We Specialize in the Smiles of Friendship
Sir Winslow’s Zoo came about because of a fictional character named Sir Winslow. He is my inspiration. He was known to travel the world during the turn of the century on glorious adventures. He carefully documented the discoveries in journals, which included sketches of the animals he met along the way. I found the journals at his estate in England and then created the animals to form Sir Winslow's Zoo. Each time I sew a new animal I create a story for them and for Sir Winslow. My hope is that the stuffed animal brings a smile and friendship to its new owner.
Sir Winslow's Story
In the early 20th century, there lived a man named Sir Winslow Smythe. Sir Smythe was a professor of zoology at Oxford University. From his estate at Windy Woods in England, he traveled to the British colony of India to study Bengal tiger color patterns and count stripes. While there, he contracted malaria. His doctor insisted he settle in a cooler climate. Because Sir Smythe greatly enjoyed beautiful flowers and small towns, he settled upon the quaint town of Pella, Iowa. There, he purchased a home from the Lautenbach family. Sir Smythe hired an elderly couple to be his caretakers: Johnny, a retired naval officer from Newfoundland and his wife, Tillie, who had been born and raised in Northern Scotland.
A likeness of all three could be seen hanging on the wall of the sitting room for several years.
These animal pillows are created from the stories he collected and the sketches Sir Winslow made while on his many adventures around the world. He traveled with his family and they became the inspiration for many of the items in the collections.
