WOYWW....

 Welcome to the bear factory :-)  It's been a busy couple of days for me and it's not finished yet lol

Last thing on Friday I was brought this....

...a huge bag full of clothes that had belonged to a much loved Wife, Mother and Grandma.  My instructions were...

• to make 13 different Memory bears for the family members.
• For 8 boys and 5 girls.
• Some special items of clothing were chosen for some of the bears
• She was a Scottish lady hense I felt it important that each bear had a panel of the tartan on.

13 bears means 52 panels needed cutting out.  13 front left, 13 front right, 13 back left and 13 back right. Some of the items of clothing were not suitable to be used. Some fabrics required stabilising with interfacing.

Don't forget every bear had to be different from the next too!!

Here you can see that, after a busy day on Monday, I had cut out all the panels and partenered them up ready to sew. 

Yesterday [my day off!!] I sewed all 13 bears together and these are ready for stuffing and making up today....so this is what my desk looks like this morning.

It's been a busy week so far.....I have also shortened the sleeves on a wedding suit jacket and shortened a pair of trousers first thing Monday morning and today I have to start my day off by steaming a bridesmaid's dress and there is another Memory bear coming this afternoon too.....Oh Happy days.

We also fitted in a very busy weekend with a birthday party for a certain 'little' Theo who is now 5 and has settled in well to his new school...where has that time gone?

So folks I promise I will do my best to return your visit as soon as I am able but please be patient with me this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

 

WOYWW....

Here we are at the round up of all the creative desks of those who link up with Julia each week.  Please click on the link if you'd like to join in the fun....it's a very friendly group with very few rules but I will warn you...it's addictive.

This week I'm sharing the bear factory with you :-)

Here's the 6 bears I made last week in memory of a much loved mum.  They are each made with the same 4 items of clothing but each are a little different....and I've already had several comments from the family thanking me for doing such a lovely job and bring such a lot of comfort to them all....I'm so blessed to be doing this job.

 

This is my next challenge.  My cousin,, who died on Christmas Eve, was remembered by all for her warm personality, beautiful smile and her love of her warm jumpers so when her son asked me to make Memory bears for the family I just knew I'd have a job on my hands making bears out of them.

He posted me a large parcel full of her favourite jumpers and we plotted and planned how he wanted the 7 bears on messenger.

Monday morning I set to cutting the 28 panels out in interfacing first because every panel would need stabilising before they could be used.

I then made sure all the special requests were correct and cut out the 7 front rights, 7 front lefts, 7 back rights and 7 back lefts making sure each one was cut out using the right jumper.

Here they are all pinned together into their piles of 4 panels making sure each one was right before stitching them together....measure twice [or 3 or 4 times!] and cut once.

This was the first one sewn and all the seams clipped into so they lie flat when right side out.  I then wrestled with each one to turn it right way out.....its always difficult when the fabrics are so thick.

By the time I'd done this to all 7 I had blisters on two of my fingers from all the snipping into the thick seams!...the labour of love eh?

The first stage of stuffing is underway here and all 28 of the limbs are stitched into place once stuffed to make the right shape.

This is my desk this morning....all 7 bears are lined up waiting patiently in line for the next stage.

Hopefully today I will get their heads/bodies stuffed, the gaps in the backs sewn up, the necks stitched, the facial features sewn on and their bows put on to finish them.....oh and I've also to make 7 special labels so they each have one hanging from their necks.  :-)

I'm a very happy little bunny in my sewing room making special memories for special people.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today and will leave me a little comment so I know you've called by.  I will do my best, between bears, to pop along to yours to see what you've been up to this week.

Hugs,

Annie x