DIY: Bear softie.

When I first started sewing a few years ago, one thing that frustrated me was that I didn't feel I could be  very creative with it. There seemed to be so much measuring and marking and cutting perfect lines and following rigid patterns. But once I got the basics down, I found that there's actually lots of opportunity to think outside the box or sew outside the lines, so to speak.

So here's an example... this little friend. He's assymetrical, his face is lopsided, and his left leg is stitched together pretty haphazardly. And he wasn't even made using a pattern! But Liam got sooo excited about him as soon as he got his hands on him, and that made this mama pretty happy. All that to say, this is a project that can't fail. As wonky as your softie gets, as long as it's still huggable, it's ok!

While I didn't use a pattern, I'll show you the steps so you can easily make your own. As an aside, I will say I had about an hour to come up with this and actually make him (and photograph it along the way). If and when I do another bear, I promise to fatten him up a bit. This one got a little skinny for my taste.

I started by sketching out my ideas. The one on the left was cute with its own suspenders and shorts, but way too complex for my time frame. The one on the right was simple enough. I then sketched it out on a larger sheet of interfacing to make a very loose pattern. I chose to use striped linen and went ahead and cut out both body pieces (without the ears) all at one time with my rotary cutter.

Once I had the body pieces cut out, I cut a white felt oval for the muzzle and stitched it on with the sewing machine. I also attached safety eyes (purchased on Etsy) that bolt into the fabric so that little people can't pull them out and choke on them.

Next I worked on the ears, starting with a very loose pattern made from interfacing (from the original drawing). I cut two pieces for each ear, stitched them together with one side open, then turned them.

I then pinned the ears to the top of the head and worked on the nose and mouth with my sewing machine. I basically used my machine to outline the nose and mouth then went back and forth over it several times to fill it in. I also stitched on a belly of white felt.

Finally, I pinned the two body pieces right sides together (with the ears tucked inside) and stitched all the way around. I did leave a 3-inch space on one leg to be able to turn the bear and stuff it with filling. I then stuffed him, stitched the hole closed, and added a bow tie from my shop. 

So as you can see, he's far from perfect. But I'm pretty sure my little guy could care less. He's got yummy ears to gnaw on, a bow tie to grab, and a neck to hug.