When Big Ted came into the Leith Toy Hospital he was in very sad shape. He’s been in the same family for three generations, since 1940! He was showing his age a bit, as he was missing his nose, mouth, and an eye, and looking slumped over and under-stuffed. The bottoms of his feet were coming apart and his stuffing was showing! His ears were worn through, and his old yellow cardi wasn’t doing him any favours either. Big Ted needed a full makeover!
Teddy Bear Repair Diagnosis
The first thing we do when a new patient comes in is to assess everything that needs to be repaired, and consult with the owner about how much they would like changed. It’s always important to keep a balance between fixing things that need repair, with maintaining the toy’s unique character.
Teddy Bear Hospital Treatment
First of all we replaced the bottoms of his feet with lovely soft velvet, keeping the original label. Then we opened a seam to add more stuffing so he could hold his head up proudly again. He got a new velvet nose, button eyes, and an embroidered smile. For the ears, the owner didn’t want them replaced, so we carefully cut matching pieces of felt and put them inside the original ears. This provided a stable surface for darning the holes and reinforced the fragile original fabric.
To finish the transformation, Big Ted needed a new outfit! The owner wanted something close-fitting that would help provide additional stability and protect his original fabric. We found baby clothes that were close to the right size, then tailored them to fit perfectly. As a finishing touch, he got a smart velvet bow tie!
Another happy patient of Leith Toy Hospital
The best thing about toy hospital jobs is seeing beloved soft toys reunited with their families. The connections people make with their toys are very strong, especially when it’s a family heirloom, and it’s so gratifying to be able to restore toys to health and send them home looking better. His owner wrote us:
“This is Big Ted back in his favourite chair. You have made him smile again and his smile is so cheeky and endearing, I have taken a photo of him from a different angle so you can see it. And I love his soft nose! Thanks to you he will make it for another generation at least – he has notched up 3 already, having been born in 1940. Thank you so much – I am delighted!”
It was a pleasure to get to know Big Ted during his stay with us at Leith Toy Hospital. If you have a teddy or any other soft toy in need of repairs, we will be delighted to give it the same care and attention! We serve as a teddy bear hospital, doll hospital, and do any other soft toy repairs you can imagine. As Picture to Puppet, we make soft toys all day, so we’re expert at repairing old teddy bears and other stuffed animal repairs. We’re available for drop-in patients if you need a toy hospital in Edinburgh, and you can also post us your poorly teddy and we’ll send it back good as new!
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