TIPS FOR CHOOSING A BEGINNER PATTERN
Design Simplicity
Choose a pattern with a simple basic bear shape. (Allows pattern pieces to be easy to distinguish.)
Choose a regular 5 jointed bear. One joint for the head, 2 arms and 2 legs. No double joints or other complex joints. Keep it simple to start with.
One color fabric with no extra piecing. (ex. Different color muzzle, Pandas etc.)
10 inch to 14inch bear would be a good size to start with recommended. Smaller pattern pieces are more difficult to work with and larger bears tend to be quite expensive and hard to handle; therefore can be more intimidating to a beginner.
M=mohair (type) C=curly (finish)
16= 16/16ths of an inch or 1 inch (pile length)
-2= tipped with a second color
See our catalog for more "decoding" like K=sparse (fur density)
Fabric can have several different characteristics:
Type of Fur
Pile Length
Fur Density
Finish (Texture)
Color/Color combination
There are several types of fur that we carry which are ideal for making teddy bears.
Synthetic Very high quality German man made plush faux fur. Many of our synthetics are soft plush fur which very closely resembles the fur of real animals. Some with amazingly realistic animal prints.
Mohair Natural fur shaved (like wool from a sheep) from the coat of an angora goat and woven into a cotton backing.
Alpaca Natural fur (like mohair) shaved from the coat of a llama and woven onto a cotton backing. Slightly softer and more "fluffy" than the mohair.
Rayon Rayon fibers make up the pile which is then woven into the backing.
Wool Wool pile woven into a cotton backing.
Cotton Cotton string pile woven into a cotton backing.
The pile length is the actual length of the fur measured from the backing to the tip of the hair. We have fabric with pile lengths from 1/8" to 3". If you are just starting out, a shorter pile length would recommended. The longer pile fabric is will be easy to work with if you are working on larger bears, but hard to manage if you are working with long fur on small pattern pieces.
The density of the fur is the amount space between the fur woven into the cotton backing. An easy way to explain fur density is how much of the backing you can see through the fur. A sparse fur (less dense) would have less fur woven into the backing and therefore would leave space enough to clearly show the backing through the fur. An extra dense fur would not leave much space and therefore would not show backing through the fur. The sparser the fur, the easier the fabric would be to work with. fur would, of course, be
Finish would most easily be described as the texture of the fur. Some finishes we have are straight, curly, wavy, distressed, feathered, swirly, antique curl, matted and ratty. A straight pile fabric gives a smooth uniform look; the other finishes vary from an old worn bear look to a soft fluffy cuddly look. Mistakes may be more visible in a straight pile fabric. (Which may also be a good thing if you are learning and want to see clearly something you are doing wrong!)
There are an endless amount of colors and color combinations you can choose from. I would recommend beginning with a solid, lighter color. Itıs consistence will enable you to see what you are doing more clearly and therefore will be easier to learn on. For those of you who have already mastered your first bear (or are just a bit more adventurous, we have wonderful two color tipped, batik, marbled and hand dyed fabrics to try!
The main difference between sewing regular fabric and sewing a fabric with pile is that as you sew, the pile tends to shift and move. Although it is hard to do with every piece, try to always sew in the direction the pile is running; it allows the fur to lay flatter, helping to avoid buckling. Also, pinning your pattern pieces together with a lot of pins (every inch or so, depending on the size of the bear) will also prevent buckling and shifting. Generally the rule in the sewing world is NEVER sew over your pins; you would pull them out while sewing as they approach your machine needle. We do, however, carry extra fine pins (PINS X-FINE) that I personally sew over every time (the thinner the pin, the better chance the machine needle will miss it) and rarely break a machine needle.
The other difficulty in sewing fur is related to the pile length and the seams. Again, your method of pinning is very important. In general, bears are sewn with a 1/4" seam allowance. (Always check your pattern instructions for the seam allowance.) If your pile length is longer than your seam allowance, the fur will extend beyond the edge of the fabric and hide the bottom piece. You will not be able to see if your fabric is shifting until the seam is done and you remove it from your machine. To avoid this problem, push the fur pile to the inside as you pin your pattern pieces together. This hides all the fur and allows you to work with a clean edge while sewing. When you finish sewing each piece, use a brush, comb or needle ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE PIECE IN THE SEAM ALLOWANCE to pull the pile to the INSIDE. This prevents short pieces of fur from the seam allowance from sticking out into the seam-line of your finished bear. When your bear is finished, you brush out all your seams the same way, only on the RIGHT side.