MUSICAL TEDDY BEAR

This was a very early Mary Meyer teddy bear design. The #124 was a softly stuffed bear and the #924 was the same bear with a Swiss wind-up Music Box probably playing “Teddy Bears Picnic.” The bear was made in Cocoa and Tan with felt eyes, nose and tongue and a Red satin neck ribbon.

If you look very closely at the photo you will see the eye centers are a French Knot. In 1950 when this toy was first made the felt eyes were sewn on to the bear’s face. The finisher first made a knot in the thread, which became the eye center, then put the needle through a small black felt circle and then through a larger white felt circle. The eye was now ready to attach to the bear. She positioned the parts where the eye should be, inserted the needle in the bear’s face. Then she brought the needle out where the other eye should be and added the eye parts onto the needle in reverse order – first the larger white circle, then the small black circle. The she pulled the thread tight, so the eye parts were in place against the bears face. She then made a French Knot on the eye and pushed the needle back through the eye center and then back out of the back of the bears head, fasten it securely. After the eyes are sewn the thread then comes out the top tip of the nose, down through the black felt nose circle, down to the mouth, then add the embroidered mouth, secure the thread and the face is done.

YEARS IN PRODUCTION: early 1950’s

ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE: $1.69

COLORS: tan, brown

SIZE: 10″ high

SKU: 124