I have tried to do the “craft show thing” and it just isn’t me. My favorite part of sewing is hearing the stories and making things personalized. I know things can be made ahead of time and personalization can be added later, but that just isn’t as fun as starting a project with a specific recipient in mind and sending good vibes that direction while creating!
I feel so honored when people trust me with their loved one’s items, either with memory bears, pillows, or t-shirt quilts. These projects are a little more nerve-racking than typical projects
because there is a finite amount of fabric that cannot be replicated or purchased again, so I take extra care to communicate needs with customers before I ever cut the fabric.
Recently, I had the honor to make two bears and a bunny from a grandfather’s old shirts, for a woman to gift her sons and husband. I have made the bears before, but the bunny I needed to make a couple of trial runs to get the sizing just right (luckily, one of my daughter’s nicknames is “bunny,” so she got a few new stuffies!). Follow along with the process!
Making the pattern pieces fit; keeping them labeled and organized; believe it or not - all of these will turn into a bear!
Flat front and flat back bear. All I’ve got to do now is sew these two pieces together, flip it right side out, and stuff! It will end up about 1
TADA! I used buttons from the shirts for the eyes and each little mouth is hand-sewn so it is unique to each bear. I tend to over-stuff at first so that the bears will have lots of snuggle life in them! My teddy bear from when I was a baby has “lost weight” over the years, and I expect these guys to do the same!
This little guy is a bit smaller than the bears (he's about 10" tall), but he has moveable legs, which is pretty neat! I decided to combine the two different shirt fabrics to make him a little more unique. Again, I used the shirt buttons for eyes and for his limb hinges.
All dressed up and ready to go home! The family was so grateful to have these special memories of their grandpa!
If you're interested in ordering, send me a message on here, through the CincySews facebook page, or shoot me a text!
Options:
Bear
Bunny
Cat
Dog
Owl
I can probably figure out most other creatures too!
Pricing:
$35
+$5 for personalization
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