| I have always been creative and can remember sewing and
knitting my own Barbie doll clothes at the age of seven. My mother believes that I was
actually younger than that. Yes...I was allowed to play at my Mother's and Grandmother's
sewing machines unsupervised at that tender age. I guess I could have run over one of my
fingers or something with the sewing machine needle...but I didn't; and I have fond
memories of making tiny pot holders out of my mother's scraps for my cooking stove that we
made out of a card board box. I made many of my own clothes in high school and during that
time, also created soft muslin dolls with yarn hair and embroidered features. These
creative endeavors continued throughout my life and eventually lead me on the path to
making my first teddy bear. I made that first bear from a
McCall's pattern in 1991. He was a bug eyed sad looking creature with plastic
safety eyes and plastic joints, but I was proud of him and loved him all the same. During
that time a little seed was planted that sprouted into the beginning of an idea.... I knew
absolutely nothing about the teddy bear world, but it wasn't long before I learned about
mohair and discovered that there were actual shows dedicated exclusively to the exhibition
and sale of teddy bears. I avidly sought out and researched as many books as I could
find concerning teddy bears and found the book titled, "How to Make & Sell
Quality Teddy Bears", by Terry and Doris Michaud to be the most helpful. I
devoured this wonderful book! The chapters detailing construction, design and
marketing were very instrumental in launching my career. It wasn't long before I was
designing my own teddy bears and by the spring of 1993 - excited, nervous and a little bit
scared - I exhibited at my first teddy bear show. Since then, I have never looked
back. |
