I haven't written on this blog for sometime so thought I'd share some photos of tiny bears I've been making for gifts. These ones have been playing in the forget me nots!
They make lovely little gifts and are small enough to fit in an envelope with a gift card and still go in as large letter as long as you don't stuff them too thick!
Adults enjoy them as much as children and if you add a ribbon they could attach to a handbag or something similar
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I got a bit addicted to making them and kept looking for more odd pieces of cloth as they use so little!
Three sizes but you can make them any size you like. Really big if you prefer!
If you want to make them Pinterest has lots of free teddy patterns to draw around or just draw a basic teddy shape on paper. Don't make the legs long though as they look better with stubby legs I think.
I pinned the pattern to a folded over piece of t shirt cloth or any cloth that doesn't fray easily, like felt. Don't cut the pattern out as they're too small but just place the cloth with the pattern pinned to it in the sewing machine and stitch all the way round very slowly round the curves. Leave a gap for turning and make sure to back stitch at each end so it doesn't unravel.
Turn right side out carefully so as not to stretch stitches as they are quite small bears. Stuff lightly using a coffee stirring stick or something similar to push the wadding in. Then hand sew the gap with tiny stitches. I made the stuffing gap where the arm would be sewn on, so my stitches wouldn't show. Hope that makes sense.
My pattern had no arms as I found it easier to sew the whole bear then add little felt arm shapes afterwards. I prefer to sew the face after it's sewn so I know which side of bear looks better.
You can practice a few basic ones just using one colour but then progress to two colours if you like.
For my first one I used old pyjamas with a pattern on and then embroidered all the details in afterwards. A bit fiddly but she looks pretty! That's the pink flowers and bow one.
For the scarf take a bit of t shirt strip of cloth, less than 1 cm wide, stretch it so it goes rolled over on itself, cut a length to go round teddy's neck and tie in knot. Or just use a bit of wool.
As I say, just draw a bear shape, or use template above in different sizes and make sure your cloth is folded over so the nice side is inside before you cut.
Hope you give it a try.
