10 Essential Tools for Making Memory Bears
So, you've decided to create your first memory bear! You’ve picked out the perfect clothes, and maybe you’ve even got your pattern ready—if you’re just starting out, Bertie Bear is a great choice for beginners. But before you dive in headfirst, let’s take a moment to make sure you’ve got all the right tools to go with your idea!
Having the right supplies on hand will help you craft a keepsake you’ll be proud to display in your home—and avoid a Pinterest fail! Whether you're a total beginner or an experienced sewist, this list will set you up for success on your journey to creating beautiful memory bears for yourself and your loved ones.
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1. Fabric Scissors
Sharp scissors are an absolute essential for making your keepsakes. They ensure your cuts are clean, tidy, and precise. We generally avoid using rotary cutters, as they can be harder to navigate around more complex pattern pieces. Treat yourself to a good-quality pair like these—you won’t regret it!
2. Fine Sewing Pins & Clips
Most soft toy patterns include a few fiddly seams—the kind you’ll want to secure well with pins or clips before sewing. When attaching a footpad to a leg piece, I use at least 16 pins to keep everything in place! Properly pinning or clipping your fabric together ensures it won’t shift while you sew.
Whether you prefer pins or clips is entirely up to you—I find pins easiest, but many sewists swear by clips. Just remember, if you’re a pinner, don’t sew over your pins! Doing so can damage your needle or even your machine.
3. A Good Quality Sewing Machine
While you can use a basic sewing machine—or even sew by hand—to create your keepsake, a good-quality machine will make the process much easier! I started my memory bear business on an inexpensive Brother machine, which was perfect for getting me started. In time, I upgraded to my Heavy Duty Singer, and I can’t recommend it enough!
I suggest using a machine that allows you to adjust the stitch length and tension. We also love a triple stretch stitch for added durability. And don’t forget—always use the right needle for your fabric!
4. Hand Sewing Needles
Having a variety of hand-sewing needles in different sizes will be a huge help. While most of your bear can be machine-sewn, there will always be some hand-sewing involved—for example, closing stuffing holes, attaching felt noses, or even button jointing.
We use small, sharp embroidery needles for attaching eyes, noses, and ears, as well as for closing seams, though many sewists find a curved needle makes this easier. For sewing a mouth, we prefer a larger 3-inch upholstery needle. And if you're button-jointing a bear, you’ll need a long doll needle to reach through both the limb and the body.
5. Strong Thread
Ensuring you're using the right, high-quality thread will make all the difference. We recommend strong, durable threads like those from Gütermann. For hand-sewn parts that need extra strength, we use an even sturdier thread to ensure durability.
When choosing a thread, pick a colour that complements your fabric. Using a dark thread on light-coloured fabrics is a big no-no—it will stand out and affect the overall look of your bear!
6. Fabric Marking Tools
There are so many different fabric marking tools available, from tailor’s chalk to water-soluble pens and disappearing ink markers. The best tool to use largely depends on your fabric.
When making memory bears, it’s essential to use high-quality woven interfacing to stabilise delicate fabrics. Because of this, a simple biro will work well—just be sure not to use a pen with ink that disappears with heat! Otherwise, your pattern markings will vanish the moment you iron the interfacing onto your sentimental fabrics.
7. Good Quality Stuffing
The quality of the stuffing you use makes a huge difference to the overall finish of your bear—so don’t skimp on cheap, low-quality fillings! These are often packed with harmful chemicals and can result in a disappointing final look. We highly recommend researching and investing in the best quality stuffing you can find.
Our top choice is natural sheep’s wool stuffing, which creates a soft yet firm, huggable bear. We love it because it’s environmentally friendly—natural, renewable, and sustainable. At The Heirloom Pattern Co., we avoid using plastic-based materials, so polyester fibre fill isn’t something we would choose. However, we understand that animal products aren’t for everyone, so a recycled fibre-fill stuffing can be a great alternative.
Making sure your bear is properly stuffed is essential. It helps maintain the bear’s shape over time, and under-stuffing is one of the most common mistakes people make when creating memory bears. Never underestimate how much stuffing your keepsake will need—make sure to push it firmly into all the crevices, shaping your bear as you go!
8. Facial Features, Felt, Embroidery floss, Safety Eyes & Nose, and Joints
We use die-cut felt discs for our bears, securing them in place by stitching them down—you can also add a little fabric glue for extra hold. We also encourage you to experiment with different nose shapes! Black felt is great for this, as it’s easy to work with—simply cut your desired shape and stitch it into position.
For a more traditional look, you can use embroidery floss to create the nose, and it’s also perfect for adding mouths to your bears.
When it comes to attaching the bear’s limbs, many people default to plastic safety joints. However, at The Heirloom Pattern Co., our patterns use and we highly recommend using cotter pins and discs as a great alternative. These are surprisingly easy to use and offer many benefits over plastic joints. Not only are they more durable, but they also allow for a more flexible range of motion in the limbs while maintaining the overall stability of your bear.
Installing cotter pins and discs is straightforward: simply thread the cotter pin through the discs, and secure the limbs firmly in place. The beauty of these joints is that they won’t loosen over time like plastic joints can. Plus, they provide a more classic look to your bear that perfectly complements the handmade nature of the keepsake.
As we avoid plastic-based materials, we don’t use safety eyes or noses at The Heirloom Pattern Co. However, if these give you the look you desire, they can be a great option. Just be sure to choose the right size—getting it wrong can completely change the look of your bear. Eyes that are too large, especially big, bulbous ones, can look out of proportion and affect the overall design. We also recommend reinforcing safety eyes with a small backing piece of felt to prevent them from being pulled through.
9. Turning Tools
Turning small limbs can be tricky, especially when pulling a bulkier end through a narrower section. This is because the fabric bunches up inside, making it difficult to push through, and certain shapes—like narrow arms or long bunny ears—can be particularly fiddly. For example, the ears on our Mabel the Bunny pattern can be challenging to turn out neatly due to their length and tapered shape.
A loop turner can make this process much easier by gripping the fabric and pulling it through smoothly. But if you don’t have one, you can always raid your kitchen drawers for a chopstick—just make sure it’s blunt so it doesn’t poke through your fabric!
10. Iron & Interfacing
I’ve probably saved the most crucial part until last—aside from your sentimental fabrics and a good pattern! I cannot stress enough how essential high-quality interfacing is for crafting a keepsake that not only looks great but stands the test of time.
You’ll need a high-quality fusible woven interfacing, such as this one. Before cutting your sentimental fabrics, first, trace your pattern shapes onto the interfacing, roughly cut them out, and then fuse them to your fabric with an iron. Once secured, cut the final shapes—this will give you stable, clean, and precise pieces to work with.
Interfacing is key to preventing your fabric from stretching while sewing and, more importantly, when you're firmly stuffing your bear! Using a poor-quality interfacing can lead to tearing, which may result in a misshapen or distorted bear—so it’s well worth investing in the best you can find.
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Creating a memory bear is a special process that requires both love and the right tools. By investing in high-quality materials, you can ensure your keepsake will be durable, beautiful, and truly meaningful. Remember, the key takeaway here is to avoid skimping on cheap materials—whether it’s fabric, thread, stuffing, or interfacing, using the best quality tools will make a world of difference.
At The Heirloom Pattern Co., we design patterns with over 20 years of experience and thousands of memory bears under our belt. Our designs are crafted by a multi-award-winning memory bear specialist, ensuring you get the best possible results every time. If you want to make a keepsake that’s not only beautiful but also built to last, check out our collection of patterns, all created with passion and expertise.
We’d love to hear from you—what’s your favourite tool when making memory bears? Whether it’s a trusty pair of scissors, your sewing machine, or something else entirely, let us know in the comments or on social media!
Whether you're just starting or you're a seasoned sewist, our patterns will guide you through every step, ensuring you create a keepsake you'll cherish forever.
Happy sewing! 🌟
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