A Polar Bear Pincushion

This is what I've been working on (in between everything else) the last couple of days.  One of the places I'd love to visit, one day, is Alaska and there are two things I'd love to see there..... wild polar bears and the Northern Lights.  In preparation for making this pincushion, I spent a morning looking at photos of polar bears on the internet and sketching them.  What awesome creatures they are!  

After sketching and deciding on the orientation of the bear on the pincushion, I choose the colors and cut everything out.  I usually make two of each new design.  I like to keep my animals looking realistic but as I was thinking about this bear, it was as if he kept nudging me asking for a garland of flowers.  At first I ignored him but he persisted and so that is how this polar bear has ended up wearing a garland of pretty, colorful flowers to brighten up his dark and cold Arctic day!  

I use a rotary cutter for cutting the sidebands.  It's much faster and more accurate than scissors.  I use some small and extremely sharp scissors for cutting out shapes.  

You can find this polar bear pincushion listed in my Etsy shop.