NOT MY USUAL THING

For the past several months I've been having problems with my right hand. I mentioned it awhile back on one of my posts so those of you who visit regularly know I have a bit of a problem. I won't bore you with the details but will admit it's been a struggle to work on my paper mache pieces.

I need to be making something or I feel like there's something wrong with the world so I've been trying to come up with something that's less difficult for me to handle at this time.  Something that doesn't require me to spend hours using files and sandpaper. I've thought about making dolls out of cloth but my sewing machine which is about 40 years old has been less than reliable in resent times so that idea was shelved.

A couple of days ago I played around with the machine and got it to where it isn't clunking and gobbling thread and breaking needles. I don't know if it's really fixed but I went ahead with an idea I had.

As some of you may know, I have a thing for teddy bears. I like dogs, kittens and rabbits too but teddy bears are the critters that I love the most. I follow several bear blogs and am so amazed at the talent that is displayed. I fall in love with a new bear on an average of at least one a day.

So...I sat down the day before yesterday and worked out 3 patterns for bears. Now you need to understand that although I've been sewing for most of my life and have made several dolls and animals in the past, I've never made a pattern for a bear and don't remember ever making one out of fur. I made a few many years ago out of calico.

Yesterday morning I cut out my first bear. I had fuzz everywhere. I never thought that I'd find another art form that's as messy as paper mache clay, but alas this too makes a huge mess.

I thought I had everything on hand that I would need to make a bear. Everything that is except for something to join the front and hind legs to the body and eyes. Off to the craft store and home again and then I was all set. I sewed like a little old lady behind the steering wheel of a car she can't see over. Slow. That's not my usual speed but what could I do? I had no real idea of what I was doing. So...I plodded along and by dinner time yesterday evening I had a bear of sorts. He still didn't have a nose and I wasn't sure what to do with the fur on his snout. I'd had enough for one day, so the bear and I watched a movie together while I thought about how I was going to finish his face.

Early this morning I sat back to work and this is what I ended up with.

I haven't named him yet. I'm open for suggestions. I used some suede cloth that I had left over from another  project that I worked on years ago for his foot and paw pads and the inside of ears.

I have no idea of how you bear makers get rid of unwanted fur on the snout. I used scissors and spent a great deal of time trying to get it to look right. It wasn't easy so if there's a better way I'm all ears. I stitched his nose with embroidery floss and then painted it. I may try waxing it but am not sure.

I may make the snout on my next bear a bit longer. I attempted to give him the shoulder hump but am not sure it looks right. I also think I may have made his ears a trifle bit larger than they need to be.

He isn't a total disaster and I'm thinking he turned out alright for a first try but there are things I'll do differently if I make another. I guess it's like everything else, you have to figure out what you're doing by doing and you learn from your mistakes. I also discovered that although making this little fellow was easier on the hand for the most part, hand stitching wasn't all that much fun.

I'm going to vacuum fuzz up for the rest of the day, but who knows, I might take another stab at bear making. I did make two more patterns that I haven't tried yet.

I hoped you weren't dissappointed that this wasn't another ghoul or a new Santa.

As always, thanks for stopping by