Make Hershy: A Mink Teddy Bear
Mink • Preparing coats • Slow Stitching
A bumper photo guide to working with mink and creating a face full of character.
There is a lovely moment in bear making when the face begins to emerge.
Beneath the fur, a curved cheek takes shape. The eyes settle into place. A few careful adjustments bring an expression that feels entirely its own.
Hershy, Module Eight of Beauty in Bear Making, explores that process through a mink bear project, with step-by-step photographs, written instructions and the matching pattern.
Created by Helen Gleeson of Bare Cub Designs, this bumper guide shares techniques developed through years of making award-winning artist bears.
From recycled mink to a character of your own
Working with mink introduces different considerations from working with woven-backed bear fabrics.
The condition of the leather, the direction of the fur and the way you handle each piece all influence the making.
Hershy takes you through preparing recycled fur, backing and cutting your pieces, sewing and turning, then gradually revealing the features beneath the pile.
You can follow the project a little at a time, returning to the photographs whenever you need a closer look.
What you’ll explore
Preparing and handling mink
Learn what to look for when assessing the leather of a recycled fur garment, how to separate usable panels and how to support the backing with fine muslin.
The guide also covers cutting carefully to preserve the fur pile and handling the leather gently during turning.
Sewing and assembling your bear
Follow the construction of the body, arms, legs, foot pads and head.
Explore stuffing, jointing, closing seams and lifting trapped fur to create a neat finish.
Scissor-sculpting the face
Work through a detailed sequence for shaping the brow, eye sockets, muzzle and rounded cheeks.
Learn to trim in small layers, establish the boundaries of each feature and check the head from several angles as the expression develops.
Eyes and finishing details
Explore the button-eye method, keeping fur clear as you secure the eyes and checking their depth and balance.
Continue with mouth embroidery, nose-area shading, nose attachment, ear placement and final grooming.
Skills to carry into future bears
Hershy gives you a project through which to practise techniques you can return to.
Observing fur direction, balancing features, positioning eyes and refining a face from several angles can inform other bears you make.
The pattern can also be explored in mohair, alpaca or suitable synthetic fur. Each material will produce a different result, and mink-specific preparation and trimming need adapting to the fabric you choose.
As you become familiar with the methods, you can experiment with how they suit other patterns and your own developing style.
A small lesson in looking before trimming
Before trimming a bear’s face, take a moment to study it.
Gently separate the fur so you can identify the head gusset and the adjoining side pieces. Notice which way the fur grows, then turn the head to view the front, profile and underside.
Choose one small area to work on first.
Remove a little, pause and look again. Working gradually gives you time to understand how each change affects the surrounding features.
The rounded character of a face develops through many small decisions.
What’s included with Hershy?
A 42-page digital guide.
Step-by-step photographs and written explanations.
The matching Hershy bear pattern.
Tools and materials guidance.
General construction instructions.
Detailed mink preparation and face-sculpting guidance.
Eye-setting, mouth, shading, ear-placement and grooming techniques.
Materials and tools are gathered separately.
Some methods refer to other modules in the collection, including the Snuggle guide’s button-eye method and the polymer-clay nose guidance in Module Four. These companion modules are also included in the full Studio.
Take your time with the making
Hershy is a detailed project to approach in manageable stages.
One day might be for choosing and preparing your fur. Another might hold a seam, a foot pad or a few minutes studying the face.
Allow yourself time to become familiar with the materials. When something feels awkward, put it down, look again and return with a gentler touch.
Each bear will reflect your choices and the particular character of its fur.
Find Hershy inside Beauty in Bear Making
Hershy is one of twelve step-by-step photo guides with matching patterns included in the Beauty in Bear Making Studio.
The collection also includes nine additional patterns, three digital magazines, six mindful making companions and a four-hour mink bear-making video masterclass.
The Studio is available for a one-time price of AU$89, with lifetime access.
If you would enjoy exploring mink bear making and developing your own expressive bears, you’re warmly invited to look inside.
Bare Cub Designs by Helen Gleeson