Dolls and bears... the origin stories

[susandennis]

This time it's lifeinroseland with the question (I love these questions, by the way)... asking about how the bears and dolls got started...


My Mom taught me to knit when I was 6. (I begged and begged her and she said 'I don't have the time or patience to teach you and then answer a million questions.' I told her 'show me once and I'll never ask a question, I promise.' )

She did and I didn't (ask) and then I taught myself the rest. Years and years later, by the way, I taught her how to do some tricky stitches and do easier, prettier seams. I made sweaters and hats and mittens and gloves until I, and everybody I knew, had enough. Then, in the early 90's, I started knitting blankets for charity (AIDS Hospice). After about 10 years of that, happily the AIDS Hospice, due to lack of patients, turned to other diseases and could no longer accept the blankets. And it was August and hot anyway, so I started knitting toys.

I tried a bunch of different teddy bear patterns but finally just made my own and just kept making them. It's wild that I've been making them now for about 12 years and never really get tired of them.

My Mom taught me to sew when I was about 10. Same deal. No questions. I used to make all my own clothes and actually did that until I was about 30. Then it became hard to get good fabric. I did not do much sewing until a couple of years ago when I found a table that fit the guest room and was the perfect size for a sewing machine.

I've always loved quilting fabrics but not quilting so I decided to make dolls. And the lady who takes my bears and gives them to needy kids, said she would be glad to do the same for dolls and the rest is history!

And here are today's dolls:

Comments

[slinkslowdown.livejournal.com]

Dad taught me to sew [hand sewing only] when I was about 11 or 12. Still surprised to this day that he knew how to sew in the first place--he really wasn't the domestic type. At all.

Then from 13-15, I took sewing in high school [mostly with machines, a bit of hand sewing].

Years ago, I found a gorgeous ~1905 black Singer at a yard sale for $5. Nabbed that beauty right away. Have lost it since, but I still remember it.

It was exactly this model:

[susandennis]

wow! that's a beauty.

[slinkslowdown.livejournal.com]

Also, I never do any ~creative~ sewing nowadays, but I do still fix shit sometimes when it needs it.

The office downstairs has a million of those little travel sewing kit matchbox-like things and they do the job when it's just a button or a small seam needing fixing.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

I remember that early in the bear-making period you experimented with a variety of other creatures, but decided that you really preferred just to do bears.

And as you already know, I adore the bears.

[susandennis]

You and the adoption lady. She said enough times for me to get the clear message 'all the other animals are nice but the bears are always the favorites'. So, you are, of course, on the right side of animal knitting :)

[maju01.livejournal.com]

My mother taught me to use her sewing machine when I was 11 or 12. She had an old treadle Lada machine, very similar to other old black treadle machines.

[lifeinroseland.livejournal.com]

I have the impatience to learn that your mother had to teach.

So I guess we'll see! :)

[susandennis]

:)