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Trapunto (Padded) paws Applieque Paw Pads Pinced / Pulled Toes Waxing Noses
Trapunto (Padded) paws Applieque Paw Pads Pinced / Pulled Toes Waxing Noses
By: Gerry's Teddy & Craft Designs
WAXING NOSES
Many of the old antique bears had their noses waxed to create a smooth shiny appearance. Waxing a nose can also help to make the nose stitching sit down more snugly and evenly. There are various techniques and various degrees of waxing depending on the look which you require. To follow are a few simple techniques which are worth experimenting with.
EXPERIMENT 1. Try using the coarse pre waxed thread to stitch your nose. It comes in black or dark brown and has an aged look. Although it is thinner and means a little extra stitching, (you may wish to use it double) an interesting effect can be achieved.
EXPERIMENT 2. Waxing your own thread before stitching the nose. Take a length of perle thread that is a little thicker than you would normally use for the nose to be stitched. While holding a small block of bees wax in one hand draw the thread across the wax block and continue to repeat the process until the thread is well coated with bees wax.
The perle thread will end up considerably thinner than when you started thus the reason for using a thicker thread to start. Now you are ready to begin stitching your bears nose with the waxed thread. When completed you may wish to buff up the nose by rubbing over it firmly with a piece of clean white paper.
EXPERIMENT 3. Waxing a nose on completion is quite simple and you may wish to try it at sometime. To do so follow the following steps:-
1. Place a small block or pot of good quality bee’s wax into an old cup or dish.
2. Place container into the microwave on a high setting until the wax has melted. It may take a little while to melt, up to 5 minutes on high setting.
3. When wax has melted, take a cotton bud and quickly dipping it into the liquid wax apply a little to your completed nose. Not too much as it is better to gradually build up than to have the wax caked on too heavily. An old toothbrush can help to spread wax down in between the nose stitches but is not absolutely necessary.
4. Next take a piece of clean white paper and rub the nose firmly. This will buff the wax while at the same time smoothing down the stitches and giving a sheen to the nose.
5. If necessary repeat the steps until the desired effect has been received.
Hint: A little sticky tape around the edge of the nose will prevent over zealous spreading of wax onto surrounding fur pile.
TRAPUNTO (PADDED) PAW PADS
1. Trace paw pad pattern onto template plastic or glue pattern onto cardboard and cut out a template. Also cut
out design which is to be stitched and padded on the centre area of pad.
2. Placing template onto calico, trace around, marking outside edge and also centre design.
3. Place marked calico against paw pad fabric (wrong sides together) and machine sew the two together on lines marking the centre design. Sewing machine should be placed on a very small stitch so that it is easier to stitch around curves. Do not reverse when starting and finishing but pull all threads to calico side and tie off. This will give a smoother finish on right side of paw.
4. When stitching is completed on centre design, zig zag around just inside the outside line of pad.
5. Cut out paw pad on the outside line.
6. Paw pad is now ready to be stitched into foot. This will be easier if stitching line is first marked onto calico side of pad. To do this cut a new template without the seam, then trace around this template marking the stitching line.
7. Pin pad into foot matching centre front of foot with front seam of leg and centre back of pad and leg.
8. Stitch into place, calico side up, – a small stitch will make it easier to navigate the curves.
9. You are now ready to stuff the small central areas of the paw pads. Make a small slit in the centre of each area to be filled.
10. Before stuffing, a little fray stopper on the edges of the slits will avoid fraying. On a small bear this is best done by dipping tooth pick or a small stick into the fray stopper and applying to the edge.
11. Stuff pad areas firmly with a mini stuffing stick or kebab stick. If slit is small it will not be necessary to stitch the opening.
12. Turn leg or arm to right side and it is ready for jointing and stuffing. When foot or paw is stuffed firmly it will push the padded areas out even further.
APPLIQUE PAW PADS
An alternative technique for creating a contrast colour or padded paw pad is with applique. Often the contrast colour required is very small and would be extremely fiddley to undertake. In this case applique is a more simplistic technique. After stuffing the arm or leg, from felt, ultra suede, leather or velvet, cut out the shapes to be attached to the paw pad from felt, and glue into place. They can be then left at this stage or you may wish to applique around the edges t prevent fraying. As the edge is being stitched you may wish to push a little stuffing under to create a padded effect. The contrast patches for a Panda’s face can also be applied in a similar way. Cut out the patch, attach and stitch, before setting in the eye.
PINCHED OR PULLED TOES
First stuff the paws and feet so that they are sill bouncy. Do not close the seam.
1. Thread a long piece of strong upholstery thread with a few knots in the end and of the desired colour, onto a long doll needle.
2. Pass the needle in through the opening, down through the leg or arm and out at centre tip of paw on the edge of the seam.
3. Take a long stitch into the paw pad and bring the needle back out on edge of seam about 5mm to 7mm away depending on the size of the bear.
4. Continue to take stitches pulling up and holding the tension as you work around the foot.
5. After the long stitches have been made make a row of short stitches across the foot pad by passing the needle in at the back of a toe and exiting at the front beside the seam then taking a very short stitch as the needle enters
again and passes back to the base of the next toe. This final pulling from the front to back of the toes will bunch them up and create a padded effect. It is important to keep the tension on the whole time you are stitching. Finish
by knotting off in the mohair on the top or side of foot.
6. Embroider claws on the font of toes with a strand of D.M.C. thread. Trapunto pads, applique pads and pinched toes all help to give character to your bears.
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