My name is Natalie Fontane, and I have been sewing since I was about eight years old. After having a hard time finding interesting toys for my ferrets, I decided to make my own. I always had a thing for stuffed animals, even as an adult, so it is fitting that my ferret craft is expressed through plush toys. I love making patterns, and everything I make is designed by myself. I tested out a lot of my first patterns with my own ferrets, and I donated a lot of "test" toys to the Greater Chicago Ferret Association. You may be wondering what the heck a scrivener is. It all started when I read "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville in college. It's a short story, and I just love the name Bartleby. It sounds dignified to me. I decided I would have a pet with that name, and my first ferret became the famous Bartleby. I adopted Bartleby in 2006 while I was living in Chicago. He instantly became the love of my life. I took him for walks, to pet stores, and just enjoyed every minute with him. I met a man in my neighborhood who had his own business of ferrets. We had a few play dates, and after a few months, I found myself smitten with him. I could tell that he was a different kind of man because not only did he love his ferrets, but he loved all ferrets including my special baby. We started dating, and after about two years, we moved all the way to the Vegas valley. Naturally, we took all of our ferrets, five at the time, and made sure we had a place to live that was very ferret-proof and ferret-friendly. The ferrets live downstairs, and I do my sewing upstairs, so there is distance between them and my work. We currently have six ferrets and love everything about these precious characters.