Where to get patterns

[hardscrabble]

Hello
I'm new to this site as well as new to bear making. I am a 65 yr old Gma who has sewn and quilted my whole life. I ordered several books with patterns from Ebay so get started--only to discover that all the patterns are copyright protected. So I have lots of patterns I can't use. I have found a couple free patterns on line but not much. How did all of you get your patterns? I'm definitely not talented enough to design my own. I'm looking to do this as a hobby ---to give some to my 5 granddaughters but would also like to sell a few a the local craft fairs. Sorry this is so long- I'm feeling discouraged as I had ordered a lot of faux fur and bear supplies before I got the book. Any advice you can send my way is appreciated - Good luck to all of you in your bear endeavors!

[Judi Russell]

Hi and welcome to our forum. I dont think you need worry about the patterns in the books, they do expect you to photocopy them and use them. What they dont want is for people to photocopy the patterns and sell the actual pattern, you will be okay selling the bears that you make from them. There are lots of friendly and helpful makers on this forum, so any questions, queries or problems, just ask and you will be sure of an answer. :6013:

[shebob bears]

Hello and a warm welcome to the best teddy bear forum you could possibly find. :6086: I agree with Judi about making bears from patterns in books. You will almost certainly find yourself altering bits here and there and so you will be well on the way to designing your own pattern anyway.

Happy bear making
Sheila :6034:

[hardscrabble]

Thank you for your feedback. I'm definitely encouraged by your welcoming words. I'm sure as I improve I will alter patterns to my liking but in the meantime it is nice to know that I can use patterns from the books to make bears. I have made 7 bears so far. I'm using practice material right now just to learn the basics and will switch to mohair when I'm feeling more confident. Right now my youngest granddaughters give my practice bears lots of love!

[Rich1988]

Hi There

Welcome to the site and the world of bears. With all that stitching under your belt you'll be a whizz... and hooked no doubt like the rest of us.

As above patterns in books are there to be used although I might be slightly more cautious of the copyright issues. Perhaps it would pay to contact the pattern creater if they are still available and ask if they are OK with you selling completed bears? I suppose it is still your own work.
Just make sure on any tags etc. to at least put the name of the pattern creator so they get fair credit.

Even though you may not feel ready to create your own patterns yet as Shelia says a change here, a leg lengthen there or an arm shape adjustment here will soon add up and voila you'll have your own bear before you even realise it.

Good Luck in your creating. Can't wait to see some Bruins once you start. Cutting into Mohair is scary but if you can do it in fabric trust me you'll be fine. Take that plunge, you won't regret it and you won't look back.
With faxu fur just be careful if the fabric is knitted back and make sure to line with with calico or an interface to prevent stretch when stuffing.

Only a beginner myself so I know the bits I struggle with so if you need any help please ask and everyone here will be willing to pass along any tips they've picked up along the way.

Richard
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[Hayley-bear]

Hello there!

I'm sure you will be fine using the patterns from the books, as the other said, before you know it you will have changed the pattern so much it will be nothing like the original. Also, a lot of patterns are quite similar and have the same principles so it would be difficult to tell whether it was one pattern or another! Don't be scared to use the mohair, I made my first bear from ratinee mohair and I am so glad I did! My friend made hers from a faux fur and found it much more difficult to keep the fur from the seams, to stuff, and to embroider the nose due to the stretch in the fabric! Sometimes, I think a more expensive/ better quality material is more forgiving and can make the finish of the product appear better all together!

Happy bear making, Hayley :6034:

[baildon bears]

Hello and welcome to the forum, I would eco what everyone else said don't worry about copyright in books I expect there are a lot of bear patterns out there that once originated from a book. I don't expect the bear police will be able to tell.:D, I to would say Mohair is best, much easier to work with than synthetic and you can get some at quite resonable prices too. Im sure you will find your own way as we all have with a little help from us I hope. Hannah

[ISOBEL20]

I like the comment about the bear police coming after us!!! I find that each bear comes out totally different even if you use the same pattern anyway so I doubt you would be able to relate a bear to a certain pattern anyway. I have been using a lot of Faux furs lately as there are some lovely ones around but I still prefer the mohair bears they look so handsome and there are some beautiful fabrics to buy. Happy bear making :)

[hardscrabble]

Thanks to all of you for your welcoming and encouraging words. I will order some mohair and give it a try. So I'm assuming from the comments that mohair does not stretch out of shape when stuffing the bear- I had notice that some of my faux fur did not totally keep its shape.

[Rich1988]

As Moo says, Faux Fur is usually a knitted fabric so it has real stretch and can often stretch out of shape when stuffing. For this reason you may find it best to line in order to prevent this. Muslin sounds a good idea as also like Moo I found interfacing a real chore and on top of that it never stayed on!

Mohair however is a woven fabric and provided it is cut on the warp or weft (a lesson I recently learnt :p) it is very strong and will keep its shape. For this reason however the use of darts may be needed to add volume and shape. Mohair can however fray, especially cheaper brands so you will need to fray check with the ready to buy stuff or a 50/50 mix of craft glue (PVA) and water :)

Richard
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