The death of someone you're close with is never easy to process or move forward from. When my grandfather passed away last year, I wore his old sweater for a whole week before my mom made me wash it.
There are many ways and many stages involved in dealing with the grief of losing a lost one, but this fashion student has found a beautiful way to capture the memory of others' late loved ones.
Meet Mary MacInnes
Mary studies Fashion Technology at Heriot Watt University and started her career in sewing while working in the bridal industry. She made her first memory bear as a favor to a friend.
When multiple people started to request them, she turned requests down in order to focus on her career and schooling. However, when she made a couple more and posted photos to Facebook, her inbox exploded with requests!
A Full-Time Commitment
After she saw how large of a demand there was, Mary decided to pursue making memory bears as a business. Each bear takes about 5-6 hours to make, which includes design, planning, cutting, and sewing together the materials.
She currently has two studios that she operates out of and a long waiting list with interested customers.
While It's Fulfilling Work, It Can Also Be Hard
Mary explains that the job can be emotionally draining due to the heaviness of the stories behind each bear. She recently had a 37-year-old man plead with her to make his two young daughters bears before Christmas, and even offered to pay extra.
It turned out that he had terminal cancer and wasn't likely to make it to Christmas. In an interview, she shares that she cried the whole time making them.
Customize Your Bear To Commemorate Your Loved One
On her Facebook page, she clarifies that she needs at least one adult-size garment to make a bear, but you can send more if you want. Additionally, Mary states that she can add jewelry, ashes, notes, or other personal effects to the bears at the customer's preference.
She also offers to add a pocket to the back of the bear that customers can use to store keepsakes from their loved ones.
The Customers' Happiness Makes It All Worth The While
While her job can be emotionally challenging, Mary reaffirms that she loves the work she does, and is honored to be trusted with people's personal possessions. Most of all, she loves to see how happy the bears make her customers.
On Facebook, one reviewer wrote: "I have just received my Bears from Mary and they are soo beautiful, an amazing memory of my beautiful mum... Anyone contemplating getting a memento of a loved one, go for it you won't be disappointed."
The Process Of Ordering One Is Simple
While Mary is currently not accepting orders due to her extensive waiting list and Christmas rush customers, she normally accepts inquiries through her Facebook page.
Mary's standard prices range from £50 to £70 (about $65-90 USD) based on the fabric type, while other custom fabrics and designs require a consultation before pricing can be confirmed.
Bringing New Life To Old Items
Mary explains that the magic of her work is in transforming a reminder of a loved one's death into something new.
"Garments arrive as sad reminders of the past then it’s almost as if new life is breathed into them," she explained. "They become something that’s much more acceptable to cuddle and talk to, and the feedback is they definitely can help the grieving process.’
