Learning
from my experience with my first bear, and having read more construction
information about bears, (so now I know what a crown joint is),
the quality of this bear is slightly better. As I put him together,
I made the joints so stiff that they barely moved; thus when he
was fully stuffed with straw they were quite as they should be.
I
increased the size of the pattern for the bear - in the book he
is 14.5 inches tall and my bear turned out about 16 inches. The
reason I did this was because I had bought a rather nice piece (fat
quarter metre) of mohair and I wanted to use it all. I have noticed
that my bear does not seem quite the same overall shape as the one
in the book and I wonder if the photocopying distorted the shape
- the muzzle seems narrower. Also I used green glass eyes (from
Christie Bears) rather
than amber, as I thought they went rather fetchingly with his fur.
The mohair, purchased from Oakley
Fabrics, is a rich brown colour with darker tips and a distressed
curly texture to which overall effect the photo cannot do justice.
His
mouth and nose are embroidered in black DMC perle embroidery thread.
The
paw pads are a chocolate brown suedette, also from Christie Bears.
He has a thoroughly lovable look, as do all bears, in a way that
the dolls do not. His new people have called him Heisenburg
(because he looks uncertain).
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