Lynda asked me to make four bears from a quilt made by her great-grandmother. Two were to be given to the newest generation in her family, cousins Finley and Thomas. The other two are to be tucked away for future babies.
Lynda wrote a letter to Finley.
Dear Finley, I had this teddy bear made for you from a very special quilt. The quilt was made by your great-great grandmother, Della Hart Smith, for your great-grandmother, Mary Lynn Perkins, who had it on her bed when she was a girl. She then gave it to me for my bed when I was a little girl. Over time, it became too fragile to be used, so it was lovingly packed away, and there it sat for many years. A few months ago, I found it while unpacking some boxes after moving. I took it out thinking that surely it could be used again in some way. A few weeks later, you were born, and I thought of the most perfect way the quilt could have a new life – as a teddy bear for you. There’s so much love built into this bear – from the hands that made the quilt, from those who slept under it throughout the years, and from my friend who made the teddy bear – which is now yours to love and enjoy!
The fabric of the quilt was so fragile I asked Lynda’s permission to intervene with some embroidery over the areas that ‘popped’ open when the bears were stuffed. I love what I do~!