The Hamilton Spectator
Home & Garden;
Thursday, February 6, 2003,
p. D10

These cosy teddies are heirlooms;
Art Matters Bears are made from
old fur coats
Regina Haggo
Special To The Hamilton Spectator

Sherrie Hicks can't bear to see fur coats thrown away, so she turns them into teddy bears -- the softest, most heart-warming teddies on the planet.

The Hamilton furrier knows that while fur is hardy, a particular coat can go out of style. One season's ankle-length raccoon or mink could be next year's fashion faux pas.

About 10 years ago, she started recycling fur garments -- remodelling coats or incorporating stoles into sweater-jackets. That sort of recycling doesn't suit everyone, though.

So for the past four years, Hicks has been giving old furs new life as luxury bears. A stole can be transformed into one bear, a jacket into two, and a full-length coat into three.

This way a coat left in a will can be shared, for instance, by three daughters. Hicks has found that furs often carry strong memories of loved ones and the attendant emotions are attached to the bears.

"People cry when they come to pick them up," she says.

These bears are not toys for children. They are more like heirlooms.

Her most popular type of bear has movable arms, legs and head so that it sits and stands. It has a long snout, black glass eyes and an embroidered nose.

Packed tightly with non-allergenic polyester fill, it is modelled on bears made by Steiff, the pioneering German company that started producing them 100 years ago.

The biggest bear she has at the moment stands about 60 centimetres tall. Most of the others are slightly smaller. Another type, the baby bear, lies on its tummy and lacks jointed limbs. It is about 30 centimetres long.

Her largest teddy measured more than a metre high. A customer in Pennsylvania asked Hicks to make the biggest bear she could from one coat. When the woman moved to another state, she gave up her pets, but took her stuffed bear along.

While most of the bears are based on the same pattern, none is identical. One reason is that they are made by hand. The way a bear is stuffed will lend individuality to the body.

Another reason is the variety of furs with colours ranging from black through ginger and gold to white. Hicks sometimes exploits distinctive patterns in the fur.

One teddy made from tight black Persian lamb has a furrowed brow. Bears of raccoon fur are long-haired so they appear to dwarf those with short fur.

Hicks can shear long fur to make it like plush velvet, only softer. She likes to combine short-haired bodies with fluffy ears that make the bears resemble koalas.

One bear boasts a black fleece body and mink ears. Hicks has also created a panda by combining white, black and grey furs.

The bear business is booming. Hicks has to employ helpers to keep up with orders not just for Christmas and Valentine's Day, but birthdays and retirements. You don't need to bring in an old fur coat to own a bear.

Hicks sells fur bears from her store at 822 Main St. E. Phone 905-545-3911 for an appointment.

Photo: Cathie Coward, the Hamilton Spectator
Sherrie Hicks turns fur coats into teddy bears. She says furs often carry memories of loved ones that get transferred to the bears. 'People cry when they come to pick them up,' Hicks says.

Category: Consumer GoodsUniform subject(s):
Visual artsStory type(s):
NewsEdition: FinalLength:
Medium, 685 words
© 2003 The Hamilton Spectator.
All rights reserved.
Doc.: 20030206HS668764