Creating a patriotic teddy, a challenge

Challenged - Part 1

Union Jack flag

Typically, my first hiccup for this patriotic teddy bear challenge, was being unprepared.  I had no white vinegar to set the dye, so after a quick dash to the supermarket to buy some straight after lunch today, I donned a large craft apron and some rubber gloves before mixing the dye for my challenge bear.

I gathered together my research notes, white mohair and dye ingredients ...

And began by washing my white mohair so it would accept the dye readily.

The came the fun part!  The Jacquard Acid Dyes only require a small amount of powder to be mixed with water to achieve vibrant colour.

It's very easy to use these dyes.  I kept my fingers crossed that the dye wouldn't ruin my favourite stockpots, threw caution to the wind and dropped my lovely white mohair straight into the red and blue pots ... there was no time for shilly-shallying around with sample pieces first, my schedule was too tight!

Half an hour of hubble bubble later, my mohair pieces were ready for washing.  I don't think the blue is quite as dark as it should be (I bought 'brilliant blue' rather than 'navy' dye) but hey ho, it is a very nice blue and surely a bearmaker can be allowed a little artistic interpretation?!

Time to start work on my bear's white bits now ... I'll take pics as I work and share them with you when he's ready for submission.  Wish me luck with the deadline - I'm going to need it!

As I was about to tell you yesterday, before I started work on my challenge bear's white bits I discovered I didn't have any suitable blue paw fabric;  fortunately though, I did have a piece of white felt tucked away in a storage box, so before I could go any further with my project, I had to nip back down to the stove ....

And after a little more hubble bubble, my scrap of white felt soon became the perfect matching shade of blue!

My plan for this project was to tackle the advanced element of the Guild's 'A Teddy Bear World' challenge by creating a 1950's 'Chiltern Hugmee' style bear, in clown style.  After scouring the internet for information about the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company, I only managed to find a couple of photographs of their clown bears dating back to the 1930's, but that was enough to tell me Chiltern had once manufactured teddy bears in clown style!

Challenged - Part 2

1930's Chiltern clown/harlequin style bear

As my first childhood teddy was a 1950's Chiltern Hugmee and I have always had a fondness for this most English of bears, I decided to meet the Guild challenge criteria by attempting to create a 1950's Hugmee type bear in patriotic clown style ...

My mohair dye bath worked perfectly, giving me the vibrant red and blue colours of our national Union Jack flag.

And once sewn, I could begin to see my design taking shape!

As the Chiltern Toy Company used excelsior in their bears' heads, I decided I would give it a go too ... but it was such a messy job, I don't think it's something I'll be repeating in a hurry!

Chiltern Hugmee bears were stuffed with a natural fibre called kapok, so that's what I chose to use for my challenge bear.  Boy did that stuff tickle my nose ...  from now on, I will be forever grateful for my usual, non-tickly, polyester!

Something old, something new!

I have really enjoyed the opportunity this challenge has given me to step away from my usual style of work and do something completely different.

 So here he is, introducing 'Jack' ...

I do hope you think he might have made an acceptable addition to the 1950's Chiltern Hugmee range of teddy bears!

One for the pot

This poor little bear is still a 'work-in-progress', but I thought I'd share his before and after pics here with you before I give him a brush and maybe a rusty ol' bell, and send him on his way.  When I first started distressing bears to achieve a careworn look I was nervous about treating my bears quite so radically, but as you can see, I'm so over that now! 

Cute, but not nearly grungy enough for the scruffy, careworn look I want ...

Aha!  Did you notice my stockpot in the previous picture?  Time for this little bear to take a very quick dunk in my magic brew ... I know, wicked aren't I?! Lol!

To stain the parts my special brew can't reach, a thorough sponging!

Oh dear, one soggy little bear ...

A night spent in the airing cupboard to dry and here he is, a rather scruffy, grubby and  sorry looking fellow!  Perfect!

Before and after!

Careworn bears may not be to everyone's taste, but I think they have a special 'take me home please, I need to be loved' quality and they sure are fun to make!

Little pots of paint and an airbrush

I haven't done much in the way of airbrushing for a while, so I thought I'd haul out my mini compressor and have a play this afternoon. Airbrushing is a great way to add extra interest to a bear and once you're confident with your equipment, imagination is your only limitation ... or so I'm told!

I'm about to start work with some sage green and pale cream mohair and want some pretty paw pads to complement my mohair. Incidentally, the paw pads are cream UltraSuede, but wool felt would accept the paint just as well, if not better. I didn't have the exact shades of ink/acrylic paint I needed, which meant I had to mix what I did have available until I reached a satisfactory outcome.

Preparation (I've been painting eyes too!)

Suitable paints and inks

It's all in the mix ...

Using a pipette to transfer the mixed paint to my airbrush

First colour application

Second application and finished paw pads

There's no magic formula for airbrushing paw pads in this simple way, it really is just a case of 'point and shoot' until you achieve what you were hoping for. A steady hand helps too! If all goes according to plan, these particular paw pads should soon be featured on a new 18" bear ... watch this space!

As you can see, my airbrushing skills are very basic, so if you would like to see the work of a true master, please spare a moment to visit Judi Paul's blog at http://luxembears.com/Blog/ Judi's airbrush work is amazing!

Two more for the bookshelf

'Teddy Bear Century' by Brian and Donna Gibbs

A few weeks ago I tweaked open the All Bear purse to treat myself to two new bear books. The first, a beautifully presented hardback entitled 'Teddy Bear Century', was written by husband and wife team Brain and Donna Gibbs and first published in the United Kingdom in 2002. This book grabbed my attention because it tracks the development of the teddy bear during the past century. I really enjoyed the way each decade was used to signify the changes in bear design, explaining in straightforward terms, the process of social change and its effect on teddy's evolution. If you are purely interested in the history of the teddy bear, there are probably more detailed references available, but this particular book does provide plenty of food for thought for an experienced bear artist wishing to draw together history with practical design possibilities. It also offers some great bear-making opportunities for anyone simply wanting to make a teddy bear from one of the many patterns included.

'Teddy Bear Studio' by Ted Menten

My other purchase is an absolute cornucopia of teddy bear design delight! Never let it be said there is no more to learn! After many years of immersing myself in my own design work, I am, of course, still thrilled to be offered the opportunity to peek at other skilled artists' techniques. Ted Menten has achieved almost legendary status in terms of creating his own unique works and also as a teacher. I don't mind telling you his book 'Teddy Bear Studio', first published in the US in 2002, has kept me entranced since its arrival! Not only does he share advice and guidance generously, he also writes with an entertaining humour, educating in such a delightful way that before you know it, you have absorbed the fascinating detail of his technical design methods, without so much as a furrowed brow! This is definitely a book any designer of teddy bears should read.

Inserting glass eyes

It has been said the eyes are the windows of the soul and of course, this is true for bears too! A teddy bear's eyes help create his personality, so making the right choice of eye for a new design is vital. I like to keep a wide selection of good quality glass eyes in many different sizes and colours. There are many colours and styles available to choose from these days, ranging from plain black matt or gloss, through to realistic styles with veins and pupils! Aside from those offered by suppliers, it is also possible to purchase clear glass eyes and paint them for a personalised result, one of my favourite things to do!

As eyes are such fiddly little blighters and so that I can see what I need at a glance when I am working, I like to keep them organised like this ...

Inserting glass eyes can be fiddly, but the process isn't terribly difficult. As the end result will be responsible for bringing a bear to life, a simple but effective method should help to guarantee a professional finish.

This is my favourite method:

1. Holding the bear's head level (I like to balance my bear's head between my knees!) use two coloured head pins to mark each eye placement. I like to set mine just outside the head gusset seam, but this is a personal choice and will vary from maker to maker. Take your time to decide exactly where you would like your eyes to sit as this is an important factor in determining the bear's final expression.

Tip: I find it helps to have embroidered the nose before placing the eyes, to ensure the eyes are level.

2. Cut two long lengths of extra strong thread (carpet thread or bonded nylon will do very nicely). Each thread should be approximately twice your own arm's length. Using one of the threads, fold it in half and slip the eye onto the doubled thread. Tie the doubled thread tightly in the middle, so that the eye is caught securely in the knot. Repeat the process using the second thread, so that once both threads have been tied, the eye is secured in the middle and eight threads hang loose.

3. Using an awl, make a hole in the mohair backing where your first eye is to be positioned.

4. Using a sturdy doll maker's needle (in this case I am working on a 20" bear's head, so I am working with an unbendable 10" needle) thread two of the eye threads and insert the needle into the hole you have just made with your awl, exiting at the centre of the head, just above the head joint at the back of your bear's head. Repeat this process with two more threads, so that you have four threads hanging loose from the back of your head.

5. Using the same process, exit the remaining four eye threads on the opposite side of your bear's head, just behind his ear placement. (The ear will cover the finishing knots when it is sewn onto the head). Pull all eight stitches firmly until the eye post fits snuggly into the eye hole.

6. With your thumb to guide the eye into position, use a little pressure to create a 'socket' effect, whilst balancing the head between your knees and pulling on one set of threads from the base of the head. Then take one pair of threads from the base of the head in one hand, and the other pair in your other hand making sure you maintain a firm tension (this sounds tricky, but if you get comfortable it soon becomes an easy process! You may need to tilt the head forwards at this point to see what you are doing) and tie them tightly together, at least three times, to secure.Tip: try not to catch mohair in the knot, for a professional finish.

8. (At this point I usually repeat steps 2-7 with the second eye, ensuring that both eyes are secured at the base of the head. It is important to ensure you have pulled both eyes back into their sockets equally.) Taking both sets of threads from behind one ear, use tension to determine the final position of your eye. Note: This will raise the eye slightly from its previous position. When you are happy with the positioning, tie threads tightly as for base of head.

9. Repeat process for second eye.

10. Using a curved needle, weave all the remaining threads through the backing fabric several times, making sure you take the needle back into each exit point so that your stitches are invisible, then trim off all excess thread as close to the backing as possible.

11. Give your bear's head a good brush and using embroidery scissors, trim away any excess mohair from his eye area until you can see his beautiful new eyes gazing adoringly right back at you!

Inserting a traditional head gusset

The problems of wonky noses and uneven eyes can often be improved by going right back to basics and looking at how a bear's head is stitched together. This  basic tutorial is for a classic three piece head design, but I think would be relevant for most head patterns.

First a word about the head gusset pattern piece: it must be symmetrical. My method for achieving a symmetrical head gusset pattern piece is simply to draw my pattern onto folded paper and cut it out, paper still folded, before transferring it to card.

For the purpose of this tutorial, I am assuming you have already stitched your two side head pieces (furry sides together) from sewn nose tip to neck opening and neatly clipped the seam diagonally at the nose tip to remove fabric bulk.

Secondly, an important thing to consider before marking the head gusset pattern piece onto your chosen fabric, is the weave of the backing fabric. If you look closely at the fabric backing you will see how the backing threads are woven together horizontally and vertically. Take particular note of the weft (horizontal threads) when placing your head gusset prior to marking out. Try not to be too swayed by the way the pile lays on the face of the fabric ... pile direction can be changed with a little post-head making styling if necessary. So, I recommend placing the nose tip carefully across the horizontal threads, ensuring it is level with the threads; this will help greatly when it comes to sewing your perfect nose! (That subject is another tutorial!)

Finally, a little tip: cut your head gusset slightly longer than needed at the back head end - all will become clear in a moment!

Okay, let's get started:

As with my footpads (see 'Perfect paw pads' tutorial) I like to mark out my sewing seam at the nose end of the head gusset. I do this prior to cutting out the fabric. If you wanted to, to ensure even seams and therefore a perfect shaped head, you could mark out your seam allowance around the entire head gusset.

WORD OF ADVICE:  When marking your seam allowance on the reverse side of the fabric be careful with your choice of marker - I find a sharp lead pencil is best for this job because it won't bleed through the fabric into your bear's muzzle at a later date.

1. Fold the head gusset in half to find the centre of the nose area. Mark the centre with a dressmaker's pin, taking care to be exact, then take your side head pieces (chin seam already sewn) and pin straight through the very centre of the chin seam.

2. Following the line of your pre-drawn muzzle seam and using dressmakers' pins, secure the muzzle area in place by pinning vertically through the gusset into the relevant side head piece - take care to match your pins on opposite sides of the head gusset and around the muzzle area.

3. Because I prefer to leave most of my pins in whilst sewing the head gusset into place, at this point I pin the rest of the head gusset in place using small metal pins pinned horizontally (I think these are called household pins) - usually it's possible to sew past these little pins without damaging your machine needle.

TIP:  If you have cut your head gusset longer than necessary, when you have finished pinning the leftover fabric at the neck (back) end of your head should be even, not lopsided ... if it's lopsided I'm sorry but you'll need to un-pin and start again because your head gusset fabric won't be distributed evenly and this will cause your bear's head to be mishapen when stuffed. If your leftover fabric is even - great! Simply snip across to remove the excess fabric.

4.  Baste (oversew) around the muzzle area, removing dressmaker's pins as you go. Tip: You may find it helpful to secure the centre of the muzzle/chin together with a couple of firm stitches first - it may also help you to secure a small stitch at both of the muzzle indents, (the area before the shaping raise and curves to create the head/brow shaping) prior to basting around the rest of the muzzle.

5.  Starting at the back of the neck, sew your gusset into place - I prefer to machine stitch for a neat finish. Take care to sew along your pre-drawn muzzle seam line, moving the machine foot very slowly around the curves.

TIP:  I always machine stitch my seams twice for strength ... popping a seam when stuffing is no fun! Note: It's very important to ensure you achieve an equal seam allowance on both sides of the head if you want your head to be symmetrical when stuffed (this will help considerably when you come to positioning your bear's ears!)

6.  Now you are ready to remove the little pins and turn your completed head furry side out to begin begin stuffing! First though, check you have eased all the seams out fully ... particularly in the muzzle area (if necessary, use a chopstick or similar blunt tool inside the head to gently ease out the corners paying particular attention to the nose area)- it's best not to rely on the stuffing to push the seams out for you.

7.  Stuffing a bear's head can be tricky! For the purposes of this tutorial,  I am using a non-slip polyester filler.

STUFFING TECHNIQUE:  I prefer to start with the nose end and a smallish stuffing tool (I use the Barbara Willis doll makers' medium sized stuffing tool for this; please remember I'm a maker of big bears so I would say the tools I mention are especially suitable for bears over 10"... my BW stuffing tool comfortably stuffs a 20" bear head for example. The BW stuffing tool is strong and has a tiny head which really grabs the filler well to position it. I have found it much easier to use for head stuffing than my traditional bear stuffing tool ... but it does take a little more patience to fill a head! You will no doubt already have found suitable tools to accommodate the size of bear you are making, but if you'd like to try this BW stuffing tool for your very little bears, it is also available to purchase from www.joggles.com in a small size).

Taking small pieces of a firm, non-slippery polyester filler (something nice and 'crunchy' works well) and tugging at the filler to separate it so it doesn't 'ball', I ease it into the muzzle/nose area and when I have a few pieces in place, I give them a few firm prods with my stuffing tool to encourage them into place. Once the muzzle area is fairly well filled and reasonably firm, I add larger pieces of filler to the main head area ... I do this fairly symmetrically, so if I add filler to the left of the head, I will then add to the right side and so on ...

Once the filler is positioned moreorless around the wall of the head, I add filler to the centre of the head, pushing it into place with my fingers and then my stuffing stick until it feels firm but not like rock. During this process I am also continually encouraging more small pieces of stuffing into the muzzle area, checking my centre chin seam all the while I am working and 'moulding' the head from outside from time to time. I also run my hands over the seams on the outside of the bear's head frequently to make sure they are filled with filler and not lumpy. It's all a bit of an instinctive process, difficult to put into words, but if you think of yourself as a sculptor, rather than as a stuffer (!) and continually check your bear's head, holding it at eye level to ensure you are filling the cavity evenly and feeling your work from the outside, you should eventually achieve great shape.

TIP:  If your stuffing feels overly hard and lumpy, don't keep stuffing in the hope things will improve, they rarely do! Remove and begin again, your bear's head is probably the most important element of your bear ... take your time to create a beauty!

There is a school of bear crafting thought that says bear heads should be rock hard - I'm afraid I disagree with this as I think they are better firm, rather than rock like ... it's personal preference of course, but my reasoning is that I prefer to work with my fabric, rather than battle against it and whilst generally strong, mohair was not designed to be impenetrable! A good quality mohair will cope well with firm stuffing, but may split with force.  A firmly stuffed head allows scope for needlesculpting and will accept indented eyes, it will also provide a solid foundation for nose embroidery. A rock hard bear's head may prove an unnecessarily difficult challenge!

Once my bear's head is stuffed, I sit a hardboard disc and cotter pin joint in his neck cavity (I like to make my bears the traditional way with gathered neck and cotter pin joint) and run a couple of rows of running stitch around the base of the head to gather the base of the head together in preparation for assembling him later. There are several methods of closing your bear's head and as I say, this is just one of them. I then trim away a little of the fur from his nose area checking to ensure the chin seam is dead central, pin on his ears and use dressmaking pins to determine where I would like to place his eyes and nose embroidery.

Voila, he is now ready for muzzle trimming!

This is my bear below, with his head gusset sewn in, stuffing completed, dressmaking pins to denote eye placement (see 'tips' link below) for eye insertion tutorial), muzzle trimmed and nose/mouth sewn.  (There is also a nose embroidery tutorial included in the link below)

FINAL TIP OF THE DAY:  Try sewing your bear's nose before placing his eyes ... I think it makes it easier to tell if his eyes will be level.

Teddy Bear Research

 I am a child of the 1960's and like many children of my generation, received special teddy bear on my first birthday.  He was a magnificent 20" Chiltern Hugmee teddy bear and I am proud to say, I still have him.  As many of you will already know, this bear led me into my teddy bear making career, first by introducing me to other bears through books, then visits to museums, and eventually to shows and of course, artist bears.

With my first Chiltern Hugmee - 1964

I have always found the history of childhood and especially the teddy bear, intriguing and for that reason, have been drawn to creating my own bears in homage to the traditional teddy.  It is important to me to play my small part in helping him continue into the future in the way he was first conceived and to protect his rich heritage.

That said, I also believe there will always be room for artistic interpretation and I hope everyone interested in making 'teddy bears' for whatever reason, can take a little time to study the subject, as there is much to be learned from history - for one thing, it soon becomes clear very few new design ideas are actually ever completely 'new'!  Many innovative designs were first explored during the last century of teddy bear making and following teddy's manufacturing hey day, it shouldn't go unmentioned that the very first American teddy bear 'artists' in the early 1970's/80's, introduced creative flair and inspirational passion to the craft of teddy bear design which in my view, paved the way for the rest of us bear makers today.

'The Century of the Teddy Bear' by Constance King

If you would like to learn more about the history of teddy bears and their design, there are some fascinating books to read.  'The Century of the Teddy Bear' written by Constance King, offers a particularly insightful and wonderfully detailed, historical understanding.

Great teddy bear reads by Leyla Maniera, Pam Hebbs, Michelle Brown & Sue Pearson

The books above were written by some of my favourite, most knowledgable teddy bear authors and feature a wealth of teddy bear facts and fabulous photographs, throughout the decades.

'The Ultimate Teddy Bear Book' by Pauline Cockrill

Pauline Cockrill's 'The Ultimate Teddy Bear Book' was the first reference book I ever read on the subject of teddy bears and the picture of 'Leon' above, was directly responsible for leading me into the wonderful world of teddy bears.  I was flicking through this book in a shop one afternoon and noticed the bear in the picture was closely related to my own Chiltern Hugmee bear ... the rest as they say, is history.  Pauline also wrote 'The Teddy Bear Encyclopedia', another terrific book worthy of your bookshelf!

Dee Hockenberry and Steiff

'Bing Bears and Toys' by leading expert Ken Yenke

Of course, no self respecting teddy bear bookshelf should be without at least one tribute to the all-important Steiff company.  Also, for me, Dee Hockenberry's beautiful photographic books featuring both antique and artist bears, together with Ken Yenke's study of Bing bears and toys, are a 'must have' indulgence as the bears featured in their pages are stunning!

'Teddy Bears' by Kathy Martin

Finally, a mention for a very special book written by the talented Kathy Martin.  This is a book of which I am immensely proud as Kathy has generously included my work.  'A Collectible History of the Teddy Bear' pays tribute to both contemporary teddy bear makers, antique bears and character bears.  It's a really interesting read, particularly if you are keen to learn more about more notable teddy bear artists from more recent times.

There are many other great reference books (a collection of which also reside on my workroom bookshelf!) but these are a few of my firm favourites and I hope by sharing them with you, they trigger a yen to delve deeper into the wonderful history of our long loved teddy bear.