Bears to help you hold on to memories
Can costt up t to £600
takes a very long time and it can take up to a week to make a doll with rooted hair.”
The dolls are sold for an average of between £250 and £600, depending on the size of the baby and the detail.
There is also an option to add extra details including a “beating heart” and a “cry”, which are activated by pressing the doll’s stomach, or pierced ears and a magnetic dummy.
Mo t h e r - o f - t h r e e Denise added: “The dolls’ limbs are jointed so they can move positions.
“They come in all sizes, from premature babies up to the size of a six-year-old child. For older dolls, I use human hair which is used for hair extensions.
“There are over a hundred different designs, so people can choose which one they want and I can put in any detail they ask for.
“They’re soft to touch and are flexible so it feels like you’re holding a real baby.”
Denise also buys a new outfit for each doll.
She started working on the dolls eight years ago after having her third child. She said it took years of practice before mastering the detail and feeling confident enough to sell them.
She works from the family home in Monmouth and now ships to customers around the world. Denise said: “They bring a lot of happiness to people.” REMEMBERING a loved one or a special moment is very important to many – and one seamstress from Barry is providing a unique way for people to be able to hold onto those memories forever.
Bonny Bears sees Sadie Davies create memory bears using items of clothing or fabrics which remind people of a moment or person in their lives.
The idea came about when Sadie, 38, was asked by her si ster- i n- l aw to make s o me t h i n g out of her daughter’s newborn clothing.
Sadie “People memory said: have bears to re- member a friend or family member who has passed away or to remember a special occasion, like a wedding, christening, or anniversary.” She added: “I have had people ask for a child’s primary school uniform to be made into a memory bear when they leave for comprehensive school. “One client brought me the outfits she and her husband wore on their first date, for an anniversary gift.” Many people have a bear to be able to hold on to a piece of someone close to them who has died. Sadie suggests the clothes people give her are washed, but she encourages people to spray the person’s perfume or aftershave onto the garments to add a more per- sonal touch. She added: “People find comfort in this and it is particularly comforting to have the person’s smell.
“When people send me the clothes I have a look to see what should go where on the bear.
“Some clothes have logos or even marks or stains on them and I ask the client if they want those to be visible.
“Some marks, like a paint mark on a child’s clothes, can be very meaningful.”
She has also been asked to make one for stillborn babies, made up of clothes or a blanket which the parents had bought for the baby’s arrival.
The memory bears have flexible limbs, meaning they can stand up or sit down.
They measure 12 inches sitting and 16 inches standing.
Sadie offers personalised embroidered wording on paws.
She added: “I can usually fit up to three lines and people often opt for a name, weight or date of birth, or a personal message.
“They’ve been really popular. I’ve even had orders from abroad.”
To make a fully-lined bear Sadie asks for six to eight items of baby clothing and around three items of toddler or adult clothing.
Each bear costs £60, with a discount when more than one bear is ordered.