Shirley Bear and teddies

I have many, many letters about the teddy bears I make, they are so popular with just about everyone . I love making them, and have to tell you that there are more surprise bears on the way. One or two people have mentioned that they have a few problems with the clothes not fitting very well. It is a dificult one to explain since when the bear is stuffed it can make a huge difference to its finished size ! I designed and made my bear to be about 8in tall when stuffed, so the clothes are designed to fit that size. If the bear is overstuffed he will be too big and ofcourse understuffing will mean he is too small !! Everyone knits to a slightly different tension and yarns used make a big difference to either clothes or the actual bears. So my advice to all who make the teddy bears is to ensure your bear measures the correct size when you have finished him then the clothes should also fit well too. I do hope that helps, but if anyone has any problems then please do contact me as I am always happy to help if I can. Shirley Bear pattern is now available from me via my website, no need to search for the pattern in back copies of magazines any more or bid high prices on Ebay !!
Happy knitting to everyone.