I'm always searching online for lovely handmade products that are a little bit different and make me smile, and that's exactly what I felt when I came across the beautifully made bears over at Bubs Bears. Abby also has a lovely blog here.
So here's a little bit about Abby and Bubs Bears:
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My name's Abby and I've lived in Somerset for most of my life except for a few years in my late twenties. I’ve always been creative and spent a lot of my childhood drawing pictures and making models. My mother was often to be found at the sewing machine making all our clothes, and doing various sewing jobs, so although not taught by her I guess I picked up the basics from standing at her side and watching what she did.
I studied Art and Design at college, and then started a degree in Textile Design but found it wasn’t really for me. I then went through various jobs, my favourite being designing new glazes at Denby Pottery.
I started making bears in 2005. It was approaching my daughters first birthday and I wanted to give her a gift she could treasure. She had so many pretty clothes that she had outgrown and I really couldn’t part with them, so decided her gift should incorporate them in some way. My first thought was to make a quilt, but then I happened upon the pattern to make a bear and the decision was made!
For the next few years I made a few for family and friends, but just over a year ago decided to really concentrate into making it a business. Since then I have made over 200 bears and have had orders from all over the world. I no longer just do the keepsake bears, but also remembrance bears and ready-made bears too. People always ask me if I get bored of making them, especially as I spend almost every day and evening sewing…the answer is always no. I love making them, they’re all so different and I love to see and hear the reactions when people meet their new bears! I’m very honoured that people trust me to cut up their precious items of clothing, and it’s a very special feeling knowing that the bears I create will be passed on from generation to generation as family heirlooms.
If you would like to purchase one of Abby's wonderful bears, she has a website here and a Folksy page here.
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Abby has been extremely kind and has donated one of her gorgeous bears (above) to my Charity raffle here. I would love it if one of my readers could take home and treasure this bear knowing that this has gone some way in helping people with Alzheimer's disease. Tickets are a mere trifle at £1, but £1 goes a long way for charity!
