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Monday, 09 February 2009 |
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“Family-owned and worn bears are records of loving hearts. They are
as much a part of treasured family history as china, jewelry, or silver”.
(American teddy bear artist & collector)
FRED-I-BEARS are made from Schulte mohair, mohair manufactured in Germany by the Schulte factory. Schulte have been manufacturing mohair as early as 1900 and was used by Margaret Steiff to make her first TeddyBear. On 5th December 1995 a Steiff bear called Teddy Girl fetched £110,000 at Christie’s South Kensington , United Kingdom . Over the years other manufactures have produced the well known “Winnie –the-Pooh, Paddington and other Bears. I have also been importing Japanese mohair and silk and have added them to my bear materials as well as our own locally produced mohair "Lou Bear"
Not having a TeddyBear as a child, having had a Doll, I decided after selling my Craft business of over 15 years to investigate the world of TeddyBears. Being new to this field, while visiting a shop at the Waterfront, Cape Town , I was shocked when the owner of the shop told me the price of the mohair TeddyBear I held in my hands. I then learnt the difference between mohair and synthetic materials
Today, I have been making and collecting TeddyBears, for 10 years and have traveled to the West and the East, displaying and selling TeddyBears. I have won awards overseas and have taught classes. Fred-I-Bears are sold around the world. I am the International representative for Taiwan and am honored to have been helping them for the past 5 years with both their show and International bear competition.
Fred-I-Bears are hand and machine sewed, using the finest mohair, are fully- jointed using either hardboard disks with nuts or disks and cotter pins, they can be tall and they can be small. No bears are ever alike although some might be similar to one another as they do come from the same family, and there are the odd sets of twins. My helper Irene Rantsimele has been taught to cut out, design and make her own teddy bears and monies that she has received from these bears has contributed to her HIV/AID medication.
To give the bodies weight they are filled with polyester fiber, kapok, glass beads or steal shot. The traditional bears are firmly stuffed while the contemporary ones are much floppier.
Both old wooden shoe-buttons and black shiny glass eyes are used in the range. All noses are embroidered using stranded cotton and are finished off with varnish or black wax to give the noses a "shiny wet look", while air-brushing techniques are used to add dimension to the faces. Fred-I-Bears are either dressed or undressed.
The only attention that Fred-I-Bears need is love and a warm home. From time to time they also like to send their "home mother" greetings and share their new surroundings and friends with her.
Orders normally take 4-6 weeks to dispatch, bearing in mind that it normally takes 9 months to produce a baby.
Helping me with my creations is Irene Rantsimele. Irene has been helping me over the past few years and is now able to make her very own bears. Not only does she help with the teddy bears, she helps with the DinkyDolls© and reborn dolls.
Last year (2007) saw me once again venture out into business with the opening of a home based shop. Here I sell bear relating materials and offer various workshops.
As the business has grown over the years I have an African woman Irene Rantsamile assisting me. Irene is now adapt at making her own bears and has started selling her creations.
I am involved with helping the Taiwan Teddy Bear Association where I judge, teach and assist with both online competitions and International ones. In Korea I was asked to judge in November 2009 and I have been invited along side my colleague from Taiwan to the June International Teddy bear show in Tokyo, Japan.
Thank you for visiting my site 
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![1. img_5708 [640x480].jpg (img_5708 [640x480].jpg)](http://www.fred-i-bear.co.za/user/content/img_5708%20%5B640x480%5D.jpg "1. img_5708 [640x480].jpg (img_5708 [640x480].jpg)")
