March 8, 2010

Lots of memories sewn up in Memory Bears

By Maci Hughes

CENTRE — When she was young child, Centre resident Mischa Vaughn's grandmother taught her how to crochet. Mischa soon picked up bits and pieces of knowledge from her mother and grandmother, and was sewing before she turned 8.

That was 62 years ago.

“Basically the only thing I can't do is knit,” Mischa says with a laugh.

Some time ago, Mischa was working with a lady whose father-in-law had passed away. In hopes of comforting her friend, Mischa asked to purchase the deceased man's ties from his wife in order to make a “crazy quilt”. She also hoped to make a small, stuffed bear from the ties.

“The lady ended up not making me buy the ties,” Mischa says. “Instead she gave them to me because she wanted me to make her a bear, too.”

Out of one small, generous notion to comfort a friend, Mischa had struck upon a new, innovative idea. Mischa taught herself how to make what she lovingly calls Memory Bears from a variety of patterns.

“At first I had one pattern, then two patterns, then three,” Mischa says. “I cut up the patterns and combined them to make my own.”

The Memory Bears are approximately two feet tall. Mischa can make them out of just about anything, including clothing from deceased relatives, friends, etc. The bears are available in a variety of designs and colors. When the bears become soiled, they can simply be placed in a pillowcase and dropped into the washing machine.

Mischa makes Memory Bears part-time, when she's not at work sewing curtains, valences, nurseries, and other items for Thornton's Lake.

“I sew anything anyone comes in and places an order for,” Mischa says. “I make tablecloths, placemats, and Christmas decorations and stockings.”

Over the years, sewing has proved to be a valuable trade. Mischa sewed all of her children's clothes, and created camouflage shirts for her husband and his hunting club buddies.

Of all the Memory Bears Mischa has ever made, a few in particular stand out in her memory. Several years ago, The Post featured the story of an American soldier who lost his life in Afghanistan on his son's first birthday. Touched by this heart-wrenching story, Mischa took it upon herself to contact the young man's grandmother.

“I called her workplace because her number was unlisted and asked them to have her get in touch with me,” Mischa says. “Her grandson was in the army, so I made her an army bear to give to her great-grandson to remember his father by.”

“Every bear has a story that deserves to be remembered,” Mischa says as she wipes away a tear, her voice shaking. “They are so tender and so sweet, and they have touched my heart so much.”

Mischa says she plans to begin a scrapbook that includes pictures and stories of each Memory Bear she sews.

Mischa charges everyone $30 to make a Memory Bear, then uses the profits to create stuffed animals that she donates to handicapped adults and children. Mischa says the idea was inspired by her special-needs niece.

“No one is ever too old for a teddy bear,” she says.