Remember When. . . the Barton Bears came to life?

The first Bearloom I made for a total stranger was the Barton Bear.  Mrs. Barton found me through a mutual friend for whom I had made a Bearloom of family pieces for a baby shower gift. She wanted one for her first grandchild and sent a piece of fabric, patch or other memento from about 20 family members. I loved the challenge of positioning each piece into the bear but, hard as I tried, they just would not all fit. Since the soon to be Grandpa was an avid golfer, I decided to make a golf bag out of the remaining pieces along with a set of clubs made from wood dowels and Fimo clay.  

The Bearloom was presented at the baby shower which turned out to be great timing since the baby was born prematurely. The new mother spent her days at the hospital and at night rocked the bear until her child could come home.  

Mrs. Barton contacted me again when her twin grandchildren were expected. The result of our collaboration was two Bearlooms that had bags to hold some of the treasures they like to carry. Each of the Bearlooms came with a Story Starter booklet that identified each piece and, for some, a story or quote from the person who sent in the piece.

A Bearloom, Hareloom or Careloom is a great way to pass down stories and make a family connection. Want to share the fabrics of your family with someone special? Simply contact me so we can get started!