Making a friend from bits of fabric and fur Shop goes beyond selling teddy bears to teaching the art of sewing them

Staff Writer

By gloria stravelli

Making a friend from bits of fabric and fur
Shop goes beyond selling teddy bears to teaching the art of sewing them


PHOTOS BY JERRY WOLKOWITZ Leslie Bennett, owner of TB’s Tea Co., in Fair Haven, holds TB, the shop’s manager. With Bennett is her assistant, Kelly Mowery.PHOTOS BY JERRY WOLKOWITZ Leslie Bennett, owner of TB’s Tea Co., in Fair Haven, holds TB, the shop’s manager. With Bennett is her assistant, Kelly Mowery.

It isn’t all snip, snip, stitch, stitch in Leslie Bennett’s workroom. As she cuts, sews and stuffs the teddy bears she handcrafts for her Fair Haven shop, she stops often to infuse them with warm feelings.

"Each bear takes 15 to 20 hours to craft, depending on the fabric," she said, "and I stop every so often, and I hug and love. They’re all guaranteed to have at least an hour or two of love built in."

Bennett’s first teddy bear creation, "TB," was the inspiration for her pair of Fair Haven businesses: Bears, Bears & More Bears by Leslie, a boutique selling handmade teddy bears and "bearaphernalia," and TB’s Tea Co., a teddy bear-themed tea room.

The businesses occupy an upstairs/ downstairs space at 810 River Road where they relocated from West End in Long Branch in the fall.


Leslie Bennett, owner of Bears, Bears & More Bears by Leslie, in Fair Haven, shows a selection of her bears, along with assistant Kelly Mowery.Leslie Bennett, owner of Bears, Bears & More Bears by Leslie, in Fair Haven, shows a selection of her bears, along with assistant Kelly Mowery.

Only 4 years old, TB’s once-plush fur is a bit worn, but Bennett thinks that’s as it should be.

"TB is worn from love," she said. "He goes everywhere with me."

Around her hometown, Bennett and TB are a familiar sight.

"I’m pretty well known around Long Branch," she admitted. "Children stop me and hug him, but it’s just as often the adults. People just love him."

The bear even made a transatlantic trip with her this summer on a teddy bear-oriented tour of England to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the first teddy bear in 1902.

Bennett said we "Yanks" have a different version of the genesis of the teddy bear than do the "Brits," who are equally avid collectors of the stuffed toy bears.

In America, teddy bears are considered to have been inspired by President Theodore Roosevelt, who, while on a hunting trip, refused to shoot a small bear cub.

The British believe the bears were inspired by King Edward, known affectionately as Teddy. In any case, their popularity is worldwide. According to Bennett, they are the third most popular collectible in the world, after stamps and coins.

Using a pattern and scraps of fake fur, Bennett sewed up TB in 1997 and has been making one-of-a-kind, handmade bears ever since.

"I design each of my bears, and they’re all unique. When I’m making them, they’re genderless until they become something," said Bennett, adding that by the end of the process, the stuffed bears take on an identity.

"I have no way of knowing what a bear is going to turn out like," she explained. "By the time my bear is finished, I sit down and we visit. I look at them and decide how to dress them, and they get a nose. Their expression just happens. No two are alike."

Bennett makes her own patterns for the 16- to 18-inch bears which have fully jointed arms, legs and heads and are made of a variety of fabrics including fake fur, mohair, berber, lamb’s wool, mink, suede and leather. Each is named and numbered. The bears are bought by collectors, with prices starting at $125. Smaller, machine-sewn fleece bears sell for around $60.

One-of-a-kind bears in the upstairs Bears by Leslie boutique include a red Valentine’s Day bear, infant bears, a policeman in uniform, an attorney with wire-rimmed glasses, a Mother’s Day bear sporting an antique lace collar, and a "cool cat" musician with a musical saxophone that plays a jazz tune. Some are based on famous folk, like the bear that commemorates the late John F. Kennedy Jr., and some have a local flavor like a plush purple bear based on Jimmy from the Raceway Diner. Three special bears — America, Hope and Remembrance — commemorate the tragedy of Sept. 11.

In addition to the bears, the boutique has a complete inventory of teddy bear clothing and accessories with a teddy bear theme, and Bennett also gives bear-making lessons.

Downstairs, a dressed-up TB presides over a Victorian tea parlor, complete with fancy tablecloths and lace curtains where patrons choose their own tea cup from a variety of charming china patterns. The tea room is open Tuesday-Saturday from 2-4 p.m. for tea and sweets and may be reserved for tea parties for girls of all ages. Children’s parties feature themes, costumes and craft activities, including teddy bear-making. The tea room is also a gift shop with tea- and teddy bear-related wares like teapots and tea assortments.

For Bennett, her creations make love tangible.

"I have an expression I use," she said, " ‘Teddy bears are love that you can touch and feel.’ How can you resist? They make a perfect gift, and with minimal care, they can last for generations."