As illustrated below take the thread horizontally across the opening and make a small stitch on the opposite side.

5)       Repeat on the other side and all the way down the length of the limb or the body seam.

6)       Pull the stitches to close the seam.

 

 

THE EARS

 

1)       Ears and eye placement will determine the personality or character of your bear.  Remember equal spacing proportions - after that there are no hard and fast rules regarding placement.

2)       Pin ears in place first.  Curve forwards to give the natural look.  Keep moving the ears around until you are satisfied with "the look" then sew them in place.

3)       Anchor the thread behind the ear.  Use the ladder stitch working top to bottom on the back of the ear and then up the front.

4)       Preserver the curve of the ear as you stitch.

 

 

TRIMMING THE FACE

 

1)     Small sharp scissors are the best.

2)     Work SLOWLY.  Cut bit by bit to get the idea of how much you'd like to trim.

3)     Leave 1/8 - 1/4" (3-6 mm) of fur covering if you are using a knit back pile.

4)     Woven back fabrics can be trimmed as much as you like since the backing is solid.

5)     Consider a five o'clock shadow or stubble effect.

 

 

 

SETTING THE EYES

 

1)       If you purchase your eyes "on a wire" - twist them while they are joined.  Form a loop and then twist 3 or 4 times.  Do other eye and then separate with wire cutters.

 

2)       Positioning eyes takes time.  One easy way to use eyes on a wire with no loop.  Simply cut the wire to a convenient pin length.  Lightly press the eyes into position and keep on repositioning until you achieve the look and expression you want.

3)  Mark dots with small pen exactly where you want to,position the eyes.     

4)       Cut a length of doubled dental floss or nylon upholstery thread that will be long enough to pass through the head and leave room to tie off.

5)       Loop the thread through the loop on the eye and tie the eye at approximately the middle of the thread.  Double knot them to make them more secure.

6)       Thread one of the double ends onto an extra strong long needle (I use doll sculpting needles).  Push the needle through the head until it comes out at the base of the head just above the neck disk on the opposite side,  until it comes out at the middle point behind the opposite ear.

7)       Take the needle off the thread and pass the other doubled tail of thread until it comes out at about 1/4" from where the other thread had been pulled through.

8)       Pull the threads tightly and knot them securely.  The pressure will pull the eye into the head and create a natural eye socket.  Bury the thread inside the head.

9)       Repeat for the other eye.

10)   Glass eyes can and do break.  Consider using safety lock eyes but remember these must be installed before you stuff the head!

11)   If you want your eyes to be vintage style – rub with a little sand paper to dull them.

 

 

DRESSING YOUR FINISHED BEAR

 

Your finished bear is now ready for you to dress.

 

Colour co-ordination is the key to success here.

 

The traditional dress for a teddy bear is a big shiny bow.

 

But if you let your imagination let fly, your teddy could wear any outfit from a jumper to a full dress suit.

 

The choice is now yours.

 

AND FINALLY CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE JUST COMPLETED YOUR FIRST HAND MADE TEDDY BEAR....