Memory Bear Crafting Course

Learn to make a memory bear from your treasured fabrics

Whether it's the loss of someone special or the joy of a new addition, starting a new school or sports team, items of clothing can have very sentimental attachments for us. Transform pieces of treasured fabric into a memory bear in this two-part workshop with Greener and Cleaner. Your bears make fantastic handmade gifts and keepsakes for special people.

To complete your bear, you'll need to attend both parts of the workshop. The dates and times are as follows:

• Sunday 18th February, 1-3pm
• Sunday 25th February 11-5pm

This hands-on workshop is suitable for teens and adults who are already comfortable using a sewing machine. (Although the sewing isn't overly complicated, it does include curved seams and sharp turns. If you need practise and don't have a sewing machine at home, pop into The Hub and use our sewing machine in advance).

You will need to bring:

• Clothing or fabric to make your bear: if it's baby clothes, 5-6 garments; children's, 3-4 garments; and adults, a minimum of 2. It can also include things like scarves, ties, caps, etc.
• 1 or more used scatter cushion inners to use as stuffing, to carry through on the ethos of reusing things rather than buying new.

Your instructor, Kim Graham, is an experienced seamstress making memory bears for her business.

The cost of the course covers 8 hours of tuition and the pattern which you can reuse for future bears. There is an additional estimated £3.50 cost for joints/accessories (like safety eyes) which will be purchased from Greener and Cleaner when required.

No refunds will be made within 7 days prior to the start of the workshop - if you can't attend, you may transfer your ticket to another person with our consent.

Session and skills overview:

• The first session will give an introduction and design, pattern tracing, fabric cutting, and iron-on fusing demo.
• The second session (Sunday Morning) will include pinning, tacking, and machine stitching, hand stitching, and face assembly.
• The final session (Sunday afternoon) will see you stuffing, closing, and assembling your bears, finishing off, and completing with celebrations and photographs!

Skills used to make the bear include:

• Machine and hand stitching, as well as some embroidery
• Pinning and tacking
• Placing pattern pieces and cutting out
• Stuffing and assembly

You will need to be comfortable working with a sewing machine before this course.

The workshop also:

• Champions reusing and repurposing
• Encourages innovation
• Promotes trial & error risk-taking
• Explores creativity
• Fosters connection and conversation
• Celebrates achievement

Location:
The workshop will take place in The Hub from Greener and Cleaner in The Glades shopping centre. The Hub is located in the upper mall, opposite The Entertainer, next to HMV and Waterstones.

We encourage travelling by public transport wherever possible.

Nearest stations: Bromley South & Bromley North.

Bus Stops U & V on Elmfield Rd: 314, 358, 261, 320, 208, 126, 162, 336, 638, 352, 138, 61, 367, 119, 146, 246.

Parking in the Glades can be accessed from Kentish Way or Glades Place off Widmore Rd. (Parking shuts 30 minutes after shops close)

Skills used to make the bear include:

• Machine and hand stitching, as well as some embroidery
• Pinning and tacking
• Placing pattern pieces and cutting out
• Stuffing and assembly

You will need to be comfortable working with a sewing machine before this course. The cost of the course covers 8 hours of tuition and the pattern, which you can reuse for future bears. There is an additional estimated £3.50 cost for joints/accessories (like safety eyes) which will be purchased from Greener and Cleaner when required.
  Clothing or fabric to make your bear: If it's baby clothes, bring 5-6 garments. For children, bring 3-4 garments. For adults, bring a minimum of 2 garments. You can also include items like scarves, ties, caps, etc.

Bring 1 or more used scatter cushion inners to use as stuffing, in line with our ethos of reusing things instead of buying new.

This class series runs over 2 consecutive sessions, which are 1 week apart.