Lanes End Bears
by Lindsey Agnostelli

Lanes End Bears are a collection of handmade bears of all shapes and sizes. From pure white Polar bears, multi coloured clown bears and little dressed bears, in fact whatever your taste in teddy bears I'm sure Lindsey Agnostelli has made it.

Here is a short interview to introduce Lindsey and her bears to you, i hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

How long have you been making bears and what got you started?

I have been making bears for 3 years. I started knitting them in that hairy yarn everybody used for scarves. Then a friend's  sister, who used to be a bear maker, gave me some magazines with patterns in them, & the rest, as they say, is history. 

I am totally hooked. This year I entered a competition for the first time. The NTBAA, held each year. I was lucky enough to gain 3rd place in the A class

I notice that your Lanes end bears come in all different sizes. Would you say that your bears have a particular style that ties them all together or is the inspiration for your bears a lot freer than that? My bears come in different sizes purely because I love bears of all descriptions. Big ones, small ones, middle sized one's. Also I like variety. I would get pretty bored if I stuck to one type of bear all the time, much as I love making them.

Icicle

What do you love most about teddy bears?

What do I love most about bears? Everything would be the answer to that one. I love their different expressions, fabrics that they are made from. There are so many wonderful bear artists "out there" & each one produces an individual style. I can look at one & think ahhh, & then see another one & that's an ooooh.  They are also very huggable.

Baggins and Baxter

Do you find it hard to give away a bear when they are adopted and amongst all the bears you have made has there been a favourite you kept for yourself or wished you had?

There are bears, that once they have been adopted, I am sorry to see go. My most favourite bear was one I made from a Monica Spicer pattern, who I called Baxter. There was nothing special about him I just took an enormous liking to him. I made him a friend, Baggins, from the same pattern but, although he was nice, he didn't have the same appeal. They both ended up going to the same home of a collector.

Did you have a favourite bear as a child, if so do you still have it and could you tell us about it? I only ever had one bear as a child, & I still have him. I don't know what make he is & obviously he is a little tatty now. Although he has stood the test of time quite well, he is almost 60 years old. He is made from a faux fur, with velveteen pads. He has glass eyes, one not quite where it should be. He has an embroidered nose, which my mother did, as his original nose was felt, and  apparently I used to pick at it, so he ended up with no nose at all!!! He is stuffed, I would think, with wood wool or something similar, as he doesn't have a squidgy feel to him. His front body seam is slightly balding but other than that his fur is in quite good condition. He is about 22" standing.

Sarsaparilla

Summer

I have always been interested in anything arts & crafts. I have knitted on & off since my 3 sons were babies. I used to make & decorate their birthday/christening cakes, also other peoples. Then about 13 years ago I got into narrow boat art. I moved onto my own design of blue & white, & primitive type painting. This is done on items bought from car boots & charity shops. I still paint, in between making the bears.

Lanes End Bears

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