Wattle & Loop

The Slow-Stitched Polar Bear Kit includes:

Background Fabric

Fabric for Bears & Ice

DMC Thread

Embroidery Needle

Needle Threader

Pattern

Full Color Instructions

The skill level for this project is medium to advanced. 

The finished project is approximately 7" by 8.5"

In addition to the materials in the kit you will need:

sharp scissors

fabric glue or a glue stick

fabric pen or pencil

It was my intention to have my 15-year-old daughter complete this project by herself.
When I looked over the instructions and knew how difficult it would be, 

I wasn't sure if she was up for the challenge.
The project completely overwhelmed my daughter when she looked at it. In spite of the fact that she does not have any sewing experience, she is creative.
My daughter suffers from severe ADHD and a reading disorder, 

so I knew this would be challenging.
It was also my hope that, unlike academic work, this project would be a pleasure to complete.
Although I did most of the set-up, she was able to assist with fabric placement.
Maybe I should have pushed her to do more, but I didn't want to 

adversely affect future project endeavours. 

These kits include new, reclaimed, and vintage fabrics from around the world. Wattle&Loop chooses fabrics with holes, stains, tears, imperfections, etc., that may not be considered ideal textiles by other sewers. They believe that this adds magic and character to every piece of art. What a great idea! 

There is something unique and different about each piece of fabric. They tell their own stories. 

Since I have never used a needle threader, I put it aside. 

Using tracing paper to make a copy of the pattern was extremely helpful. 
Step 1 asks you to draw a basic outline of the design on the blue fabric.
Rather than doing this, I simply glued the tracing paper to the blue fabric. 

Using these layers as a starting point, I cut out the bears' base layers using 
the provided fabric pieces. The same was done with the ice.   

Those red lines indicate where the stitches will eventually go.  

Personally, I didn't like the needle included in the kit.
For this project, I chose a needle with a larger eye and a wider diameter. 

In terms of length, it was just about right. 

There wasn't quite enough fabric to complete the ice sculpture.
To complete the layering of ice, I looked through my scrap material to 

find appropriate pieces of fabric. Each Wattle&Loop piece is unique in this way.
The idea of adding old scraps of fabric is even discussed such as 
lace doilies, grandma's hankies, or other special textiles to make the piece your own.

Glue is the primary method of holding down the fabric.
Stitching on your piece is more decorative than functional.
It is the fabric, not the stitches, that should be the focal point of the artwork.
The instructions demonstrate different stitches, such as running, straight, slow, mixed, and French knots. 

Getting the bears' body parts to stand out was by far the most challenging part.
In that sense, I guess the medium to advanced level comes into play. 

Stitching the edges of the ice and bears' body is actually not necessary.
The stitching adds a more complete look to the project.
To improve your sewing skills this is definitely a great practice opportunity to do so.

While the Slow-Stitched Polar Bear Kit gives you detailed step-by-step instructions with photographs, it ultimately allows you to create a unique textile art piece.

This fabric textile project is definitely something I would recommend to others. I love that the fabric used isn't new, but secondhand. I also really like the fact that the result is a piece of artwork that is unique and one-of-a-kind. In the future, I would buy other kits from this vendor to give as gifts or use myself.