A bearmaker's key to longevity

So my question for discussion is: do you think it is important that a bear crafter's design work covers a broad spectrum of styles and techniques?  Or, is it possible to stay within your comfort zone and still achieve longevity in the bear industry?

To answer my own question honestly, I'd have to say, the longer I am around, the more I am drawn towards 'a gentle evolutionary curve', rather than a desire to set the bear world alight with innovation.

When I started out as a bear maker I was driven to try new techniques in an effort to 'make my mark', but as a collector what attracted me most about teddy bears, was and still is, a beautiful face and a more classic style.

Several years ago I was swamped with orders for open mouthed, laughing bears in whacky animal print faux furs and for a while my more traditional bears were overshadowed by demand for their more showy contemporaries, despite that flamboyant time my traditional bears have never really completely fallen by the wayside, whatever the current 'fashion' trends happen to be.  

Interestingly, after a flirtatious diversion towards the vintage/careworn style in 2010, I received a plaintive email from a long term collector worried I would no longer be making any bears in my 'usual' style' ...  which made me question whether collectors prefer and expect a certain style from their favourite artists, or whether they are eager to be drawn along the evolutionary path of teddy bear design ...

For a bearmaker to take the path towards becoming a recognised 'teddy bear artist', I think it's very important to achieve an identity in your work. That identity needn't be lost if you change direction; as long as the new direction isn't too radical a recognised signature will always weave through the design.  It is of course important to keep work fresh and interesting, but my instinct says there should be a balance if you want collectors to stay loyal to your work. Having said that, another point to consider is that if you do introduce a new dimension to your work, by doing so you may draw a whole new audience. I have certainly discovered that over the years!

Ultimately, it might be worth bearing in mind, that as a teddy bear collector rather than maker, some of the bear artists I admire most have not altered their style dramatically throughout the 25 years I have been enjoying their work ... which says to me, they must be getting something right!

A good nose can't be rushed

One thing that always marks out a good bear for me, is a beautifully embroidered nose.  I think the nose can make or break an artist bear.  It is so important for less experienced bear makers to take a critical look at their nose stitching, identify weak areas and try to work out what isn't quite right and how to improve.

 There are many elements to take into account to achieve a professional looking nose, starting with the symmetry of head gusset design and how it is stitched in.  If the gusset is even slightly adrift and not entirely central with the chin seam, nose embroidery will not be perfectly level.

Once gusset design and stitching is perfectly symmetrical, the next problem area is often stuffing the head and particularly the muzzle ... lumpy or soft stuffing will not provide a firm base upon which to embroider neatly. Also, no matter if the gusset IS perfectly symmetrical, if it has been cut at a slight angle to the weft of the backing fabric, that will also make it very tricky to stitch a perfectly level and symmetrical nose.

Thread choice is also important ... too thick may look clumsy, too thin may be hard to tension accurately to achieve a smooth finish.

Personally, I prefer to see the chin seam running down centrally from the nose ... I don't like to see it slightly to one side or another because it makes a nose look lopsided and also throws the mouth stitching askew.  Even a millimetre or two can make a difference.

There are of course exceptions, vintage style bears for example, can usually be forgiven less than perfect noses, but the overall rule of thumb is, an imperfect nose has to be a considered element of the bear's design, vintage designs need to be thoroughly planned ... a shoddy nose on an otherwise modern-ish bear does not make it 'vintage' in style!

Also, if treating the embroidered nose with wax, gloss or similar coatings, take note - they should be applied precisely with no messy areas ... the same applies to shading, don't overdo it and if necessary, you could always check your work under a magnifying glass.

Tension is hugely important.  Good noses can't be rushed!  Each stitch needs to lay flat, no wiggly ones and unless a deliberate element of the considered design, there should be no gaps in the stitches.  Also, I hate to see those tricky side stitches slipping away from the nose - that can happen if there are too many layers of embroidery, or the nose is too wide - not a good look for any self respecting artist bear.

To summarise, if your noses don't yet stand up to close scrutiny, best to keep practising.

Perfect Paws

1. Draw out your footpad on the reverse side of your fabric and inside the cutting line, draw a sewing line. This can be done by reducing your foot pad pattern to incorporate your sewing seam, or if you are careful, you should be able to wing it like I do, by carefully using your existing footpad as a template - shifting it to accomodate the seam allowance (I like to use about 1/4" seam allowance for a nice secure footpad.)

2. Cut out your foot pad and fold in half. Using dressmakers' glass head pins (large size) mark the centre of the toe and heel from reverse through to front side of fabric as shown.

3. Pin the toe of the footpad horizontally through the seam of the foot piece - toe end. Then pin the heel of the footpad horizontally through the seam of the foot piece - heel end. Make sure your pins are inserted through the seam allowance area and NOT through the main footpad area.

4. Using the dressmakers pins vertically, pin evenly around the footpad, into the seam allowance, gently easing the edge of footpad into place so that it is level with the mohair foot edge .

5. Oversew footpad in place by hand, removing pins as you sew. Take care to stitch seam of foot at toe and heel, securely and centrally to footpad.

6. At this point your footpad should be securely and evenly hand sewn in place, like this.

7. Transfer your work to your sewing machine. Making sure your tension and stitch length are perfect for sewing invisible stitches (ie they don't show when leg is turned rightside out) sew carefully around pre-marked stitch line taking particular care around the corners.

8. Remove footpad from sewing machine and by hand, tack a piece of quilting wadding/batting (for my big 'uns I prefer to use 8oz wadding/batting) so that it covers the footpad. Take care to stitch into the seam allowance so tacking stitches are not seen when leg is turned right way out. Trim away any excess wadding to ensure a perfect fit, before turning leg the right way out for stuffing.

9. Finally, turn leg piece right way out and stuff foot evenly. If you've done a good job, your footpad will be completely smooth, even in shape and you shouldn't be able to see the stitches ... check the corners of your footpad carefully as this is where the stitches are most likely to show if your tension is too loose.

When drawing out your second footpad, make sure you reverse the pattern piece first. If you've done a really good job, both finished footpads will match in size, shape and finished quality! In my experience over the years, there are no short cuts to achieving professional looking footpads!

Assembling teddy

I measure from beneath the neck joint down along the seam to place the arms ...

I don't have a pic of the legs, but to place those I use a long sturdy doll needle which I insert where the body pieces meet at the base of the body, then I hook a fabric tape measure over it and measure along the seam to where I want to place the legs, mark the spot with my awl and then assemble.

To determine where I want to place the limbs I first hold the bear's body up with one hand (head attached) and then take one arm and hold the cotter pin/bolt against the body at the point I think it will suit the bear best ... then I keep my thumb nail at that point and measure down from the base of the neck joint to see how many cms before marking the spot with my awl. Then I repeat the measurement for the other arm, this means they are always level.

To site the legs, I simply turn the body upside down and repeat the process on one of the side body seams using one of the legs to establish the measurement needed, then I measure from the doll needle and use an awl to mark the position of the second leg using that measurement.

I prefer to site my leg joint holes slightly to the back of the side seam, the arm holes can be either side of the seam depending on the look I am aiming for ...

This little chap has his arm hole joints slightly behind the side seam to create a relaxed, 'hanging down' arm.

And 'Peppercorn' has his arm hole joints a little in front of the side seam so that his arms sit comfortably in his lap.

This is a pic of one of my big bears 'bottom up' just before I close one of the seams on his leg. the leg joint holes were sited slightly behind the side seam ...stand, but he does anyway! 

Incidentally, I never pierce the actual seams because I don't want to weaken the integrity of the seam stitching.

As you can see from this pic, I aim to have the bear sitting comfortably on his bottom, rather than perching on the tops of his legs.

Jointing in this way can help the bear stand without a wobble. This little bear wasn't deliberately designed to stand, but he is nice and steady on his feet.

I think successful jointing is one of the most difficult elements of bearcrafting to get right because any problems in the overall pattern design will usually be highlighted when the bear is jointed.

Inserting eyes

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!