"A Consummate Perfectionist"

“I yearned for a proper traditional miniature bear of quality,” Charlotte Deadman tells us. “One that is entirely hand-stitched, made from mohair plush, with proper joints and fully-formed paws and pads.” Unable to find one, she decided to make her own.

It took Charlotte quite awhile to perfect her designs. Her heirloom quality bears are a genuine miniaturisation of a traditional bear and are fully articulated. Each one is natural mohair with paws and foot pads of English leather/suede-leather. No synthetic materials are used. They range in size from 3-3/4 inches to just 2 inches in height.

In 2004, “Bear-faced Lies” came into being and she set up a website to see if there was a market for her products. “I was amazed by the response. It would seem that it was not just I who longed for such a bear.”

The variety of miniatures has expanded over time. A lot of ideas originate from client commissions “which tend to lead along unknown paths.” In addition to bears, there are now 1/12th scale mohair working toys with wheels. These ride/sit-on nursery toy animals are naturalistic, with either an open-mouth or closed-mouth. She plans to introduce rockers later in 2010.

Sometimes a single idea develops into a small range. Her line of 1/12th scale ladies’ and gentlemen’s millinery sprang from a Harrods commission. With good reason, Charlotte can be very proud of her millinery. Each piece is carefully researched, designed, and hand-stitched to exacting standards using custom-made wooden hat forms. Gentlemen’s hats are fully-lined with pure silk as well as a band of leather. When time permits, she likes to add to her exclusive range of ladies 1/12th scale fashionable couture ensembles.

“Everything I make is entirely hand-stitched, nothing is glued,” Charlotte says. “I will not tolerate anything less than perfection in each piece. And perfection can only be achieved by looking at every minute detail, time and time again.”

Home is a stone cottage in a small hamlet on the edge of the Exmoor National Park approximately 75 metres from the River Exe. Her workroom is on the upper floor of the cottage, and has a view of the open rolling countryside and river with Exmoor in the distance.

Charlotte's early training was in dressmaking, followed by a formal four-year training in stitched textiles. “It is these invaluable foundation skills, particularly a thorough grounding in hand work, that I carry with me to this day.”

Her first 'miniatures' commission was from the Savoy Hotel, London. She designed and made a range of miniatures for the Savoy Shop themed around the Hotel’s operation (i.e., Chef, Barman) and the Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The adjacent Savoy Theatre used to house the d’Oyly Carte Opera Company which produced the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. By the time this commission was completed, Charlotte was smitten with miniature work.

All of Charlotte’s creations require extensive research. When approached to make six pieces from “The Nutcracker,” she sought assistance from the New York City Ballet. “Their kind co-operation in providing wonderful images and details of the first performances in the 1950s was central to my resulting design work.” Another commission that required detailed research was the charming “Harrods Commissioner” bear for Harrods Department Store, London (or “The Green Man” as they call it, in-house).

Days are very structured. Charlotte has no problem with working every day, seven days a week, but likes to finish at 4 pm. “My partner, William, is fond of saying ‘Oh, you really should make this or that,’” she laughingly says. “Add in one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces with a topical theme such as Christmas and that just about takes up all my time.” Each year, she looks forward to a long holiday commencing after the Christmas rush in mid-December.

Pattern drafting is one of the most intense parts of the creative process for Charlotte. This is a design headache where absolute accuracy is crucial. The most difficult part is perfecting the proportions. “Sometimes this process can be extremely frustrating but then so very satisfying when the design comes together. A lot of time goes into each design and, believe me, many end up in the bin!”

She finds that, in miniature, it is just as important to decide what to filter out of a design as what to include. “I get to a certain point at which a small voice says to me, ‘Put your needle down now and step away from this piece.’ Then I know I’m done.”

Using the finest mohair, English leather/suede-leather, pure silks, brocades, pure wool felt, and more, Charlotte works almost exclusively with natural materials. Obtaining suitable supplies is certainly difficult, particularly given the small quantities that she requires. “While quality natural materials are expensive, I find part of the fun of creating is discovering beautiful items to work with,” Charlotte says. “I buy from suppliers in many different parts of the world. I think that we are all looking for something a bit different and it's really nice to find it.”

Favourite tools include a sketch book and water colour pastel pencils, which she finds essential for sketching new designs and note-taking. “In fact, I keep a pad and pencil with me most of the time. But, for an actual tool, I find good scissors to be essential. Buy the very best. It certainly pays in the long run and they are a joy to use.“ If she could keep a single item from her workroom, it would be her great-grandmother's Victorian silver button hook with mother-of-pearl handle. “Probably not the ideal tool, but I just love to use it for turning tiny pieces. It evokes so many memories.”

Her favourite piece tends to be the one most recently created. As most of her work is commissioned, she finds that, unfortunately, she cannot accumulate sufficient stock to attend a show.

While most of Charlotte's work is in miniature, she has a collection of antique dolls. For relaxation and thinking time, she will do a little restoration, particularly costuming. “This is always most rewarding,” Charlotte says. “My favourite doll is an Armand Marseille soft-bodied Dream Baby. William repaired her ‘Mama’ voice box so now she can talk to me.”

Being in her work room for a good part of every day, doing Aerobics/Pilates is sometimes the only exercise she gets. "It is also an excellent way to problem-solve and clear one’s head.”     

Looking ahead to the coming months, Charlotte would like to tackle even more complicated pieces. She wants to expand upon her open-mouthed and fully-articulated working toys.

“Unfortunately, however, in practice my ideas tend to get side-lined as commission work has to take precedence. Watch the website, though.”

Charlotte Deadman