March 1, 2021
Creating a new teddy bear design is always a pleasure for Grin & Bear’s founder, Michael Dankwah and he established Grin & Bear purely based on this passion. When working on a new bespoke project, the entire design is built from the ground up, with every new teddy bear design created with the same care and dedication as the last. Although the approach is the same time and time again, when designing any bespoke teddy bear we ensure every aspect of the design represents our customer’s initial vision, bringing their dream furry companion to life. To learn more about our teddy bear creation process, and glimpse into the creative world of Grin & Bear’s UK Teddy Bear Shop, feel free to continue reading.
The Grin & Bear workshop
Here at Grin & Bear, we have a small London studio which is where the magic truly happens. This is where every single one of our beloved bears comes to life, so Michael has always ensured it is a space where the creative juices can flow. The space is a true representation of our entire teddy bear creative process, including a mood wall and many different fabric samples and swatches to choose from. Michael also has a lot of tools ready for him to start designing the bears, including a state-of-the-art sewing machine, and the more obvious tools including a teddy bear toolbox with threads, scissors, needles and everything else you need to create a teddy.
Of course, the Grin & Bear workshop is not always neat and tidy! With so many different ideas flowing, it can get a little chaotic - but in a good way! With a long to do list of new ideas to start creating, as well as endless toy stuffing for mocking up ideas and lots of embroidery samples to send to our clients, this small London studio which Michael considers his personal teddy bear shop is full of life and love.
How does Michael create a bear from scratch?
You may now be wondering how Michael takes a customer’s idea and translates this into a physical teddy bear that can be treasured for years to come. And the truth is, it all does start with an idea, and we work closely with the customer to bring this to life. A perfect example of this process is with our recent Barbados bespoke teddy bear.
The customer contacted us looking to have a teddy bear made for their adopted child, who was originally born in Barbados. This incredible country has so much to offer in terms of culture, so our customer was looking to embody this in a teddy bear to create a permanent reminder of the child’s roots and associate the bear with fond memories of the culture of his birth country.
The initial idea was to base the teddy bear on the Barbadian flag, which is a striking blue and gold, also featuring a black trident-head centred on the gold band. The flag is actually a true representation of the country itself, with the blue symbolising the ocean surrounding the country and the sky, and the golden middle band representing the sand - so this really was the perfect design to remind an adopted child of their home country. So, how does Michael bring this to life in a bespoke teddy bear?
- Everything starts with a sketch
After having an initial chat with the customer, Michael will take his incredibly creative imagination and try to bring the idea to life through a simple sketch. This allows both him, and the customer, to obtain an understanding of what the bear can potentially look like, as well as plan the creation process and make any changes necessary before going ahead with the design.
- Sourcing fabric
Michael is a huge lover of textiles and has a complete infatuation with stylish prints and brave designs, as he knows there will always be the perfect material out there for every bear. After the initial sketch has been completed, it is time for him to find the right fabric for the design. Some of the materials we use include cashmere, silk, mohair and the finest cottons. Usually, he visits Berwick Street in Soho to visit various fabric shops to find what might work. From there, the client sometimes wants to see the fabric in person, so he always sends them a swatch sample before progressing any further with the project.
- It’s time to make the bear!
As soon as the design is approved, and the fabric is chosen, it’s time to start physically bringing this new companion to life. Michael always creates each of the bears himself, allowing him to be completely in control of this creative process. He uses traditional techniques, working to ensure the final product is exactly what the client initially envisioned.
Sometimes he may come across problems which have to be resolved, for example, with the Barbados bear he realised that he may have some problems achieving the yellow strip in the flag design with a central seam, as it wouldn’t keep the natural curve of the teddy bear stomach. To combat this, before designing the final bear Michael made up a design in calico first, then manoeuvred the seams outwards to get rid of the seam down the middle.
Would you like to purchase a bespoke teddy bear?
With the finest designer teddy maestro and hand-picked fabrics, there really is a bear to suit everyone at Grin & Bear. If you have your very own bespoke project in mind, please do not hesitate to contact Michael today. He would be happy to have a chat with you regarding any ideas you may have, and he could almost certainly bring this to life for you in his UK teddy bear shop.
Follow @GrinandbearLDN on instagram
March 1, 2021
Creating a new teddy bear design is always a pleasure for Grin & Bear’s founder, Michael Dankwah and he established Grin & Bear purely based on this passion. When working on a new bespoke project, the entire design is built from the ground up, with every new teddy bear design created with the same care and dedication as the last. Although the approach is the same time and time again, when designing any bespoke teddy bear we ensure every aspect of the design represents our customer’s initial vision, bringing their dream furry companion to life. To learn more about our teddy bear creation process, and glimpse into the creative world of Grin & Bear’s UK Teddy Bear Shop, feel free to continue reading.
The Grin & Bear workshop
Here at Grin & Bear, we have a small London studio which is where the magic truly happens. This is where every single one of our beloved bears comes to life, so Michael has always ensured it is a space where the creative juices can flow. The space is a true representation of our entire teddy bear creative process, including a mood wall and many different fabric samples and swatches to choose from. Michael also has a lot of tools ready for him to start designing the bears, including a state-of-the-art sewing machine, and the more obvious tools including a teddy bear toolbox with threads, scissors, needles and everything else you need to create a teddy.
Of course, the Grin & Bear workshop is not always neat and tidy! With so many different ideas flowing, it can get a little chaotic - but in a good way! With a long to do list of new ideas to start creating, as well as endless toy stuffing for mocking up ideas and lots of embroidery samples to send to our clients, this small London studio which Michael considers his personal teddy bear shop is full of life and love.
How does Michael create a bear from scratch?
You may now be wondering how Michael takes a customer’s idea and translates this into a physical teddy bear that can be treasured for years to come. And the truth is, it all does start with an idea, and we work closely with the customer to bring this to life. A perfect example of this process is with our recent Barbados bespoke teddy bear.
The customer contacted us looking to have a teddy bear made for their adopted child, who was originally born in Barbados. This incredible country has so much to offer in terms of culture, so our customer was looking to embody this in a teddy bear to create a permanent reminder of the child’s roots and associate the bear with fond memories of the culture of his birth country.
The initial idea was to base the teddy bear on the Barbadian flag, which is a striking blue and gold, also featuring a black trident-head centred on the gold band. The flag is actually a true representation of the country itself, with the blue symbolising the ocean surrounding the country and the sky, and the golden middle band representing the sand - so this really was the perfect design to remind an adopted child of their home country. So, how does Michael bring this to life in a bespoke teddy bear?
- Everything starts with a sketch
After having an initial chat with the customer, Michael will take his incredibly creative imagination and try to bring the idea to life through a simple sketch. This allows both him, and the customer, to obtain an understanding of what the bear can potentially look like, as well as plan the creation process and make any changes necessary before going ahead with the design.
- Sourcing fabric
Michael is a huge lover of textiles and has a complete infatuation with stylish prints and brave designs, as he knows there will always be the perfect material out there for every bear. After the initial sketch has been completed, it is time for him to find the right fabric for the design. Some of the materials we use include cashmere, silk, mohair and the finest cottons. Usually, he visits Berwick Street in Soho to visit various fabric shops to find what might work. From there, the client sometimes wants to see the fabric in person, so he always sends them a swatch sample before progressing any further with the project.
- It’s time to make the bear!
As soon as the design is approved, and the fabric is chosen, it’s time to start physically bringing this new companion to life. Michael always creates each of the bears himself, allowing him to be completely in control of this creative process. He uses traditional techniques, working to ensure the final product is exactly what the client initially envisioned.
Sometimes he may come across problems which have to be resolved, for example, with the Barbados bear he realised that he may have some problems achieving the yellow strip in the flag design with a central seam, as it wouldn’t keep the natural curve of the teddy bear stomach. To combat this, before designing the final bear Michael made up a design in calico first, then manoeuvred the seams outwards to get rid of the seam down the middle.
Would you like to purchase a bespoke teddy bear?
With the finest designer teddy maestro and hand-picked fabrics, there really is a bear to suit everyone at Grin & Bear. If you have your very own bespoke project in mind, please do not hesitate to contact Michael today. He would be happy to have a chat with you regarding any ideas you may have, and he could almost certainly bring this to life for you in his UK teddy bear shop.
March 1, 2021
Creating a new teddy bear design is always a pleasure for Grin & Bear’s founder, Michael Dankwah and he established Grin & Bear purely based on this passion. When working on a new bespoke project, the entire design is built from the ground up, with every new teddy bear design created with the same care and dedication as the last. Although the approach is the same time and time again, when designing any bespoke teddy bear we ensure every aspect of the design represents our customer’s initial vision, bringing their dream furry companion to life. To learn more about our teddy bear creation process, and glimpse into the creative world of Grin & Bear’s UK Teddy Bear Shop, feel free to continue reading.
The Grin & Bear workshop
Here at Grin & Bear, we have a small London studio which is where the magic truly happens. This is where every single one of our beloved bears comes to life, so Michael has always ensured it is a space where the creative juices can flow. The space is a true representation of our entire teddy bear creative process, including a mood wall and many different fabric samples and swatches to choose from. Michael also has a lot of tools ready for him to start designing the bears, including a state-of-the-art sewing machine, and the more obvious tools including a teddy bear toolbox with threads, scissors, needles and everything else you need to create a teddy.
Of course, the Grin & Bear workshop is not always neat and tidy! With so many different ideas flowing, it can get a little chaotic - but in a good way! With a long to do list of new ideas to start creating, as well as endless toy stuffing for mocking up ideas and lots of embroidery samples to send to our clients, this small London studio which Michael considers his personal teddy bear shop is full of life and love.
How does Michael create a bear from scratch?
You may now be wondering how Michael takes a customer’s idea and translates this into a physical teddy bear that can be treasured for years to come. And the truth is, it all does start with an idea, and we work closely with the customer to bring this to life. A perfect example of this process is with our recent Barbados bespoke teddy bear.
The customer contacted us looking to have a teddy bear made for their adopted child, who was originally born in Barbados. This incredible country has so much to offer in terms of culture, so our customer was looking to embody this in a teddy bear to create a permanent reminder of the child’s roots and associate the bear with fond memories of the culture of his birth country.
The initial idea was to base the teddy bear on the Barbadian flag, which is a striking blue and gold, also featuring a black trident-head centred on the gold band. The flag is actually a true representation of the country itself, with the blue symbolising the ocean surrounding the country and the sky, and the golden middle band representing the sand - so this really was the perfect design to remind an adopted child of their home country. So, how does Michael bring this to life in a bespoke teddy bear?
- Everything starts with a sketch
After having an initial chat with the customer, Michael will take his incredibly creative imagination and try to bring the idea to life through a simple sketch. This allows both him, and the customer, to obtain an understanding of what the bear can potentially look like, as well as plan the creation process and make any changes necessary before going ahead with the design.
- Sourcing fabric
Michael is a huge lover of textiles and has a complete infatuation with stylish prints and brave designs, as he knows there will always be the perfect material out there for every bear. After the initial sketch has been completed, it is time for him to find the right fabric for the design. Some of the materials we use include cashmere, silk, mohair and the finest cottons. Usually, he visits Berwick Street in Soho to visit various fabric shops to find what might work. From there, the client sometimes wants to see the fabric in person, so he always sends them a swatch sample before progressing any further with the project.
- It’s time to make the bear!
As soon as the design is approved, and the fabric is chosen, it’s time to start physically bringing this new companion to life. Michael always creates each of the bears himself, allowing him to be completely in control of this creative process. He uses traditional techniques, working to ensure the final product is exactly what the client initially envisioned.
Sometimes he may come across problems which have to be resolved, for example, with the Barbados bear he realised that he may have some problems achieving the yellow strip in the flag design with a central seam, as it wouldn’t keep the natural curve of the teddy bear stomach. To combat this, before designing the final bear Michael made up a design in calico first, then manoeuvred the seams outwards to get rid of the seam down the middle.
Would you like to purchase a bespoke teddy bear?
With the finest designer teddy maestro and hand-picked fabrics, there really is a bear to suit everyone at Grin & Bear. If you have your very own bespoke project in mind, please do not hesitate to contact Michael today. He would be happy to have a chat with you regarding any ideas you may have, and he could almost certainly bring this to life for you in his UK teddy bear shop.