So this bear has some of the best embroidered eyes I've encountered. And I'd love to use similar
I've been asking in my sewing circle and have no leads
What techniques do you think were used here? They're squishy so not a wrapped button
(Big fan of your work love some silly fiber art)
Interesting. I've messaged my friends as well so I'll edit this if I get further answers. First off, if this is a mass produced bear, it will have been made with specialty machinery, not by hand. I can see where the eye starts and ends, it doesn't seem to be a case of fine handwork finishing details, especially since (though this might be it being well loved) the eyes are unevenly placed. My brain goes to an embroidery machine doing buttonhole-esque stitches around a central cluster of stitches that form the interior. It's physically possibly to digitize, looks more 'old fashioned' than flat tatami stitched anime eyes, and gets product off the machine faster. One of my buddies is more familiar with machine embroidery in particular and she'll probably be able to tell more specifics. But I would bet good money it was a machine designed to work on rounded surfaces and it could be programmed to work these circles plus the bottom of the face. You can see the stitching was done as a finishing thing after the face was assembled since the nose covers up part of the seams. I don't know enough about mass market toy making to say for sure, but the most common machine I know that works on rounded surfaces would be one that embroiders baseball caps, so it is possible.
It's possible to experiment with trying this by hand using buttonhole stitches, and couching the threads like you do on high end suit buttonholes would give it a bit of raise and definition on the edges. It wouldn't be exactly this but it would be round and have that appealing texture radiating out from the center cluster.
Machine embroiderer here:
@stitchposts is right on track. This looks to me like a small circle of machine satin stitch covered by a machine embroidered eyelet. I haven't done this to make an eye, but I have done similarly to make little spots of color surrounded by a border.
The colored dots here are the same technique, but the circle around the satin stitch is much thinner, so you don't get that raised effect.
The whole thing is raised almost like a button which makes me think maybe not a satin, if they weren't squishy I'd assume buttons tbh
Only the middle is fully attached
Right, if it's done on a round of felt it can then be attached
I can't certify but I think i know what that is? but I may know what this is? Not the name and I've not made one but I think it's like a tassle but spread into a cake instead of cut?
I figured this is probably it because in the second picture there's a little divot in one side and nearer the center from that spot is what looks like the securing stitch? and all the threads seems to lead to either side of those center 'stitches' and though the third picture is a little blurrry (focused on the thrumb: happens to us all) it seems to reveal that there are two 'deeper' spots next to the central stitch, which is exactly what I'd expect from doing something like this.
but it will be a lot smaller and finickier than the version I drew- maybe good to use toothpicks instead of knitting needles and involve a needle sooner
