Before we get too far into the post, I do need to apologize for being so slow in answering comments and emails this week. I wish I had a glamorous reason-- like a week's vacation in Hawaii, but the truth has more to do with kitchen appliances spontaneously going on strike and unreliable repair persons. Hopefully we'll have everything squared away soon, and I'll be able to catch up this weekend.
Ok... back to bears! Since this was such a simple project, I don't have pictures of the steps like I normally do. Keep in mind, my kiddos are 2 and 3, so
Sewing Instructions:
1. I downloaded a free teddy bear sewing pattern from Bev's Country Cottage and cut it out on the solid line.2. I had the kids pick out fabric from my scrap pile. Together we pinned the pattern to the fabric, and made sure our 'scrap piece' was large enough. I was surprised at how interested they were in this part (and going through my scrap pile). We talked about how some fabric were rough and some were smooth. In the end they chose satin for one side and quilting cotton for the other.
3. With wrong sides together, I cut and sewed the fabric of the bears together. This part took a little longer than the kid would have liked, but they tried their best to be patient.
4. Then we stuffed! The kids had so much fun with this! After that, it's just a matter of using the sewing machine to close up the small hole left for stuffing the bear.
Tips:
- With kids, safety is paramount. I didn't turn on the iron at all, and made sure both kids stayed close to me while the sewing machine was on.
- Moving around during the sewing process helped a lot. My scrap pile was upstairs, and then we moved downstairs for the sewing and then back out to the living room for the 'bear stuffing'. I know not everyone has the same setup, but even just taking a short break can help toddlers get their wiggles out.
- Both of my kids (2 and 3) were happy and excited about sewing the teddy bears and seemed to understand that they were toys made from fabric. After the bears were stuffed, though, my daughter was absolutely distraught when I tried to stuff her new friend underneath my presser foot. I ended up having to finish her bear when she napped. That's also why I skipped embroidering a face on the bears. Just something to be prepared for!
This was a great quick sewing project that had very little actual sewing (the perfect kind for kids!) Unlike some of my other sewing projects, the kids use these little bears everyday-- and it makes me so happy!
And if you want to make these bears with free fabric; today is the last day to enter the Ribbon Retreat giveaway. I'll be announcing a winner tomorrow morning!