Two more for the bookshelf

'Teddy Bear Century' by Brian and Donna Gibbs

A few weeks ago I tweaked open the All Bear purse to treat myself to two new bear books. The first, a beautifully presented hardback entitled 'Teddy Bear Century', was written by husband and wife team Brain and Donna Gibbs and first published in the United Kingdom in 2002. This book grabbed my attention because it tracks the development of the teddy bear during the past century. I really enjoyed the way each decade was used to signify the changes in bear design, explaining in straightforward terms, the process of social change and its effect on teddy's evolution. If you are purely interested in the history of the teddy bear, there are probably more detailed references available, but this particular book does provide plenty of food for thought for an experienced bear artist wishing to draw together history with practical design possibilities. It also offers some great bear-making opportunities for anyone simply wanting to make a teddy bear from one of the many patterns included.

'Teddy Bear Studio' by Ted Menten

My other purchase is an absolute cornucopia of teddy bear design delight! Never let it be said there is no more to learn! After many years of immersing myself in my own design work, I am, of course, still thrilled to be offered the opportunity to peek at other skilled artists' techniques. Ted Menten has achieved almost legendary status in terms of creating his own unique works and also as a teacher. I don't mind telling you his book 'Teddy Bear Studio', first published in the US in 2002, has kept me entranced since its arrival! Not only does he share advice and guidance generously, he also writes with an entertaining humour, educating in such a delightful way that before you know it, you have absorbed the fascinating detail of his technical design methods, without so much as a furrowed brow! This is definitely a book any designer of teddy bears should read.

Teddy Bear Books

I'm always on the lookout for good bear-crafting books to share with you and found this book quite by chance a couple of weeks ago.  It was first published in 1998, so you may have to hunt to find it and be warned, it can be on the pricey side ( my copy was about £30 on Amazon) but for anyone wanting a good solid teddy bear making reference book full of detailed instructions and with plenty of helpful photographs, this book really is a useful purchase.

The Complete Book of Teddy-Bear Making Techniques
by Alicia Merrett & Ann Stephens

The book covers in detail everything from how to design your own jointed teddy bear pattern, through to making a classic bear - in fact, it explains all aspects of traditional bear-making from cutting out, to sewing limbs, jointing, assembling fitting eyes and even sewing on those fiddly ears!  It also covers making clothes for your bear and the techniques required for making miniature bears.  As the icing on the cake, there's a lovely gallery of artist bears featured in the last chapter, giving you an opportunity to enjoy the original bear art being created back in the 1990's! 

Definitely a great book for anyone who likes to collect bear-making books and a most useful book for anyone who would like to learn how to make their very own teddy bear!

Dusty Jackets

'Bears and how to make them' by Margaret Hutchings - first published 1964

I saw this book on Ebay recently and thought it would make a great addition to my workroom book shelf. 'Bears and how to make them' by Margaret Hutchings was published in 1964 and as a child of the sixties, of course I couldn't resist the opportunity to discover what was being taught about bear-making back then! The term 'teddy bear artist' wasn't coined until the mid 1970's and yet, this book proves the art of teddy bear making was being referenced in detailed publication more than forty years ago! It really is a fascinating book and is still completely relevant today. In fact, if you look at the examples of trapunto feet for realistic bears in the picture below, it would seem that little should ever be classed as completely new in terms of teddy bear design!

I also found another of Margaret Hutching's wonderful books for a few pounds while I was auction shopping and it arrived in the post a couple of days ago. 'Modern Soft Toy Making' was first published in 1959 and is a veritible goldmine of soft toy making information.

'Modern Soft Toy Making' by Margaret Hutchings - first published 1959

Don't be put off by the term 'soft toy making' by the way, many of the techniques featured in this vintage book are still used in modern bear artistry today. In fact, if you have an urge to begin designing your own teddy bears, I think it's entirely useful to study as many toy making and crafting books, past and present, as possible, in order to fully understand how best to develop your potential. I've been designing my own range of bears for about fifteen years and I am still discovering new skills, which for me, is a major part of keeping the process fresh and exciting.

'The Splendid Soft Toy Book' - first published 1981

I remember reading a recommendation for 'The complete book of stuffed work' by Toni Scott on a forum several years ago, so I hunted for a copy and eventually tracked one down in the US. I had it shipped over and although it doesn't have much to say about bear making specifically, it does contain a wealth of information relating to all things soft sculpture, much of which can be interpreted in terms of bear design, by a creative mind.

'Complete book of stuffed work' by Toni Scott - first published 1978

And then of course, there are recent bear-making manuals aplenty; these are the three I would class as teddy bear artist bibles and no self-respecting bear art shelf should be without them!

'101 bears to make' by Nancy Tillberg, 'Constructing teddy and his friends' by Jennifer Laing and 'A bear of my own' by Rotraud Illisch

Aside from crafting publications, you can also enhance your bear design knowledge greatly by studying many other teddy bear related books. I'm thinking of reference books featuring vintage/antique bears, auction house catalogues, specialist collectors'magazines etc ... I'll share some of my favourites with you another day!

In the meantime, do keep your eyes peeled for some of the rarer vintage gems - they can often be found in second hand bookstores, or on internet sites. Don't be put off by tatty dust covers, because often you'll find a treasure trove of relevant bear-making information inside those faded covers and all for only a few pounds!