#eight bear

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Today is apparently National Teddy Bear Day…

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The Who bears are ready for Christmas!

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Looking back, I didn't make as many bears this year as I was intending to, but the ones I did create I’m really proud of.

Anne Bearleyn (whose head did unfortunately come off as I was making her):

Ace Bear Mark I:

Ace Bear Mark II (given to Sophie):

Seven Bear Mark II (for Sylvester):

Bush Bear Mark III and Eight Bear Mark II (for Paul):

I also completely remade the original Eight Bear’s NotD costume so that it was the same as the improved version I’d given to Paul (I think he must be on his third shirt, coat and waistcoat by now, plus his second lot of boots and gaiters):

I do intend at some point to make a Fifth Doctor bear and possibly a Sixie if I can get my head round trying to recreate that coat in miniature…

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I was so pleased with the way the Eight Bear I made for Paul turned out that I decided to completely remake the costume for the original with the same materials and alterations. The only thing he’s missing is the correct sonic; I don’t have enough grey felt left so he’s got my first attempt at the Dark Eyes version which I suppose means he’s temporarily Titan Comics Eight. 🙂

His previous outfits: #1 #2

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It took me a bit of work this afternoon, but Eight Bear’s wardrobe is now complete!

This one is a bit simpler than the others as there were only three pieces but it still had its challenges. The pleather I chose for the jacket feels lovely but was an absolute pig to topstitch; in the end I could only get it to move under the presser foot by encasing it in baking parchment. I had to make three collars because they kept going wrong; the final one has issues but I’m unfortunately stuck with it as I’d used all the fabric.

The jersey for the t-shirt I already had, as I make loads and there are always odd bits of material hanging about. It’s constructed in exactly the same way as full-sized ones, with a proper neck band:

The jacket, like his others, is fully-lined:

Worn like this it looks as though he’s auditioning for a part in Grease:

From the back:

Looking better. The bag is made from an oddment of oilcloth left over from one I ran up for my sister a couple of weeks ago:

Modelling the jacket with the rest of the NOTD outfit, a la the pic I posted the other day:

And facing off with Dennis the crochet Dalek, who has an unfortunate case of eye-stalk droop:

Eight Bear’s other outfits:

NOTD 1

NOTD 2

TVM

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Am going to order some dark blue pleather to make Eight Bear a Dark Eyes coat but can’t decide whether to make a beige Seven Bear with brown jacket or a brown one with beige jacket.

Any thoughts?

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Eight Bear went on a little adventure today. Unfortunately my handbag isn’t bigger on the inside but we managed.

He encountered strange alien creatures…

Interesting scenery…

“Are fezzes cool? Er… no. Not for me, at least!”

“I like this. Reminds me of the TARDIS!”

“Don’t think this bus is going anywhere…”

“Ah, a familiar face! Hello, old girl; long time, no see!”

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A change of outfit for Eight Bear, showing off his TVM look.

I’m going to say outright that I’m not entirely happy with the way this worked out. This costume is an absolute pain when it comes to figuring out what colour anything actually is. I’m firmly of the opinion that the coat is olive green, as it certainly appears that way in most photos of it on display and in the few times it’s seen in natural daylight. Unfortunately the only velvet I could get in that colour was stretch which, while being lovely to handle (so soft and silky!) is a bit of a pig to cut and sew. Especially when I was attaching it to a woven lining.

Unlike the NOTD coat I made from twill, this fabric has no structure at all. With hindsight I should have interfaced the lapels which might have made them behave a bit better; they’ll only stay folded back with the help of some stitches. The same goes for the collar, though I mucked that up by cutting it wider and then thinking “That’s too big”. Of course, I stupidly cut it down and now it keeps rolling over so I had to stitch that in place too. I also put the cuffs on upside down so the nap runs the wrong way. An elementary mistake, and I was so careful to put all the pieces facing the same way when I cut them out. Sigh.

The lining is brown paisley, as that’s what the real thing apparently has. It’s only spotted in one scene and again the exact colour is impossible to determine but that’s what it looks like to me. I did briefly consider ordering the same fabric in green but then decided to just go with what I already had. The coat is fully lined. I went back and lined the sleeves on the other coat because the raw seams were bothering me.

The waistcoat is made from the same lining fabric in beige. It was the closest I could get and works well enough. It’s the first time I’ve attempted a shawl collar and it wasn’t completely successful. It’s lined with the same satin charmeuse I used for the cravat. The shirt is the same as for the NOTD outfit; I just turned the collar up and it works fine.

Overall, I’m sort of happy but not ecstatic with the result. I might redo the coat at some point if it annoys me enough. I may also get some blue pleather and finish his wardrobe off with a Dark Eyes pea coat, but for now I’ve got to do some sewing for myself!