Introduction
How the Teddy Lady Came to Be
Once upon a time, I had the opportunity to meet an actor who was one of the stars of a popular movie trilogy and went on to be part of the ensemble on a popular television series. (Due to a cease & desist order from certain companies, I will not name names.) Upon meeting him, I presented him with a bear dressed in the costume of one of his well-known characters. He was quite taken with the bear, referring to it as a “mini-me.” Later, he autographed a photo for me, addressing it to “Susan, the Teddy Lady.” Thus I received my name.
Since then, I have dressed bears in the costumes of a number of other characters. I have also done original costumes. Though I do not make the bears themselves, I carefully study the characters’ costumes, purchase the closest fabric I can to the original, design patterns and fit them to the bears, make the clothes, including as many accurate details as possible, attach the wigs, and give them haircuts. As you may imagine, this is a long process, but one that I thoroughly enjoy.
