Memory Bear Cedric

Cedric, the teddy bear, is home in Nashua, NH. It arrived last week looking quite different than when its fur was sent to Ohio several months ago.

That's because Cedric resulted from converting a fur stole into a teddy bear.

Cedric is a jointed teddy bear made from a fur stole

 

After my mother died, years ago, my brother and I cleared out her home. We discarded or donated nearly all household items and clothing, but not a fur stole, which was the pride and joy of my mother's accessories. She enjoyed dressing up and wore the fur when she and my late father attended weddings or special events.

My late mother's fur stole

As a homemaker, she had purchased it in the mid-1960s from a former department store in Plainfield, NJ, as shown by a receipt she kept with it. 

I relocated the fur to our apt home in Nashua and it was stored it in a bedroom closet. This year, after an online search, I found Fairy Godmother Creations in Dayton, OH, and read how clothing, furs or wedding dresses could be converted into heirloom treasures. The website provided information with order forms and costs. 

Fairy Godmother Liane, who has been creating memories for over 25 years, could convert the fur into a memory teddy bear. The website included a phone number and I called her before sending it. She told me that she would send an email after it was received and examined and would provide a completion date, which would most likely be several months. 

Curious about the cost? it was just under $200 with shipping paid by myself both ways. Admittedly, it's an expense for a small teddy bear, but it's a special memory of my mother, so the cost or time to complete it were not an issue for me. 

Once the bear was done, Liane emailed a photo and then sent it with care instructions. Because this is a real-fur bear, the fur was re-enforced with a fabric-based interfacing to help it last. To keep the hide from drying out, the teddy bear should be kept out of direct sunlight and not near heating. She advised never to use water on real fur as it could cause shrinkage.

Liane asked me to email her when the bear arrived. She wanted to make sure that her creation made it home. I emailed back that this one did just that. As for the name of the teddy bear, my mother's name was Clara and the name Cedric appealed to me.

Cedric has joined other special friends in our apartment.