the show must go on, nevertheless

The five sets of bear parts photographed at the end of August (for heaven's sake) are gradually achieving their potential. There was some mis-ordering of joints and eyes, and a general loss of stamina over the last three weeks since Queenie went missing..the black dog snapped at my heels but i am rallying. If anyone's going to home a BovisBear, Christmas must be a likely time so i am cracking on.

This is a lovely medium to long length faux fur. I used glass eyes made sparkly with a metallic paint which shine beautifully in the dark thick fur. Lot of heart-in-mouth scissor sculpting around the muzzle and eyes and paws.

These curly bears can't keep still - really hard to get a focussed picture of them. I'm still tinkering with my patterns but think i've got the heads right now; i'm pleased with the longer muzzles and this boy even has cheekbones.

However i think i am placing the hind legs too far apart. All of the five appear to have rickets when standing. Luckily bears spend most of their time on all fours or having a sit-down.

 These bears are 20 inches tall. I need to re-work the body pattern as i found i had to set the heads further back into the hump section otherwise they hung woefully. Much breaking of cotter pins and undoing and re-sewing of the head joint - almost reduced to tears! i wonder if i should use a lighter stuffing for the heads instead of the heavy stuffing? Presumably old bears had/have Excelsior fillings, wood-wool.

I have made a return to traditional teddy-bear front paw shape for a little while. I saw a photograph of an old bear and felt nostalgic. Not certain if my realistic front paws are appreciated. I haven't given up my ambitions to make bear-like teddy bears; i shall start again (concurrently with larger teds) but on a much smaller scale.

   I have also been making knitted bears now that knitting season is upon us.

Here are 3 miniature woollen bear bodies and their respective limbs in a pile beside them. I shall give them button joints.

And here is a frankly monstrous bear knitted in a chunky wool blend, quite tight with 4mm needles in moss stitch (seed stitch if you're American). It's actually a nice mustardy golden colour in daylight but becomes this dirty orange in lamplight. I feel as though i've been knitting him forever - had no idea (until it was too late) that he would be this big - 26 inches! I have to order bigger eyes!!

This is one of the last pictures i took of Queenie, before she disappeared, playing on the rooftops with Uncle Boris and NoNo (who misses her.) I'm still leafleting the area and knocking on doors and I've met some very kind people; there are now many pairs of eyes looking for our girl.