 Bear essentials
To really know your teddy inside out, you need to learn about the bits that make up a bear!
Early and traditional bears had plush mohair coats, with felt pads on their paws. The mouth, nose and claws would be stitched from wool and the eyes made from boot buttons or glass. Old teddies were stuffed using wood-wool, and kapok (a sort of silky down from the kapok plant, also known as Java cotton). They would also have a type of growling mechanism in their tummies. The arms, legs and neck could be moved at the joints, which were made from card pieces and metal pins.
Most modern bears have synthetic plush coats (fake fur) and eyes made of plastic. The fibre used to stuff them is usually synthetic, and some have plastic squeakers for voices. There are fewer jointed teddies now because they are more expensive and more difficult to produce. Modern teddies also have to comply with strict safety regulations!
However, there are many variations on the basic bear pattern. A simple teddy can be made from a cotton cut-out, stuffed with scraps of material or wool.
Click on one of these terrific teddies and print it out and colour it in.
|
