Last weekend was mostly spent indoors thanks to some nice persistent rain. So while the kids watched their favourite DVDs ('Frozen' and 'LEGO Movie' are on high rotation here at the moment!), I got busy drawing up and cutting out more of our jumbo 33" bears to test our new pattern using different fabrics.
I wanted to try the pattern in mohair to make sure the proportions still worked even when the fabric didn't stretch slightly like it does with faux fur. And I wanted to try it in a shorter-pile faux fur then the original prototype bear 'Kittie', to make sure that it still looked as cute even when there wasn't long fluffy sticking out everywhere.
Let's just say this pattern has held up beautifully!
So, during the work-week this week I was trimming seams, sewing never-ending limbs, turning, jointing, stuffing, stuffing, and stuffing some more...
... until I had two not-so-little faces staring back at me. (I didn't take any selfies with these guys - the rain is messing with my hair!), but you can just make out my toes in the photo above. These bears are large!
(Stuffed, seams closed. Awaiting final details.)
(Toe shading while blue-bear waits his turn)
I managed to rummage up enough pink-girly-goodness for the white faux fur bear just in my current stash. But blue-bear just wasn't looking right in anything I found for him. So we made a special trim to the local children's clothing department and purchased him a brand new blue tartain shirt!
The faux fur we've used on the girly-bear is our 'Maltese Cream'. I hadn't actually used it soley for a bear before because it isn't the fluffiest of fabrics. But I honestly don't know why I didn't use it earlier. The result is just beautiful!
'Charlotte' is currently available in our etsy store.
BlueJay is made using our 'Bermuda' mohair. Again, I hadn't used this fabric soley on a bear before. I'd used it paired with other mohair colours - but it really does hold it's own quite well. I remember why I chose this particular colour mix (choc backing, dusky-blue pile) now... the whole plan had been to make a bear with the face trimmed back! BlueJay has done the fur proud.
BlueJay is also available in our etsy store.
The pattern for these big bears is in our Graphic Designer's hands. Once we have it back in ours as a smart-looking PDF file, I'll post a link to the listing so you guys can have a play with it too. We might even offer some kits.... if you're willing to try it out on a full 1m piece of mohair?! (that was probably the scariest bit of the whole process!).
I think you should have been using mohair all along. Your bear looks fabulous. You must be very thrilled with her.
ReplyDeleteHugs Kay