Memory Bear Maker an instant hit — stuffed animals keep loved ones close, cozy

As soon as it launched earlier this month, The Memory Bear Maker Facebook page was a hit. After gaining dozens of followers and receiving hundreds of likes in a few days, Michelle Sebern knew her service struck a chord with the community. 

“I think there’s a need for this,” Sebern said of the Memory Bear Maker project, which aims to offer memory bears — teddy bears sewn using an article of clothing belonging to a deceased loved one — for free to locals who submit garments. 

The stuffed animals, which are more common in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia than the U.S., are meant to keep memories of lost friends and family members close and help those grieving process their feelings. 

The Memory Bear Maker’s roots trace back to Sebern's passion for creativity. A longtime sewer and creator of fabric art, Sebern began making teddy bears from the remains of existing projects. 

“It created a lot of scrap fabric,” she said. “I thought, ‘Well, what am I going to do with all these scraps?’ And so, I started sewing bears.” 

After honing her ability to create stuffed animals, Sebern discovered an online pattern for a memory bear and tried it out. Since then, she’s explored different styles and methods for creating the mementos, which each take about eight hours to complete. 

“There's all sorts of new things on each bear, like a new stitch or a new intricacy,” she said. “It's fun for me, and it really enhances my sewing ability.” 

Sebern began accepting fabric from community members a few weeks ago and delivered her first pair of local bears — created using garments belonging to Katrina Anderson’s grandmother and grandfather, including a cherished plaid shirt — at the start of the month. 

“My grandpa wore it all the time,” Anderson said of the shirt. “Grandma would always try to get him to wear new clothes, but he didn’t want to.” 

Since the first bears went out, activity has been nonstop. Already, Sebern has four bears queued and messages from several other residents offering to bring her garments. 

“There’s been a lot of interest,” she said. “It's just a matter of dropping the fabric off — either to me in person, or they can leave it on the porch.” 

Additionally, several locals have offered to contribute to the project.

“The interest has been both for memory bears, but also people who want to help,” said Sebern. 

If demand for bears remains high, Sebern envisions enlisting the help of other contributors interested in sewing, stuffing or assembling the animals. By pitching in on the project, helpers could do good in the community and potentially work toward coming to peace with their own losses. 

“Sometimes, people process grief that way too — they just want to help other people that are processing grief,” Sebern said. 

As participants continue bringing forth articles of clothing, Sebern emphasized the value of making it personal. 

“People have asked me what fabric works best,” she said. “Any fabric works — it could be a T-shirt, could be a sweater.” 

Instead of considering which material would be most practical or easiest to work with, Sebern suggested choosing the garment most imbued with character and memories. 

“I encourage people not to wash the fabric,” she added. “You don't want to pick the clean fabric — you want the memory fabric.” 

Accessibility and equity have been core tenets for The Memory Bear Maker project. Since starting the initiative, Sebern has gifted all her bears to recipients for free. 

“When people want to pay me, I say, ‘That sounds like a job. I don’t want that,’” she said with a laugh. 

Offering bears at no cost ensures everyone in the community has an opportunity to receive a personalized item that could otherwise be prohibitively expensive if purchased through a professional service. 

“I’ve seen memory bears advertised online quite often and they’re really spendy,” Anderson said. “Being able to get one for both my grandparents for free was really nice.” 

In the future, Sebern hopes to create a way for recipients to donate to a charity or nonprofit to continue the chain of giving and express gratitude for her effort. 

“People want to give. If you're generous with your time like this, they want to give back,” she said. 

Creating memory bears and gifting them to community members has offered Sebern a fulfilling way to express her creativity — a driving force for her craft.  

“I really like doing art and things, but art with purpose is really much more meaningful to me,” Sebern said. “I really have to have purpose behind it, or I lose steam. So, this really is the perfect outlet for me.”

Above all, Sebern hopes her bears comfort recipients and guide them as they navigate the long and difficult path of processing grief. A retired nurse, Sebern recently served as the chair of an Oregon nonprofit providing end-of-life services across the state and is always looking for ways to help people deal with challenges that come with the loss of loved ones. 

“Here in the United States, we’re afraid to cry in front of each other, even our closest,” she said. “This memory bear concept, it really disarms people. It sort of satisfies this need of wanting to connect on that level, without actually having to talk about it too much.” 

According to Anderson, the pair of memory bears she received have been up to that task. 

“It helps give a sense of peace and closure,” Anderson said. “I don’t have my grandparents, but I have something to remember them both by.” 

To reach out about receiving a memory bear, message The Memory Bear Maker on Facebook or email thememorybearmaker@gmail.com.