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!

Teddy bears, a British tradition

 

TEDDY BEARS, A BRITISH TRADITION.

As a British teddy bear maker, no matter how many years of bear-making and design I tuck under my belt, I never cease to be inspired by the traditional teddy bear. He holds such a special place in my heart and of course, even more importantly, in the history of British toy-making...

The first teddy bear, manufactured in the United Kingdom at the turn of the twentieth century around 1906, was created by leading toy manufacturer of the time, JK Farnell, originally a silk merchant producer of small textile goods in the 1840's.

The family firm of J K Farnell Company Limited holds particular significance within the British soft toymaking history, not only because it was the very first British toy company to manufacture teddy bears but also because it created the actual teddy bear who inspired  A. A. Milne to write his famous Winnie the Pooh stories, first published in 1926. J.K. Farnell became the most respected and influential soft toy manufacturer in Britain and the superior quality of the company's products ensured it huge success internationally.

In 1908, the rival Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company, established a factory in the beautiful Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire and in 1915, produced its first teddy bear, a funny googly eyed fellow with dressed cotton body and mohair head and paws, boldly titled 'The Master Teddy'. He soon paved the way for a fabulous range of handsome mohair teddy bears named 'Chiltern Hugmees', sturdy teddies with distinctive large heads and drumstick legs, still very much sought after by collectors today, a century since the first Hugmee was created.

The British public fell head over heels in love with the teddy bear, which is probably why many were kept in attics when their owners grew up and are still found in dusty boxes today. In the first half of the 20th Century, mohair teddies were manufacturered throughout the United Kingdom in all manner of sizes and styles, by famous and lesser known companies such as Farnell, Chiltern, Merrythought, Deans, Omega, Terry, Chad Valley, Aneeta, Twyford, Pixie, Invicta, Hammond Manufacturing Company of Stoke on Trent, Harwin & Co... the list goes on. The teddy bear became an iconic toy, comforting generations of children through the difficult war years and beyond.

Sadly, by the end of the 20th Century, despite surviving challenging economic and supply problems presented by the war years, our toy making companies could not compete with cheap teddy bears imports from China, so almost all were forced to cease teddy bear production. Today, of the thirty or so teddy bear factories that once existed in twentieth century Britain, only one remains. The Merrythought Company Ltd, founded in 1930 still produces teddy bears in the traditional manner, from its factory in Ironbridge, at the heart of the Shropshire hills. 

Despite the dramatic change in fortune for teddy bear manufacturers from the 1960's onwards, the British teddy bear is still very much heralded as a treasured toy. Teddy bears produced throughout the past century have become significant collectibles and independent teddy bear designers such as myself, continue to create personal tributes to the traditional teddy, to help ensure the heritage of the British teddy bear for future generations to cherish.

If you are wondering who the traditional teddy bear in the photograph is, I am proud to tell you he is my latest traditional teddy bear creation, created as a special commission, to celebrate a collector's 50th birthday. I hope he is a fitting tribute to over a century of British teddy bears!

Dolly Days

 

DOLLY DAYS

I wonder if you recognise this dolly? If you do, I am guessing you were probably a child of the fifties or sixties, like myself. I stumbled across dolly by chance on Ebay recently and before I could talk myself out of it, had contacted the owner to see if I could buy her...

She reminded me very much of a slightly larger version I owned as a little girl. I think my dolly was around 19" tall, and a more substantial doll. This smaller, more manageable version, is just 15" and fits comfortably into my granddaughter's dolly pram. Izzy promptly named her 'Grumpy Dolly' and took her to the local playground for some fresh air. Grumpy Dolly (also named 'Rosemary') arrived at my house tightly sealed in a plastic bag with two other 1960's dolly friends, a little Rosebud doll and a larger Palitoy baby doll. I like to think she appreciated her new dress, hairbrush and a caring young owner to take her out in the pram for walk and a play on the swings after being stored for over half a century.

Tucked away in my knitting pattern stash, was a vintage knitting pattern featuring the 'Chiltern Babykins', so I knitted her a pink dress and matching knickers to cover her modesty. I think I will make the socks this weekend. After so many years, she was due a new outfit!

For anyone still wondering, my sweet dolly was designed by the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company, the same UK company responsible for creating our wonderful Chiltern Hugmee teddy bears. She was modelled to suck her thumb, with knees bent, just like a real baby. All Chiltern Babykins dolls had hair that looked as though a child had been left alone to hack it with a pair of scissors!

In the days of glamorous dollies, these dolls were sturdy, a more unusual style with their 'grumpy' faces but nonetheless, very endearing. In fact, I have rather a soft spot for them!

Sadly, my original Babykins doll 'disappeared' in my teens, most likely in a garage sale. As you can imagine, as one of five daughters, it wasn't always possible to keep childhood toys, so I have loved this trip down Memory Lane with my little Granddaughter, sharing dollies and making new memories together.

Dolly Days

 

DOLLY DAYS

I wonder if you recognise this dolly? If you do, I am guessing you were probably a child of the fifties or sixties, like myself. I stumbled across dolly by chance on Ebay recently and before I could talk myself out of it, had contacted the owner to see if I could buy her...

She reminded me very much of a slightly larger version I owned as a little girl. I think my dolly was around 19" tall, and a more substantial doll. This smaller, more manageable version, is just 15" and fits comfortably into my granddaughter's dolly pram. Izzy promptly named her 'Grumpy Dolly' and took her to the local playground for some fresh air. Grumpy Dolly (also named 'Rosemary') arrived at my house tightly sealed in a plastic bag with two other 1960's dolly friends, a little Rosebud doll and a larger Palitoy baby doll. I like to think she appreciated her new dress, hairbrush and a caring young owner to take her out in the pram for walk and a play on the swings after being stored for over half a century.

Tucked away in my knitting pattern stash, was a vintage knitting pattern featuring the 'Chiltern Babykins', so I knitted her a pink dress and matching knickers to cover her modesty. I think I will make the socks this weekend. After so many years, she was due a new outfit!

For anyone still wondering, my sweet dolly was designed by the Chiltern Hygenic Toy Company, the same UK company responsible for creating our wonderful Chiltern Hugmee teddy bears. She was modelled to suck her thumb, with knees bent, just like a real baby. All Chiltern Babykins dolls had hair that looked as though a child had been left alone to hack it with a pair of scissors!

In the days of glamorous dollies, these dolls were sturdy, a more unusual style with their 'grumpy' faces but nonetheless, very endearing. In fact, I have rather a soft spot for them!

Sadly, my original Babykins doll 'disappeared' in my teens, most likely in a garage sale. As you can imagine, as one of five daughters, it wasn't always possible to keep childhood toys, so I have loved this trip down Memory Lane with my little Granddaughter, sharing dollies and making new dolly memories together.