A block party of bears by Debora Hoffmann

Introducing Herr Grünhosen

Guten Tag! A little bear with Bavarian flair, Herr Grünhosen (Mr. Green Pants) brings you greetings.

In the Lederhosen tradition, Herr Grünhosen has pattern-incorporated forest-green alpaca trousers and matching Ultrasuede suspenders (called Träger in German). Debora hand embroidered the Träger with Sulky thread and two colors of antique silk thread (pictured above). She even bought a book about embroidery to learn some new stitches! Herr Grünhosen's fur is distressed, swirly mohair; he has black glass eyes and Ultrasuede paw pads; and he stands about 11.5 inches (29 cm) tall.

Here Herr Grünhosen and Strider are enjoying a sunbeam together. Mr. Green Pants made a trip with Debora and Garth to visit Debora's family, who still live in the house on New Avenue where the Crew got its start. (See about the Crew for more.) It's a rare bear who has actually been to New Avenue in the last couple of years, because the Crew's studio is close to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, a little more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east of New Avenue! Herr Grünhosen now lives happily with Linda (and other Crew members Ha Lee #2, Chocoli, and Emmett) in Ohio.

The End