This bear wasn’t made for one person in particular but rather for anyone in the family that needs a little comfort.
This bear was made from the customer’s Grandpa’s favorite shirt. He loved to wear it and now it is there to bring comfort that anyone who hugs it! This was one of the first bears that I incorporated the shirt pocket and I think it added a nice extra touch to the bear.
A couple more bears that I made this holiday season were to bring comfort to a sister and a nephew of a huge Steeler’s fan.
These were interesting for me to create because they had a pattern on them that were much larger and more intricate than most of the bears that I had previously made. My goal was to make sure that the image on the shirts was kept as much as possible. Of course it had to be cut somewhat but I was pleased with how they both turned out.
This set of holiday gift bears was made for a daughter and a wife.
These bears are from Grandpa Steven’s shirts. They were made as gifts for his daughter and his wife. I love that they both got striped shirts of his but each bear is very unique.
This bear was one that truly touched me. As a mother of 7 I can’t imagine losing any of them.
This was a small bear made from a son’s shirt for his mother. He passed away and I just hope that this bear will bring his mother a small amount of comfort.
These bears were made from a man name Patrick’s shirts. This shirt made 2 small bears.
Patrick was a Grateful Dead fan so I added on a tie-dye ribbon to the bear. I also added dark blue accents to both bears. Adding personal touches like the ribbons is my small way of honoring the people that these clothing items come from and I hope the people who receive the bears can feel the love that I put into each one!
Two of my daughters had wonderful babies this year. First my daughter Sarah had adorable Lucas in the Summer. She has a bear for him made from a shirt of Ray’s. It’s not a bear I made but I love it just as much! The second new grandchild was sweet little Carmela. My daughter Katlyn had her in early October. For Carmela I made my first quilt that included a clothing item.
The front of the quilt was made from baby colors that could work for a boy or a girl. Katlyn and Matt decided to be surprised by the sex of the baby so I had to make sure the front was neutral! On the back I added a heart made from 2 of Ray’s shirt.
Here are some pictures of Carmela using her Papa quilt:
I love knowing that Papa is with both of my new grand-babies keeping them safe and happy.
Most of the requests that I get for bears come from shirts. This order was unique in that this was a Grandpa’s pants that would be a gift for his wife.
It was interesting using a different clothing item for a bear but I was happy with how it turned out. I added a bit of flannel to accent the pants. It was a small bear that I hope will act as a big comfort!
The timing for when I started making these bears turned out to be great because it was right around the holidays. Quite a few people wanted bears made for their loved ones as gifts.
This was the first of the bears I made for a holiday gift. It was a uniform shirt and pants that was transformed into 2 large bears. My favorite part is the name tag on it. I love when there is details like this on the clothing item that I can tie into the bears. It gives a great personal touch.
Before I got started making bears that people requested I practiced with some shirts I had. This allowed me to get an idea for how to make them and vary the sizes. You can see these ‘test bears’ on my products page.
When I received my first order for bears I was excited to make them and anxious to see what actual customers would think! My first order came from one of my sister’s friends. She wanted 2 bears made from the shirts that a loved one always wore.
This is the first bear. It was made small with the denim shirt pictured. I also added complimentary fabric to the bear to add a little color.
This is the second bear. This was also made in the smaller version. This was a great tri-colored shirt that made for a fun looking bear!
My name is Mary. I am a mother to 7 children and grandmother to (currently) 7 grandchildren. I was married to a wonderful man, Ray, for over 30 years. Unfortunately in April of 2013 our family lost him very suddenly. In the matter of a month he went from the fun loving, lively man we all knew to being very, very ill. We didn’t know until after he was gone that his death was caused by Pancreatic Cancer.
After he past, a friend of one of my daughters took one of his shirts and made it into a bear for me. The amount of comfort this bear has brought me is immeasurable and I knew I wanted to be able to help provide this comfort to other people facing similar situations. As someone who has always loved sewing I knew with a little practice I could create these bears. I also decided to expand on what I offered to people. I practice incorporating clothing into other comforting items as well. You can see all that I have to offer on my products tab.
I decided that in order to honor my husband I wanted to do more than just create bears. A portion of the profits for Mary’s Ray of Hope is going to be donated to cancer research. I hope that I can play a role in saving a family from having to lose the ones they love to cancer.
Take a look around my blog and feel free to contact me with questions or item requests at marysrayofhope@gmail.com.
Mary's Ray of Hope 