Heather and Roy D’Lyell (D'Lyell Bears)

The Three Bs – Bears and B&B

by Pam North
 
Heather and Roy D’Lyell have been making bears in Auckland, New Zealand since 1991, and amazingly still get as much pleasure from it as they did when they started.
“The wonderful world of bears entered my life in 1989,” Heather said. “In a shop window, sitting all alone, a furry little fellow with soulful eyes begged me to please take him home. How could I resist, and how could I have known that this was only the start, that life would never be the same again?”
With “adoption” as her initial introduction into the world of collecting bears, Heather soon discovered a bear-making kit for sale and purchased it, launching herself into yet another phase of her new-found hobby. “The thought of making my own bear was appealing, even though I had not sewn for years. One day, sick at home, I started sewing, and before long he was ready to be stuffed, but what could I use as stuffing? My solution was my husband's pants. Luckily, Roy wasn’t wearing them at the time! The bear was finished, complete with crooked smile and crooked ears, and my passion for making bears had started!”
Finding the materials to make bears was difficult, so after much debate Heather and Roy decided to open a teddy bear shop stocking fabrics, patterns, kits, and collectible bears. This was a momentous decision, as Heather was a bank manager and Roy was an avionics engineer with Air New Zealand, so it was a leap into the unknown. Their shop, known as Bear Essentials, became so successful that Heather had no time for her own bear-making, and after seven years they sold the shop so Heather could concentrate on developing her own line of bears under the name D’Lyell Bears. “The name D’Lyell was my original family name from France, shortened to Lyell many centuries ago when the family moved to Scotland,” Heather explained. “Roy and I make the bears completely ourselves, so we tend to work seven days a week between shows from our home in central Auckland. Roy has been involved full-time since starting the shop in 1991. We think we may be one of the the last couples in the world still making, designing, and selling artist bears. It is not what Roy anticipated, and it’s a major change from his past career, but he now does a lot of the body sewing, along with the photography and website management. He also is very good at offering design ideas and helpful suggestions for my creations. We love working together, although our friends still can't believe we can be together 24/7!”
Their workplace is a large studio above their double garage, which allows them to create at home without making too much mess in the house. “Sadly the garage has never had a car parked in it, as it is full of fur and accessories,” Heather joked.
Materials used in their craft include Schulte German mohair, along with antique accessories wherever possible. Inspiration comes from Heather’s love of antiques; she often starts with an antique accessory, building the bear and a story around it, so that each bear is a complete, wonderfully whimsical vignette on its own. Asked what gives them the most satisfaction about what they do, Heather replied, “Seeing the smiles the bears bring to peoples’ faces at the shows around the world. Because our bears are a little different, they tend to stand out, and people are amazed with them and with our having traveled so far to exhibit.” Travel is a major part of the D’Lyells’ life; they have exhibited at shows in England, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Australia,, and America.
Their latest project is designing and collaborating with an English company called Charlie Bears, which started in 2005. “It has been really rewarding to watch them grow internationally, and we get quite a thrill out of seeing our 'children' being sold all around the world by Charlie Bears.”
In 2017, Heather and Roy decided to link another dream to their bear business – a bed and breakfast. Visitors can see where the bears are made, and guests enjoy staying in the couple’s restored 1880s Victorian villa in the central suburb of Mt. Eden in central Auckland, NZ.
Heather keeps an eye on trends that might be influential on her bear-making in the future. “I am finding that collectors say they are limited on display space, so we have started doing smaller pieces which are proving popular,” she observed. “I also have noticed that techniques like needle-felting are being incorporated into bears. Also, Sebastian Marquardt, the organizer of Teddybär Total in Münster, the largest bear show in Germany, along with Hugglets in England, have worked hard to promote bear shows to new countries, so we are seeing talented artists from Eastern European countries and Russia exhibiting at the shows. It is great to see new ideas and new collectors coming to the shows!”
Contact Information:
D'Lyell Bears
Website: www.dlyellbears.co.nz 
Email: heather@dlyellbears.co.nz
Address: Mt Eden, Auckland 1024, New Zealand. (Visiting times by appointment only) 
Telephone: 011 64 9 638 7147