A Very Handmade Bear

I am not sure what to blog about today, as there are a couple of potential things, but nothing that really stands out. I have decided to go with a post about these little guys. I made the goldy/ brown one months ago and the blue one one of the weekend nights.

They look very handmade (especially since I just noticed the fray I have not corrected on the blue one yet), but are cute I think and very simple to make for a little gift. All you need is some fabric (one for the body, one for the nose and one for the outfit, if you want them to have one), something to stuff it with (the gold one has old duvet wadding and the blue one an old pair of tights) and a needle and thread.

Draw a basic template onto the main fabric, having it doubled overm so you get two of each bit:

Cut it out and sew around the edge, leaving the neck open on both the body and head, ready for stuffing:

Then turn them inside out (this can be a little tricky- use a pencil to poke in and help you push out the arms and legs fully) and stuff them, using your own discretion to decide how much to put in.

Then cut a small circle of fabric for the nose, place a little stuffing in the centre and fold it around it, sewing the edges together. this can be done fairly roughly, you just need it to make a little ball when you are finished.

Sew this onto the centre of the face.
Finally, sew the neck together, with the bottom of the neck piece either tucked into the body (as with the blue one), or overlapping on the outside (like the gold one, which was easier). It is tricky holding it in place, but is easy enough to sew in a straight line alone it once you get started. I just used a running stitch that went through both sides.

Then, if you want to, you can add an outfit. I simply cut a large rectangle of fabric and lay the bear on it. I then marked where to cut it for the arms and neck and did so. I slipped the fabric over the bear's head and cut it to the length I wanted it, then sewed down the edges of the fabric. Fot this blue bear, I decided a dress should be worn and wanted a little more shape, so I simply cut out another thin strip of fabric, put it around the waist, and sewed it at he back, to secure it into place.

And you are done! It took me an hour and a half or so, including the preparation, so not too time consuming and with a lovely little end result :) This pair are officially 'Hermin' and 'Hettie'.