It’s Christmas day and the sound of a little girl’s feet can be heard patting the wooden stairs as she quickly makes her way down to the living room. Her heart is beating wildly as she is full of anticipation.

As she enters the room it’s a picture perfect Christmas morning. Mom and Dad are sitting on the edge of the couch dressed in their robes. Dad has his steaming cup of coffee, and Mom a cup of tea. Brother is jumping about with excitement begging to get started.

The tree is glowing with lights, garland, ornaments and icicle tassels. There is even a fire in the fireplace crackling and shedding its golden heat.

But none of this holds the little girl’s attention. She has one thing on her mind. She’s already looking for a special gift under the tree.

As Dad gives the approval to pick a gift to open, the little girl frowns as her eyes fall to each present, looking for the one she wants most. Finally, she sees what she’s been looking for.

The little girl looks at her mother who, with a quiet smile, gently nods to her. Rushing over to the gift, the little girl wastes no time in getting it open. With a flurry, the paper is torn and the box opened. Inside is what she had desperately hoped for.

It’s her teddy bear. She had seen it in the store window months ago. Now she has it in her arms. It’s soft and cuddly just like she imagined. She’s thankful for the other gifts she received that day, but none compare to her soft furry friend.


I share the above story with you because it shows how I feel about teddy bears. You’d think that at the age of 67 I would’ve outgrown those feelings. But it just isn’t so. I still love to pick up my teddy bears and hug them. It still gives me that same sense of comfort I felt as a little girl.

It was my grandmother who taught me to sew from the time I was very young. It was a skill that I continued to develop throughout my years. So, when I decided to make teddy bears so I could share them with others, it was a natural step.

I wanted other people to be able enjoy them as much as what I do. I just love the thought of some little girl (or a grown up girl) getting a teddy bear, hugging it, and feeling that same sense of joy and comfort I do.

It has now been 30 years that I’ve been making the bears and I’m still not tired of it.

My Bear Story

When I first started making the bears, there really wasn’t much available. Most were made of mohair and very expensive. I wanted mine to be quality but also affordable by everyone.

I began to look at how to make an affordable bear that wouldn‘t sacrifice quality. It had to be safe for children, and desirable by kids and adults. I believe I have been able to accomplish my goal.

In searching for a good fur material, I came across faux fur. I liked it’s plush feeling. It comes in a wide variety of lengths and colors so it’s very versatile for my needs. While a lot of the mass manufacturers will use the short fur because it’s cheap, I use the longer fur because it adds character to the bear.

Another nice thing about the faux fur is that it’s durable. You can wash it and it will still maintain it’s shape and softness. That’s really nice if your little one gets down from the table with sticky hands and then runs her fingers through that plush fur.

Over the years I’ve tried a lot of different stuffing. There’s only one manufacturer that I’ve found that makes a stuffing that really holds it’s shape. It’s made by PolyFil. Depending on the bear (the character I‘m trying to create), I will use a softer or firmer grade of stuffing. Whatever the grade PolyFil’s stuffing holds up the way I like.

For the head, arms and legs I use plastic rotating joints. They don’t rust if they get wet so you never have any rust issues. They lock behind the fabric so they don’t come off the bear, and they lock together so they never separate.

Something that is really important to me is the safety of the children. I didn’t want to just sew on the eyes and nose. I wanted to know they were going to stay in place. After some looking I was able to find eyes and nose that have a locking mechanism that makes them safe.

The eye or nose pokes through to the back side of the fabric. On the back side a round washer slips on to the nose or eye and then locks in place. This makes it impossible for a nose or eye to simply pop off. The last thing we need is something that will turn in to a potential choking hazard for the little ones.

I design the clothes for the bears from a variety of different fabrics. When I finish constructing a bear, often times I almost feel like the bear talks to me and tells me what clothes I should use.

If I know the bear is going to going to a child, I will use cotton because it is easy to clean and will stand up to all the hugs and extra interaction. For adults I will use almost anything for fabric, including silks and satins (though if the kids want them, they can have these too).

I trust you’ve enjoy reading my bear story. I know we’re all busy, so it’s no light thing to me that you took spent some of your time with me. If you’re in the market for a teddy bear, please feel free to browse my catalog. I would love to share one of my bears with you.

Thanks for stopping by,
Eva