Just in case you were wondering where I’ve been all week…
I was making bear costumes.
Of course I tried one on and took pictures. It’s a teddy bear costume. Anyone who pretends like they don’t try on the weird stuff they sew for other people is absolutely full of shit.
I know you are just totally jealous right now, so calm yourself.
This is Simplicity 2853. No, it’s not for me – it’s a commissioned sewing job (hence the sudden radio silence – gotta get the work done before I can play again!). I actually made three of these, all in this incredibly soft, cushy, fleecy fur. That shit was a BITCH to cut out because it loooved shedding; I think I spent more time sweeping teddy bear fur off the floor (and onto the cat) than I did anything else. At any rate, I’m 99% done – just need to finish the arm/leg hems & sew the ears on the last one. THEN IT’S PARTY TIME.
Oh! We also managed to explore the attic over the weekend!
Sorry for the Instagram picture, but look at my twisty chimney! I don’t know about y’all but that is COOL AS SHIT.
Sadly, the attic was pretty much empty… although we did find this chair.
It has no legs (probably took them off to get it in the attic & then they disappeared over the years), but other than that it’s in pretty good shape!
Here’s the side. Anyone know what you’d call this style of chair? I thought it was a barrel chair, but those have arms… and this one doesn’t.
The other cool thing we found up there were little scraps of wallpaper that perfectly match the chair.
One of the openings to the attic still has wallpaper in the space between the real ceiling & the dropped ceiling. I know, I know – this photo looks like a nightmare. But isn’t the wallpaper crazy? And they even wallpapered the ceiling! God, this house must’ve been tacky as shit lol.
I also finished knitting my red sweater! It’s still blocking, though, so more on that later.
SEW-ALONGERS: The Mood Fabrics discount is still on for a few more days! Use the code LLADYBIRD to get 10% apparel fabric (for more info, check my blog post on fabrics)
I’ll be back later with more blog posts that are actually relevant to your interests.
Stay cool, y’all.
LLADYBIRD 
So cool!!!!! LOVE IT!!!
Only slightly jealous. My mom made me a bear-suit several years ago, while I was in college. I was dressing up as a girl name Lain for an anime convention.The bear suit was ridiculously comfortable. I kind of wish I still had it.
One of the girls who is getting the costume says she is going to wear it around the house like pjs. So awesome! I’m kind of tempted to make one for myself 🙂
I have a monkey Snuggly with monkey face hoodie, tiny paws and a tail. Just imagine having pj’s that are animals suits. WHOLE LOT OF AWESOME. This might have to happen.
LOL sooo funny… I can totally relate to trying on other people’s ridiculous sewing projects. I have been working on vests and jackets for a woman that does horse shows… talk about over-the-top. PS – that twisty chimney is SO COOL! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that. Pretty sweet.
I just wanted to say that you’re hilarious and that last photo is the best one I’ve seen on a sewing blog. Ever. Too funny!! (Also, I’m an architectural historian and I totally appreciate that twisted chimney – I’ve never seen anything like it!!)
That chimney is wicked awesome.
Love that last picture of you! Too funny. The chair may have had screw-on legs and I think you can still get replacements for them-though I’m not sure where. You should see if you can find some so you can use the chair. It looks pretty cool.
Yeah, there are screw holes on the bottom where the legs go. I assume it should have those midcentury tapered legs (kind of like this, except my chair is obviously way more awesome). The legs are pretty easy to find and appear to run under $50 for the most part. I wish I could find a picture of a similar chair, though, to get a better idea what the original legs looked like!
Officially the most surreal (and hilarious) sewing blog post I have ever read. When I saw you in a teddy bear outfit I thought, ‘Oh, the nervous breakdown has finally kicked in.’ Then I doubted myself. Maybe I wasn’t having a nervous breakdown – maybe someone had slipped mind-altering drugs into my afternoon tea. Then I doubted myself again. Maybe Lladybird has been indulging in something she shouldn’t have. But, no. It’s all true! You have sewn three teddy bear costumes. To commission. Why and to what end are these outfits needed?!!!
They are Halloween costumes! They are dressing up as Goldilocks & the 3 bears haha. I forget that the US tends to put waaay more emphasis on Halloween than other countries 🙂
Glad it wasn’t for a furry convention
Not gonna lie, it crossed my mind haha.
I didn’t want to be the one to make that joke.
Haha, I immediately went there, too!
Love that last shot! I think the last Halloween costume my momma made for me was a bear suit, not too different from this one, only I had a white belly. I loved it cause where I grew up it was usually snowing by Halloween.
Your posts are always interesting…and the costume is awesome!
That last picture is classic!!!!!
I’m not sure what, whoever decided wallpapered ceilings were a good thing, was thinking. My parents house had almost-lemon yellow and almost-lime green wallpaper everywhere, including the ceilings and dormers, when they moved in. Such a pain, and so ugly (also, the kitchen pantry had a working toilet)
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. I need to know more about this toilet asap.
It was a normal toilet and we know it wasn’t *supposed* to be there (standard Cape Cod, and the pipe was PVC so new-ish installation). The sewage? pipe didn’t even seem to go anywhere sensible- went up straight through the corner of my room upstairs and disappeared into the roof. The toilet was yanked out when they pulled the wallpaper but the pipe is still there almost 20 years later, being awkward.
Hahahaha, omg omg omg. I’m dying over this. So are you saying that when one flushed the toilet, the shit literally hit the roof?
Seriously, though – that is so weird! Although now I kind of wish I had a toilet in my pantry. I’d never leave the kitchen, ever.
That last photo is awesome. That’s the coolest, toughest, don’t-mess-with-me, I’ve-also-got-an-album-comin-out bear I’ve ever seen. What’s your street bear name?
I have no idea, but this comment made me laugh really hard & now I’m going to spend the entire day thinking of a Bear Rapper name hahahahah
Make sure you tell us what you settle on. Lil’ Grizz? T-Bear? Fuzz Wuzz? It’s the wrong pose to be a Bearyonce, insufficient ass on display. (Bear-yonce Knowles that it is, not Beary-once, Beary-twice).
At a guess, the twisted chimney is so it pops out the roof at a different angle to the fireplace – see how it goes 90 degrees? Happens a lot when there are fireplaces in the corner – but I guess it must also helps stop wind and rain going down it or something?
Too late for you now, but in sewing class at primary school I learned a trick with fake fur when I was making a teddy bear pyjama case – cut it with a craft knife so the bits of fur don’t go everywhere. But can you imagine cutting out pattern pieces that size for THREE bear suits? Nah.
I think that’s the case with the twisty chimney – I asked on Instagram when I posted it & a couple people told me that answer. Kind of neat! As a side note, there are two chimneys in the attic but only one fireplace in the house… I guess one was boarded up over the past 70+ years, Boo.
I know that trick with fake fur! It does keep down on the flying bits (although they are still there). These actually aren’t fur so much as it’s like a really really cushy fleece. I specifically said “no fur” and this is what they brought me. A huge pain to cut but you wouldn’t know just by touching it on the bolt. I can’t believe how much the cut edges shed!
Cuteness overload!
you are the coolest mthaf-ing bear ever.
That last pose is vaguely reminiscent of when white dudes in the 90s would strike rap poses. WOULDST THAT THEY’D ALL DONE SO IN BEAR SUITS. What will be the name of your album and when does it drop?
Super cute! And will be warm on a chilly Halloween night.
Dude- there is always a time and place for bear suit posts. Always.
love it! looks like u stepped straight outta this vid by bloodhound gang, lol!
I was going to make the exact same comment! I read this post, later had this song stuck in my head, then was like “why is that song stuck in my head?! Oh, because LLADYBIRD.” I totes had to come back and say so.
I will graciously accept this comparison, because, BLOODHOUND GANG. Haha!
That song was my first thought too!
…and this post made me smile on a crappy day! Thanks! 🙂
Sure the bear suit is for a customer, sure. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Those are so awesome! Back in highschool I made a big pink bunny suit for a friend, basically just had him lie down and traced him onto the fabric, added a hood with ears, and a front zipper, haha. It wasn’t half as fab as these bears, but still fun :).
You know you look adorable, right?
What awesome finds…..how cool is your chimney?!?!
And you’re right….I’m SO envious of your teddy bear suit. I love teddy bears. I’d have no problems about dressing up as one, lol 😉
I have the bunny version of this suit, complete with ears and a small tail.oh, and it has built in socks with little no-slip heart-shaped platic dot under the soles. it’s made of black fleece with an aqua and light pink hearts print, and it has heart-shaped pockets MADE OF BABY PINK FURRY FLEECE. i bought it (as in, in a shop, and in the pyjama section, not the costume one) when I lived in a teeny tiny studio in Japan and could not afford heating. I thought I was genius until I realized that you have to take the whole thing off to pee which defeats the purpose. since then I’ve been dreaming to make one with a toilet solution, but the only thing i can think of is extending the front zipper to the back which would make it look like an horrifying sex costume.
anyway, sorry for the rambling…
I really love your blog, and these bear suits are too awesome!
have a great day!
Dude, that sounds awesome! I would totally rock a bunny suit around the house. For your toilet solution – why not a butt flap? Butt flaps are awesome. Why are those not a thing anymore?
Awesome friggin costume. The only thing that would make it better was if it was not a bear but a squirrel with a huge tail. But those make it hard to sit down. I would know.
Ha! I felt like a flying squirrel wearing this, does that count? 🙂
Hilarious!
i made two of that pattern last year, my friends challenged me to be a hot pink monster and this pattern was the closest thing to a monster suit. i actually accidentally stole the pattern from Joann’s (it was tucked under my arm while i wrestled with the “monster” fur that is still all over my damn house.) this year i’m trying to make my boyfriend and i into sherlock and watson and i’m in a shit mood over the ridiculous amount of cutting and marking i’ve done so far. victorian patterns are a pain in the ass, about to throw that monster suit back on.
This is the best thing I’ve ever seen. I want one NOW!
Every home should have one (or two or three) – beats goldilocks anyday! I totally laughed my pants off when I saw this- you are a wonder
Doesn’t everyone match their chairs to their wallpaper? lol
Gangsta bear is my favorite bear in the forest.
I found the picture of me in the bear suit.
This Happened.
http://flickr.com/gp/sewtell/02XP4z
HAHAH!! Omg, but you are the cutest bear!!!!
Ha! I totally try on EVERYTHING. I have a scarily similar photo of me in a GIANT fat bluebird costume I made out of blue fleece.
Ahahaha omg LET ME SEEEEEE