Memory Teddy Bears

Do you have your grandmother’s fur coat, your father’s Army blanket, baby clothes you can’t part with? Send them to Mary and let her create a Memory Teddy Bear, or two, or three for you. These bears are fully jointed and can be finished with any embellishment you can imagine.

For more information and a price list, please click here.

Mary recently completed these two six-inch bears for a woman in South Dakota.

They were made from this fur coat.

When Mary's sister Joan was a young girl, she and their mother used to love to go shopping for material and sew pretty clothes. On one of their many trips to the fabric store, they found a great piece of paisley material and eventually Joan's mom made a vest for herself.

That was many years ago. But sewing together sweet memories is Mary's special talent. She created this bear for her sister Joan, using their mother's vest, a pair of glasses Mary's daughter absolutely had to have, a hatpin that belonged to Mary and Joan's grandmother, a dress collar from their childhood and inside the bear's purse a hankie that was found in the pocket of the vest. A "four" generation memory bear that tenderly reminds Joan of all the times she and her mom would put on their hats and go shopping for fabric.

While sorting through their mother’s clothes after her passing, Mary’s sister Teresa lifted up a vest and said “Wouldn’t this make a great bear?” So later Mary took the vest from the discard pile and did just that, turned it into a little bear for Teresa to complement the "Army" bear made out of their father's uniform shirt - complete with name badge and medal. Lightly filled with lavender from Mary's garden, this bear represents an enduring hug to Mary's little sister

Mary presents a Memory Bear to her sister Alice (center). The bear and the quilt were the homecoming presents for that particular trip home to America. Mary made the bear from the fur collar of their mother's coat. Alice was the only girl who remembered it, and not knowing that Mary gave it to her!

"When I touch the little bear, I am lifted into the arms of Mother 52 years ago. I remember loving to feel her fur collar the Memory Bear was fashioned from."

Mary gave this Memory Bear to her son Robert along with this quilt(that's Mary's daughter Teresa and her step-son Pierre underneath). Mary created the bear from Robert’s favorite denim Route 66 jacket. She cut the pocket from the jacket to create a smaller pocket for the Bear. In it, she tucked a twenty-dollar bill as a surprise. And when Robbie hugs the Bear, it plays a recorded message from his mom!

This grizzly little guy looks over Mary's older sons Ted and Joe who live and work in America. He is a little reminder to them that she is always thinking of them, and may be home any moment, so be sure to do the dishes!! He stands 6" tall and is completely stuffed with lavender. Mary found his sheepskin fur at a "vide grenier" in France.

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