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Inserting Eyes - Bear Talk Factsheet
INSERTING EYES
By: Gerry's Teddy & Craft Designs
Every bear deserves to see. Inside his/her furry body is a soul waiting to be brought to life. The illusion of life begins with the right choice of eyes. With a multitude of sizes, colours and textures to choose from his expression is in your hands.
Inserting Bear Eyes
Safety eyes must be attached before the head is stuffed so it is difficult to determine the correct position. To assist you in determining the suitable position I would suggest that you.
1. Stuff the head lightly.
2. Using test eyes determine the best position for the eyes.
3. With a graduated awl make a hole at each eye position.
4. Unstuff the head.
5. Insert the shaft of the safety eye into the hole and then push the metal back down onto the shaft.
HINT: To make this job easier place the end of a cotton real against the metal back then tap the cotton reel with a hammer so that the eye shaft slips up into the cotton reel and the metal back is pushed down firmly. Unfortunately safety eyes sit on the surface and do not help to enhance the shape of the bear’s head. If you are not happy with the shape of your finished bear with safety eyes, why not try a little needle sculpture. See previous article for needle sculpture techniques. Small stitches beside the eye will not be noticed.
Glass eyes should not be stitched in like a button, they will wobble around. These eyes must be tied in so that the wire loop slips down in behind the fabric and the eye sits snugly on the surface. For insertion of glass eyes the head is stuffed first. You will need a long doll needle, a graduated awl and suitable strong thread such as waxed dental floss, upholstery thread or artificial sinew. A graduated awl is an invaluable tool when making the hole needed for the wire loop to slip into. This awl has a sharp point, which gets wider as it progresses up the handle. This allows you to push the awl in to make a reasonable sized hole by separating the weave of the fabric without breaking too many threads.
Important: The wire loop on the glass eyes is not meant to be squeezed in. Common sense tells me that if I squeeze in that loop I will more than likely dislodge the wire in the glass and this can lead to either the eye breaking or the wire slipping out of the glass. It is much better to use a graduated awl and make a little bigger hole. If you do squeeze in the wire do so very gently and only minimal.
HINT: To help prevent wire breaking out of back of eyes put a dob of super glue on the back of the eye and allow to dry before inserting. There are many and varied ways for attaching glass eyes and some are more detailed than others. I will give you a few simple techniques which I know work and will assist you to enhance the look of your bears. Do experiment, as alternative techniques may assist you to create a different look.
OPTION 1.
a) Thread one glass eye onto a long piece of dental floss or chosen thread. Put the two ends together and thread onto a long doll needle. (I have not found it necessary to knot the thread behind the loop but that is up to you).
b) Pass the needle into head at one eye position exiting at lower back of head.
c) Remove threads from the needle and let them hang until next eye is positioned.
d) Thread second eye onto another piece of dental floss, position that eye with needle exiting a short distance from the first threads.
e) Remove needle and pull on both sets of threads, tying them off against each other in a reef knot. To enhance your bears face shape and create a dip for each eye socket it will help if a friend pushes in on the eyes firmly while you tie them off.
f) After tying off, thread all 4 threads onto the needle, pass the needle into head right beside the knot coming out somewhere at the back of head. Pull on threads to sink the knot. Brush up fur over knot and then cut off surplus threads. The little dint at lower back of the head is not usually noticed. Many of the old/antique bears had their eyes attached in this way.
OPTION 2.
a) For this technique eyes are tied in on a continuous thread. Thread a long piece of your chosen thread onto a long doll needle.
b) Starting at lower back of head pass the needle in and across head exiting at first eye position.
c) Pass needle through loop at back of eye.
d) Return needle into the same eyehole, across to second eye position.
e) Exit at second eye position and pass needle through loop of second eye.
f) Pass needle back into eyehole, across head and out a short distance from first thread.
g) Tie off and sink knot as for first option.
OPTION 3.
a) Starting at lower side of head, fix end of thread securely, pass the needle up to eye position on opposite side.
b) Thread needle through eye loop, then back into eyehole and across to second eye position.
c) Thread needle through second eye loop and then back into head exiting on opposite side and finishing off securely.
OPTION 4.
Start and finish at ear positions crossing the threads to opposite eye positions. Ear stitching will hide starting and finishing stitches.
OPTION 5.
Eyes can alternatively be positioned before the head is attached to the bear. This means that you will have to use a jointing method which allows you to stuff the headfirst. (ie grub joint or cotter pin joint).
a) Stuff the head firmly and then to insert eyes you may follow the steps for either option 1 or option 2, but tying off in the centre of the neck opening. The threads will be knotted around the stuffing in the neck opening. Continue to draw the neck in and joint as usual.
OR
b) After head joint is inserted tie off neck gathering with long double thread leaving 4 threads after tying. Separatethreads into 2 pairs (one pair to secure each eye). Thread along needle with one pair of eye threads. Pass needle out toedge of disc and then up through the head to eye position.Thread eye on to needle and then pass needle back into eyehole and back to starting point. Repeat with second eye thentie pairs of threads off tightly with a reef knot and loose tailsinto head. Alternatively you may use the same principle butcross the threads over as they pass through the head.There are other techniques which I often employ for special effects,but we shall try to cover them at a later date.
HINTS FOR FUN WITH EYES
Hint 1: Has your bear been fighting again? Does he need a black eye? Simple – cut a round piece of black fur fabric or felt a little larger than the eye and when attaching eyes first pass the needle through the circle of fabric so that it sits behind the eye.
Hint 2: The same may be done with a piece of white felt and then trim the felt on one side so that the eye white is larger on one side than the other. This gives the effect of his glancing to the side.
Hint 3: A little leather or felt glued over the top half of the eyes will create eyelids. Position high or low over the eye depending how sleepy your bear is.
Hint 4: Half a false eyelash glued to the top half of the back of the eye before inserting creates a glamorous Miss.
Hint 5: Eyelash can also be glued under the edge of the eyelid so that it peeps out of the half closed eye. I do hope that you have lots of fun giving your bears character.
Important - Read This: This information is intended to provide general information only which may not be applicable to your particular circumstances. You agree to access this information at your own risk and that First Point Media is not liable to you for the content of the information or any reliance by you on this information.
