tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83559197844450288582024-03-05T15:14:23.541-08:00Memory Bears"Although nothing, not even time, can heal the pain of losing a cherished family member or friend, Memory Bears do provide a sense of comfort to those grieving. Hospice isn’t about giving up hope — it’s about finding hope and creating lasting memories."
This my journey about making these bears as volunteer for Sharp HospiceCare.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-61123918273335037962011-11-13T11:04:00.000-08:002011-11-13T11:04:51.046-08:002/11: Mae Bear #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcB3UJT24uEJAcrWw4cW6ZrcDL_AFESN4yooscU0b-9xD57kHo2whmxC1abgORO8wdAzs8dM_ksM2wRAobQspND_LDnBZ3YdeUyhu0PbKA0TzNVwC6K6bxiBWBBi4qI6xUyGdBI9wUmsi/s1600/mae+bear+2+fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcB3UJT24uEJAcrWw4cW6ZrcDL_AFESN4yooscU0b-9xD57kHo2whmxC1abgORO8wdAzs8dM_ksM2wRAobQspND_LDnBZ3YdeUyhu0PbKA0TzNVwC6K6bxiBWBBi4qI6xUyGdBI9wUmsi/s200/mae+bear+2+fabric.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>After the first of the year, my same friend sent me the fabric she wanted her own Mae Bear created from. She had told me of the embroidery her mom had done on the front of the denim shirt but words could not describe the beauty of the intricate work. I used to do this kind of thing and I know the effort that went into it. I was both honored to be using this garment and scared that I might not do it justice!<br />
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I say a little prayer for guidance and permission before I start a new bear and cut into the garments for bears. It's a spiritual experience for me and turning a garment into fabric is something I don't take lightly. Only when that ritual is finished do I take a picture and begin the work. For the first time since I started making bears, I forgot to take a picture of the original garments!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0dsl3eZjhda6CQtGLdJdcxeHQ_o8iIcRzq6_hXUmlo6W7VB0wF3wf5vCR-wR-aC3SkZkA2UpGqtGxVXjHBTf-kDy40FgmvIS4gp-0CxT9ZJtfQrzZj_Ht8Jy-ISZjLxLusrjZBHUDpOY/s1600/mae+bear+front+details.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0dsl3eZjhda6CQtGLdJdcxeHQ_o8iIcRzq6_hXUmlo6W7VB0wF3wf5vCR-wR-aC3SkZkA2UpGqtGxVXjHBTf-kDy40FgmvIS4gp-0CxT9ZJtfQrzZj_Ht8Jy-ISZjLxLusrjZBHUDpOY/s200/mae+bear+front+details.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mae's Own Handiwork</td></tr>
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I started the bear by cutting the front and putting it together. I wanted to be sure it all came together just right so I could take some of my self-induced pressure off my mind. I did my best to save every bit of Mae's beautiful work. I was thrilled with the way it turned out and feel I honored the work for Mae and for her daughter who will cherish this bear.<br />
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As you can see, the body of the bear is the denim and it went together like a dream. I used the pink flannel for the accents on the second Mae bear. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33dG17Go0Oah-DL3twjiOBhX759ODlaWbceaOns0zYpRAx-QLv6dDQuPAZwkNWsSJyQNbzY-mJ6LV-VrueJp1AGgphcdnZJtags_m-qNtr0g6aDvlnIjJ8weONJug5z53we79tPHzJBxa/s1600/mae+bear+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33dG17Go0Oah-DL3twjiOBhX759ODlaWbceaOns0zYpRAx-QLv6dDQuPAZwkNWsSJyQNbzY-mJ6LV-VrueJp1AGgphcdnZJtags_m-qNtr0g6aDvlnIjJ8weONJug5z53we79tPHzJBxa/s200/mae+bear+front.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mae Bear Front</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anita was very happy with this bear and gave it a special place in her home. I like knowing Mae Bear is where she is supposed to be!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXhhdmyBhwpbDR_7R7_27Draate3deTD7375qrXIs1Sy76oQODmUFOzLZm7uvccHZ6U4dTtF5HZYOIWxRUuNrlxap9EbvLJ9TYrrskZJLubYWXTACyzTB4IaE9lN83ExQug2tbV_bzsvF/s1600/mae+bear+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXhhdmyBhwpbDR_7R7_27Draate3deTD7375qrXIs1Sy76oQODmUFOzLZm7uvccHZ6U4dTtF5HZYOIWxRUuNrlxap9EbvLJ9TYrrskZJLubYWXTACyzTB4IaE9lN83ExQug2tbV_bzsvF/s200/mae+bear+back.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mae Bear Back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I needed a break from the emotional side of creating the bears after I finished this one. As much as I enjoyed making this one, I didn't have it in me to start another one. Seasoned bear makers had warned me this could (would) happen and they were right. I needed time to be doing something else for awhile. The something else turned out to be gifts for babies-to-be and learning a new craft. That will be a new blog, soon. Right now I need to get back to making two bears for another good friend. This time I will pace myself and not do so many bears in such a short time.Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-36104438994824982102011-11-13T09:07:00.000-08:002011-11-13T09:07:25.408-08:0010/10: Mae Bear #1<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjr7M65njUr8pRERa9hUSr1K887frfSvSymjAc40VhfsN74Kojwyn4p9F4vq_A7p7F5SrW8g3041ooJ8dGJ5mJ1EX1IEoG3uh14N5ax1rLw57S0yPBEz8V6WM_tnmTlel2TFoysLDrNA0/s1600/Mae+Bear+1+blouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjr7M65njUr8pRERa9hUSr1K887frfSvSymjAc40VhfsN74Kojwyn4p9F4vq_A7p7F5SrW8g3041ooJ8dGJ5mJ1EX1IEoG3uh14N5ax1rLw57S0yPBEz8V6WM_tnmTlel2TFoysLDrNA0/s200/Mae+Bear+1+blouse.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Shortly after I finished the bear for Linda last year, a friend sent me a blouse and slacks that her mother had worn and asked if I could make a bear for her sister as a Christmas present. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This bear went together fairly easily. The fabric carried a lovely scent with it and it only made me sneeze in the very beginning</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I used the slacks to make the body of the bear, the undersides of the arm and the backs of the ears. I used the sleeves and the bottom edges of the blouse to make the rest of the bear, and then used the color and front of the blouse to "dress" her. I made a pocket from the lower front placket and kept the buttons on it. You can see that on the back </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6NDe6XnPvqrbVmhuHPMUsk9zILZsXYO1fDbO6zJULbg1qWv4FYAxY-1SA_X2-YIRBHOyoABuJcBnbysIhTzvLfNalJIPbrvJgJ08y-M8f7rzotSvcpK6r3qeYcjpBbPPhr26ZxEqM63f/s1600/Mae+Bear+1+Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6NDe6XnPvqrbVmhuHPMUsk9zILZsXYO1fDbO6zJULbg1qWv4FYAxY-1SA_X2-YIRBHOyoABuJcBnbysIhTzvLfNalJIPbrvJgJ08y-M8f7rzotSvcpK6r3qeYcjpBbPPhr26ZxEqM63f/s200/Mae+Bear+1+Front.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mae Bear 1 Front</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqtUtp14aDdACP21uFDI0TxcviJ-xvTAVb0gR-q9RVtN0OsqAAvO9v5Sa0ealxKMGMQel1uOsSP2BvtjBIs87ALKpCuLHwCIQRhL76ZC56mJrKwVYk2fZqE74HRfj2bxdxuAKgUZ2KM9q/s1600/Mae+Bear+1+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqtUtp14aDdACP21uFDI0TxcviJ-xvTAVb0gR-q9RVtN0OsqAAvO9v5Sa0ealxKMGMQel1uOsSP2BvtjBIs87ALKpCuLHwCIQRhL76ZC56mJrKwVYk2fZqE74HRfj2bxdxuAKgUZ2KM9q/s200/Mae+Bear+1+Back.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mae Bear 1 Back</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-73964394851808996242010-12-01T17:04:00.000-08:002010-12-01T17:04:02.675-08:009/10: Mary Bear for Linda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb_kWQGqxvYVhto1kn_wPXxe4chv6f12fLxEVdPQ5CDivgl3sobBcR97nHPvrwZIEsDflHjjKjC1xSkHNXTatu9ZqHg9Uxm8rfjUKpv_YCXQgFfnPTNvu8BPWxzCHs8zeowxAjvZrSp4T/s1600/MaryBearClothes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb_kWQGqxvYVhto1kn_wPXxe4chv6f12fLxEVdPQ5CDivgl3sobBcR97nHPvrwZIEsDflHjjKjC1xSkHNXTatu9ZqHg9Uxm8rfjUKpv_YCXQgFfnPTNvu8BPWxzCHs8zeowxAjvZrSp4T/s200/MaryBearClothes.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the reasons I learned how to make these Memory Bears was so I could make them for people I love. This bear is for my friend Linda who has been a good friend for a long time. It was hard for her to know her mother, Mary, was losing her battle with cancer last spring. I asked her if I could make a bear for her when it was the right time. Sadly, the time was this summer. Linda sent me a little package with capris and a blouse her mother wore often, a bracelet, a ladybug stick pin, a ladybug and a beautiful card. She explained that these were clothes her mother wore when they would go to the gardening store, and the flowers in the blouse were a symbol of her love of flowers and nature. The bracelet and pin were things her mother wore, too, and she asked me to incorporate them if I could. The ladybug bear? Well, that was a gift for me as she knew I love ladybugs just as her mother did. Ladybug Bear now keeps me company while I create bears for other people. Pretty sweet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I didn't know Mary, so I asked Linda to tell me about her so I could have a sense of her while I made the bear. These are Linda's words:</span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>She adored gardening & our trips to the nursery most of all and ultimately we bought the place out and would laugh until we felt sick..it was such fun, and she always looked forward to when her agapanthas were about to bloom. She loved her baby birds..she had them every year right outside her livingroom window. Her birds had many birdhouses, and seeds of all kinds and even had those cotton balls of nesting material hung so they could make warm nests..her birds were so spoiled! Her main love was "Woolie"..her solid white Pomeranian..he looks like a little white bear cub.. he misses her still..he is 10 years old. Her love of her children and grandchildren and dog were the foundation of her world and she had the kindest most generous heart of anyone I've ever met. I surely will miss her always.</em></span> </blockquote><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2L3XtaHhdNoUA5f8LG3KJnoWflNXn_okrchsukkGjjRLaKTHWTwTOqpA3gYiXO4oqIBEdV4f9NTUox3IKSPlpDaqetH8zQeKRqUwfvDJBgUBaWiPreMEhatnZ440VxIPNoLPZ9qlK6hn2/s1600/Mary+Bear+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2L3XtaHhdNoUA5f8LG3KJnoWflNXn_okrchsukkGjjRLaKTHWTwTOqpA3gYiXO4oqIBEdV4f9NTUox3IKSPlpDaqetH8zQeKRqUwfvDJBgUBaWiPreMEhatnZ440VxIPNoLPZ9qlK6hn2/s200/Mary+Bear+heart.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Usually I listen to music when I sew but this time I listened to my wind chime and the birds playing around our birdfeeder. It felt right. I made this bear a little differently since it was for a friend and I had a little more leeway than when making them for Hospice. I made the actual bear out of the jean fabric from the capris and then did my best to duplicate the top, making it small enough to fit the bear. I added the jewelry and came up with Mary Bear.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08NG1obYivfWhmcrwLUt3_gJXZsx0uz4ZMe3WjEd89LoN05z3s3BMg2vgkb7p5TX4yNwyHxGy40E-eJd1uVW7BhEwnNyNv6dej6oqdDYuPxw_fybC6Gw3Belc3mZ5uCx0z0CsFOUaubfQ/s1600/Mary+Bear+pocket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08NG1obYivfWhmcrwLUt3_gJXZsx0uz4ZMe3WjEd89LoN05z3s3BMg2vgkb7p5TX4yNwyHxGy40E-eJd1uVW7BhEwnNyNv6dej6oqdDYuPxw_fybC6Gw3Belc3mZ5uCx0z0CsFOUaubfQ/s200/Mary+Bear+pocket.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I took her picture outside in the sunshine and then sent her home to Linda along with a little piece of lady bug jewelry from my collection. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFgbXsMIHrgBDrhrF2H83clNW3pF8ui_SmUgqLojH9LQ5NumlUgI-S3-NGLVb303IbEhPxsPhyUlJW2y_knmb0R7Et6CtHoqomeReEaTGwjKjtqFo936ICdqkdimWjM4gS0VciayEt5Ck/s1600/Mary+Bear+outside+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFgbXsMIHrgBDrhrF2H83clNW3pF8ui_SmUgqLojH9LQ5NumlUgI-S3-NGLVb303IbEhPxsPhyUlJW2y_knmb0R7Et6CtHoqomeReEaTGwjKjtqFo936ICdqkdimWjM4gS0VciayEt5Ck/s200/Mary+Bear+outside+2.jpg" width="197" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Linda loves her bear and has found great comfort from it near her. That means Mary Bear is doing exactly what she was designed for and Linda knows it was made with love. I'm so happy I can do this for friends as well as people I've never met. I am blessed.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-54019540237115583222010-08-30T14:58:00.000-07:002011-04-22T15:55:55.712-07:008/10: Wyatte the 1/2 & 1/2 Bear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsa_-LLzuCNL2DcDhpPcXOzt3ZUTqHdWA2GsEkqxT_Ij-MH9ZZfv5_sVVP-aHGGnC67K50YVm94__g7EWkkC3_7qpR_0sb6zVncv1F1A9YYoN2SCMykbq73h_ZJzmzf8To8g509SQ0C1H/s1600/Wyatte+Bear+Clothing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsa_-LLzuCNL2DcDhpPcXOzt3ZUTqHdWA2GsEkqxT_Ij-MH9ZZfv5_sVVP-aHGGnC67K50YVm94__g7EWkkC3_7qpR_0sb6zVncv1F1A9YYoN2SCMykbq73h_ZJzmzf8To8g509SQ0C1H/s200/Wyatte+Bear+Clothing.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This shirt and trouser combo jumped out at me when I visited the volunteer office. I really wanted to be the one to create the bear but saw the requester wanted a 1/2 & 1/2 bear, something I hadn't been shown how to do yet. I was assured by Carol at the office that I would be able to do it, so I left with this outfit and the shirt for <a href="http://lauriebears.blogspot.com/2010/08/june-mike-bear.html">Mike Bear</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Between helping to care for my mom after her strokes and the fear of starting something new, it took me awhile to get going on the bear but once I started it I did enjoy making it. I took several pictures along the way so I could remember how to do it when I make another 1/2 & 1/ 2 bear. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO950XbpTkg3OOEjIjTTfSOhj-qzfcE4ceycJaypCXH9hUOmgbgLhAd5vwgNXsyzZJpQw8iy0gNRWB-My56WgFrSf5frMGSsWYhSqFh2mHofn9PW77m1Ribo7CpLXEyLFuo-WFK5Xmibw/s1600/Wyatte+Bear+Front+pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO950XbpTkg3OOEjIjTTfSOhj-qzfcE4ceycJaypCXH9hUOmgbgLhAd5vwgNXsyzZJpQw8iy0gNRWB-My56WgFrSf5frMGSsWYhSqFh2mHofn9PW77m1Ribo7CpLXEyLFuo-WFK5Xmibw/s200/Wyatte+Bear+Front+pieces.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">front pieces cut</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The bear is basically made with shirt as the top half and the pants as the bottom half. That means taking the two front pieces and the two back pieces, cutting them in h</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">alf, extending the pattern for the seam allowance, cutting them all out and then sewing them all together so they match up. Then the rest of the top half is made with the shirt fabric and the rest of the bottom is made with the pants fabric.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MM83n8mky8UuUo5obbauT0eqlxHJpmwbLwKL8vW2YtU7lp-iD2lU3rb_Wush_o3PXuhKvZQvLaytdvDiSTatRgiukXjufmounE_I7ae6yBBDCWYSrQzN8t0Z-YonBOWsIU2p_BtYRmZi/s1600/Wyatte+Bear+Paw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MM83n8mky8UuUo5obbauT0eqlxHJpmwbLwKL8vW2YtU7lp-iD2lU3rb_Wush_o3PXuhKvZQvLaytdvDiSTatRgiukXjufmounE_I7ae6yBBDCWYSrQzN8t0Z-YonBOWsIU2p_BtYRmZi/s200/Wyatte+Bear+Paw.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back Paw </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-1_MQW8sZRAdsDrBulGo8TEP5pg7VUe0-NIdku64Eu6xiadfD3MnffcTV_O3VU2MsWbYtAf8bE0cEJLZXyBas2yPjXiGO6i9g3x8TBS7Qk6WCPLIvkXKNEciYBhF5ds9TPfZ4RCBnICc/s1600/Wyatte+Bear+arm+pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-1_MQW8sZRAdsDrBulGo8TEP5pg7VUe0-NIdku64Eu6xiadfD3MnffcTV_O3VU2MsWbYtAf8bE0cEJLZXyBas2yPjXiGO6i9g3x8TBS7Qk6WCPLIvkXKNEciYBhF5ds9TPfZ4RCBnICc/s200/Wyatte+Bear+arm+pieces.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Paws</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was fortunate to discover that the pant pockets were made with yet another fabric so I used that for the paws on the arms and the legs and the inside of the ears. There was a seaming detail on the pockets that I was able to incorporate into the paws. Sadly not enough of that detail to add to the ears, although I tried!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedULBrAIOPUFOHQDWBO5yXNJSQeOkB9q5bE1mndrJ6S_wwObGQ_kDJR_8_t-b3-OLX29LhilHe8gTsRRJqHYq8nk_owN0tyETUBRWDCFskWFvTBLlnDONGE4JUZ1OBM7UrcPusaYJsGJ7/s1600/Wyatte+Bear+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedULBrAIOPUFOHQDWBO5yXNJSQeOkB9q5bE1mndrJ6S_wwObGQ_kDJR_8_t-b3-OLX29LhilHe8gTsRRJqHYq8nk_owN0tyETUBRWDCFskWFvTBLlnDONGE4JUZ1OBM7UrcPusaYJsGJ7/s200/Wyatte+Bear+back.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGK0jDxDdVcb97osCeTqug9q8UfroPBYliwuuqy6qCpA3wXt9GgsHPdB6WPgMwIwhf_1wdM6biPYIwxdBCiA0fSrTP2KhKgenGCjVVMU67MW14FquP4_qhm2qR5DVsnSa-7CcYDs0Gcgb/s1600/Wyatte+Bear+Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGK0jDxDdVcb97osCeTqug9q8UfroPBYliwuuqy6qCpA3wXt9GgsHPdB6WPgMwIwhf_1wdM6biPYIwxdBCiA0fSrTP2KhKgenGCjVVMU67MW14FquP4_qhm2qR5DVsnSa-7CcYDs0Gcgb/s200/Wyatte+Bear+Front.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This bear was fun and challenging to make. I did get a little surprised when a well-worn pocketknife fell out of one of the the pockets when I started in on the project. I saved it and put it in the back pocket of the final bear. I think his lovely wife will be glad to know it was with him all this time and is being returned in his pocket, just where it belongs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The rest of the story ... When the family came in to pick up their bear, they were told the story of the found knife. The wife said they had scoured the house trying to find it since it was a favorite of his. They were very happy to know it was with his clothing and not lost at all. Just waiting for the right time to return. This story is one that reminds me why I make these bears. Families care. </span></span><br />
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</span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-39207934045780986622010-08-26T16:08:00.000-07:002010-08-26T17:10:03.685-07:008/10: On becoming a Memory Bear ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ublTEv8NNUGdaE2V7GKlDV_BW_-SXXeJWHYQegyXAhPsueEvI44k4fO_p7b5sWt3n0eDpdYTZEEItHwwFmYgakYmrdadjEFhfWNL8vmbeLoCROAeS0ww7mL09Ww8VPgxDV5DLkFB_Eyc/s1600/office-bears-intake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ublTEv8NNUGdaE2V7GKlDV_BW_-SXXeJWHYQegyXAhPsueEvI44k4fO_p7b5sWt3n0eDpdYTZEEItHwwFmYgakYmrdadjEFhfWNL8vmbeLoCROAeS0ww7mL09Ww8VPgxDV5DLkFB_Eyc/s200/office-bears-intake.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the questions I get when people find out I make Memory Bears has to do with how to people request the bears and how to they get to a volunteer to be sewn together. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The person requesting a bear fills out the form you see on the left. (Clicking the picture will enlarge it). This is important for the Hospice Volunteer office staff and the person making the bear. The staff needs a way of tracking the bears from when the request comes in until it is delivered to the person requesting it. The person making the bear needs to know just what they have in mind when they think of the bear. Do they want a certain part of the fabric to be on the bear? Do they want a collar or a pocket used? Do they want buttons or embellishments on the garment used on the bear? We have guidelines we must use but the person requesting the bear does have some options if they want them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The most important part of the form in my opinion is the middle where the requester fills in who they are, who it's in memory of, what their relationship is to the deceased person and what the garment means to them. This gives the volunteer a little knowledge about the person they are honoring and it's very special to know. I have made bears for special dads, loving moms, brothers and sisters. As I make them, I feel the emotion they have for their loved one and I have the desire to make this unique bear as special as possible for that person. I know they loved the living soul and I want them to feel that love when they hold their bear. I imagine all the volunteers feel this way when they make a bear. It's a sacred thing.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wIkSSf9h0Wq6mkUvByYYFv0n6luBlw_mRgJf27YLp8zairs9ydBwEYf04DiNsbWY2r2YfxbeEI2GWTXK02OnPlg1y-UpFaO90_kQe-4XFpjjaZLqHxokG38Yn53WsozWVO1Ndi3XW4cs/s1600/office-bears-in-waiting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wIkSSf9h0Wq6mkUvByYYFv0n6luBlw_mRgJf27YLp8zairs9ydBwEYf04DiNsbWY2r2YfxbeEI2GWTXK02OnPlg1y-UpFaO90_kQe-4XFpjjaZLqHxokG38Yn53WsozWVO1Ndi3XW4cs/s200/office-bears-in-waiting.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The staff at the office put the fabric(s) and request forms in a plastic bag and place them in a closet. They are put in the order they are received with the oldest one on the top left and the most recent request on the bottom right. Please click this picture to enlarge it so you can see all the different colors and textures of the bears-to-be. There are blankets, sheets, shirts, blouses, full outfits ... in fact one of those bags called my name while I was taking this picture. See the second row, fourth bag from the right? The yellow is a tie with stick-figure children on it and a shirt and slacks are also in that bag. It's going to be a great bear and whoever wore that tie had to be a great guy. It will be a happy bear to make! I didn't pick it up because I have bears waiting to be made for close friends.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvhwZ4d9yu9_LfaefJfG8HWSbLxo54nTX_ACORpz6AUrWGR8cQBRZe730irTy8Hn4rt05RCj92a_pvwceDtwcrUs8rnvei3ObTBcicOf0LsFGsyak1NteP_VHqmmZJxnrT_882K40CMWy/s1600/office-bears-bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvhwZ4d9yu9_LfaefJfG8HWSbLxo54nTX_ACORpz6AUrWGR8cQBRZe730irTy8Hn4rt05RCj92a_pvwceDtwcrUs8rnvei3ObTBcicOf0LsFGsyak1NteP_VHqmmZJxnrT_882K40CMWy/s200/office-bears-bag.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a bear is completed (and we try to do that within a few weeks of picking up the makings), the staff checks them in (remember the form we started with!) and processes them for delivery or pickup. They check them over to make sure they are ready and sometimes have to do a little repair work. This is why we return all the scraps, too! </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoxXtYcol8QubcIUlbtpxIKZnMcY2XNodF95crpvcZSc3nVxU6k1nng8tFHNWgO5yOylyscf-nVedp-aoTuB8lmvj9iNiZzHfkpwnrVDaC703y_v11L4JeIdtD62B_wVfOAg19mceA5G9/s1600/office-bears-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoxXtYcol8QubcIUlbtpxIKZnMcY2XNodF95crpvcZSc3nVxU6k1nng8tFHNWgO5yOylyscf-nVedp-aoTuB8lmvj9iNiZzHfkpwnrVDaC703y_v11L4JeIdtD62B_wVfOAg19mceA5G9/s200/office-bears-card.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then they tie a bow around the bear's neck with a tag that says who the bear was made for and the first name of the person who made the bear. They wrap it up in blue tissue paper and lovingly place in the bag to go home. Along with the bear is a beautiful card and an envelope offering the person the opportunity to make a donation to Sharp Hospice if they are so inclined. The bears are made at no charge and the donation is purely voluntary. Donations go towards supplies to make more bears!</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfLG5gvbZBb0qNoiVdyBBciZXR-VSVFCDTXAfOTjlCNTMJjEcNF99i3ZRoPdKkoXXb9XvaFHMjFpE6SqZqwjL6a5Ons4e1Y7-owo8xLYenPQbcXRWmDSzUvQUsBNb3rV6E6GhvCK2wlZG/s1600/office-bears-ready-for-pu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfLG5gvbZBb0qNoiVdyBBciZXR-VSVFCDTXAfOTjlCNTMJjEcNF99i3ZRoPdKkoXXb9XvaFHMjFpE6SqZqwjL6a5Ons4e1Y7-owo8xLYenPQbcXRWmDSzUvQUsBNb3rV6E6GhvCK2wlZG/s200/office-bears-ready-for-pu.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The last two pictures are the bags of bears that were waiting to be delivered or picked up the day I took these pictures. You can see there are lots of them. Between the bears waiting to be made and the bears waiting for their new owners, I'd say there were well over 100 bears. Those bears were put together by approximately 30 regular volunteers. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXK-hgvHGAAIjnZXsS4FSAIQnX8IwLaDLzjvvJlAnLvFtyChU_ROjRPka1k_6UJ_U18kJuxP_5u08zZR7_HUW6F51AE2dNBXnH_A1l8vsh1sM_DJOpXK2BDFTGWRuj8YsUGyCk1l05aZb/s1600/office-bears-ready-for-pick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXK-hgvHGAAIjnZXsS4FSAIQnX8IwLaDLzjvvJlAnLvFtyChU_ROjRPka1k_6UJ_U18kJuxP_5u08zZR7_HUW6F51AE2dNBXnH_A1l8vsh1sM_DJOpXK2BDFTGWRuj8YsUGyCk1l05aZb/s200/office-bears-ready-for-pick.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Soon I will ask a few other volunteers to share their stories about making these bears. I find inspiration from those who started this long before I did.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know a few people who have been the recipient of a Memory Bear and I'd like to share with you how they feel about the bear they have. I have heard a few stories and they are heartwarming They help me know for sure I am doing something worthwhile and helping make memories last forever.</span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-62006264006889423822010-08-22T19:37:00.000-07:002010-08-25T13:16:16.144-07:00June 2010: Mike Bear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGQFriLbOgnpKJkS4gFoG76lDerMK4jyygfA4eWq38RGTq0tKHMEu3K2JguyqapcdlwIfSFBft88az8eC4VxUSN8Ys0ycLRGXrnq966yjJB1pV5ewgZuV_59acIQV6uLIeqhsUGFsVFNZ/s1600/Mike+Bear+Shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGQFriLbOgnpKJkS4gFoG76lDerMK4jyygfA4eWq38RGTq0tKHMEu3K2JguyqapcdlwIfSFBft88az8eC4VxUSN8Ys0ycLRGXrnq966yjJB1pV5ewgZuV_59acIQV6uLIeqhsUGFsVFNZ/s200/Mike+Bear+Shirt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the degree of difficulty of the Edward bears, I wanted to do something a little easier. I chose this shirt because I knew there would be no pattern matching and I also knew the fabric would be nice to work with. Plus, it was requested by Mike's daughter and that touched me. I'm still not ready to make one with my dad's shirt, but I sure could start on one for another daughter. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I cut all the pieces out on a Sunday, planning to put Mike bear together the next weekend. You know what happens when you make plans, right. The Thursday before the planned weekend, my mother had two strokes and my family's life took a new direction. I had no idea when I would be back to sewing or even back to my own home. I considered turning the pattern pieces in and asking someone else to make the bear, but I really didn't want to do that. Fortunately, my family all pitched in and after a couple of weeks, I did have some free weekends to sew. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ih_JLfTwVMc6uvnmwcXvCliy2IiiURrib-aRTat_2-9y0lmkjK-3d-4yio2GGi43kcgmBGAZ6jeuGiJp975Q8G17_mFdSxHIWThVGHkUVRa6PfxwgMf2DpgnDwRPMh7-ZazhUUcQMedL/s1600/Mike+Bear+Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ih_JLfTwVMc6uvnmwcXvCliy2IiiURrib-aRTat_2-9y0lmkjK-3d-4yio2GGi43kcgmBGAZ6jeuGiJp975Q8G17_mFdSxHIWThVGHkUVRa6PfxwgMf2DpgnDwRPMh7-ZazhUUcQMedL/s200/Mike+Bear+Front.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Getting back to sewing the bear was a pleasure. It gave me the opportunity to focus on something other than my job and my mom, which was important right then. The bear went together so easily, I was amazed. I wonder if Mike was an easy-going kind of guy. The pieces went together nicely, there wasn't a lot of fraying on the edges so I didn't have to use any lining, and the weather was nice and cool. Who could ask for more? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyNaXzlvlibNYOxUEiiA9DY7EJRuWXwE-oXsI1MgDPtKQR5NDc2ggVejkRt3h9r6ePxMi0u1Qfb799Xk7K8nopOz965CMFqF9svnA79mb2Rl2e-NeY3j6VaLbSjNb8nu1LGl9sZoA7A7T/s1600/Mike+Bear+Back+Pocket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyNaXzlvlibNYOxUEiiA9DY7EJRuWXwE-oXsI1MgDPtKQR5NDc2ggVejkRt3h9r6ePxMi0u1Qfb799Xk7K8nopOz965CMFqF9svnA79mb2Rl2e-NeY3j6VaLbSjNb8nu1LGl9sZoA7A7T/s200/Mike+Bear+Back+Pocket.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I made a little pocket for the front, turning the fabric wrong side out. I did the same thing for the soles of the feet for contrast.<br />
I did a little something different with this bear, adding the tag to the bottom of the back pocket. I think it looks a little like a tail and it adds a touch of whimsy to the bear. I hope Mike's daughter likes it!Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-30335245506131169072010-08-11T19:44:00.000-07:002010-08-25T13:15:01.780-07:00May 2010: Edward Bears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio20zHF59nDdoL7hk0PBOjrvgqdnCKDm5sxLWlQDwA9ZRBq30N4_DxwtH2anR4TKzZr9g-9qEJ3Gm4Xoctja-JbjZPyFbspwY91yRthvoqXaSPWrCURdQtYfJp-GVLsYWA1mipxDiZbTvJ/s1600/edward+bears+shirts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio20zHF59nDdoL7hk0PBOjrvgqdnCKDm5sxLWlQDwA9ZRBq30N4_DxwtH2anR4TKzZr9g-9qEJ3Gm4Xoctja-JbjZPyFbspwY91yRthvoqXaSPWrCURdQtYfJp-GVLsYWA1mipxDiZbTvJ/s200/edward+bears+shirts.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I went to get the clothing for new bears, I fell in love with both these shirts and thought it would be fun to make two bears for the same family again. Both shirts are long-sleeved flannel and both were soft from washing and wearing. The red/blue one seemed playful while the brown/blue one seemed more serious. I could hardly wait to get started on them because I was already seeing the shirts as bears and knew they would be well loved.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CKge7o1pZies5pA5nsZET4rQrQ-fBBziJQ_NUvf4d3RIaxyaRwCYhDXlvorDHPSrLeLu1_leCNTwBn35Wg_auDXJjAGU1_XyV05TG2cfM15qlYQsIMohABI6N4T6lH5HVpzRoK4QDg_U/s1600/edward+bears+both+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CKge7o1pZies5pA5nsZET4rQrQ-fBBziJQ_NUvf4d3RIaxyaRwCYhDXlvorDHPSrLeLu1_leCNTwBn35Wg_auDXJjAGU1_XyV05TG2cfM15qlYQsIMohABI6N4T6lH5HVpzRoK4QDg_U/s200/edward+bears+both+top.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What I didn't think about until I went to cut them out was that it would be necessary (for me anyway) to match those plaids vertically and horizontally. The red plaid has a large pattern to it and matching it up was a challenge. Actually, it was a "bear" to do and it tested my patience and my crafting abilities. However, it felt so good to make it work! I was glad I did the red one first because it made the smaller pattern on the other one seem so easy!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I finished the red, white and blue bear on the Memorial Day weekend and posted it on Facebook to commemorate that day . I like to think Edward would have liked taking part of the celebration of life. What do you think? The brown and blue bear was finished the next weekend. When I look at the two bears together I see the fun and serious sides of Edward. I hope his family remembers both sides of this man who was loved when they see their bears.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKqoDlL7qYR40MoqEnAohax_-blA79xTI2A1Ba00tiWvG26Fb_KVFUaGEwvVBIq1l4m1leTn6OwlHDyxol5Qal5U-0aejrRy7bg_J9QFNAdXWelzdu4Q1P5tuiR1_RI67_SmqDVeqxRm9/s1600/edward+bears+both+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKqoDlL7qYR40MoqEnAohax_-blA79xTI2A1Ba00tiWvG26Fb_KVFUaGEwvVBIq1l4m1leTn6OwlHDyxol5Qal5U-0aejrRy7bg_J9QFNAdXWelzdu4Q1P5tuiR1_RI67_SmqDVeqxRm9/s320/edward+bears+both+front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward Bears May 2010</td></tr>
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</span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-9223217002603076412010-03-09T13:01:00.000-08:002010-03-09T13:01:17.918-08:003/10: North Carolina Tarheel Bears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF8nMa8uhnck7lauwHX3WroSyCYQtzq0-BCp7WhfgcHM_vTxweEZ33b_f7As9R9zmJr9blhNwS0fA-sVZ4B0PVZJ551TYFEfomsyqGCZxbBPYOrirLYDGlq2VyLDTQFgcNbba4Bw9rIEt/s1600-h/DefenseTarheelFront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjF8nMa8uhnck7lauwHX3WroSyCYQtzq0-BCp7WhfgcHM_vTxweEZ33b_f7As9R9zmJr9blhNwS0fA-sVZ4B0PVZJ551TYFEfomsyqGCZxbBPYOrirLYDGlq2VyLDTQFgcNbba4Bw9rIEt/s200/DefenseTarheelFront.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These bears are a little different because they are made for the family of a young man who is serving in Iraq. A friend was over and admired some bears I had just finished making. She felt the life force in them and understood the comfort they would bring to the family members. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Later she was telling my about her cousin who was going to be leaving for Iraq soon and how anxious her relatives were about his leaving to serve our country. I offered to make a bear for them to have as comfort until he returned. With the holidays and then a trip for her and a trip for me, it took awhile to get these bears made, but they are complete now.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4e6T-ClF_aOfz-8gpyLmfgphOAjo2K5CaJoAuQkjAjrEPNDoI-rkDD-oi0Fs1pVcIhclJ_clPFLa45_68dLA2mEZQe6irfhOmKsKXpYRbL0StuDqpFarfsPUG_QpwV7N0gCXmrqMqUEM/s1600-h/NCtarheelsback.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4e6T-ClF_aOfz-8gpyLmfgphOAjo2K5CaJoAuQkjAjrEPNDoI-rkDD-oi0Fs1pVcIhclJ_clPFLa45_68dLA2mEZQe6irfhOmKsKXpYRbL0StuDqpFarfsPUG_QpwV7N0gCXmrqMqUEM/s200/NCtarheelsback.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was my first time to work with T-shirts and I was a little apprehensive. Turns out they are a bit easier to work with in many ways because of the stretch factor. I smile at that because the stretch factor is what I was concerned about. I did need to interface every piece of the pattern in order for it to work. Must make a mental note of that for future bears! </span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-51053359908278206012010-03-09T12:24:00.000-08:002010-03-09T12:44:03.432-08:002/10: James Bears Finished!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptUs99pyXCDdOv5K_v0YtnNJlf6mQ5lKf3w6eQmj_Svd1_xs6BfBvUafemUf1fED9hS9RtIw173GCMq4Z8pURdQr2dgsx_Rikgq4YaVTqOoP8vGhxm6RYawcY0M_F61WUuyZ66PYO4g_U/s1600-h/JamesBearsFront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptUs99pyXCDdOv5K_v0YtnNJlf6mQ5lKf3w6eQmj_Svd1_xs6BfBvUafemUf1fED9hS9RtIw173GCMq4Z8pURdQr2dgsx_Rikgq4YaVTqOoP8vGhxm6RYawcY0M_F61WUuyZ66PYO4g_U/s200/JamesBearsFront.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here are the James Bears, all spiffy and ready to go to their owners. These were my first bears who needed pattern matching and I worked hard to make that happen. I think they turned out very nice. The bear on the left is from a well worn shirt so I had to be careful laying out the pattern to match the plaid and avoid holes and stains. I see his collar is a bit askew but that can be fixed. The bear on the right was made from a shirt that had probably never been worn. </span><span style="font-size: small;">I was glad to discover that by being in the same bag for storage both shirts had the scent of the owner. I know that means a lot to the people who get them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOGwQFuzhYiPxc7O-9LoqRArzuBhpqaJYz0OfcLvm9BZ1AYKCc6R_1RI_uVjp3mBhFsVFsHgawD6PPUouNgHS_dLKkCt2ixGefZNimPMQTgFhEorVgXlQUEibOeFWQLAlGm-iEkVNsBct/s1600-h/JamesBearsBack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOGwQFuzhYiPxc7O-9LoqRArzuBhpqaJYz0OfcLvm9BZ1AYKCc6R_1RI_uVjp3mBhFsVFsHgawD6PPUouNgHS_dLKkCt2ixGefZNimPMQTgFhEorVgXlQUEibOeFWQLAlGm-iEkVNsBct/s200/JamesBearsBack.JPG" width="200" /></a> Well, I turned them around and they switched place. I'm telling you, James Bears had real personalities while they were being made. The pockets in the back are for any little mementos the owners want to keep. </span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-6160760093619602862010-02-06T11:59:00.000-08:002010-03-09T12:44:30.335-08:002/10: James Bears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHXqCCBQPw-Lee1xiA013rH3TunjfDGuYJnfOml3ZMT1ypH2PNBjVWmjuiRDKKInHEZZVUrp-ploJOOwGmEwLXJsByT_bjzWOERJ7FFCMZ6OmmpzdtAz-noidcIFhfEhD8CNdMOpEt_zp/s1600-h/DSC03054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHXqCCBQPw-Lee1xiA013rH3TunjfDGuYJnfOml3ZMT1ypH2PNBjVWmjuiRDKKInHEZZVUrp-ploJOOwGmEwLXJsByT_bjzWOERJ7FFCMZ6OmmpzdtAz-noidcIFhfEhD8CNdMOpEt_zp/s200/DSC03054.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I've been working on these two bears for a couple of weeks now. I've only had a bit of time to work on them so they are taking longer than I wanted but they should be finished this weekend. I am much further along than this picture indicates.<br />
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The two shirts were similar and yet quite different. Both were long-sleeved shirts from LL Bean but one was well worn with a few holes in it and one was probably never worn. Both shirts told me this was a man with good taste and who was well loved. The bears I am making are only two of the ten his family has requested.<br />
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I plan to finish the bears this weekend. I'm thinking James would appreciate knowing these two were finished during one of the most talked about Super Bowl games ever!Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-7835980050359844552009-12-06T21:19:00.000-08:002009-12-06T21:35:57.792-08:0012/6: The Helen Jones Bear<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BdSQxaPc6fhY9cvavdamIzyus-F7FGoSqwzaBstWKLCs0ywF_sgBP9W8t0wiPnKcQHwrYhqhFhTXzDPk9jclaZqaIb6uPjJNJGo-AuFFOsLN-X9g64HPOk2NahJbN8TqPjBFgCJt1Yhn/s1600-h/Helen---front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BdSQxaPc6fhY9cvavdamIzyus-F7FGoSqwzaBstWKLCs0ywF_sgBP9W8t0wiPnKcQHwrYhqhFhTXzDPk9jclaZqaIb6uPjJNJGo-AuFFOsLN-X9g64HPOk2NahJbN8TqPjBFgCJt1Yhn/s200/Helen---front.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the bear I've been waiting to make since last spring. Helen Jones was the mother of my dear friend, Terry. I met Helen several times and she was one of the sweetest and most spiritual women I ever met. She was a true witness to the Lord she loved so much and unabashedly shared that love with everyone she came into contact with. She prayed for everyone and kept a prayer list inside her Bible. Helen was special. Her funeral service last year was one of the most wonderful services I've ever attended. The church was filled with people who knew and loved her. Some had known her nearly all her life. She was a courageous and loving woman who lived a full life before she left to sing her hymns in heaven.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After she passed, Terry heard about the Memory Bears and sent fabric to have bears made for her own daughter and her niece. Once Terry saw them she knew she wanted one too, so she sent me fabric to get a third bear. Terry sent a pillow sham, one that she and her mom had shopped for together. As soon as I opened the box and held the sham I knew I was supposed to make this bear. I needed to make it as a gift to Terry and as a way of honoring Helen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All I had to do was learn how to make one! They hold classes for making the bears a few times a year and I signed up for an April class. Sadly, I got very sick just before the class and had to cancel. I had to wait until November to take that class! After I took the class I wanted to make a couple of bears before I started this one. Boy, am I glad I did. <br />
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The fabric turned out to be very difficult to work with. It had a backing on it and I couldn't apply interfacing to it. I thought it would still hold together, but it frayed at every little touch. The good news is that I kept hearing Helen encourage me and assure me that her bear did not have to be perfect. To show what it was like, here is a picture of the head from the outside and it was like inside that same head! </span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RF2tUX2ht2W6ZDL4ptPLR9OauRBRHb2lpy6UmpR-dpnkl4Dqx1SxAl2p4-aN1bospjfoI7S_BzLmQgVadX0s4_Flx8YCdAqLHb4bbv9BQCqXyY5-5MnzpNvdJRpvrTVmXhJ4jXLcsgt9/s1600-h/Helen---head2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RF2tUX2ht2W6ZDL4ptPLR9OauRBRHb2lpy6UmpR-dpnkl4Dqx1SxAl2p4-aN1bospjfoI7S_BzLmQgVadX0s4_Flx8YCdAqLHb4bbv9BQCqXyY5-5MnzpNvdJRpvrTVmXhJ4jXLcsgt9/s320/Helen---head2.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Helen Bear was not easy to make but she was an enjoyable challenge. Since I knew Helen and I know Terry, I also know that neither of them care all that much about perfection. They care about love and forgiveness and accept that we are all human. Once I got the bear sewn up I had to smile at her slightly crooked head and her uneven belly. She already has little stitches to repair a couple of places that came apart while she was being stuffed. She is a well-loved bear and I know she will be loved in her new home. </span></span><br />
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Two more photos to share. The back of Helen features a bit of fabric Terry sent me to add in some way. Since Helen was of the generation of women who never left home without a hanky, I turned that fabric into one for her bear to have as needed. The second photo is Helen and Leonor sitting together. They did a lot of this during their preparation and finishing. We couldn't help but notice how similar they were and how they looked like good friends. I like to think that's exactly what they were. Although they never knew each other in life, they spent time together here with me as I turned part of them into a bear for someone who loved them. I'll miss them!</span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzm6f_zpqrp5isGCWGc2vWa5TqDLW3-1NOeLyPBbIsa59O0Jh52I0-K1IHfztdQZAQL7hptLJdwirAgAIqJa94cqgXx7naOBKH5kjmBisCRZPiKkAYsGgcnWcHaygOi5ViJcCIE06GDAlG/s1600-h/Helen---back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzm6f_zpqrp5isGCWGc2vWa5TqDLW3-1NOeLyPBbIsa59O0Jh52I0-K1IHfztdQZAQL7hptLJdwirAgAIqJa94cqgXx7naOBKH5kjmBisCRZPiKkAYsGgcnWcHaygOi5ViJcCIE06GDAlG/s200/Helen---back.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span> <br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNhnlxgPXn6rXhH8CO5y8I_akB_byVy8VuW3Sxzlptbx_VtmL1dtsLqcJwEHGtME_uLpGLt9SIeiPzmycV4jsthUmBBfAnIGp6pwxNv9UmFieXAnwnnJEi521h2R_2-9dS_zbtoHHZDRT/s1600-h/Helen---Leanor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNhnlxgPXn6rXhH8CO5y8I_akB_byVy8VuW3Sxzlptbx_VtmL1dtsLqcJwEHGtME_uLpGLt9SIeiPzmycV4jsthUmBBfAnIGp6pwxNv9UmFieXAnwnnJEi521h2R_2-9dS_zbtoHHZDRT/s200/Helen---Leanor.jpg" /></a><br />
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</span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-8650085076146698362009-12-06T20:28:00.000-08:002010-04-27T16:27:14.676-07:0012/6: Making and Finishing Leanor Bear<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuOFxe6yQLQkdjYbIzlw4LjvbPUllsUqherh7aSRXknMcMBvVLKYNHpjck8KMFrKJCiqVQU9sC0w_z2n0Vz4xCLoFWvDq3mi7HKn7949fMKgmAGZir9D8pBI8RFr6Imnl1BPQDbS4EUf_/s1600-h/Leanor-front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuOFxe6yQLQkdjYbIzlw4LjvbPUllsUqherh7aSRXknMcMBvVLKYNHpjck8KMFrKJCiqVQU9sC0w_z2n0Vz4xCLoFWvDq3mi7HKn7949fMKgmAGZir9D8pBI8RFr6Imnl1BPQDbS4EUf_/s200/Leanor-front.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leanor was made over several days, bits at a time. Once again I felt connected to the person wore the garment. I talked to her while I cut and pinned and sewed. When I accidentally clipped the inside of the right ear and wanted to cry I felt her support. I tried to fix it without taking the head apart, but I could hear my own mother saying that "a thing doing at all is worth doing it well" so I took it apart, cut out a new ear and sewed it all back together. I was glad I did! Thanks, mom.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5tUxbnn5T-E2sN2Jf9VEEMvHgm3rPUT-XSdeZ503Fi-jtsOE3hZg7bmdcgo8Fkku7aFzRZ28GY0L7FoGESGbm2EggoVq0LbbqE7DX2K_6_0v3yZDkCU8-tA1SzwFZQ_PqWx2MTQj1fkR/s1600-h/Leanor-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5tUxbnn5T-E2sN2Jf9VEEMvHgm3rPUT-XSdeZ503Fi-jtsOE3hZg7bmdcgo8Fkku7aFzRZ28GY0L7FoGESGbm2EggoVq0LbbqE7DX2K_6_0v3yZDkCU8-tA1SzwFZQ_PqWx2MTQj1fkR/s200/Leanor-back.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After that, Leanor went very quickly. I had her stuffed mid-week and left her still open in the back for a few days to let her stuffing settle and then add a bit more before I closed her up and put the pocket on her back today. While she settled, I started making my 3rd bear, Helen. Her story is next! </span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-35300001728866220072009-11-28T21:37:00.000-08:002010-04-27T16:18:07.587-07:0011/28/09: The Beginning of Leanor Bear<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GstNDs1Lq87v5gcme82a5nyC8FavExQifMLDRE47OTpBHsSQ4oNpJdUClc8aDLttK4NmBxAc0RWNBm40XWoxtHDp4QL9UcIqytuom-GeU3FUkVx52-48TyWY6Yh2Y4zl9GtWPNVJBpvj/s1600/Eleanor-Jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GstNDs1Lq87v5gcme82a5nyC8FavExQifMLDRE47OTpBHsSQ4oNpJdUClc8aDLttK4NmBxAc0RWNBm40XWoxtHDp4QL9UcIqytuom-GeU3FUkVx52-48TyWY6Yh2Y4zl9GtWPNVJBpvj/s200/Eleanor-Jacket.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After I delivered<a href="http://lauriebears.blogspot.com/2009/11/112509-returning-phillip-bear.html"> Phillip Bear</a> to the Sharp Hospice volunteer office, I chose the garment for my next bear. I told them I probably couldn't do one in the two week time period they ask for, so they gave me one from farther down the list. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This new garment is a jacket that belonged to Leanor, who passed away under hospice care. The bear I am making is the 10th bear for her family, the limit we will do for a family whose loved one was in Sharp Hospice. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Leanor must have always smelled very good. This jacket carries her perfumed scent, one I recognize as familiar but cannot name. I believe this was something she probably wore for special occasions with pale pink pants and pretty earrings. The jacket is well made and partially lined. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQeeFxZNkhqtZb0qgLsjp96PdAi8eQ4V0hphwE1361fMKfDDJQK553e9wAEwlCZw-N0H1VLuO2s1JgxYwpNxEQmFLbU7q-bsGPjndocgyPN-6P82igaVS_szpkMlE0LXJwYxAqiQq5aVE/s1600/Eleanor-fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQeeFxZNkhqtZb0qgLsjp96PdAi8eQ4V0hphwE1361fMKfDDJQK553e9wAEwlCZw-N0H1VLuO2s1JgxYwpNxEQmFLbU7q-bsGPjndocgyPN-6P82igaVS_szpkMlE0LXJwYxAqiQq5aVE/s200/Eleanor-fabric.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I ironed on the interfacing, laid out all the pieces and got them cut out yesterday. Everything went smoothly this time and I felt good about what I was doing. I did have a moment when I got completely confused about right side up and upside down, but this time I was able to figure it out in short order. I am using the white lining for the soles of the feet (paws) and the inside of the ears. It's too sheer to be used on its own so I'm using the jacket fabric behind the sheer fabric. I think it will look nice. I will probably finish the assembly of the bear tomorrow and maybe even stuff it during the Charger game. Leanor was from San Diego, so I'm sure she was a Charger fan, too!<br />
</span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-57834615575924260142009-11-28T20:25:00.000-08:002009-11-28T21:42:30.580-08:0011/25/09: Returning Phillip Bear<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I took Phillip to the Sharp Hospice volunteer office on Wednesday afternoon. I had thought about asking a friend who was planning to take her two bears out there for me, but decided this was one of those things I should do myself. I'm glad I did. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not only did I get to meet the two wonderful employees who work in the volunteer office, but I also got to see what goes on there and understand more of the process. It was interesting and it was emotional. That seems to be how this thing works!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the women showed me how they finish off the Memory Bears with a nice bow around their necks, with a tag saying the bear was made for them by volunteers and the name of that person on the back of the tag. Then they put the bear in a crisp white bag lined with blue tissue paper. It looks so nice when it's all put together. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then they contact the family to let them know their Memory Bear is ready. I was told the family usually comes in to pick up their bear(s) and that it's often a very emotional experience. Sometimes the bears are mailed to the families and sometimes the nurse who helped take care of the loved one who passed delivers the bear to the family. Thinking of that and how it would play out brought me to tears. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Phillip Bear was met with compliments by both women and they said he would be ready for his family soon. I felt good about leaving him in their hands, knowing that in a short time he would be bringing comfort to someone who loved the man who wore the shirt that was now his body. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I did leave with a new bag and the garment waiting to be a new bear, but that's the beginning of <a href="http://lauriebears.blogspot.com/2009/11/112809-beginning-of-leanor-bear.html">a new story</a>.</span></span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-51253979254003955702009-11-22T19:18:00.000-08:002009-11-22T19:18:15.934-08:0011/22/09: Finishing Phillip Bear<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My goal today was to be ready to stuff the Phillip bear by 1:15 which coincided with the kickoff of the Charger-Bronco game. I was 10 minutes late on my deadline but that's due to spilling the straightpins on the floor while attempting to get a good picture of the bear before stuffing!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First step this morning was sewing the head on. This took a little ripping out and redoing the chin in order to fit. I could hear my old neighbor from 35 years ago (a seamstress) reminding me that small errors in seam size make bigger errors as you repeat them. Lesson re-learned. After the head it was time for the legs. Once again I got my right and left confused and nearly had backwards legs, but I finally figured it out and carefully marked one leg and the corresponding opening for the leg with an X. I supposed I could have left the other leg blank but I marked it with an O instead. I'm strange that way. So here are pictures of Phillip with his head and legs on. He is ready to stuff! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUd0Ken8PGTDtzdWkTQd9ed7ZyH_KiR7aVrtKBvBeCHxBpoebjGYmCA3yFXoEkK0jHq8eAPJotjeiXjzbqWuE9yFFV-8UJDRNCPlSmqcCKcJHzKX3x6h14Y2t5QDVIYLOThio96QHis_s2/s1600/10---head-arms-and-legs-on-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUd0Ken8PGTDtzdWkTQd9ed7ZyH_KiR7aVrtKBvBeCHxBpoebjGYmCA3yFXoEkK0jHq8eAPJotjeiXjzbqWuE9yFFV-8UJDRNCPlSmqcCKcJHzKX3x6h14Y2t5QDVIYLOThio96QHis_s2/s320/10---head-arms-and-legs-on-.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was able to sit in the comfortable couch and stuff the bear while I watched the Charger game. I followed the instructions and stuffed the head first, then the feet, legs and arms. At that point we are to sit the bear on our lap and finish stuffing the body. We do this so the bear will sit well. It was nice watching Phillip become fully himself while watching football. I have a hunch the real Phillip was a Charger fan, too. Here he is, ready to be stuffed by using the opening in the back and then finished according to the pattern instructions. </span></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKvN0P5oRkKrAdUnPPCdEMZGx9orbz1Of-iH87ikx4iD2d5YwFoC2HhztPiazdA5s9yjoqevq0izDsgaJmO7RDcSDrfUE49xK62uFCaMZpbbrpb6Zzsk5HOw9fr8amTZhNHzNFy4WnHGp/s1600/11--stuffless-and-stuffed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKvN0P5oRkKrAdUnPPCdEMZGx9orbz1Of-iH87ikx4iD2d5YwFoC2HhztPiazdA5s9yjoqevq0izDsgaJmO7RDcSDrfUE49xK62uFCaMZpbbrpb6Zzsk5HOw9fr8amTZhNHzNFy4WnHGp/s320/11--stuffless-and-stuffed.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we are given the garment to make into a bear we are given very little leeway as to what we can do. We must follow the pattern and we must use only the pieces of the garment we are given to create the bear. No extra things of our own can be used. The bear must be made of the garment only. Also, we are not allowed to add facial features to the bears. They are to be faceless since the are in memory of a person who was known and loved by the requester. The requester can let us know if they want us to use buttons. This donor said yes, so I sewed three buttons down the center front. I also used the pocket and the tag from the back of the shirt. I put those on the back of the bear. It's a spot the recipient can use to keep a something meaningful. Here are the pictures of Phillip's finished front and back and corresponding details.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaLMsjYzRV3CbCgaEOUvXJ_k0MDG6jcW9EwahCxb87QSPZaR26vAAC-8FYS442cny3sy7dhTQ_ddvTAo8jWAjuOm8nxijVGLs2lgcgCcuNOxmmR9LCASGB9_XwjFCPm9Md9I8UyGd6djs/s1600/12-Finished-Phillip-Bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaLMsjYzRV3CbCgaEOUvXJ_k0MDG6jcW9EwahCxb87QSPZaR26vAAC-8FYS442cny3sy7dhTQ_ddvTAo8jWAjuOm8nxijVGLs2lgcgCcuNOxmmR9LCASGB9_XwjFCPm9Md9I8UyGd6djs/s320/12-Finished-Phillip-Bear.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3rDb0qW9uRoIR5ng8XZ9OCkfwjyq_daN-ki8V6gry-xNggu7Lk8zodz8bc8ycg_R1QzzG9YyipX8URkfMHanydFhHQXlAa9E1qVRO3v5LW_lQbfToJBnRz2QG6VK9sdTFqi-SGmVVOLh/s1600/13--Finished-details.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3rDb0qW9uRoIR5ng8XZ9OCkfwjyq_daN-ki8V6gry-xNggu7Lk8zodz8bc8ycg_R1QzzG9YyipX8URkfMHanydFhHQXlAa9E1qVRO3v5LW_lQbfToJBnRz2QG6VK9sdTFqi-SGmVVOLh/s320/13--Finished-details.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> So, my first bear, Phillip, is finished and ready to get the ribbon around his neck. The ribbon will have a small tag on it, saying the bear is made by a Sharp Hospice volunteer and it will be signed by me. It seems odd to have made this bear, thinking all the time of a young man I never knew, whose family loved him and misses him. Many times I've wanted to call the number I have on the intake form and let the requester know I was working on the Phillip bear. I wanted to ask questions about him and somehow give comfort to the family. Of course, I didn't do any of that. I'm quite sure that is not allowed as it would be such an invasion of privacy. </span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm taking Phillip in to work with me tomorrow to share with Carolyn and Colette. Then I'll take it to the volunteer center and say goodbye to him. I suspect this will be emotional for me. I also know it will be something that heals me in little ways. One thing I know for sure, this is the first Memory Bear made by me, but it is far from the last. </span></span><br />
</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-56027036407402518022009-11-21T20:15:00.000-08:002009-11-21T20:20:07.339-08:0011/21/09: The Arm Bone's Connected toThe Shoulder Bone ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before I get to that, take a look at Phillip Bear's fabulous head! Im really happy that it turned out as well as it did. He has a personality, don't you think?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIRahUFQa5AAVN40GbzjqtjR-LWhgQJ75MxqmWFuZSYuM0HJE93MG3azEvjdVDTywirCM1S72Fk0waurdF2pggn7BUbcDGWo_r-g4RWiT4NvxTC19V95AcHU4GLq-JlPDzEcdw6G7lJDd/s1600/08--head-assembled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIRahUFQa5AAVN40GbzjqtjR-LWhgQJ75MxqmWFuZSYuM0HJE93MG3azEvjdVDTywirCM1S72Fk0waurdF2pggn7BUbcDGWo_r-g4RWiT4NvxTC19V95AcHU4GLq-JlPDzEcdw6G7lJDd/s320/08--head-assembled.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Front, back and side of head<br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These pieces came together with amazing ease. I didn't understand the instructions on how to do the pleat in the ears at first, but then I remembered looking at Colette's bear at work and figured out how to make it look like that. After doing that, the instructions made sense. Go figure! It takes a total of ten pieces to get that shape to the head of the bear.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next, I started in on attaching the arms to the body. On my first attempt I ended up with the leg attached to the shoulder. Not good. I carefully removed the stitches and took a short break. The arms were tricky to get in without catching any other parts of the bear, but I did it! Proof is below.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvdcCImWOtTugPIR2QIBKXXW9OD5f6EgvL-aZP2rXjC7R6xPSKnmrpPRHu_j-Va8LH_u8-n_HjzlpOrOtIes8mwGat4YK2zJmXxo1D2s7AgkfxY4aLRiKimYlRd8e1OoUDTsoDrLhi7bo/s1600/09--arms-on-body.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvdcCImWOtTugPIR2QIBKXXW9OD5f6EgvL-aZP2rXjC7R6xPSKnmrpPRHu_j-Va8LH_u8-n_HjzlpOrOtIes8mwGat4YK2zJmXxo1D2s7AgkfxY4aLRiKimYlRd8e1OoUDTsoDrLhi7bo/s200/09--arms-on-body.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's it for tonight. I want to continue but I know I'm too tired to do it right and I don't want to mess it up. Tomorrow is another day and I believe I will finish it while the Chargers beat the Broncos in the afternoon!</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks, friends and family, for the great comments. Your encouragement means a lot.<br />
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</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-20294880761254400022009-11-21T14:09:00.000-08:002009-11-21T14:23:26.163-08:0011/21/09: Marking, Matching and Pinning - Oh My!<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGTQEz8ash9kTUMIZXR9fu4Hz813VRS6tN-GQgFleULUa3NY61yAZVD1gbozQV1bc0anrwcZgRDIz9vh9ej5MvxpsNITMG-3bQd5K6stVxQ_Tv3g9So2soM35ttmNb8tyt1Qq_8hVWSU_/s1600/tracing-paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGTQEz8ash9kTUMIZXR9fu4Hz813VRS6tN-GQgFleULUa3NY61yAZVD1gbozQV1bc0anrwcZgRDIz9vh9ej5MvxpsNITMG-3bQd5K6stVxQ_Tv3g9So2soM35ttmNb8tyt1Qq_8hVWSU_/s200/tracing-paper.jpg" /></a></span><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do you know what that is on the left? Oh sure, it says Dritz Tracing Paper but guess what? It's at least 40 year old tracing paper. The wheel is in there, too. It scared me a little that I knew right where it was after at least 25 years on non-use, but I put my hands right on it this morning. I wondered if the paper would even transfer to the fabric, but it did the trick with no problems. I will probably replace this with the new stuff now that I need it again. No doubt this tracing paper dye contains a gazillion bad things. Please note it was only 75 cents at time of purchase, circa 1965. Dritz now sells this (with far less paper) for around 5 dollars!</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The reason for finding this was that I needed to mark my fabric pieces with the important dots and other notations I would need when I started sewing the Phillip Bear. I had forgotten that part of sewing, so it was a good thing I took the class. That turned out to be one of many times I was grateful for the class this morning.</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After I marked up the fabric pieces I began matching and pinning. This sounds simple enough but I started off with a huge issue that nearly stopped me in my tracks. Now those of you who know me really well already know I have a real problem with right and left, and along with that are some spacial issues - and that's being kind to myself. Although I have a vivid imagination, I don't see how things go together in my head. I write things down, I manipulate things, I mark up maps to get somewhere, draw things out on whiteboards at work ... I can not just visualize something concrete and "get it". </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I sat down and tried to match up the front of the bear to the back of the bear. I had a picture right in front of me as to how that would look. I could not duplicate that with the pattern pieces I had in front of me. I tried and tried. I could not do it. I moved into anxiety-panic mode. What if I cut all right sides and had no left sides? What if I had just ruined this shirt and there could be no bear? Gulp! </span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I poured myself a glass of iced tea, took a few deep breaths, and put those pieces aside. I matched up the ears. No problem. I matched up the center of the face with the 2 sides, no problem. My breathing became easier. I matched up the back of the head with those two sides - it's working. I matched up the arms and the legs with great ease. No problems. No matching needed for the soles of the feet. I'm good. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took a look at the front and back with new-found confidence. I tried to pin the back to the front for one side. It didn't 't work. Then I tried the other side - no go. Big sigh. I saw that if I traded the two fronts then the pieces actually lined up and matched like they are supposed to. But ... this makes no sense to me because it means the pattern pieces that were cut right side up don't match each other. The front of the piece cut right side up matches with the back that was cut with the pattern piece that was cut right side down. This makes no logical sense to me and it really bothers my orderly little brain. However, it works and I must accept it for what it is. <span style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">(Those of you who really know me know that I won't accept this and will wrestle with it until I do make sense of it, possibly losing sleep over it.)</span></span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The pictures below are the results of this morning's marking, matching and pinning session. Looks like I forgot to capture the ears in these pictures, but rest assured, Phillip Bear will have ears! Sewing and assembly and possibly event stuffing will be later in the day ... or tomorrow. Clicking on an image will enlarge it.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpUUWN_o-XMyXkPKNi0MYtKRfqwJsTyqwTpxQXlO9v02XWa3ALK1G-qNv6Fn_q6apWBQg-v7D529uJfj_mK_no1PQC3WedrMSlQI_vp8pEzw-K4_uzZFaJr3H7k0HOHz_lBTFhS1PiszK/s1600/01-Head-front-and-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpUUWN_o-XMyXkPKNi0MYtKRfqwJsTyqwTpxQXlO9v02XWa3ALK1G-qNv6Fn_q6apWBQg-v7D529uJfj_mK_no1PQC3WedrMSlQI_vp8pEzw-K4_uzZFaJr3H7k0HOHz_lBTFhS1PiszK/s200/01-Head-front-and-back.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Front and back of head (right side)</span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTkTtQ522HYPUvBHRd5QuOUkJ_yLNthleSA7Ne7KgHJ1rc-cLdyavWy3a9W8DEkAMpUkpfwdZm0_Nw0n_C8u7K9olN9Mkbq9u6WPVFqZdualcQT7bX_2AvjoLW_Lp8TMyk-R6nVg8U5LN/s1600/02-Head-front-and-back2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTkTtQ522HYPUvBHRd5QuOUkJ_yLNthleSA7Ne7KgHJ1rc-cLdyavWy3a9W8DEkAMpUkpfwdZm0_Nw0n_C8u7K9olN9Mkbq9u6WPVFqZdualcQT7bX_2AvjoLW_Lp8TMyk-R6nVg8U5LN/s200/02-Head-front-and-back2.jpg" /></a></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Front and back of head</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVc-XyHiZKXN-oryPunTrntZSlsqnwii-l7aqRfYn-81f6j1CksSqdW1-Rbxu8F0QGvSGL6SaBam4Rv5PWYsr9NyLQFXO-I9NKybMjo1YkF4JApcxqbOV2bR7ycNRIJBUYqAkcppWusqI/s1600/03-Arms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVc-XyHiZKXN-oryPunTrntZSlsqnwii-l7aqRfYn-81f6j1CksSqdW1-Rbxu8F0QGvSGL6SaBam4Rv5PWYsr9NyLQFXO-I9NKybMjo1YkF4JApcxqbOV2bR7ycNRIJBUYqAkcppWusqI/s200/03-Arms.jpg" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arms <br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNEjZkP5LR-FLmedkFIDaA67EqR8JneyTjXQJiPa7yqOjwuaUM-MRgG6RIwS8QsrADrDEvk75NBv7faijHyqb973S6l611_wBTRE5bM3ktD9RqcLj5Y1hthNJAqfEiNALghXo9ooj_GM4/s1600/04--Legs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNEjZkP5LR-FLmedkFIDaA67EqR8JneyTjXQJiPa7yqOjwuaUM-MRgG6RIwS8QsrADrDEvk75NBv7faijHyqb973S6l611_wBTRE5bM3ktD9RqcLj5Y1hthNJAqfEiNALghXo9ooj_GM4/s200/04--Legs.jpg" /></a></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Legs </span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJshzUTWTundup_eHhEQ3paa039TUa9r8WIcrGIY-6jrPxZ4wGyiTAi5POBIC4qveU28fnvlwEbQyB7-Mf5fT95mdebYOsSg0LwPD7jrv0dqQdWw-64fwA8IaUOaPKbTI43heyP3UyYwgb/s1600/06--Feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJshzUTWTundup_eHhEQ3paa039TUa9r8WIcrGIY-6jrPxZ4wGyiTAi5POBIC4qveU28fnvlwEbQyB7-Mf5fT95mdebYOsSg0LwPD7jrv0dqQdWw-64fwA8IaUOaPKbTI43heyP3UyYwgb/s200/06--Feet.jpg" /></a></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Feet</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUDwrWKSDP7Jr4h5bmvMkw61sJn5kEsFG1Uw3eXcFZuXwkMa7_qUA8A1CTTQxQ0Fj-56iYiIDPdgvJz0BCcFoSwgJaufU9b-L9Vd6RkqVWUNYfij5tETvvuxesTfTfB-eI4A59dCdAlXp/s1600/05--Front-to-Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUDwrWKSDP7Jr4h5bmvMkw61sJn5kEsFG1Uw3eXcFZuXwkMa7_qUA8A1CTTQxQ0Fj-56iYiIDPdgvJz0BCcFoSwgJaufU9b-L9Vd6RkqVWUNYfij5tETvvuxesTfTfB-eI4A59dCdAlXp/s200/05--Front-to-Back.jpg" /></a></span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Front and Back of Body</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UTwAsrY0GNBQzdAnV7dUi_4TV0JUetvTu0vA3oRI-cK3F86_A3Vo14DtzAtcfwu-DX2n1qJJit51GNbVNNYUg80InlJUQWZhriU5h_thsTWRaDkJQ8BidlD02qxdB2QVkZ4-qyNjsmGm/s1600/07--ready-to-sew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UTwAsrY0GNBQzdAnV7dUi_4TV0JUetvTu0vA3oRI-cK3F86_A3Vo14DtzAtcfwu-DX2n1qJJit51GNbVNNYUg80InlJUQWZhriU5h_thsTWRaDkJQ8BidlD02qxdB2QVkZ4-qyNjsmGm/s200/07--ready-to-sew.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Get out the machine, I'm ready to go!<br />
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</div>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-20205994334016009762009-11-19T16:51:00.000-08:002009-11-19T16:51:06.146-08:0011/19/09: A Bump In The Road for Phillip Bear<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last night I cut out all the pieces and there are lots of them. Most of the pieces need to be cut twice, one right side up and one right side down on the fabric. As I mentioned earlier, that's why I made the yellow pieces. They would all go right side down. It was a perfect plan. You can see in my picture from the night before that I had it all laid out correctly. Well, after I took that picture, I moved things around a bit to get some pieces to match up better. Then last night I laid a few down to finish and put a yellow one right side up! I didn't notice this until I went to match everything up before I went to bed. I was so excited to see how it was all going to come together and could already envision Phillip Bear with his blue body and white spots in just the right places. Then I saw the blue back was going to have one side inside out if I went with what I cut. Oops! I'm guessing this happens to every bear maker at least once. At least that's what I'm telling myself! Tonight I will lay that pattern piece (right side down) on some of the remaining fabric and I'll be good to go. </span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-25860344368138432432009-11-18T16:08:00.000-08:002009-11-18T17:51:10.921-08:0011/18/09: The Phillip Bear Day One<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I spent most of yesterday obsessed with the making of the Phillip Bear. I talked to everyone who would listen about how moved I was by the class and how much I wanted to be home working on the bear. I spent my free time making copies of the pattern pieces and organizing a notebook for my information and the pictures that will follow. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNqhBK1WieOitJly5A3UugjgokEtiMbFwBXf-NU4MjvJJJCcMos-lwBmY8e3Bbe8WrnVoMmnQes0d72U7RoRPVi9Rq8fEMfVQZlZOERFvHkFP0LWpBt8PonSgpIbfBGg14Z6UAEx0RTsk/s1600/former-shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNqhBK1WieOitJly5A3UugjgokEtiMbFwBXf-NU4MjvJJJCcMos-lwBmY8e3Bbe8WrnVoMmnQes0d72U7RoRPVi9Rq8fEMfVQZlZOERFvHkFP0LWpBt8PonSgpIbfBGg14Z6UAEx0RTsk/s200/former-shirt.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After dinner I finally got to start on the Phillip Bear. I cut the shirt to make flat pieces of fabric, ironed the fusible interfacing the the inside of those pieces and began laying out the pattern pieces. All of this I did with a sense of honor and a bit of fear. This was Phillip's shirt and I only had one set of cuts! The shirt had just a large light colored flowers on it. I knew I wanted those to be the pads on the bear's feet, the inside of his ears and the center of his face. Those pieces went down first. Then the other pattern pieces went down, following the grain and all of that important stuff. This took much longer than I expected but experienced bear makers told me this is often the hardest part and even with careful planning the bear may not look like what you envisioned. Good to know.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADF38Vv09BIbY_JGlz8NTXcxMybL-k2LWYTx41dyhioZIYkwIrhZujo7tsxlN_VGHEIWKjrRNmTgsEaKDs85bipnq8eZOPtHZ46tVwcQbf1Azhm1RHQcPSXwcgIs8K13ca_IXjSDorct3/s1600/pattern-pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADF38Vv09BIbY_JGlz8NTXcxMybL-k2LWYTx41dyhioZIYkwIrhZujo7tsxlN_VGHEIWKjrRNmTgsEaKDs85bipnq8eZOPtHZ46tVwcQbf1Azhm1RHQcPSXwcgIs8K13ca_IXjSDorct3/s200/pattern-pieces.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I finished laying pattern pieces out and rough cutting the pieces. Tonight I will do the real cutting, being careful to be as precise as possible. My goal is to finish cutting and pinning pieces together tonight so I will be ready to sit down and sew on Thursday. I may wait until the weekend to sew ... but I may not! I am excited to get these pieces together and creating this bear. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have two weeks to complete this first little guy. When I turn him in I can get another bag with a garment in it or I can wait until I know I have the time to make one and pick one up them. I know I will wait because I have the fabric for another bear waiting for me. It's been waiting for several months. That's another story for another day. Right now it's all about Phillip.</span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355919784445028858.post-82557462621878321322009-11-18T13:33:00.000-08:002009-11-18T15:41:01.465-08:0011/17/09: Beginning the Bear Journey<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yesterday I took the first step in my journey towards being a Sharp Hospice Memory Bear Volunteer. This is something I've been wanting to do for quite awhile but the timing of the training never seemed to work out for me. I took yesterday as a vacation day so I could get the training and get going on my first bear.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What? You don't know about these bears? You can read all about them here <a href="http://www.sharp.com/hospice/sharp-hospicecare-memory-bears.cfm">Sharp HospiceCare Memory Bears</a>. Basically, they are bears made from the clothing of a loved one who has passed away. Sharp Hospice volunteers make them for the family member who requests them. All experienced local people who sew are welcome to take the free class and begin creating a Memory Bear that very day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, that's right. There's no practice or waiting time. There's a long list of people waiting for their bear and the volunteers are put to work immediately! It's a little intimidating to think about but it's really a good plan. It's possible to back out at that point, but I doubt anyone has. The volunteers to teach and demonstrate and support the trainees are so helpful and optimistic that one feels quite confident they can do this. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pam, who has made over 800 Memory Bears in 8 years, demonstrated how to sew and assemble the bears. Oh my. She made it look easy and assured us that we could do it that easily after we put four bears together. Apparently that's the magic number. Good to know. Her fabric was from a woman's capris, very colorful in spring tones. She put the head together first and that little bear came alive for all of us right then. I got a little teary-eyed looking at that little face, knowing that soon it would be a bear for someone to love. Pam finished making and stuff her bear in an hour, all the while talking to us about what she was doing and giving us helpful hints along the way. Amazing!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When that was finished we were free to choose a bag with a garment in it and get started on our first Memory Bear. I was drawn to a bag with a blue Hawaiian print shirt. When I opened the bag I got a whiff of the person's smell and realized why we aren't to wash the clothing. Then I read the name of the man who wore it and that it was his dad's favorite shirt. Well the tears came in full force at that point. One of the volunteers assured me that was normal and let me be alone with my thoughts and prayers. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some people started right in cutting their garments open and ironing them flat, pinning pattern pieces on and cutting away. Not me. I had to sit for awhile with the shirt and honor the man who had worn it and feel right about starting it on a new life. I spent the rest of my time looking at what others were doing and asking questions of the volunteers. I knew I was on another life-changing journey and I wanted to savor the beginning of that with Phillip's blue Hawaiian shirt.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span>Lauriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17262136596928409518noreply@blogger.com5