Since 1997, as a hobby, I teach other people the art of Teddybearmaking on a "one-day-workshop" basis. These workshops take place in the spring and autumn of every year.
This means that a student of a course makes his own replic teddybear in óne day.
I work with small groups of 8 persons maximum.
This certainly is a tribute to the sociability on such a day. I also want to give all bearmakers an equal share of my attention, so, at the end of the afternoon, they all can take home a beautiful, selfmade teddybear.
Making a Teddy is quit a job, so we have an early start at 9.30 AM, after having some coffee or thea with cake, of course. You can't work on an empty stomach !
Around noon we take a break for a lovely lunch.
In the afternoon we'll again have coffee, thea, cake and other sweets.
One can choose the colour and kind of fabrics in front if this is wanted.
I prepare the parts of the bear days before, so the parts are already sewed together. Otherwise it wouldn't be possible to make a Teddy in one day. Most work however is done by hand.
I use a special "triplestitch", so the parts will stay together in their original form, when they get stuffed afterwards.
The bear is being stuffed with 100% sheepwool, which I have prepared myself.
The joints of arms, legs and the head are made turnable by using wooden rounds with bolts who are put on the inside of the bearparts.
The black (or brown with black pupil) glass eyes are put into the head in an authentically way, with little iron hooks.
I use a certain technique which has been used for this from the beginning of Teddybearmaking.
When the bear is fully stuffed and sewed together, the ears and eyes are put in place and the nose gets embroidered.
The only thing what's missing yet is a nice ribbon or tie around the neck. You can choose out of a large variety of ribbons.
And then, at the end of the afternoon, one can only admire the results of another group of bearmakers, while enjoying a glass of wine or a soda as farewell.
And also these Teddies
will be UNIQUE, as always!
All bearmakers take, with their teddies, a guarantee certificate home, which shows that this bear is a selfmade replic.
click on the picture for a larger reproduction
Click on the link "News" to find out more about the upcoming autumnworkshops.
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There
is the possibillity to choose out of 15 different kinds of
teddybears and
The
smallest one is UURKE , a little bear,
about 27 cm tall, made out of viscose, a natural "bearlike" fabric, or,
if you want to, of a woolen mohair fabric.
De next in height following bear is among others the HONEYBEAR. This bear is about 35 cm tall en is made of a woolen mohair fabric.
One
of the other choices is the RUBYBEAR,
one seze taller and bigger (about 42 cm) than the "Honeybear",
also made of a woolen mohair fabric.
The
fourth possibillity is the tallest bear, the GOLIATH.
This bear is about 55 cm tall and is being made of a more thicker woolen
mohair fabric which can even be morecoloured.
BENJAMIN,
de babybear, is about 38 cm tall and can be made of a woolen mohair fabric or
viscose, which also is a natural fabric, made out of wood. Typical marks: a
larger head, big belly and babyshaped
legs who make this bear look like a real babybear.
SAMMY
is a bear, out of a later period (after 1940).
The
CAVEBEAR is different from all the other bears, because his nose is
made out of the same suedinefabric as the innerside of the hands and the soles
of the feet.
BEANS
is een middle/large beer, stuffed with both sheepwool and dried beans. Therefore
this bear is a bit more "bendable" than the bears who are only been
stuffed with wool.
BEANIE
is a smaller version of BEANS.
And
than there is the POLARBEAR,
a bear as you can find "in the wilderness": standing on four paws and
with an extra neckpart between his head and body to make him able to turn and
lift up his head. Toe-nails are embroidered.
Furthermore
the HAPPYBEAR,
a joyish bear, about the seize of the Cavebear. This one has big feet and hands
, on which also toe- and fingernails are embroidened..
The
bear LUILAK
is a real
loutish bear,
who also can be nicely dressed. The patterns for aome gardenpants and a
slipoverdress come with this bear for free.
The
STRAWBEARIE teddybear is een replic out of the years 1950-1960. It is
made of a cotton bearfabric in an authentical colour that often was used in
those days to make teddybears.. The bear is 47 cm tall and has brown pupil eyes.
The stuffing is all straw, that just as the sheepwool is pushed together in the
bears parts. The ears are a bit taller than those of the other bears and a bit
"flabby", which makes them able to be put in different shapes. It
makes the bear look very "naughty". This bear also has embroidered
toe- and fingernails, just in a different way as the Happybears'.
The model “HARLEKINO” bear, is made of two colours of mohair fabric. The bear is 45 cm tall (measured without the hat) and the arms and legs are chosen in a different colour as the body en the head. This makes this bear look like a clown. Not only does he have larger feet, the mohair fabric behind his eyes is also painted in the same colour as the limbs or body of the bear. Also the inside of the ears is a different colour than the colour of the head. A hat and a fitting coloured ruff are joining this bear. I designed this model after a teddybearmodel from 1920.
The
name of the teddybear
PANDABEAR speaks for its self. De teddybear is made from black and white
mohair. Around the eyes will be black spots painted, which is so typical for a
Pandabear. The fingers and toes are embroidered with white yarn.
MOUSE is about as tall as the Honeybear or Beanie.
You can find more information about all materials here.
If you wish further information, please contact me here.
I
hope to be greeting you at one of my upcoming workshops.
If needed, I'll send an itinerary to make it easier to find my "Bearhouse".
"Love means: ...... making your own teddybear yourself ..... ! Gloria