It’s a labour of love for Mary Lord, as she helps keep stories of lost loved ones alive through memory bears.
Whether it’s a familiar shirt from a beloved family member, a child’s outgrown outfit, or any other special piece of clothing, the Guelph woman will find a way to re-purpose and incorporate the fabric into a treasured memory bear.
Lord got the idea a year and a half ago, after her daughter-in-law approached her with a special request.
“We have two grown boys. My daughter-in-law, Amanda, she is the daughter I never had. Her grandfather passed away suddenly. He was so loved. And he wore these iconic plaid shirts,” Lord said.
“I’ve been sewing since I was 10. So, Amanda asked me if I could make something. At first, she wanted a quilt made from these shirts. I wasn’t sure how that would work out, so I asked her to give me some time to think about it.”
After searching for ideas, Lord came across a pattern for making bears.
“I had no shirts at that time. So, I went to the thrift store, bought a $2 plaid shirt, and whipped up a bear,” Lord said.
“Amanda just started crying. She just couldn’t believe that someone could make something like this.”
Lord went on to make eight more bears for family members as keepsakes.
"And then an uncle passed away from COVID-19. I made bears for the family. This was just something I really wanted to do. In total, I had made about 25 bears,” Lord said.
“Soon after, Amanda approached me again and said Mary, I think you have something here. You should sell these.”
A Facebook page was created last October and Mary's Bears was established.
“I made about 40 bears between October and last Christmas. And I was so pleased. One of the reasons why I wanted to go through with this, was that I wanted to give more to charity. There were a few that I really wanted to give back to,” Lord said.
“And so, I was able to donate some of what I made. I was really thrilled about being able to do that.”
Lord says it’s been a win-win being able to make bears at home, while also being able to spend time with her husband, since retiring.
But Lord says, it’s not just ‘making’ the bears that she enjoys most. It’s the precious stories behind each one.
“As much as I like making the bears, what I enjoy the most is the stories behind them and the joy they bring others. For me, it’s making something with a purpose and getting into the heart of people,” Lord said.
“Some of these stories can be very sad, but they are all so special. There are some traumatic stories I hear too. I have had people cry in my kitchen.”
Lord says when people are handed their bear, all finished with fabric that is all to familiar, they often become quite emotional.
“I had one mother; I believe it was her sixth child. She lost him to a still birth. And so she wanted a bear made from the blanket that she was going to bring him home in,” Lord said.
“I had another mother whose son committed suicide. She wanted a bear made with one of his shirts. It’s just like having a piece of that person. People hug these bears, take them to bed, and snuggle them.”
Lord says she didn’t really start with this idea in mind, at first.
“But then I began to see the joy that these bears were bringing to people and of course, it’s such a good feeling to know that this is something that you can’t buy,” she said.
“I’ve had a woman who had pillows made from her dad’s shirts. And then she asked me to transform them into bears. The bears are just so much more personal. You bond with them, they kind of comes alive. It’s almost like you can see that person in there.”
Born and raised in Guelph, Lord developed her love of sewing early on.
“My oldest sister, Glenda taught me how to sew. She was like a mother to me. My parents had eight children in 11 years. We are a very close family, but Glenda was 10 years older than me,” Lord said.
“She was my mother’s right hand. So, she did a lot of things with me and my siblings. And teaching me to sew was one of them.”
Lord makes bears out of all sorts of fabric from blankets, shirts, jackets, and pyjamas.
"I even made a bear for a woman who had to put her dog down. This dog was really special to her. She had different coats. One was a yellow raincoat. I tried to figure out how to incorporate it and I was able to make the bear look like it was wearing rain boats,” Lord said.
It can take Lord can about five to six hours to make one bear.
“But that’s only because I feel like I’m organized, and I have learned efficiencies since I first started making them,” she said.
“When I’m not actually sewing bears, I’m preparing them. The fabric is cut out and ready to go. I have some bears made from two different shirts. There are so many different things you can do with them.”