About Debora & New Avenue Crew
Each Crew member comes bearing love from my childhood home on New Avenue.
New Avenue Crew is a collection of artist bearworks created by me, Debora Hoffmann. As I was growing up on a street called New Avenue, I spent many happy hours drawing and creating with my hands, and I had many companion teddy bears and stuffed animals. At the age of 13, I designed, sewed, stuffed, and finished two small teddy bears. I wish I still had them today!
My fondness for art led me to earn a fine art degree in college, and I also had a growing interest in teddy bears, beginning with antiques and then artist-made bears. This led me to make a few bears from synthetic fur and patterns from a book when I was in my early twenties. But it didn't satisfy my desire to make bears with a touch of the traditional German teddy bears I loved, such as early Steiff and Bing bears.
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In 1996, I discovered that I enjoyed working with mohair fur fabric. Soon after, I designed my own teddy bear pattern and made the first Crew member, and New Avenue Crew was born. I have been making bears in my spare moments ever since.
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I enjoy working with the fur and fluff as much as time allows. I love the feel and finish of mohair and alpaca, so I create my Crew members from the finest materials: mohair, alpaca, glass eyes, antique shoe buttons, wool felt, and Ultrasuede. My favorite part of making my bears is watching a bear's personality emerge as I work on its face. And I receive such joy when someone adopts one of my bears. Thank you and bear hugs to all of you who love and adopt my creations.
