Sasha's Bears

A Bear family

21 December 2025

Two very different but equally lovely Teddies, who had been their owners' lifelong companions, were discharged from Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital yesterday.

A 74-year-old traditional Teddy (who had his face shaved many years ago for reasons his owner could no longer remember) came to have all his paw pads replaced, and a large hole on his head mended. I gave him a good clean as well, patched a few smaller holes, and added some stuffing to his neck and arms.

On the next bed was 37-year-old Blue Bear, who needed a full re-stuffing. He too had a few holes darned, and his fur well cleaned so as to live up to his neame again.

Blue Bear went home happy, knowing that he would soon be hugged again by his owner's young daughter, who adores him as much as her father always has.

While I was treating the bears, an old friend popped in for a bit of post-op care. Bunny had major life-saving surgery at the Hospital a few years ago, and was doing very well.

What with all the hopping and skipping, however, he did need to have his legs reattached more securely, plus a bit of extra stuffing added.

17 December

40-year-old Bear underwent quite a few repairs at home before coming to Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital, including a nice pair of trousers to replace the pjs he once had. He was, however, quite weak, missing an ear, and had a huge hole in his chest.

After giving him a good clean, I patched him all over, added plenty of stuffing, and made him a new ear, using the fabric from his trousers. When his owner's young daughter saw the Bear's transformation, she said she was very pleased that she would at last be able to hug him properly!

Things were a lot more straightforward with another patient, a nice Merrythought Teddy. All that I had to do was re-attach his head. He went home whole again a day later, much to the delight of his owner.

8 December

Like so many patients I had before him, this nice 50-year-old teddy was a victim of a dog attack. Luckily, he was rescued before too long, so his injuries were confined to his muzzle. After reconstructive surgery at Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital, Teddy was as good as new. Being a really nice teddy, he decided not to press charges against his attacker.

Meanwhile 57-year-old Fred required a considerably more extensive treatment. His most pressing need was to get his head back in place. He also had to have his paws repaired, his nose re-embroidered, various holes mended, and some stuffing added. Fred was very grateful for the care he received, and promised to try not to lose his head again.

5 December

A 40-something bear called Jody heard about Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital when he met a former patient on a trip to Thailand! He immediately knew he had to book an appointment, as his paws had become quite weak, and he had many holes all over him.

I mended all the holes and made sure that, when hugged, Jody could hug his owner back. I also repaired his ears, so he could hear his owner better when she told told him how much she loved him.

Another patient just discharged, Benjy, was once a fluffy bear in a hat; but he was so much loved that over the years he changed beyond recognition and became very frail.

After long discussions with Benjy's owner, we decided that there was no point trying to make him look like he did when he was young. My task was to preserve what Benjy had become, and make him stronger. I am pleased to say that the owner was happy with my efforts.

3 December

November Workshop Teddies

Last night I said good-bye to the students who attended my latest Teddy Bear Making Workshop at Asquiths Bearpawium in Henley-on-Thames, the third one this year.

This time there were nine of them, which meant that, over the course of the last four weeks, even more new Teddies were born than during the Spring and Early Autumn workshops!

As always, I am very grateful to Asquiths' wonderful Director of Bears, Rachel, for organising the event, for providing the premises and the materials, and for making sure that everything ran smoothly throughout.

I believe all the newly qualified Teddy Bear Makers were pleased with what they had achieved, and so most certainly was I.
Lisa W.'s new Teddy

26 November

A couple of years ago three nice old bears - two brothers and a distant cousin - got in touch with Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital to enquire about admission. Then they had to go into quarantine, and there were other delays, so it was not so long ago that they finally arrived here.

For Big Ted (on the left), the main problem was his legs and feet. I re-stuffed them and made him new paw pads, complete with cardboard insoles. There were also a few seams to re-stitch and claws to re-embroider.

His cousin Yellow Ted (in the middle) was unable to turn his head, so I gave him a new neck joint. I also replaced all his paw pads, repaired some holes, and re-embroidered his claws, nose and smile.

The younger brother, Little Ted, had very little wrong with him. To be honest, I think he only came along because he wanted to keep his brother and cousin company. Anyway, I gave him a good clean and darned his paw pads, so he was very happy and did not feel left out.

22 November

Everyone who is into Teddy Bears - and even most people who are not - will have heard of Steiff. Credited with inventing the very concept, the company has been the flagship of Teddy Bear making for well over a century.

It was therefore a great privilege for me to attend a Steiff workshop at The Relais Henley earlier today. Even though I have myself been making Teddy Bears professionally for close to 20 years, I am always keen to learn and to try something new.

Sasha's and Stuart's Steiff Teddies after

Starting with a fully assembled but faceless Teddies, each of us was asked to finish theirs by putting in the eyes of our choice, and embroidering the nose, smile and claws. Then, as a final flourish, the famous Steiff button was attached to the Teddy's left ear.

What made the event even more special for me was that working next to me was a former student of mine, who only made his first Teddy last year at one of my workshops!

17 November

Bunny had been his 13-year-old owner's constant companion from birth, never leaving her side. However, when he finally lost one of his ears, and the other one was almost in tatters, a difficult decision had to be made: that he would have to spend some time at Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital to receive treatment.

I restored Bunny's ears and nose, and underlined his body with new fabric to make him stronger. He was a good patient, and fully deserved the present that his owner gave him to celebrate his recoivery: a nice new jumper with his name on it!

30-year-old Teddy was not too poorly when he came to the Hospital but he definitely needed to have his beautiful smile re-embroidered. I also gave him new paw pads while keeping the nice chequered patch that his adoring owner made for him when she was only 12 years old.

8 November

Big Ted, aged nearly 60, was a nice and strong bear with a little bell in his ear. However, some time before his admission to Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital he started shedding his stuffing through a large hole in his foot. He therefore had to live inside a bag in his owner's wardrobe - which neither of them was particularly happy about.

I gave Big Ted a good clean, patched his feet, and completely re-stuffed him. He was really pleased with his treatment, because it meant that after being discharged he could return to a pride of place on his owner's bed!

76-year-old Teddy, a fine bear of great sentimental value to his owner, came to the Hospital for reconstructive surgery on his badly damaged nose. I also added some stuffing to his paws and gave him new paw pads. Teddy's owner told me that her late mother, who had had Teddy all her life, would have been very happy with his restored good looks.

2 November

Pinkie, a young American bear with a most unusual coat, came to my Hospital looking for some new stuffing. I also gave her a gentle clean and mended a few holes, and very soon Pinkie felt much better.

72-year-old Teddy had to stay in Hospital a lot longer. His fabric was very fragile and threadbare, so I reinforced it everywhere, darned the holes that he had all over his body, and reattached his torn ear. Teddy was a paragon of patience and fortitude throughout all the procedures, so the least I could do to thank him was to make a him a nice new bow.

Though not much younger, 65-year-old Blue Ted somehow preserved his fur in perfect condition. What he was in dire need for, however, was new stuffing: he was decidedly flat when he came to see me. I mended a few holes holes on him too, but we decided to keep his peculiar nose the way it was, as he and his owner had become so used to it.

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