Classes updated

April 10, 2013

I have now listed all the mohair bear making workshops and mohair/needle felted hedgehog workshop dates up to the end of September in my events calendar. These are getting booked up fast but I can add more dates if neccessary. If you would like to book for any of these either contact me direct or message me on facebook www.facebook.com/thethingaboutbears or contact the shop www.theswanstitchshop.co.uk  I have also listed the May needle felting class dates.

Be great to hear any comments you have for the website or the facebook page…

Bears, Classes, Crafts, general, needle felting, new projects , ,

Little Hedgehog

March 29, 2013

It seems like everything I am making lately is for a present for someone but I love giving and making people happy.

My lovely friend Maureen told me a while ago that she absolutely loves hedgehogs. They are her favourite. So, one day when I was looking for mohair fabric for my bears, I spotted this fantastic hedgehog mohair, and decided there and then that I would have a go at making her one. I bought a small piece and got really excited when it arrived as it looked exactly like hedgehog prickles. I didn’t have time to make her the hedgehog for Christmas but decided to make it for her birthday which happens to be Easter Sunday this year.

I drew out a rough picture of how I thought he should look and separated it into pattern pieces for  prickles and white mohair. It looked really odd. Especially the white bit. More like a sea lion. But I decided to cut it and sew it anyway. It worked! I couldnt wait to stuff him and add his needle felted face and feet. And little hedgie (as I have been calling him) was soon born. I realised, when he was finished that the pattern needed tweaking slightly for future hedgehogs but I was happy with my first attempt.

I made a little box for him to sit in instead of wrapping him and gave him to Maureen yesterday.

 

Maureen was absolutely thrilled with him and text me this morning to tell me again that she loved him to bits. She took him along to my needle felting class last night and he got a very good reaction from everyone. I have already had requests to teach a hedgehog class so look out for details in the near future if you are interested.

I made her birthday card too which was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest. For anyone who hasn’t yet seen the wonders of Pinterest you should really give it a go. It is an online website where, if you see anything you like you pin it onto a board of your own. Why not sign up and follow me. I can do all the hard work for you then, of finding all these wonderful things, then you just need to repin them from me. Give it a go but beware,  it’s addictive. Handmade bithday cardThanks for reading xx

Bears, Crafts, needle felting, new projects , , ,

Another Bear Making Class

March 17, 2013

Well, we had another successful bear making class today. It was a very enjoyable and relaxed day and everyone was very pleased with their little bears that they have created. Everyone today wants to make more so there will definitely be more bear making classes coming up in the next few months. I will need to arrange at least four more classes. Probably in May, June, July and August.

 

 

Bears, Classes

Bear making workshop

March 3, 2013

 

 

There are certainly a lot of talented people out there and I had another five of them yesterday at my second bear making class. Everyone had a lovely day and went home with a very special friend. They were so thrilled with them that they want to do more so I will be adding more dates for bear making workshops soon. But enough about that, let’s see those gorgeous bears.

 

Well done everyone and thank you for an enjoyable day!

xx

Bears, Classes, Crafts, general

Mohair Bear making class

February 19, 2013

Well we survived the first bear making class. It is amazing how much preparation went into it. Buttercup the Bear

It is the first time I have cut out 14 bears in one go before. Cutting out is the worst bit of bear making, I think.

The bear everyone was making was based on Buttercup’s pattern approximately 13 inches. Made with ratinee curly mohair.

The class started at 9am and by lunchtime everyone had sewn all the pieces and had a cute bear face staring up at them.

 After hours of work there were five new bears born.

 Everyone fell in love with their creations.

Now everyone just needs to decide whether they have created a boy or a girl and make clothes or give their bear a nice bow to suit. So well done everyone. I think everyone enjoyed it and there is already talk of making more bears so these five little bears could soon have little friends sat beside them.

Thanks for reading

 

Bears, Classes, Crafts, new projects

Needle Felting Classes

January 21, 2013

I’ve been going to Scrapbooking classes at Swanstitch in Deal, run by Anita. You can check out her blog – it’s great! I took some of my needle felting along with me one day and a few people expressed an interest in Needle Felting. Anita, the owner of the shop, asked if I would be interested in teaching a Needle Felting class. After much umming and erring I decided to give it a go thinking it would be fine and that I would probably only have a couple of people there but after advertising the class to her mailing list, Anita soon had a full class of 11 booked for me. Well… to say I was a bit nervous is an understatement, but I went and gave it a go.

The First Class

It was very quiet for the first four minutes as everyone concentrated on stabbing their felting needles into the wool roving and then the first yelp of pain was heard. Stabbing fingers is a hazard of this otherwise enjoyable hobby. If you have ever seen a felting needle with its very long sharp point with barbs on it, you will feel our pain. Anyway, soon everyone had an adorable little face of a teddy bear staring up at them and there was a lot of oohing and ahhhhing as everyone fell in love with their creations. By the end of the 2-part class, everyone had finished their first Needle Felted bear and were very pleased. Since then my needle felting class has become a regular thing.

Future Classes

My next needle felting class is this Thursday evening but is fully booked. I have a few new people coming but my regulars want to make the hedgehog.  If you would like to come along to a class, pop in to the shop Swanstitch in Deal and put your name down or give them a ring on 01304 366915.

The class fee is £7 from 7pm-10pm, and includes tea or coffee and biscuits. Bring your own needle felting things with you, or buy them in the shop when you arrive.

I am doing 3 mohair bear workshops during February and March on either a Saturday or Sunday from 9am -5pm The three classes so far are fully booked, but if I get enough people to do another day, I will. If you are interested, pop in to Swanstitch in Deal or phone the shop 01304 366915 and put your name down. The bear we will be making is based on Buttercup.

Bears, Classes, Crafts, needle felting
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