Meet Theodore Bear. A Delightful Felt Soft Toy



Where does the name Theodore Bear come from?

Theodore Bear was named after President Theodore Roosevelt who inspired the very first teddy bear in 1902. The President, whilst on a hunting trip, refused to shoot a bear that that had been caught and strapped to a tree ready for him to kill. 

The event became headline news and a shop owner in New York made a stuffed bear in honour of the President's actions and sold it. If you would like to read some more about the history of the teddy bear, click here.

It seemed natural that the perfect name for this bear should also be Theodore, going right back to the roots of where the teddy bear's name originally came from. 

Why is Theodore Bear the main character in Theodore Bear and Friends?

Theodore was the first of the characters to be designed. He was always going to be the lead character with a circle of friends around him. It really always felt as though a teddy bear should be the main character because it was a teddy bear that started off the trend for people buying stuffed toys way back in 1902. 

What is the short story about Theodore Bear?

Each of the characters in Theodore Bear and Friends has a short story written about them. The short stories are all written by Grace Walters, my daughter. She is a natural story writer and has been since she was little. She loves writing and English so much that she is now studying English language and literature at Oxford University.

Here is the short story written by Grace Walters, about Theodore Bear, bringing his wonderful character to life.

All About Theodore Bear. A short story about Theodore...........

Theodore Bear is a peaceful soul who will hum as he cracks open another dusty old book before bed every evening, at precisely nine o’clock. He will have spent the day wearing a mellow smile which he shares with everyone he passes. It has been a while since Theodore frowned, in fact.

When not guzzling another steaming pot of freshly brewed tea, you can find this bear scribbling his thoughts onto any surface he can get his paws on – notepads, the backs of receipts, or some kitchen roll if he’s in a spot of a rush. His friends tease that he should be called ‘Grandpa Bear’ instead of Theodore, but he simply chuckles and agrees: after all, he cannot deny that technology puzzles him greatly; that he loves an armchair and a roaring fire more than the television; and that his loves of landscape painting and mug collecting are a little … unique, to say the least.

To be cosy is a great joy to this bear, as you can tell. He does love to don a raincoat and plod out on a walk in the wind, but far prefers the feeling of coming home afterwards. Kicking off mud-speckled boots before sinking into his armchair, warm again at last, brings Theodore a happy glow which will not fade through the night. He is a happy little soul, every single day.

What clothes does Theodore like to wear?

Theodore was designed to wear the felt duffle coat. Click here to look at the pattern for the coat. It has a lovely contrast hood to add a bit of colour and 2 cute little pockets for Theodore to keep any little bits and bobs in. However, the clothes have all been designed to be interchangeable between Theodore Bear and Friends so that you can choose whichever outfit you like. Click here to browse through all of the clothes patterns.

Is Theodore Bear easy to make?

Theodore was designed to be machine sewn but some customers have chosen to hand sew him. If you have used a sewing machine before and are comfortable using it, you should be absolutely fine making Theodore. The instructions are very thorough and have a colour photograph for every step of the process so that if you are a visual learner and need to see a picture, instead of lots of writing, we've got you covered.

I want to make Theodore Bear but if I get stuck, can I get help?

Absolutely, yes. You can send us an email at any time to ask for help. In fact, we really want you to so that we have the opportunity to share our knowledge. Here is a link to the Contact Us page. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions page where some of your questions may be already answered. Don't be shy, send your questions in.

What Next?

If you have enjoyed reading about Theodore Bear, and you think that your friends would also enjoy it, please share this on social media.

If you would like to look through the Theodore Bear patterns, click here.