Each piece already allows for a 1/4 inch seam allowance. If this is your first bear, you may like to follow the instructions below.

• Check the direction of your fur and place face down.
• With a pencil mark the pattern pieces on the back of your material.
  Make sure you have all the "lefts" and "rights"
• Carefully cut out the pieces

• Pin both sides of the head with the right sides together and tack from the tip of the nose to the neck.
• Hand or machine sew the two parts together
• Pin and tack the center head pieces between the two sides.
  easier to start from the nose and work back each side
• Ease the center and stitch to finish.
• Stitch the dart at the top of each body piece and stitch the body pieces together.
  leave a small opening at the back for stuffing
• Pin, tack and stitch both legs right sides together
  leave a small opening at the back of the leg as marked on the pattern
• Do the same for both arms
  leaving the small gap at the back of the arm for stuffing
• You can now stuff both arms and close the opening with ladder stitch

stitching the leg

• Carefully ease and pin the paw pads to the bottom of each leg.
  it helps to pin the centre front and back first
• Stitch from the centre front of the paw to the back on each side
• Turn the legs to the right side and tweak any caught fur in the seams
• Stuff both legs and close the opening.

• Stuff your bear's head firmly
  especially in the nose area
• Stitch around the neck opening, pulling as you go
• Finish by closing the neck as neatly as possible
• Decide on eye position
  helps to use two large glass headed pins if you have them

• Using strong thread (doubled) enter from tthe bottom of the head and exit at one eye position
• Thread your bead and go back through the same hole and exit under the head a small way from your original entrance point.
• Pull both threads, gently pushing the eyes into a "socket" and tie these very securely
• Do the same for the other eye, then take all the lose threads back into the head and cut them close to the exit point

• Take your strong thread and a long needle and entering through the body bring this out at the neck
• Make a small stitch at the bottom of the bear's head and bring the needle back through the top of the body again
• Repeat two or three more times, pulling the head to join the body
• Next, tie the two threads from inside the body securely
  The threads if not too long can be left inside
• Stuff your bear's body and close the opening

Jointing the head to body

With strong thread take a small stitch on the upper inside of a leg
• Take the thread all the way through the body and a small stich into the other leg
• Go back through the body and the first leg
• Repeat 2 or 3 more times, pulling gently as you go
• Finally tie the thread securely
  both legs should be nestled against his body
  Can be floppy, or firm depending upon your preference
• Do the same with both arms

• Pin and stitch both ears, turn right sides out and
  close the opening with a ladder stitch
• Stitch these to the head trying to keep them as even as possible
• Choose an embroidery thread and using a vertical satin stitch give your bear his nose
• With three simple stitches you can complete his mouth
• You can pencil this in if you find it easier to keep the shape
• With your embroidery thread give your bear three claws on each paw

Three stitches for the mouth