Wow! I have just looked at my published blog list and see that I haven't posted anything for a very long time. I have done some sewing (honest) but mostly new tote bags for our 'ladies that do...' day and a couple for raffle prizes for a local group. As it was really only the material I used which was new, I didn't think that the projects were worthy of a post. However, as you have probably realised now, I have recently been involved in a project which was both challenging and different from anything else I have done. So here goes...…
Over the last two years I have been a dog sitter for 3 dogs, Albert (left) Henry and Bo (above). Our days involve a long walk in a morning around our village and its outskirts, usually followed by bath time and lots of cuddles. The afternoons are spent either in the park or playing ball in the garden with intermittent cuddles. It is now probably obvious why I have not done a lot of sewing - you can't sew with a dog on your lap!!
Our morning walks set me up for the day and through Henry, who I have had the longest, I met Carole and Rooby. Carole looks after Rooby 3 days a week for her daughter and it was Carole who approached me with my project. Sadly, Carole's husband, Phill, passed away last June. Recently her granddaughter, Elisha, had a baby and had asked Carole if she could have some of her grandad's t-shirts for her to send away to be made into a memory bear.
Carole immediately thought of me and on our next walk, asked if I would consider making one. I agreed and thought that the How Joyful Bear pattern - see link at the end - I had used to make my pandas would be perfect as I was very familiar with the pattern. We had a cup of tea and Carole showed me the t-shirts and asked if I would be able to incorporate the logos on the shirts in the bear. Again I agreed and a few days later - no dogs - I set to work.
My first task was to deconstruct the shirts so I could see how much fabric I had to work with. There was a huge pile of bits when I had done and the pieces with the logos on were put to one side. I realised that I would have enough fabric to make two bears and still have some left. The whole project had me a little anxious as I realised that these were the last three shirts Carole had of Phill's and they were unique and I wouldn't be able to find any replacements if I did made a mistake. I knew how much this meant to both Carole and Elisha. No pressure! However, I felt a little better knowing that I had all this fabric to use and that they had only asked for one bear. Anyhoo, onwards and upwards.
I have not used t-shirting to sew with before but knew that there would be quite a lot of movement in it. Where this would be beneficial on the curved piecing for the feet and arms, I wasn't sure how it would fare on the 'normal' bits. Again, as I didn't want to make a hash of this, I decided that I would interface each piece to give it a little stability and ultimately strengthen the fabric as, once made up, would get some pummelling from the owner! The interfacing was fusible - even better - so each large piece of fabric was interfaced and then the pattern pieces drawn onto it. I was able to draw out two full sized bears! Problem two solved.
Each piece of the pattern was placed with the corresponding paper pattern piece and laid on my table. My machine, which had previously been cleaned and oiled, was prepared with thread and suitable needle and I began with the easy pieces - the ears - as per pattern instructions. The machine coped admirably - my worst fear quashed - and so I began proper.
As I followed the instructions, I realised that there were some important steps which would have benefitted with a photograph but, as the author mentions in her notes, the pattern is not for beginners. Although I had the knowledge that I had used the pattern many times to make pandas for friends, there were several times when I had to stop and leave the project alone before frustration and anger got the better of me. My swear jar would have had a significant donation, if I hadn't have decluttered my office/sewing room several weeks ago!! Onwards and upwards!
The addition of the interfacing made the nose piece, feet and arms a little tricky but by using a shed-load of pins and slow peddle work, I managed to get a great finish on the pieces. There were no further issues with the blue/green bear - Hesley - and once finished, he looked fabulous ❤❤ The logo placing on the back couldn’t have gone any better and the small logo from the red t-shirt made a great name badge. This was great as it would gave me the confidence to continue with the red/green one.
The sewing for the red/green one - yet to be named - went with fewer hitches though not without its own challenges. Again, logos were strategically placed - tattoo on his arm and 'badge' on his tummy - and I used the one piece back pattern again to keep the two the same-but-different. Carole embroidered a poem which I added to the back. He is slightly larger than Hesley but only by ¼ inch. He looks different again to Hesley but it wouldn't do for me to make two things exactly the same lol!
Pattern used is given below
https://www.howjoyful.com/howjoyful-bear-tutorial-and-pattern/
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