Keepsakes and more

A friend sent me a 'clipping' about keepsake quilts a lady makes. She talked about the therapy and connectedness of making them. It is much the way I feel about bears. Most of the bears I make are from articles of clothing that were special to the families of those who wore them. They all come with a story, sometimes verbally shared, sometimes just felt in the style, the age, the photos.
Some fabrics are more difficult to work with than others, some need TLC to help them along. All of them represent lives lived and loved. Through the years I have found it very satisfying and fulfilling [therapeutic] to help folks preserve their memories and deal with loss through making their bears.
All bears are a celebration of a life lived, or of a special event. Commemorating a birth, graduation, retirement, graduation, or anniversary is just as special.