wood wool

[Lorna Evett]

My mum gave me my dads teddy to look after cos she said she knew I would look after him (my dad was born in 1912 so he must be quite old- ted that is). Trouble is my dog found him (apparently they like wood wool) and chewed his paws big oops!:( ). I sent him to a bear mending lady who made quite a good job, but since i have started making bears i reckon i could do a better job myself. Has anyone worked with woodwool, any recommendations.

Lorna

[Eric-Claude]

Hello Lorna,

I sometimes restaure old bear. Most of time, teddy bears need have problem with the stuffing, with years wood wool got old and wood wool need to be replaced a little bit.

There were different qualities of wood wool and it sometimes can give you an idea about the maker as well. Cheap teddy bears were made with bad quality of wood wool, usually it's "big" wood wool. Small wood wool was much more expensive and easier to stuff teddy bear and also "fine wood wool" allows a perfect stuffing.

However, with any wood wool it is, when you want a perfect work, it is not easy. The stuffing must be very firm and strong, so you teddy bear will be again as young as his first day !!!

I am not used to speak english with this vocabulary, I hope it makes sense .. lol

Best Wishes

ERIC

[Jenny]

Well.. I use wood wool for the head of my bears.. the muzzle and neck ( if they have one) is totally stuffed with woodwool and the rest of the head is a mixture of wood wool and polyfibre. I find it gives a nice firm shape and is really easy to sew through.
When I first started using it I was advised to dampen it slightly. This was great but you do have to make sure you pin the seam or tack ( I tack) where you want it to stay straight as I find that as is dries it can shift the fabric slightly so the seam..especially in crucial areas like the nose and front seam ..could end up being 'off' if the backing of the fabric has dampened and stretched a bit.
Now I don't dampen it..I just snip it up quite finely and stuff it very firmly into the nose/muzzle and it works really well. It came out of being in a hurry and not wanting to wait till it dried to stitch the nose and found it equally good.

So I don't dampen any more. That said, I do think you'd need to dampen it for larger areas. I spray it with a water spray and then wrap it in an old towel and give it a good squeeze so it's just pliable...not wet.

Hope that helps!!

[Geralye]

I've started using woodwool in muzzles, sometimes the whole head. I've never tried dampening it - too worried about it not drying properly and the bear going mouldy!

I've certainly found that my noses have improved - well the bears noses have improved - can't seem to do anything with my own!:D

[Eric-Claude]

lol Geralye lol

Are you very trying with your own ? :D :D :D

ERIC

[Lorna Evett]

dear geralye

dear eric

Dear Jenny

Thanks for all your suggestions, as he is an old ted i do not think i would dampen the woodwool, what if he shrunk I really would be in mums bad books (well she would be looking down on me and tutting big time), but i will try and get some really fine wood wool and have a go. If it works I will put up a picture. I will get some anyway and practice on my own bears that i make, i think that is the best idea.

Many thanks all of you.

Lorna

[Jenny]

They do say that the correct way to do it to mist it finely before stuffing so it is pliable enough..I have found, though, that it is ok if snipped (not too small or it's impossible) up a bit to do it dry. We aren't talking 'wet' so I don't think going mouldy would be a problem.
The only thing I find is that I get chronic elbow pain as it does take some effort to stuff it firmly enough and it's so flippin' messy...and clogs the hoover up something rotten!!
Looking at my face I could use a bit of needle sculpting and airbrushing myself..I have enough stuffing thankyou!!!

[Judi Russell]

Hi Lorna

We stock woodwool and it is nice and fine, no large bits. Of course stocking it I have to use it as well, to make sure that it works. I always stuff the nose with just woodwool, rolled into tiny balls, the advantage of this is that the embroidery thread (when you do the nose) does not get stuck or pull the stuffing through. The head I always stuff with a mixture of woodwool and polyester, just pull it together to get a good even mix and use it to pack the head firmly. Again this makes it much easier to get the eyes in, it is not like trying to push your needle through a rock as it is when you just use polyester. Must say I never dampen it, like you, I dont like the thought of it going mouldy. Good luck with your bear and I am sure your mum would be pleased that you are taking such good care of him.

Judi :) Christie Bears

[Jenny]

If you do lots of needle sculpting ..things like eye sockets and mouths and things..lots of woodwool firmly packed into the head will make that very difficult to do. While you can pull the needle through really easily it's hard then to create the undulations by pulling on the threads as the woodwool forms a rock solid head. I find strategic placement of woodwool..in noses...necks etc works best for me as I needle sculpt a lot. That's the only downside to woodwool..apart from bunging up the hoover that is!!