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My first experience of using a sewing machine was in secondary school (over 30 years ago!) but, although the basics of how to thread the machine stuck with me, I did very little actual sewing then. My next experience of using a sewing machine was for a fairly ambitious project of a pair of dungarees with zip-off legs, before zip-off legs were really a thing! I often wonder if someone saw my dungarees and pinched the idea. Years later my mother-in-law gave me her old sewing machine and I made a cube shaped bean bag/pouffe for my first home with my husband. 20 years later, the marriage and pouffe are still going strong. When we added two rescue greyhounds to our family I got the machine out again, to make coats for them. After that it was a number of years before the machine came out again for another dog coat, this time for our lurcher, Storm. The greyhounds were no longer with us by this time and their old coats didn't fit our new addition. Another few years later I decided I wanted to have a go at sewing clothes, for myself and my family, but the old machine was becoming temperamental and was also very heavy to carry around - not having a dedicated sewing space meant the machine had to be put away between uses. Between the first and second Covid-19 lockdowns, I part-exchanged the old machine and got a newer model. I made a number of garments but, although I enjoyed the sewing, I began to find sticking together and cutting the 'print at home' patterns, and cutting out the fabric quite tedious. I happened upon the idea of making a memory bear, so I found a pattern I liked and made my first bear, using fabric leftover from my clothing makes. I found I really enjoyed it and in February 2021 I set up my Facebook page with an introductory offer and tlc memory bears was born. Within the first month had made 12 memory bears for customers. For the last 2 years tlc memory bears has been little more than a hobby, running alongside TLC Childminding; because of this I've been happy just receiving the occasional order, but who knows where the future will take us?!