A couple of weeks ago I found a sad, old, cheap and badly made teddy that the kids had convinced me to buy many years ago because he was very cute. He had been made from thin blue and white gingham, which was no longer white, and had a huge hole which wasn’t worth repairing because of the thinness of his fabric. I’d kept him despite his state because I’d always planned to unpick him and draft a pattern. So I finally did.
However it quickly became obvious to me that there was no way I was going to be able to recreate him in his original size. There was no way that my fingers and sewing machine foot were going to be able to fit in his little head and I am in awe of the skill of the person who stitched him. Also, I wanted my version to be large enough to feature some machine embroidery, and in the future, if all goes to plan I’d like to create a crazy patchwork version. So I drafted up a slightly taller and larger pattern.
So the fun began.
I scanned the pattern pieces into my digitising software so that I could create cutting and stitching lines, did so, and then created and placed the embroidery.
This pink and white gingham is quite old and has little hearts and golden stitches through it. I presume my mother bought it to make something for me as a baby, but it may be more recent, not sure on that.
Make I, the teddy in the middle with the blue heart had very short stumpy legs and didn’t look like I wanted him too. Also, his seams were way too tiny and I had trouble stitching him together.
Make II, the teddy to the left’s legs were too long and his arms too small, so I made those alterations, and added a ¼ inch (6.35mm) seam allowance.
Make III, the teddy with the red heart, still needs some minor tweaks, which include moving his heart a little higher as once he was stuffed it was obvious that it was way too low, but is getting pretty close to the design I’m looking for. I also need to work on the way his neck and nose are constructed as they are still quite fiddly to stitch and I think I will also reshape his head as it looks a little too puffy now it is stuffed. But he is well on the way to a final version.
All these alterations mean he isn’t as small and cute, or anything like the original but I’m ok with that, I’d rather make my own design anyway.
Elizabeth Sorić 