All About HankieBears...tradition with a touch of whimsy
The Artist |
For years Jean had been devoting her creative time to a stained glass window design business. Suddenly, she developed an intense interest in teddy bears. She began as a collector, first of manufactured bears, and then of artist bears. Naturally, her interest led her to design and create. The glass business was now cast aside in favor of a softer pursuit. Jean has been designing and making teddy bears since 1998. She is an award winning artist with her creations living in homes all over the world. Hankiebears are created in the traditional style with the hump on the back. Her signature style includes stitched claws and eyebrows. Jean often picks the face, revealing the backing material. |
In addition to traditional neutral colors, Jean like's to work with brightly colored fabrics. Often she hand dyes mohair using silk dyes, and even Koolaid®. As the bear comes to life, so does a story. From "Walter", who has been out in the backyard again in only his socks to "Contessa" in all her glory...each bear will arrive with a 3" x 5" laminated tag. Details about authenticity, construction, quality assurance, and each bear's individual story are included.
All HankieBears are thoroughly checked before the final touches are added. Jean makes sure the eyes are secure, the joints are all nice and tight, and the seams are tightly closed. Her bears are sold as collectibles and not suitable as toys for children. However, she feels quality is very important - She'd like your HankieBear to live to a ripe old age. The following HankieBears Quality Verse is on each tag...
HankieBears Quality Verse
Ouch that hurts, don't grab my ear,
or poke and pull my eyes you hear!
"I have to do this now" said she,
"you must be the best bear you can be."
Why give my arms and legs a spin?
My patience will be wearing thin!
"I must be sure of this, you see,
that you are the best bear you can be."
Oh please, don't tug my seams, confound!
And make my head turn all around.
"There, my friend, you'll be just fine,
"I'll be gentle, please don't whine."
And so each HankieBear is checked,
with utmost care and great respect.
…Jean Clements-Macak - artist
Another passion of Jean's is antiques. All of her bears are sewn on machines that are older than she. The favorite is a Singer Spartan with her old Featherweight a close second. You'll also notice that most of Jean's bears are not wearing much more than a smile. She tends to favor the naked ones, but occasionally makes clothed bears. Hmmm, now what does that say?
People ask Jean "why HankieBears?" Well, each bear will arrive with a coordinating hankie. Growing up with these colorful cotton hankies are a sentimental part of her childhood. All of the hankies come from trips to the antique mall and are quite nice. She hopes you enjoy looking at her teddy bears and consider adoption. Simply stated, there is nothing better than hugging your very own teddy bear
These are the first three
bears Jean made. Pinkmo and Buster were from the two classes she took. Twitchy (it's a long story on that name) was Jean's first attempt at designing a pattern of her own. All three bears live with Jean.
Jean would also like to thank everybody (you know who you are) who gave so freely of their advice, patience, and encouragement. It means more to her than you'll ever know.
...The Boss says: Hey, she didn't tell
you about me
My name is Betsy and
I'm the boss around here!
I'd love to hear from you, let me know what you think
The Hankiebears© web site was designed,
created and is owned by Jean Clements-Macak
and Joseph Macak. All design, graphics, layout, and information contained
herein are the sole property of the owners. Any reproduction is strictly prohibited
unless permission is first obtained from the owners. 1999-2004 HankieBears©
