I'm Sorry

Just a quick hello to say I am sorry I have been absent for so long.

A few Bears

These teddy bears are living with me or my children for an assortment of reasons.

Some sit on my shelf awaiting finishing touches or just because I wasn't totally satisfied with the final look. A few are just waiting for me to find a home for them.

 This pair now reside in my daughter's room. She took one look at them and begged me for them, what could I do.

I listed this pair on e-bay a while back, but they failed to find a home, so now they are living in my display cabinet.

I never listed this little girl and her cat. They are Halloween themed, so I guess they will have to wait for the proper season.

 This little Christmas bear never found a home because I was not totally satisfied with her face.

This pair were so much fun for me to make, but alas they did not find homes when I listed them on etsy. I found the inspiration for them in a magazine. Teddy, cat and pumpkin are all needle felted.

Edgar Allen Poe sort of crept into my thoughts one day and I made this pair. They live with my daughter on a shelf in my grandson's room.

These cuties live with my niece in New York.

 My daughter talked me out of this little pumpkin bear.

 Once again, one of my daughters claimed this little bear.

 And finally, this little guy is my mascot. I made the hand puppet for a story time my daughter did at a book store, so now my little teddy wears it.

Bears

A teddy tale about two little bears.

It has been a long while since I have made a teddy bear. My head has been full of ideas, but I never seem to find the time to actually make them. The two teddy bears on this post were made last year, and were listed  for sale on my etsy store, but alas they did not find homes.

This little fellow was so much fun to create, he seemed to have a mind of his own and dictated the things he wanted to carry with him.

His little hand knitted hat has watch parts sewn to it.

On his belt he carries all sorts of useful thing, he can never be sure when he might need something, a light, key or button, so he is prepared.

He is even handy at mending his own socks.

How could anyone not be in love with that face?

He is a collector of useful things!

 Miss Scarlet is a real lady, and knows her own mind.

She is dressed in her very best dress,

With a ribbon for her head.

Her companion, little hare

wears a little bow with a rose and

his little white cotton tail.

I am hard at work on a new teddy bear.

 

 

 

Hello and Welcome to jannebears

I would like to start by showing you a few bears from the past. I have tried to pick a sampling of different teddies. Each one is unique in his or her own way.  I like to work with different fabrics and I use lots of recycled fabrics.  One of my favorite fabrics is recycled denim jeans.

Little Logan is made from recycled denim jeans and was tea dyed. I painted each of the jingle bells a different color and stitched them to a lace collar. I have always loved Logan's sweet face.

Lila was also made from recycled denim jeans, but I colored her in layers with fabric crayons. I made her dress and hat from a lilac sateen fabric, which I washed and deliberately wrinkled. I added an old lace bit with beads to her dress and hand stitched green ribbon around her armholes and waist. I made a fabric flower from the same fabric for her hat.

 

Pablo is also made from recycled denim jeans, but he has a longer nose and I found these vintage buttons and they were just right for the costume I had in mind for him.

Geoffrey and Chawcer are such a cute pair. I bought a wool blanket at the flea market and used the main color of the blanket for Chawcer's body color, and  the stripes at the end for the contrasting pieces. I added patches and vintage buttons along with a felt collar. I made Geoffrey from felt and hand  painted his spots with a marker. I used wooden wheels and dowel rods to give him mobility.

I love this pair and ended up giving them to my neice. Stanley, the elephant, is made from upholstery mohair. I knitted him a little sweater, with contrasting bands.  His companion Livingston is made from teddy bear mohair. I knitted him a sweater from the same yarn that was used for the contrast on Stanley's sweater. I also made him a little collar and tie and gave him glasses for an intellectual look.

Guinevere was also made from matted mohair, which I chose to leave matted. I made her a jumper from green felt that I had stamped with hearts. I sewed a pink blanket binding ribbon around the waist. I made her heart buttons from sculpy clay.

Ayiana was made from off white upholstery fabric. I stamped the fabric and hand colored the stamped images. I hand drew vines on her head and around her ears, then colored them. Her ribbon is black blanket binding with a vintage button for a clasp.

And last but not least, there is Alucard and Mina. You have probably guessed that Alucard is Dracula backwards. They are both made from black velvet upholstery fabric. Alucard's cape is made from black satin and lined with red. His nose is shadowed with red cotton and his eyes are backed with red felt, and you may have noticed his pointy ears. Mina has black felt wings and pipe cleaner claws.

Next time I will post some of my critters that I have been working on recently.