Ever wish you could hold onto those special memories a little tighter? In this heartwarming episode, I transform a cherished university graduation shirt into a beautiful memory bear – a tangible reminder of a huge accomplishment. Using simple sewing techniques and a dash of creativity, I’ll walk you through each step, sharing helpful tips and tricks along the way. Join me for a fun and sentimental crafting session, and learn how to create your own treasured keepsake!

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Let me walk you through how I made this adorable memory bear from my son’s MBA graduation t-shirt. It’s such a sweet keepsake, and I’m so excited to share the process with you!

First things first, I grabbed that special t-shirt and carefully started cutting. I wanted to salvage as much fabric as possible, you know? The sleeves were the first to go, snip, snip! Then I opened up the main part of the shirt to get a nice, big piece of fabric to work with.

To make the t-shirt fabric a bit easier to handle (because t-shirt material can be a bit stretchy!), I used some fusible fleece interfacing. It’s like a magical stabilizer! I cut out two pieces for the sleeves and ironed them onto the back. A little tip: I kept the interfacing just up to the seam line on the sleeves so I could keep those nice finished edges – professional, right?

Next up, sewing the body! I stitched the two sleeve pieces together, but remember to leave an opening so you can turn it right-side out later! Then, I added another line of stitching on either side of the seam, just for extra oomph. For the front of the bear, I ironed more of that interfacing onto the back of the t-shirt and carefully cut out the shape, making sure to include the lettering, date, and school logo – the important bits!

Now for the fun part – the bear shape! I traced a pattern onto the fabric and sewed along the lines. Then, I trimmed off the excess, leaving a little seam allowance so it doesn’t unravel. Flip it inside out, and ta-da! It’s starting to look like a bear!

The head was next. I cut out the head pattern and then added the ears, muzzle, eyes, and nose using heat-and-bond. It’s like fabric glue – super handy! I sewed around the edges of the head, leaving the ears and the top open. Flipped it, stuffed it with polyfill (nice and squishy!), and then blanket stitched around the ears and across the top to close it up.

To attach the head to the body, I used a button – nice and secure! And then, a little mouth with embroidery floss – just a simple smile. And that’s it! My little MBA memory bear was complete!

My advice? Take your time, measure twice, cut once! Using the finished edges of the sleeves gives a really nice, clean look. Keep the design simple, especially if the logo is small. And remember, these are keepsakes, not toys. Definitely not for little ones! They’re just perfect for remembering a special moment. I hope you have fun making your own!