My Teddy Bears Narrative

Aren't they cute? Yeah they're cute!
Scarlett and O'Hare

I make teddy bears, artist teddy bears, as they are called on e-bay. I have made lots and lots of them, out of many kinds of fabric. Mostly though I make them out of discarded denim jeans. I hunt down members of my family and demand their old jeans. I like the really worn out ones best, they make up into a softer, older looking bear. My old jeans are usually the best candidates for this as I wear them until the holes are in shocking places. Even then, I am reluctant to stop wearing them. I keep trying to figure out if anyone will notice my underwear peeking out.

I have a soft spot for authors and famous people's name, so lots of my teddies end up with a strange combination of their names. This pair are called Scarlett and O'Hare. I'm sure you can see where I "borrowed" the name from.

I sketch the teddy, then draw the pattern, cut it out, sew it up. Then comes the fun part, the clothing. I can't just do a simple dress, nope, I have to keep adding to it, changing this or that, sometimes I make more than one outfit for a teddy. I have a box of outfits that just didn't seem right for a particular bear sitting on my workroom shelf. Did I just call it my workroom, I meant to say my studio, it's supposed to give me more inspiration to call it a studio, at least I think.

It took me two hours to pick out buttons, then another two to decide whether to put button holes or loops. In the end I decided on the loops, they just seemed right. It should never take this long to decide on something so simple!

Then I decided she needed bloomers, so back to the drawing board.

Scarlett needed a little smudging up, so I darkened around her eyes and nose, it gives her more character.

I have a bit of trouble with O'Hare, I gave him club arms at first. I left them on a few days while I thought about it, but every time I saw him long old arms, he looked even sadder, so yesterday I made him a new pair of shorter arms. I think he just might be a little happier, although it's hard to tell by his expression.

And finally I have to decide which background to use. The red is nice, but I think the white shows them off a little bit better.