Quality of Artistry and Workmanship are always issues that a buyer has to be concerned with whenever a purchase is made. This is especially true when the initial observation is made from a photo in hand or on the Internet. This is very evident with Real Fur Teddy Bears. I would like to share with you some attributes I feel mean Quality of Artistry and Workmanship.

Recycled Fur
The stoles and jackets should have some flexibility to them and be in usable condition, a gentle tug on the skins should not tear them after the lining is completely removed. The furs should be clean; I apply a water free fur cleaner and lanolin solution to aid the fur appearance. If the fur is dry and brittle, there is a very good chance that it will tear during construction or after completion. While a tear can occur anytime in any fur product, each piece of the fur pattern should be backed with a muslin lining. The type of glue used in this process is also important because certain types of glues can harden causing the skin to become brittle. This process will double the required time to cut the out the fur pieces.

Pattern
The artistry starts with the pattern. An artist will take the concept in the mind and transfer it to paper so a pattern can be created. All my patterns are my own original creations. Pattern creation can be a wonderful or very frustrating process depending on if the bear is turning out as it is in my mind.

Body and Interior
Once the body is jointed together utilizing hard board discs, washers, bolts, and lock nuts. Careful consideration is given to the jointing because you don't want it so loose that the limb just spins around or so tight that you can't move the limb. It is stuffed with clean high quality fiberfill, some bears also have plastic pellets or steel shot insert to give them weight. The stuffing process is important because it gives the full feel to the body, arms, legs and head.


Head and Face
This is the final touch of artistry, this is where the bear becomes alive again for me. I hand embroider the mouth and nose very carefully. Many artists will use leather or plastic noses in place of the embroidery because of the difficult nature of this type of embroidery. German glass eyes are used and inset deep in the bear's face, which gives the bear more life (These bears are not child safe). My final step is what I call my sculpting. I spend an average of six hours sculpting each head which gives each bear more lifelike expressions. This process means using a small scissors to cut the guard hairs little by little avoiding mistakes. Even though I may use the same pattern with the same fur, there are always small differences, which actually make each bear one of a kind.