There’s no doubt that the memories of our departed loved ones will always stay with us forever. However, it’s also nice to be able to keep a physical reminder of them. So, the clients of British artist Mary MacInnes give her the clothes of their deceased loved ones. And in turn, she transforms these pieces into adorable memory bears.
These stuffed bears usually consist of the favorite clothes and accessories of her clients’ lost loved ones. In some cases, other customers also request to incorporate letters and other mementos that are dear to them. Overall, it takes MacInnes about five to six hours to complete one bear. This includes the planning of the design, as well as cutting and sewing the bear to completion.
MacInnes took up fashion technology at the Heriot-Watt University and started her sewing career in the bridal industry. At just the age of 21, the artist has already been in the business for almost six years now. However, in an interview, MacInnes revealed that creating stuffed bears was not actually part of her plan.
“I made my first memory bear five years ago as a favor for a friend and was constantly asked to make more, but turned them down because I wanted to concentrate on university and a career in bridal.”
Nevertheless, she finally gave in to her clients’ requests to create more bears. Seeing all the positive feedback towards her creations can surely be rewarding. However, the young artist shared that it can also be emotionally draining at times.
“Recently I had a 37-year-old man pleading with me to make his two daughters aged 10 & 12 bears before Christmas. He insisted on paying in full and gave me £10 extra asking me to post them to his girls. It turned out he has terminal cancer and won’t see Christmas. I cried the whole time I cut out, sewed and stuffed those two little bears.”
Despite that, MacInnes still considers it a great privilege to be able to create something out of people’s personal possessions. Moreover, she’s happy that her bears are able to help people cope with grief and loss.
Mary MacInnes transforms the old clothes of her clients’ lost loved ones into new stuffed bears that they can cherish forever
If you know someone who might need an extra hand in their grieving process, feel free to visit MacInnes’ Facebook page to learn more about her bears.
Source: Mary MacInnes