Happy Birthday Noni!

This is a couple of weeks late, because it was on March 13, 2008 that the little blue plush teacup many of us recognize as Noni made her first appearance in the big wide world, on the blog of her creator, Teresa Levy.

If you don't know Noni, here's her profile on 7 Cups: Hello, I am Noni...

Teresa, originally from California, had moved to Rhode Island where she studied at the Rhode Island School of Design. By 2008 she had her own craft business, Sewing Stars, and she was designing and making a huge range of plushies.

Noni and friends, back in the day

But times were hard and by the summer of 2011 the business was failing. Even so, messages from people wanting to buy Teresa's plushies kept coming. Teresa blogged:

"You have no idea how many people have asked me for a tea cup. So many that I couldn't have possibly replied to everyone that asked."

And she replied to everyone:

"Wow. I mean, WOW. <_< I am so surprised by your lovely and heartwarming comments! I guess I am still suffering from a broken heart when it comes to Sewing Stars. If this were an ex-boyfriend, all my pictures would be locked away in a box. Instead, I just hide away and all my plushies are stowed away in a container in the closet...

I wish things had been different for me... But they are what they are. I will give what's left in me for a last Sewing Stars hurrah, though."

In November that year she tried one last time:

"All right. I have been sewing, again. Wounds seem to be healing up, somewhat. I will be posting some things I have been sewing to my etsy shop..."

But soon after that the blog ends. Sewing Stars was no more.

Nearly two years later a psychologist called Glen Moriarty started 7 Cups of Tea, which would lead to the blue tea cup plushie becoming known the world over.

Teresa Levy went on to become Associate Plush Technical Designer at Rhode Island's global toymaker Hasbro, the third largest toymaker in the world.