A retired nurse in Ocean County, New Jersey is using her talents in sewing to help others dealing with the loss of a loved one, making the family something sentimental so they can literally hold onto their memories.
For Mary Lou Gilbert, sewing is the thread that's connected generations of her family. "My mother was a sewer. My grandmother in Indiana was a seamstress by trade. She came out from Indiana to make my wedding gown," says Gilbert, who also sews.
She says the bears are made of clothing or an object, like a blanket, that was used by the person who passed on. She used one of her husband's shirts to make two memory bears.Making a memory to literally hold onto is something she's been doing for others since 2011.She says that as she asked more families, most of them would agree to it. "I have a Simplicity pattern that I've been using for years," she says. "And then I lay it out and I cut it up."She's made countless bears over the years and each one of them has a story. "We can create doggies. There's a dog over there that's called Marley," says Gilbert. "I make bunny rabbits." She builds bears at her 'Handmade with Love' studio in her residence at"That makes me relax, but making the bear and putting the bear together, I realized that I'm making something that I can give back to God, because God gave me this. He gave me this talent that I have and I can use it," she says. She says it feels good to see recipients' reactions to her labor of love.She says she hopes the bears provide some relief to the grieving process to make recipients feel better. In addition to the memory bears, Gilbert also creates bears, dogs and bunnies for the living too, since her beautiful stuffed animals are a favorite among kids as well. She does that through 'Handmade with Love' from her residence at Pines Village.
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