Time goes by so fast and so slow all at the same time, haha. Goodness. In the thick of quarantine I finally found time to make a bear I'd promised Mia for years. Literally years. Like, I'd kinda thought it might be too late to put in the effort, but no. She still wanted the bear. This wasn't going to be any old bear, it was to be made out of something well loved, and therefore represented giving new life to a thing that had always brought comfort. Mia is now 8 by the way. Every time she had come into my studio and spotted her old baby jacket lying there atop a hastily drawn bear template she'd ask, "When!?" And I'd say... soon. I think I was nervous of messing it up actually and didn't know how to proceed. But, I did it finally!
So now, let me show you this most beloved jacket of Mia's. The one she had tried to wear long after it had been outgrown. As in, she tried to put it on as late as age 6 (the jacket was size 18 months).
She wore it til almost three. I'm pretty sure what she loved about this jacket was not the pink tweed or big brown buttons. No, the best part of this jacket was the inside: the satin polka-dotted chocolate-brown lining. Insanely soft and always cool. The very lining I used to make bear's ears, of course.
I used sherpa from JoAnn's so that he was bear-like (soft and cuddly) and wool felt for the nose and eyes. I have a lot more satin and I don't know what to make with it (maybe you have some ideas?) but... bear is here. Mia loves him and he's in rotation with several other stuffies she carries from room to room.
And by the way. This is Mia these days. I took these pics last week or so when she received her first communion. Clearly a sign to me that time is going by way too fast. (Especially when I tell you that this kid is already boy crazy!)
xo amy