Vintage McCall's Pattern #4714 / Bear Family and Clothes
I have made tons of these - VERY easy. They are washable, too.
I make the fist one about 40 years ago for my son. He broke out in a rash from the fuzzy stuff on stuffed animals. I didn't want a doll for him so I made a Daddy bear. Then he wanted a Mommy bear. Then a baby bear. He wore them out. He made stories. He hauled them EVERYWHERE. The baby bear fit in DH's back pocket for emergencies.
Thanks Miriam! I found a Google image of it, they're cute but that's not quite the type of bear I have in mind - that looks a lot like the type of stuffie I make when I make my own "patterns" (using the term very loosely), and I want something that looks more like the bears she has in her collection. I want a "snouty-face" bear, if that makes sense....?
I picked up a Simplicity pattern on my way home from work yesterday. I cut the pieces out this morning...it doesn't look too hard. It looks like the same one that IrishgalfromNJ posted - different picture but same bunny, dog, bear set of critters. (It's downstairs and I'm too lazy to go get it to compare the numbers.) I'll make one in muslin and see how I like it, it's face might still be too rounded off for what I want to make. I am getting a feeling that the type of face I want is not found on beginner patterns, but maybe I can cobble something together. And I wish the ears sat in differently too. I might need to give up the "easy pattern" idea if I want to make what I have in my head.
Store-bought patterns confuse me, for some reason, and I read the entire pattern and I generally think I'm pretty smart so it annoys the crap out of me that I am still lost. :D I don't speak the language and the way they describe things and the things they leave out don't make sense to me - I get all turned around. Even this simple one has some details that are a little perplexing but I figure they're not critical - or I'll find that out when I make my muslin bear! Oh well, no time like the present to learn something new, right? LOL
madamekelly
03-28-2015 10:29 AM
When making "stuffies", I always shorten the stitch length. It helps when stuffing not to see gaps in the seams.
miriam
03-28-2015 01:01 PM
Try finding a vintage pattern. I don't know why but they really did write the instructions better than the new ones. Then do it one step at a time. Don't skip steps. If you get hung up on a step shoot a pic of the instructions and a pic of what is going wrong for you. Maybe we can all help you figure it out.
mjhaess
03-28-2015 01:06 PM
I like Simplicity patterns....
palmetto girl
03-28-2015 03:20 PM
www.howjoyful.comm has a nice one haven't made it yet. I just printed out pattern.
Billie G
03-28-2015 03:23 PM
I have used "CAROLS ZOO" bear- rabbit -dog. by simplicity, I think. 2 pattern pieces. Each is 1/2 of front. 1/2 of back. Cut 2 each & sew center seam, same with the back. Sew front to back together & stuff thru center back. Very easy. I've made them out of fake fur as well as cotton and like a crazy quilt pattern. So fun to make. Good luck.
Sometimes if you go into the pattern websites, they have " out of print" patterns. They are sold by current prices, how ever.
Eleanor Burns' Christmas at Bear Paw Ranch book has a teddy bear pattern in it. I made 4 of them. They were easy to do when following the instructions. Made a really cute teddy. I'm sure you could find a used one on Amazon. Good luck in your search.
