TSP's 2022 Bear Sewalong

[sewminds]

@Flobear I can't get over how cheap the kits are for you all over your side and bonus with the bearbasic ones you get the weighting material included. Maybe it's just as well we pay more..it will take me longer to accrue them. It will 'hopefully' make me finish one before buying the next one.

@Elnnina that would be interesting to watch. We don't have that show down here.

@CraftyIrish Oh wonderful! Which one do you think you'll make up??????

[CraftyIrish]

@sewminds I have the fox by funky friends factory. I think ill do that.

[sewminds]

@CraftyIrish Perfect! Of course I'm going to big note here... do you know, Pauline lives just 'over the hill' so to speak..aka, a town or two over from here in Tassie. LOL, no never met but thought you might like that superfluous info. 
She has some super cute patterns for the wee ones.

[CraftyIrish]

@sewminds that is so cool. I love her patterns they are so easy to follow.

[sewminds]

Did you see her latest ones? Mango the Meerkat and Winsome the wolf?

For the last few patterns, she's done her testing differently which gives everyone who really wants a shot at testing, the opportunity to do so. Which is fair in the overall picture.

[CraftyIrish]

Yeah I follow her on Instagram so see all the updates. But didn't know she changed her testing rules, I did try to be a tester once but had no luck.

[Diane]

@Diane thanks for that.
 Hope it helps everyone your side. Looks like I'm forever destined to see the Aussie Etsy site, even if I sign out. No doubt it can be changed in settings but knowing me I'd stuff it up completely and delete my account or something.

@sewminds its easy to change, go to settings/preferences and then you can change the currency and if you scroll to the bottom of the page you can change your region then save

[sewminds]

Yeah I follow her on Instagram so see all the updates. But didn't know she changed her testing rules, I did try to be a tester once but had no luck.

Keep an eye open for when she's nearing the end of designing a new one...she mentions these things on her blog.
What happens now is she gives you a link to go to to purchase the pattern, you have so many days to finish making it, report issues and send her FO pics when done. When you do all that, she will then send you a pattern of choice from her store.
I've been too tied up with all the knit things, espesh with the 1st Grandie makes, so have not joined in as of yet.

[sewminds]

Ahhh, that explains it. Well you guys should all be able to view Etsy in your Pounds then which is the aim.

@Lowena Did you manage to find one suitable?

[Iminei]

I went to the charity this morning and obviously someone had decluttered (or died) and there were loads of Teddy bear making books for Sale ... At least ten!

[Celia]

I do think the popularity of making bears has declined here, lots of people tried it and are now de stashing. I have quite a lot of extra joints if anyone needs them please just ask, I will also sort put the mohair soon but at the moment it is in the attic.

Here are a couple more of my teddies

[Flobear]

Well, you're a lot of wicked temptresses especially @sewminds with those links 

I have just order a miniature bear kit and I'm saying nothing else for the time being 

[sewminds]

@Iminei ooo I hope you went through them and grabbed a few. I was very fortunate to find an old mag that still had all the pattern pages intact in a secondhand bookstore. That's where the pattern for the bear I'm halfway through is from.

[sewminds]

@Flobear   

can't wait to see!!!! Which store? I'm alllllll excitabubbled for you!!!
It would be so easy to get carried away and order one of everything(mind you it wouldn't take long for the bank to be maxxed out which would stop that) but I do love window shopping and saving to my faves for 'down the track'.

I'm starting with the kits because it gives me the harder to come by things, espesh the fabric/joints/eyes(none local) and I can get to learn which types of good material I like working with and the one that can get overlooked, the right hair length for size of bear so I can make informed choices when purchasing online. eta.... oh and how much fabric needed for different sized bears.
Knowing my luck, when I get to know the fabrics I like they'll be superceded. 

I'm jumping up and down every time I hear a van today. A tracker message came through that my kit is onboard for delivery!!! 

[sewminds]

I've been so on tenterhooks all day that I've finally given myself a wee migraine niggle...about to sort that out as soon as I hit post...okay had it already...
It's here!!! I had to ring the shop to sort out a few differences in supplies..oh and to get the name of the fabric for future reference and...  which way the grain runs. Hey, in my defence, it's a short felted and I get a smooth direction down the narrow face of cut as well as a smooth direction down the wide face. Heh... so she'll send that info through tomorrow hopefully...I sent her a pic.

I traced the pattern onto some of that clear template sheet so I still have the orig. It does say to cut out and glue to cardboard but at the price of the pattern alone, I wanted something with a bit more longevity.

I thought my Gutterman thread would be enough but it looks like I also need either upholstery thread and synthetic sinew.
Question, if I can get the upholstery thread at the end of the road, would that be okay to use for attaching the glass eyes as well?