A felt bear is soft enough to give a child.
Make a felt fisherman bear who enjoys the patient sport of waiting for the fish to bite. Felt is soft and easy enough for beginner sewers to finish a bear in about an hour. Natural wool felt is ideal for this craft, because it does not break up easily after cutting into it, unlike acrylic. Find a simple pattern to construct the bear and then add a fisherman's vest so he is ready to catch the prized big one.
Instructions
1. Print out a free template bear pattern from websites such as Canadian Living or Glue-It using your computer's printer and printer paper. The Canadian Living pattern comes with a vest pattern, which is useful for your fisherman's vest. Cut out the template with scissors.
2. Pin the pattern onto the blue felt. Your bear can be crafted in any color. Cut out two bears with the pattern. Lightly mark two dots for the eyes side-by-side on one of the faces of the cut-out bears using a pencil.
3. Thread your sewing needle and tie at knot at the end. Hold a bead on top of one of the eye dots. Push the needle through the felt and into the bead. Take the needle back into the felt and pull it down. Push the needle back up through the felt and into the bead. Take the needle into the felt again. Tie a knot on the back side of the felt and cut off the excess thread. Repeat with the other bead for the other eye.
4. Your bear is constructed with only two pieces.
Pin both bears together with the beaded eyes on top. Thread your embroidery needle with embroidery floss. Stitch around your bear. Embroidery floss is a decorative thick thread and is stitched right side out, rather than inside out. Leave an open section at least two inches wide for stuffing.
5. Stuff your bear with filling, then stitch up the rest of the bear with the embroidery floss. Tie a knot and cut off any excess floss. Measure the bear's neckline to just below his waist to construct a fisherman's vest. Measure the distance from hip to hip.
6. Fisherman wear vests to hold their equipment.
Cut out two rectangle shapes using your measurements to form a vest. Pin them to the bear's back and chest so they sandwich the bear evenly. Cut a "V" shape onto the front of the bear just below his neck to form the vest. Cut down the center of the front of the vest to make it look realistic. Pin the pieces in place.
7. Sew the vest's seams while the bear is wearing it with embroidery floss and needle. Sew the sides and shoulders, leaving the front open, or you can sew it down also.
8. Feather lures are used in fly fishing.
Cut the tip of a red feather to create a 1/2-inch fishing lure for the bear's vest. Hold it onto the top side of the vest. Thread your embroidery needle with black floss. Push the needle into the vest from underneath the feather. Take the floss over the feather and back into the felt twice. Tie a knot on the underside of the vest and trim off excess floss.
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