I expanded my line to bears when I made baskets of 5" calico bears. After looking at them, I decided to adapt the pattern to fit 1/12 scale. I made my first miniature bear in February, 1987, by reducing the pattern on a Xerox machine. Originally, the bears were made of gingham and calico only. They were sewn on the sewing machine, then turned and put together by hand. They weren't jointed until the fall of 1988. In 1989, I started making bears of furry robe velour, most of which were adorned with hats, purses, lace collars, etc. I also made various bears dressed for the holidays.
In 1990, I discovered an upholstery fabric sold as "miniature bear fur". It was too thick to use with my standard method so I had to come up with a new pattern. I was immediately pleased with the results. Shortly after the first "new bear", I was ready to move on to other animals. A bunny came next, followed by the elephant and giraffe. I now have 40 to 50 different animals in my repertoire, including bears, zebras, monkeys , seals, and many other species. Most all are made from my original designs. The animals range in size from 7/8" to 2 1/2" in height, Of course, the “teddy bear” people don’t know the word “scale” and I find that the “miniature” people are learning that teddy bears come in all sizes!
I have now made over 7000 animals and have sent them all over the world. They have gone to Australia, South Africa, Europe, South America, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Canada and Japan, as well as most of the United States. In 1992, I applied for and received my Artisan Status in the International Guild of Miniature Artisans. In 1995 I was granted Fellow Status. In 1999 "Kirby" and in 2000 "Bayley" were nominated for Golden Teddy awards.I feel honored to have received
these achievements. |
