McLane Creek Bruins
                                                    Teddy Bear Class

WELCOME TO TEDDY BEAR 101 This class is for those who would like to make a traditional style, jointed teddy bear. We will go through the entire process from picking out the materials to tying a bow around the bear's neck. I am available via e-mail (maggiesdollclothes@att.net) to answer any questions. This first lesson is free online. To continue, a CD with all five lessons, and a full sized pattern will be mailed to you for $24.

A kit with fabric for bear body and paw and foot pads, joints, eyes, and Pearl cotton for embroidering nose is available. See notice at end of this first lesson.

TOOLS FOR BEAR MAKING

Some of these you will have, some are specialized for bear making. (top to bottom)

1. SCISSORS:  Very sharp sewing shears for cutting out the bear, small embroidery scissors for cutting threads and to trim the muzzleand paper or craft scissors to cut patterns.  2. NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS: about 6 inches long to tighten joints and help pull needles through when needed. These have a wire cutter. If the ones you have don't have a wire cutter, you will also need a wire cutter.   3. STUFFING STICK: This is a necessity. You simply can't get the stuffing in where it needs to go tight enough with just your fingers. Don't try to use a screwdriver or any other sharp tool that might cut the fabric. They do sell stuffing sticks, but they are hard to find except at specialty shops. The handle of a wooden spoon or a piece of 3/8 inch dowel 10 - 12 inches long (round one end a little) will work.  4. COTTER PIN TOOL. Nice to have, but does not work on all sizes of cotter pins. It has a slot to grab the legs of the cotter pins to make it easier to tighten the joint. Available at specialty shops or some hardware stores will special order one for you. They come in two sizes, so make sure you get one that will fit the cotter pins you will be using.  5. FORCEPS: to help turn arms and legs.  6. TEASEL BRUSH: Wire brush with bent bristles used to groom bear. Can be found at pet stores or specialty craft stores. A wire bristled dog brush is a good substitute.  7.  AWL:To poke holes for eyes. This also helps to guide bear sections through the sewing machine and is useful to clean up the fur that gets caught in the seam when stitching.  8. THIN CARDBOARD TO TRACE PATTERNS: Make cardboard patterns - one pattern for each piece you cut (two side heads, two backs, two fronts, four legs, four ears, one head gusset. When cutting out pile fabrics for bears, you need more accuracy than you can get by pinning on a paper pattern. Instead, on the wrong side of your fabric, hold the cardboard pattern with one hand and trace around the pattern with a permanent fine tip marker. (I have found that the Gel Pens make great pens to mark with. They make a fine line and come in many colors so you can always find one that will show up on the fur you are using.)

SEWING SUPPLIES

1. THREAD: (Left, top to bottom) Regular sewing thread cotton wrapped polyester; quilting thread, stronger for sewing openings; carpet & button thread also for sewing openings and putting in eyes. These should match bear fabric.  (Center) Number 5
Pearl cotton for nose, usually black or dark brown. 2. NEEDLES: left side - 5" doll needle for inserting eyes. (center top to bottom) 1. Sewing machine needle size 14 or 16 sharp. 2. Milliners needle where a longer thinner needle is needed. 3. Sharp, for basting. 4. Crewel needle with larger eye for embroidering noses. 5. Thimble. 6. Curved needle 2 inch and 1 ½ inch for sewing ears and to close stuffing openings. Right side- 3" doll needle; sometimes used for noses. 3. PINS: Long, sharp with large heads so they are easy to see.|

JOINTS AND EYES

1. JOINTS: (left top to bottom) hardboard disks (several sizes,) washers , cotter pins. (right top to bottom) Plastic safety joints recommended when bear is for a child. They are three piece; a disk with post that goes in the limb of the bear and into the body. A washer is put over the post and a locking disk goes over that. It is hard to get safety joints as tight as cotter pin joints and they have a tendency to loosen. You want to be right the first time, because they are the devil's own to take out. You have to break the joint and start over. The first bears were jointed with cardboard disks and cotter pins. In this class, we will use hardboard disks with metal washers and cotter pins. There are other methods of jointing, some using the hardboard disks, bolts and stop nuts or pop rivets. (Pop rivets require a setting tool and lots of practice to get just the right tension.) Miniature bears can be jointed with thread joints or thread and buttons. Some miniaturist have found jewelry fittings that work for joints. (But that is something for another class.) The last item in the picture shows a completed 'crown joint' which is what we will be making.

EYES: At the left are two styles of safety eyes - the two color with a large pupil and outer rim and the solid black eye. These two types are what is available at my local craft and fabric store. At bottom left are looped glass eyes from a Teddy Bear supply house. Top right I show a set of loop backed buttons available at the local chain fabric store. There is very little difference in looks between that and the solid black safety eye. (And I have used buttons when I was out of the other kind.) At the bottom are small looped eyes.

FABRIC

Jointed animals have been made in every type of fabric. The original "traditional" teddy bears were made out of a mohair fabric. Mohair comes from the Angora goat. It is great stuff, soft, fluffy and for most people non-allergenic. It's big drawback, especially for someone new to bear making is price. When I first started making bears, you could get a fat quarter (piece 18" by 30", enough for a 16" bear) at bear shows for between $35 and $60. Now is usually twice that. For that reason for this class I suggest a medium nap acrylic push pile. It makes a great bear, is easy to work with and the price is right. At the end of this class, I will give you the addresses of several Teddy Bear companies that supply mohair and notions and let you go from there. Paw and foot pads can be made from wool blend or all wool felt, Ultra suede, upholstery velvet or real leather. Wool blend felt is readily available. Don't get felt squares or acrylic felt. It is too flimsy.

STUFFING

There are a lot of different stuffing products on the market. So far, Fairfield and Mountain Mist get my vote hands down. Don't get something called extra fluff. It is designed to stay fluffy in pillows and won't pack hard enough to support the joints or the nose of your bear.

NOW TO MAKE A BEAR

For one 16 inch jointed bear like the one below, you will need the tools listed above plus the following: 3/8 yard 60 inch wide fur fabric -- one half yard will cut two bears if it is a full 60 inches wide. Check it with a tape measure. If not 60 inches, add a couple of inches (20 inches) to cut 2 bears. (3/8 yard works even if it isn't a full 60 inches) Check the backing. Most are a knit and most don't stretch, but some will stretch 2 or 3 inches in a foot. Makes for an awfully fat distorted bear. It needs to be firm. Sometimes you can get what they call a "fat quarter" which is 18 inches by 30 inches.

Piece of wool felt 6 by 9 inches. Unless you are at a bear supplier, you will have to have them cut a piece 6 inches wide across the width of the felt. (This is enough for 4 bears, but good felt is always useful for other craft projects.) Don't get felt squares as these are a lightweight acrylic that won't hold the shape needed.

Joints:  cotter key and hardboard or plastic joints; 3sets at 2 1/2 inches diameter and 2 sets at 2 inchesdiameter.

Sewing thread, Dual Duty in a color to match your bear fabric. Upholstery or button thread, to hand sew stuffing openings closed and sew on ears and insert eyes. If you can't get either of these threads to match your bear fabric, try a topstitching thread, such as (Gutermann.) 1 skein black pearl cotton, size 5 (for nose), 16 ounces of stuffing, Fairfield or Mountain Mist, 1 set of glass animal eyes size 11 mm.  Cardboard for patterns -- 2 file folders will cut all the pieces you need. Scrap of black felt for nose template.

SEWING MACHINE:  All bears shown on this site were made with a 45 year old Singer machine.  You don't need fancy, just a good straight stitch machine.  It needs to be clean, oiled, and have a new size 14 or 16 needle.

Lesson 2:  Making cardboard patterns, pattern layout, and tracing and cutting out bear. 
                 Sewing bear parts, ie: adding paw and foot pads, sewing arms, legs and body together
Lesson 3:  Jointing with plastic safety joints; sewing and stuffing head, embroidering nose, setting eyes, adding ears.
Lesson 4:  Stuffing limbs, jointing (cotter pin & disk joints), closing openings.
Lesson 5:   Finishing: Accessories; clothes with patterns, etc. A discussion of "Keepsake Bears," decorating with
                  bears and some bear sites for supplies and ideas.

Complete bear making kit: includes the CD, a full sized pattern, plush fur and wool felt for paw and foot pads for one bear, 5 joint sets, set of eyes and Pearl Cotton to embroider the nose.  

                                                       
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