Bear Clothes for Fair

Just preparing for a bear fair which is next week and finished a few cardigans ready for all the bears to try on. Most of my stand will have bears that are on my web site hoping for new Mums and Dads but part of the stand will also have bear wear.

I am looking forward to a lovely day, meeting all the other artists and their bears and browsing around the suppliers for new mohair, glass eyes etc.


















Then after the fair I am must try and work on some new designs that are in my head waiting to get out.

One Of Those Weeks!

Well at the beginning of the week I had a great idea for a miniature bear and eagerly cut out my pieces, the mohair was a little thick for this size of bear. I usually use my turning forceps for miniature bears but could I find them amongst the messy drawers? No I didn't have a chance so rather than tidy up my drawers just then,I picked up one of my stuffing sticks, this would do for now... bad idea.... I carefully turned the little head, the arms , the tummy, first leg and then lo and behold, when I was turning the second leg - my last piece....

Oh no!!! The stick went through the foot pad and made a hole, can you see the picture with the stick through there. So this little bear sadly wont materialise now and has been put away in the drawer, with the mess (oh I don't throw anything much away, that's why my drawers are such a mess). Thankfully this (holes) does not happen often and I decide to spend the rest of the morning cleaning out the drawers, hurray found my forceps, pity it is too late for little brown bear! Never mind, we do have to learn from our mistakes!!

I have another idea and cut out a black bear, start to sew and whilst sewing have a better idea, so I put away black bear for now and cut out a pink bear, with great idea in my head start to sew enthusiastically. Half way through pink bear I get another idea, run to get more mohair out and cut out a panda. Now I have too many bears cut out and wonder which one to finish first, I walk from room to room thinking and then remember I have 4 little bear waistcoats that I knitted ready for my next bear fair on 9th June, but not sewn up and stuffed into a bag somewhere, and also there was the little bear dress that I finished which also needed sewing up to go with another idea I have for a bear. I decide to abandon the bears for a couple of days whilst my head clears and sew up the waistcoats and dress..... my mind will be clearer if I can finish a few things off.

Here are the finished waistcoats and dress!!
















Now back to the bears with nice tidy drawers and two empty bags, I decide to pick up the panda and am hoping to finish him at the end of the week!

Warm wishes
Pauline

Last Week's Work

Last week I designed a new dungaree set for bears for a customer for a 5" bear. These are the first two prototypes. When I start a new design I begin with a biggish one just to get the design. This was the darker one for a 9" bear. The cream one was second for a 6" bear and the 3rd - well that one has gone off to one happy customer for her 5" bear to wear. These two will go onto my web site at some point soon or to a bear fair with me.

I have only done 3 bear fairs so far and it amuses me to find that my stand sometimes becomes like Marks and Spencer fitting room for bears as people come along with bears from different stands to try on all the different clothes. It is difficult to have enough different sizes though to please every bear.



I love to knit or crochet late at night when I am too tired to work on bears but not tired enough to go to bed, I can sit with my knitting and watch television as I don't have to look which is good when I want to give my eyes a break and I am still creating something at the same time. I just hate getting so tired that I have to give in and go to bed as I feel it a waste of hours when I am asleep. It is amazing how many outfits I accumulate though in that bit of time.

I am constantly searching out new fine yarns for these little outfits. I like to make them from fine Pure Merino or Bottany Wool, maybe sometimes Silk or fine cotton or quality mix. Mohair bears are such a luxury it seems a shame to put them into anything less.

Oh well thats all for today, I am loving this blogging but back to work and cooking the dinner - just a thought, wouldn't it be good if we could just take a pill instead of cooking, eating and washing up, there would be even more time to craft ..... maybe not, food is so good and so comforting, would be a waste!!

Warm wishes
Pauline