FREE PDF BEAR MAKING FABRICS CHEAT SHEET

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Hi, I’m Laura Lynn of www.TeddiesbyLauraLynn.com  and www.TeddyBearAcademy.net .  I’d like to introduce you to the Beginners Guide to Bear Making Fabrics.

I’m going to start this guide with a few faux fur fabrics that I found at my local fabric store.  I have found that my local fabric store does not have a very large selection of fur fabrics and that most of them are not suitable for making quality teddy bears.  Every once in a while, though, you can sometimes find a great fabric to work with.  The video above will show you which fabrics I found suitable for making teddy bears.

A step up from the fabric store furs are the teddy bear fabrics from an online shop called www.CrsCrafts.com.  They have a large selection of synthetic faux furs, but I have found that I prefer those that start at about $17 per yard.  My three favorite fake furs at this supplier are “teddy bear short”, “cubby short”, and “teddy bear”.  I show them in the video as well.

Ultra-premium synthetic faux fur fabrics can be found at specialty bear making supply shops.  The cost ranges from $100-$300 per yard.  These furs are very thick.  I recommend them for someone who has a little experience with trimming faces.  These are so soft you would think you are touching real fur!

The very first teddy bears ever made were created out of a fabric called mohair.  Mohair fabric is made from the sheared wool of the Angora goat.  The fiber is spun and then woven onto a cotton backing.  Because mohair is a natural fabric, it comes in many colors, finishes and lengths.

It can be straight, wavy, curly or a number of other finishes.  It comes on a woven backing so it does not stretch out of shape.   I like working with mohair the best.  I find it the easiest bear making fabric to work with and it comes in the widest variety of appearances.  I show you a sample of some of the mohair that I happen to have in my mohair fabric stash.

Finally, we need to discuss the fabric you use for your teddy bear’s paw pads.  The first teddy bears had wool felt paw pads and many of today’s bear makers use wool felt as well.  I recommend using wool felt, and not the cheap thin acrylic felt.  You can find some wool felt at your local fabric store and also online.

Another material often used for paw pads is called Ultrasuede.  It is a made made suede like material and comes in a wide range of colors.  You can find Ultrasuede at teddy bear making supply shops.  Because it is a synthetic material, it cannot be dyed at home.

FREE PDF BEAR MAKING FABRICS CHEAT SHEET

Click Here for Your Cheat Sheet