bearbits by ginger brame

I am not certain that this was a brilliant idea but Sebastian certainly thought it was. What idea is that you may be wondering? It is the one where I suggested to Sebastian that perhaps he would like to make his own bear. You read that right. I suggested he make his own teddy bear. Oh dear me. I don’t think I’ll ever learn.

Nevertheless, he peppered me with questions about how he should begin and what the process was and he was so very enthusiastic and after all the sighing from before, it was a welcome change. I dutifully documented his grand endeavor with photos. Here they are:

“Where should I start?” he asked. I suggested he should begin by drawing his design on paper. “What do teddy bears look like?” he wondered. “Oh Sebastian, you know what they look like, you see them around here all the time.”

What he really wanted to know was what he looked like, so I gave him a mirror. I think he wanted to make a bear that looked like him.

First he drew the head.

This is what his final concept looked like.

He was okay cutting out the fabric,

but when it came to sewing the pieces together, that became my job. He like the stuffing part though. Here he is stuffing the head.

I gave him my big box of buttons so he could choose some eyes – that was a pretty smart move on my part. Do you know how long it takes to rummage through a box of buttons? I actually was able to accomplish a few things while he was searching. Here he is sewing on the eyes he chose.

Then there was more stuffing and stuffing and stuffing – arms and legs and body. He asked me if I spent as much time stuffing as he did. My answer: “Um, yeah.”

Then I showed him how to sew up the opening and he pursued that activity with great vigor! He knew he was heading into the home stretch then.

At last, he completed his teddy and here he is holding it up so you can see it.

“Let me take a photo of you both, Sebastian. Look around here, please.”

Now he has someone new to share his secrets. He also understands why I am at my table so much. Making new friends takes time.