Nothing Ventured!

 

1930's Chiltern Hugmee restoration project

Nothing ventured!

Those who know me well, know I was a collector, long before I was a bearmaker. I have always loved Chiltern Hugmee teddy bears especially and was lucky enough to collect several over the years. Well, recently the collecting bug bit me again when I spotted a beautiful, if somewhat grubby, 1930's Chiltern Hugmee, on a well known auction site. After talking myself in and out of making an offer, eventually 'in' won and now this lovely bear lives with me and I have undertaken my first serious teddy bear restoration project! 

My initial inspection unveiled several areas of concern for this lovely bear's future, a very wobbly head, glass eyes that were not secured, a grubby but beautiful mohair coat and tragically, split paw pads. I decided to undertake radical surgery and plucked up courage to take my bear to pieces ... completely! I sought advice in a restoration group and was told in no uncertain terms I should not have done so and that thirty years of bear-making did not qualify me as a restorer, which was probably fair comment, but I decided 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' ... and as this bear was my own, not for resale, I went ahead anyway.

The mohair revealed fabulously rich colouring hidden around the joints and the only way to bring it completely back to life was to wash the pieces thoroughly by hand, to the horror of some of the professional restoration artists. I have to say, I am feeling rather smug as the result is stunning! A century of dirt and dust washed to reveal a glorious orange gold mohair, a beautiful today as it would have been when it was first created. 

My next job was to rebuild the head, secure the eyes safely and replace the head joint. The head was stuffed with woodwool (excelsior) and it was ultra important I retain the original look of the bear, if I wanted to claw back any credibility after my apparent recklessness (!) so I worked carefully, taking great care to ensure his eyes were secured back into their original holes and the muzzle was stuffed sympathetically, retaining the original nose stitching, which has naturally faded over the years. I had to replace the mouth stitched as the original embroidery thread disintegrated but fortunately, I use the same perle thread on my own teddy bear designs, so that wasn't a problem... I simply ensured the mouth was exactly the same shape and position at it had been originally. 

This week I have lined the original arm paws with cotton velvet inside, to support the existing velveteen fabric, restuffed the arms taking care not to overstuff and reassembled in the original holes, using new hardboard discs and cotter pins, which should last my bear for at least another hundred years. The most delicate job will be to create new velvet footpads to replace the original split ones, which unfortunately are not able to be saved... so I plan to insert new pads into the mohair, with the original cardboard liners, which I plan to use to create the footpad pattern. 

I am taking this project slowly and very much enjoying the process. So far my beautiful Hugmee bear has clean mohair, which is suprisingly rich in colour and still dense, a hundred years since his manufacture, plus head and arms now securely attached. Once I have braved making him new footpads, his legs will be reassembled, his body stuffed and the original non-working bellows growler reinstated safely in his tummy for posterity. I will then close the final seam, knit him something smart to wear to protect his beautiful mohair, put him with his pals ... and sit back and simply enjoy him! 

NB: If you have a much loved elderly teddy bear in need of a little restoration, please don't try this at home folks! Professional restorers' work is undertaken with utmost respect for teddy's heritage and with great skill. Teddy bear restoration is a serious undertaking and should be done sympathetically. A skilled teddy bear restorer can work miracles!

Retired teddy bears of distinction

 

Retired teddy bears of distinction

After thirty years of creating teddy bears for adult collectors, I thought it was time to remind myself of how it feels to open a special teddy bear delivery... and when I spotted this beautiful 1930's Chiltern Hugmee teddy bear, I knew he would be 'the one' to mark three decades of me creating teddy bears for other folk.

Opening his box was a complete delight. He had been carefully wrapped in tissue paper and as I gently peeled back the layers, I could see he was in superb condition, especially for such an elderly gent!

As many of you know, my childhood Chiltern Hugmee teddy bear led me into the fascinating grown up world of arctophilia and bear artistry, so this fabulous fellow now brings me full circle. The perfect bear to commemorate thirty years of making teddy bears for other collectors. This, as yet nameless Chiltern Hugmee teddy bear, will be joining a small collection of special Chiltern Hugmee bears who keep me company in my workroom each day ... as well as somewhere to create bears, it is also my little place of safety for retired teddy bears of distinction!

Where it began...

 

Where it began...

Where it all began. This photo is an important element of my bearmaking journey over the past thirty years. My connection with teddy bears has lasted my entire lifetime and long before I made my first teddy bear, I was a bear collector. It began with a love of Chiltern Hugmee teddy bears, the British manufacturer of the wonderful Hugmee teddy bear range, made in the UK from 1923 until 1967. My parents gave me a beautiful large Chiltern Hugmee for my first birthday in 1964, a very special big bear (third from right, centre row) who sat on my bed for many years... and the rest, as they say, is history!

Full Circle

 

Full Circle

One for vintage teddy bear admirers... a proud moment in my bear making history.

My first childhood teddy bear, a fine 1950's Chiltern Hugmee, holds a copy of the 2011 Hugglets UK Teddy Bear Guide, featuring one of my original handcrafted teddy bear designs called 'Chester' on the front cover.

Now that is what you might call a full circle!

In the Spotlight

As I was updating the Guild of Master Bearcrafters' blog earlier this week (www.masterbearcrafters.blogspot.co.uk) it dawned on me that in my eagerness to showcase Guild members' talents, I hadn't actually added my own 'member profile' since I first started writing the Guild blog!  I found myself scratching my head and frowning as I pondered  my long bear making career, but eventually, did manage to make sense of it all!

So, if you have ever wondered why I have continued to design and make teddy bears for two long decades, I hope this blog post answers your question ...

A word from PAULA CARTER
creator of
'ALL BEAR BY PAULA
Bearcrafter since 1995

UNITED KINGDOM

Paula Carter

My bear making career evolved from a love of vintage English teddy bears since I was a little girl, particularly the wonderful Hugmee bears created by the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company between 1908 and 1967.  I have a small collection of these dignified teddy bears and even now they never fail to inspire my creativity.

Some of my Chiltern Hugmee teddies:  C1930's to 50's

It hardly seems possible it has been twenty years since I designed my first teddy bear; the time has flown by!  Since then I have become immersed in the world of teddy bear artistry and am passionate about helping to steer our beloved teddy safely into his future.

Benjamin

It is never easy to describe one's own work, but if pushed to do so, I think I would say I tend to create in a fairly traditional vein.  Now and again I veer gently towards contemporary with my laughing bears, but mostly my bears hark back towards those gentle Chiltern Hugmee teddies, with their solid proportions and no nonsense charm.

Felicity

For me, a teddy bear should spark a sense of nostalgia and security in his owner, he must be soulful, comforting and honest in his design. My creations honour the teddy bears of my childhood and are protective of his heritage.

Beau was a 2015 Excellence in Bear Artistry award winner

I have been fortunate enough to achieve a collection of international teddy bear crafting and design awards throughout the past two decades and have had my work published many times in specialist publications around the world.  It is of course, always lovely to receive such accolades, but the very best rewards are the smiles and kind words I receive from collectors when they adopt one of my bears ... those smiles are at the heart of my bear making.

A trio of my careworn style teds

As part of my commitment to the future of the teddy bear, I established 'The Guild of Master Bearcrafters' back in 2009.  At the time I had a vague concept of providing a forum which could unite teddy bear makers from around the world, but had no idea it would quickly grow to almost eight hundred international bear crafting members.  I am immensely proud of our members' dedication to creating bears of outstanding creativity and am certain that in their safe hands, the beloved teddy bear will be ensured of a long and happy future.

With hugs and smiles,

Paula xxx

To discover more about Paula's work, please visit her website and blog:

www.allbearbypaula.com

www.allbear.blogspot.com

I'd love you to spare a few moments to visit The Guild of Master Bearcrafters' Blog.  I began writing it back in 2013 to showcase incredible bear crafting talent from Guild members.  As you will see, outstanding artist bears are being created all around the world!

www.masterbearcrafters.blogspot.co.uk

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Endless creativity?

There's nothing quite like parting with a hard earned advertising budget to focus your mind on the future.  I don't advertise in publications very often, so on the rare occasion I do, I might hear a little whisper in the back of my head begging the question: 'Are you sure you want to continue making your bears for another year Paula?'  I guess when you have been making bears for as long as I have (almost two decades!) it's not such a silly question all things considered ... after all, is there a never-ending source of creativity at a bearmaker's fingertips and should it be taken for granted?

This ad will appear in the next issue of 'The Teddy Bear' magazine

I don't think it hurts to question yourself from time to time and in my case, until that little voice in my head stops whispering and shouts a resoundingly clear 'it's time to hang up your stuffing stick Paula', I think it's probably safe to continue planning ahead for another year ... or two ... or ... ????  

My 'Chiltern Memory' bear, created by Pam Howells back in the 1990's

As I've mentioned before, my teddy bear heroine is the lovely, completely unassuming Pamela Howells, who first began work as a teddy bear designer at the 'Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company' way back in the mid 1950's. Pam continues to design her beautiful bears to this very day.  Over sixty years dedicated to teddy bear design is a truly inspirational record; how I'd love to learn Pam's secret to achieving such impressive creative longevity!

So, with that in mind, I've had a quiet chat with my little whisper once more and we've both decided the time has come for me ...

... to part with some of that aforementioned advertising budget again!

Challenged ... part 2!

As I was about to tell you yesterday, before I started work on my challenge bear's white bits I discovered I didn't have any suitable blue paw fabric;  fortunately though, I did have a piece of white felt tucked away in a storage box, so before I could go any further with my project, I had to nip back down to the stove ....

And after a little more hubble bubble, my scrap of white felt soon became the perfect matching shade of blue!

My plan for this project was to tackle the advanced element of the Guild's 'A Teddy Bear World' challenge by creating a 1950's 'Chiltern Hugmee' style bear, in clown style.  After scouring the internet for information about the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company, I only managed to find a couple of photographs of their clown bears dating back to the 1930's, but that was enough to tell me Chiltern had once manufactured teddy bears in clown style!

1930's Chiltern clown/harlequin style bear

As my first childhood teddy was a 1950's Chiltern Hugmee and I have always had a fondness for this most English of bears, I decided to meet the Guild challenge criteria by attempting to create a 1950's Hugmee type bear in patriotic clown style ...

My mohair dye bath worked perfectly, giving me the vibrant red and blue colours of our national Union Jack flag.

And once sewn, I could begin to see my design taking shape!

As the Chiltern Toy Company used excelsior in their bears' heads, I decided I would give it a go too ... but it was such a messy job, I don't think it's something I'll be repeating in a hurry!

Chiltern Hugmee bears were stuffed with a natural fibre called kapok, so that's what I chose to use for my challenge bear.  Boy did that stuff tickle my nose ...  from now on, I will be forever grateful for my usual, non-tickly, polyester!

Something old, something new!

I have really enjoyed the opportunity this Guild challenge has given me to step away from my usual style of work and do something completely different.

 So here he is, introducing my challenge submission 'Jack' ...

I do hope you think he might have made an acceptable addition to the 1950's Chiltern Hugmee range of teddy bears!

A bear maker by coincidence?

'The Ultimate Teddy Bear Book' and 'The Teddy Bear encyclopedia' by Pauline Cockrill

In hindsight, I can see my life has more often than not been driven by coincidence and oddly enough, my bear-making career has been no exception. I was quietly browsing through the shelves of my local bookshop one lunchtime in the early 1990's, when I felt compelled to open a particular book ... that book happened to be 'The Ultimate Teddy Bear Encyclopedia' written by Pauline Cockrill.

I have always loved teddy bears and my own childhood bear had discreetly settled into a comfy corner of my adult life, so when I flicked through that beautiful book and saw a very familiar bear looking back at me, my jaw fell open in surprise!  I had no idea then, that my special childhood bear had officially become what was known as a 'collectible' teddy bear!

Me and 'Big Ted' in 1964

And so my love affair with the 'Chiltern Hugmee' began.  It really was as simple as that.  I was so delighted to discover my 'Big Ted' in that book, I couldn't resist checking out all the references in the back pages to see what else I could find ... and there was a hidden gem tucked away - an address for 'The Petersfield Bear Museum' (founded in 1984 by Judy Sparrow) ... only a couple of hours drive from where I was living!

My 1940's Chiltern Hugmee 'Bobby Bear', with a copy of Judy Sparrow's 1993 'Teddy Bears' book.

I was utterly enchanted by the museum - it truly was a magical place and I didn't want my visit to end.  As I reluctantly stepped down into the museum shop on my way to the exit, a wonderful 1940's Chiltern Hugmee bear met my gaze and by a stroke of pure luck, he wasn't an exhibit, he was for sale!  Well, of course, after a chat with Judy and her husband he had to come home with me.  Somehow, I seem to have collected an entire hug of Chiltern Hugmees since then!

Some of my Chiltern Hugmee collection

I have also been privileged to get to know lovely Pam Howells, chief designer for the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company between 1957 and 1967.  Pam was kind enough to make one of her special 'Chiltern Memory' bears for me, back in the early 1990's.

My 'Chiltern Memory' bear, by Pam Howells.

Sadly, the Petersfield Bear Museum closed to the public several years ago, but many of the exhibits are featured in Judy's super book titled 'Teddy Bears', which was published in 1993 by Magna Books. (By the way, there are a few copies currently available on Amazon if you would like to purchase a copy!)

Teddy Bear Times magazine, Issue 10, published Autumn 1992

So how does a passion for teddy bears, turn a bear collector into a bear-maker?  Well, once a collector, always a collector, that goes without saying, but after discovering my first teddy bear encyclopedia and reading every single reference contained therein, I learned teddy bears were also published in their very own magazines and one of those magazines was on sale at a little teddy bear shop, only half an hour's drive away!

One thing, naturally led to another. The cover of the 1992 Autumn issue of 'Teddy Bear Times' magazine featured a lovely old bear reading a book and as an added bonus there was also an article about Chilterns, so I bought a copy, read it as soon as I arrived home and was thrilled to discover that not only were there vintage teddy bears in that magazine, there was a fascinating world of artist bears for me to explore too!

One of my first visits to a Hugglets' teddy bear show, in 1993

It wasn't long before I visited my first teddy bear fair in London, which led to another ... and a mohair teddy bear kit!

'Ivor', a mohair kit bear

My first mohair bear, made from a kit purchased at the 'Rochester Teddy Bear Fair' in the early 90's, was a little lopsided, but I didn't mind at all - I was simply delighted that after all my efforts, he did actually resemble a bona fide teddy bear!

It really doesn't seem possible two decades have passed.  Since 'Ivor', I am proud to have become a real bear maker, creating many, many teddy bears, now residing in collections all around the world.

So now you know the answer - that is how a bear collector becomes a bear maker.  The rest as they say, is history!

What exactly is an 'Artist Bear'?

I love finding time to meander through the annals of teddy bear history and to stroll along my personal teddy bear 'Memory Lane'.  Sunday afternoon was absolutely glorious, so I tucked myself under the sun parasol with a cool drink to hand and a stack of teddy bear publications to browse.

  Sadly, the 'Hugglets Teddy Bear Magazine' is no longer published.

The question 'What is an Artist Bear' has been hotly debated by 'teddy bear artists', for as long as I can remember - probably since the term was first coined in the US, back in the 1970's.  The topic still raises its controversial head with regular monotony some forty years later, with bear makers/designers/artists becoming hot under the collar as they staunchly defend their own interpretations.  In case you are curious, I am a bear 'artist' who much prefers to call herself a teddy bear 'designer' when pushed to define what I do, simply because this definition sits most comfortably with me, given that my drawing skills are on a par with those of the average four year old ...

So, after a rather magnificent heap of 'bruhaha' (a wonderful term I have recently coined from a bear artist friend!) among teddy bear 'artists' in response to a recently published magazine article on this subject, I had to smile when I opened a magazine binder yesterday and came across an old Hugglets magazine dating back to Summer 1993 ... eighteen long bear-making summers ago. Back then, I was still dreaming about launching myself into the magical world of teddy bear artistry as a bona fide 'bear artist', so on a hot summer's day yesterday, I must admit page 21, titled 'What is an Artist Bear,' made me smile. The first definition had been thoughtfully provided by the lovely lady who was kind enough to give me my first leg into the bear business way back in 1994 -  Michelle Chambers of the Rochester Teddy Bear Shop stated, "For a bear to come under the category of an Artist Bear, it should not be mass produced, but created in a cottage industry environment.  The bear artist is also someone who can turn bear making into a fine art, so that An Artist Bear is a bear with individuality and, most importantly, it has a unique style".

  1993 feature, 'What is an Artist Bear?'

Reading further on, Janet Clark of Teddystyle, a leading light in our world of teddy bear artistry, agreed by saying, "I don't even know that I'm an artist myself, that's up to other people to say .... a good bear maker can put a good face on a bear, but an artist can make that face come to life".  Maddie Janes, another well respected bear maker of that era, went on to say, "If you're a real teddy bear artist, you don't just have one pattern you keep making in different sizes ... you're making new patterns all the time and using new components."

A 'Chiltern Memory' created for me by Pam Howells in the early 90's

UK teddy bear royalty Pamela Ann Howells, chief designer for the Chiltern Toy Company for a decade from the 50's onwards and still creating today, fifty years later, under her own 'Bears that are Special' label, said: "There's just as much thought goes into the designing of a manufactured bear, even if it is mass produced in the end.  The term 'artist bear' is a new phrase really.  I've always considered myself to be a designer and maker.  I know a lot of people feel that a bear is their way of putting their art down, but I don't look at bears that way .... As long as the bear is nice when it's finished, I don't think it matters."

Well, if it's good enough for Pam, it's certainly good enough for me!

The Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company  (can you spot my artist bear Chiltern Memory, among his manufactured friends?)

Manufactured 'Hugmees' 1930 - 1950

And so it seems to me, definitions don't really belong with teddy bears.  After all, a much-loved teddy will appeal to his owner for any number of reasons, least of which is likely to be whether he has been defined as 'art' or not.  In my view, it's best we bear 'crafters' climb down from our high horses and concentrate our energies on creating bears from the heart, taking care not to slip into the murky waters of the ego trap. 

I would like to give the last word to Gregory Gyllenship, one of our finest UK and international teddy bear artists ...

  Gregory, a modest man, defines himself as:
'A bloke who makes bears.'

Well said Gregory!

Show Shopping

You didn't think I'd go to a bear show and come home empty handed did you? Heaven forbid! I didn't buy a bear, but I did treat myself to some lovely new mohair from Bear Basics ...

 And although I like to knit for my bears myself, these cute little waistcoats on Elanor's (Shantock Bears) stand (which was positioned conveniently next to mine!) were just too good to ignore.  Elanor's mum is a whizz with her knitting needles and knits the outfits for Elanor's gorgeous little mice and bears ... luckily for me, she still has time to design and knit bear clothing for sale at shows too!

My final Stratford show purchase (if you don't count a rather large slab of lemon drizzle cake ... ahem!) was this super wooden chair from
Christopher's Chairs 

The chair has a hand carved, sculpted seat, designed for bears with a 'wider than average bottom'!  I couldn't resist bringing it home for dear old Bobby Bear, a 1940's Chiltern Hugmee from my personal collection.  As you can see, it's as if it was made to measure, especially for him!

The UK Teddy Bear Guide 2011 - out now!

The 'UK Teddy Bear Guide' for 2011 dropped through my letterbox this morning and I was so delighted to receive it, I couldn't wait to race upstairs for my little camera to share it with you!

The UK Teddy Bear Guide 2011

This is the 24th edition of the annual Hugglets Guide and believe me, it's a cracker! The cover bear is called 'Bolero' and was created by 'Vintage Bears' in France - c'est magnifique!  I think this is my favourite ever Hugglets Guide front cover!

The Guide is a mine of teddy bear related information and an absolute must have for anyone with a passion for teddy bears.  If you would like to purchase a copy, it will be available shortly from:

 http://www.hugglets.co.uk/guideindex.php

By the way, are you wondering who the bear holding my copy of the Guide is?  Well,  I'll tell you ... he is my lovely 1940's Chiltern Hugmee 'Bobby Bear'.  I bought him  from the (sadly now closed) Petersfield Bear Museum in Hampshire, long before I began bear making.  The museum was opened in 1984 by Judy Sparrow to showcase her spectacular collection of antique teddy bears.  After admiring all Judy's fabulous bear treasures, I regretfully ambled towards the door to go home and Bobby Bear caught my eye ... I couldn't take my eyes off him and had a lovely chat with Judy and her husband; needless to say, Bobby Bear came home with me and has been with me ever since! 

'Teddy Bears' written in 1993 by Judy Sparrow

Back in 1993, Judy had her delightful 'Teddy Bears' book published in hardback by Magna Books. It features some beautiful photographs of Judy's antique bear collection and it is still possible to find copies if you hunt online.  In fact, I found several copies available on http://www.amazon.co.uk/ today.  It's a lovely book and if you have an interest in the history of teddy bears, I would highly recommend grabbing a copy for your bookshelf if you are ever lucky enough to find one!

Everything comes to she who waits!

Teddy Bear Times millenium issue, January 2000 - featuring my Chiltern Hugmees

You may remember me telling you I have been hunting for some bear magazines from several years ago ... I'd lost my copies in my recent house move and sadly, they contained articles about my bear work over the years. One of the mags I was particularly sad about was the January 2000 millenium issue of the Teddy Bear Times, which featured an article about my collection of Chiltern Hugmee bears. Well, I'm delighted to say everything comes to he (she!) who waits! Unbeknownst to me, those precious magazines were closer to home than I realised - my sister Fiona had a large stash of back issues stored in her cellar and lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago we found most of what I was looking for - including that illusive Chiltern article!

If you'd like to see the other articles, why not find me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/allbearbypaula) where I have stored them all in a photo album, ready to share with you!

Chiltern Interlude

The Ho Ho Oh Bearz show bears (try saying that after a couple of sherries!) are coming together at last! There will be a select few available at the show and so far, things are going pretty well ... So, I'm sorry, but as I'm on a roll there's simply no time for chat today. Or, in the words of the White Rabbit in 'Alice in Wonderland,' "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" And we can't have that now, can we?!

Chiltern Hugmees 1930's - 1950's (plus 'Barty' a 1990's Chiltern Memory created by Pam Howells .. top back right)

Here's a brief Chiltern interlude for you to enjoy instead! Gorgeous eh?

Bertie, a bear with Olde English flair

'Bertie'

There are times when an idea pops into my head and I become quite nervous about seeing it through, because I know it will be a complete diversion from what I usually create for my collectors. Still, you know how it is, a bear maker's gotta do, what a bearmaker's gotta do and I do love a challenge!

17" Olde English style bear, 'Bertie'

You may remember the lovely 'Leon' bear I created in tribute to my favourite bears of all time, the fabulous English Chiltern Hugmees, well, I can tell you now I've been itching to evolve that design into a 'proper' old English style teddy, not a replica, but a fresh new All Bear teddy (with twinkly midnight blue eyes!) for 2008. 17" Bertie is the outcome!

'Bertie's' profile ... note the typically flat head, short muzzle and lack of hump

Now, come on, be honest, if I had told you in advance I would be making a bear with an overly large head resting on a stout little body with undersized limbs, you might have thought I'd finally lost the plot eh? So I'm hoping that with a few photographs to scrutinize, your view may soften a little!

Bertie's behind!

Naturally, I didn't want to stray too far from the original charms of the early English teddy bear, so I have chosen a cotton velvet for his paw pads and have kept his trim to a classic satin bow. With the fabulous fabrics we now have available in the UK, I could have been spoiled for choice, but for me it was an easy decision and this beautiful soft honey mohair and silk blend seemed the perfect choice.

Those modern twinkly eyes give Bertie a lovely soulful expression

Don't worry, if Bertie isn't the bear for you, more familiar All Bears will soon be making their way along! However, if you are keen to find out a little more about the original English Chiltern Hugmee bears and their place in my design process, I hope you will enjoy reading some of the other thoughts I have thunk on the subject:

http://allbear.blogspot.com/search/label/Chiltern%20Hugmees

Incidentally, I have at last worked out what 'tags' are for. Apparently they are used to categorise blog posts conveniently for readers: so, if there is a subject of interest to you, please check out the 'labels' listed in the left hand column of my blog (you may have to scroll down a bit to find them) and click on a heading - by the magic of Blog Land, all relevant posts will be pulled together especially for you! Handy eh?!