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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Are there many teddy bear shops where you live , or do you buy mostly on line?
There has been a couple of shops that have open and closed by me in Medicine Hat over the past few years. We now have a new bear shop that has opened up this year in Recliff, Paws to sew, just out side of Medicine Hat. I have found there are fewer around.
Lynn
Flying Fur StudiosLynn, there is one in Calgary. Nice store, She has lots of artists bears there to look at, and she sells the patterns as well. Super nice lady, will learn your name even.
I go there to browse, buy patterns but the felting supplies and the mohair are terribly expensive.
If you want more info though here is the link, or feel free to email me. I'm interested in the one near you though. What's it like??
http://www.out-of-hand.com/
feel free to email off the list if you prefer.
Heather
MerBear OriginalsWhen I visited Calgary recently I went to Out of Hands Shop Needle Arts. It's a marvellous store with great patterns, a smallish amount of mohair and great accessories. Most of their patterns are by Bramble Bears and what was especially nice was there is a made bear that you could see for almost every pattern! They also carry a nice selection of quilting materials, some roving etc for needlefelting and materials for other crafts. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff and they also give courses.
web site is www.out-of-hand-com
I also order on-line from Disco Joints in Ontario, Sassy Bears and Fabrics in the States, the 1 Stop Bear Shop in Alberta and Mignonettestitch.com in New Brunswick.
I'm also fortunate in that a friend of mine here in Brockville runs a smallish bear supply out of her home.
So many bears - so little time!
Marion
Flying Fur StudiosForgot to mention, that the store near me has over 140 colors of ultra suede. A great thing to have near you. No more guessing if what you're ordering will match you mohair.
Posts: 8,574Ah Heather-I am now insanely jelous of you....150 shades....I'll bet you could work out deals for remnents and parts that have flaws too.
I do everything on line.....except the groceries and a once a quarter trip to Wallmart. (and he wonders why the list is so long by the time we get there :rolleyes:)
There are two fabric stores I swear by, on line
FABRIC.com- they have fab prices and do clothing and upholstery fabrics as well as craft fabrics
no mohair- although I have asked several times....
the other is Hancocks of Paducah- they have a catalog full of eye candy and send it out frequently. While I don't quilt anymore there is some great golly clothing fabric I had to order last week.
Sunshine crafts and CRcrafts-
(although if they are out of something they hold the order....)
Dilu
Hi Everyone,
I have been on Teddy Talk for a few months but didn't think it appropriate to promote my own Teddy Bear Business. My partner and I opened Paws '2' Sew last January after 1 Stop Bear Shop in Medicine Hat closed.
We order all of our supplies from Intercal, Edinburgh, Beary Cheap etc. We are small and are trying to keep our prices reasonable. If its on sale for us it is on sale for our customers. We didn't open up the business to get rich we just didn't want our supply to dry up and felt that there was a demand for teddy bears. We also teach classes and hope someday to have a Bear Show and a Teddy Bear Retreat in the Cypress Hills. The other shop used to have the retreat and everyone really enjoyed it so hopefully next year we will spend a long weekend in the hills making bears. Anyone interested????
My husband renovated my partner Sharon's 3rd level of her 4 level split for the shop. I will take some pics and post if you want to see. We are open 2 nights a week and Saturdays - we both work full time at the Army Base which is 30 mins from our homes so thats why we are open in the evenings during the week.
We have started a website although it is very basic and looks very unprofessional www.paws2sew.com The web designer offered us a freebie and of course FREE speaks volumes when your a small business. So please don't judge us by our site! We know already that we need some professional help with the site. If there is anything that you are looking for just e-mail us at paws2sew@shaw.ca or teejays@telus.net We can e-mail you back the prices and if you want it arrange for payment and shipping.
We have 68 different shades of suede!!
Jane
Lynn - Thanks for the plug!!
Delartful BearsWe have a teddy bear shop, in the City, which is about 30 mins away from me... He has a huge range of bears and bear friends, along with a few artist bears - including mine :D
It's a great shop for teddies - been there for over 10 years!
However, there's nothing in the way of bear supplies. I have to mail order mine from Queensland. I was talking to a staff member at a craft shop that's very close to me, and they are thinking of stocking bear supplies. Probably not a heap - but I'm hoping a decent ammount. I am soooo excited about it!!
Danni
Jellybelly BearsI always buy online and at teddy bear shows that we have twice a year. One bear shop in Adelaide is just about to close down, and it was a big one, probably from the net competition. but the net is so easy isn't it and most stores can't keep up with their prices....
The only bear shop near me isn't all that near. Its in San Luis Obispo in Central California. Its called Beary Cute Bears and has a website. I go there a lot for a getaway, so I always stop in to support the business. She sells bears, artist and manufactured, but mostly artist, and no supplies.
Rufnut Teddy'sWe had a bear shop close down a few months ago, it was about 30 minutes drive, it had all manufactured bears, artists bears, fabrics and bear accessories, I use to buy a lot of fabrics and bear things from there, its called Teddy Bits, they now operate from home and can be visited by appointment. Now I tend to buy things on line or at bear shows.
I have a bear shop opened about 20 minutes away about 2 months ago, which mainly has manufactured bears and starting to stock some bear supplies, just hope they stay in business for long enough.
Anything else is over the other side of town about 1 hour plus drive. 
It is nice to know what is all out there for bear making resorces. It is a way to help one other. I find that the more resources we have the better when it comes to our bears!!!
Lynn
Posts: 8,574Jane
Oh what courage and hope are wrapped up in opening a business. Good for you! And congratulations. I wish you all the best!
Dilu
Thanks Dilu. It is a hobby business so we aren't expecting to retire on it just something to do when we retire. The love of making teddy bears is so addicting that when our supplier closed we seemed to go into panic mode. Now the panic is over!!!
There is actually a fairly big bear making community in Medicine Hat. And hopefully getting a web site up and running we will have lots and lots and lots of orders!!!
Jane
Speyer/GermanyWe have one of the greatest german shops 25 minutes with the car away (http://www.baerenstuebchen.de/), but I buy a lot by ebay.de and sometimes online by other shops.
In July we spent a week in Berlin and have visited two lovely shops there :D. That was great!!!
I think to buy online is totally different. You can´t feel the mohair by buying online and sometimes I´m a little bit dissapointet if the mohair is not so as I thougt it shell be...
Donna's Duin BruinsKirsten,
I know Penny from Beary Cute. I lived just down 101 from San Luis Obispo. Where do you live? I go up and down the 101 every few months with mohair in tow.
Donna
Penny is so nice. I love her bears also. I live in LA but drive up to visit in Morro Bay. My parents have a condo there. You bring her mohair? or did I misunderstand?
Simone,
I would love to order some material off of the web site you provided but I would need an interpreter!!! Are they selling the material in fat quarters or yards???
Jane
Donna's Duin BruinsKirsten,
Have you ever gone to Sierra Meadows Bears in Signal Hill? I have heard that Penny may be moving the store. The building will need to be earthquake retrofitted and will be under construction for about a year. Have you ever stopped in Pismo Beach at the Sandpiper? I worked there when I lived down there. They don't have that many bears left but do have some. There is also the Alcove in Shell Beach. No supplies at either place.
Donna
Donna, I was just in Old Sac and wanted to check out Scott&Scott's but they have apparently closed. They WERE, in fact, as I think I mentioned to you in a letter or at the NC show, the shop I once stopped into when I was first doing bears; had no idea who they, or anyone they carried!, was, at the time.
Do you know, are they planning to reopen anytime, anywhere?
Thanks!
Donna's Duin BruinsShelli,
ScottNScott's Bears in Old Sacramento had an electrical fire shortly after Nevada City. They tried to get the store back on it's feet and reopened before the summer started but decided it was best to just close. They have also closed the Monterey store just a week or two ago. If they do anything, it will probably not include bears. Did you need anything or were you just out and about?
Donna
I was out and about and hoped to check in, say hi, introduce myself, maybe reconnect with Scott if he happened to be there. Sad news, that.
