Why I Share My Memory Bear Patterns: Even When Others Tell Me Not To

This week, I was accused of stealing.

Not something physical, but the knowledge and sewing tips I’ve spent years learning, refining, and sharing with others. They claimed I’d taken someone else’s tips and passed them off as my own.

But here’s the truth: I’m not upset by the accusation.
Why? Because I know my top tips for making a memory bear are my own, drawn from years of experience behind the sewing machine, helping others learn how to make a memory bear with confidence. And the other thing is, if that person is sharing tips to make a memory bear, we’re very likely to have similar tips, given it's tips to make the very same thing!

Tips and knowledge are meant to be shared, not gatekept. I’ll always believe that.

However, what does upset me is how often I see women tearing other women down.
Passive-aggressive comments. Unnecessary criticism. Remarks that feel less like feedback and more like attempts to knock someone off course. And often, they’re not said face-to-face, they’re typed online. In this digital world, keyboard warriors have more power than they should.

So I wanted to share a story with you, about when someone tried to knock me down. One that’s stayed with me for a long time.

The Teacher Who Said I’d Fail

I was 15, maybe 16. I was preparing my coursework for my GCSE in Product Design, I had an idea, I wanted to make a rag doll, complete with handmade clothes. Funny how that connects to what I do now, right?

But the head of the department (a teacher, someone who should have encouraged me) told me straight out “You’ll never pass with that. You should choose something else.”

Of course, telling a very stubborn teenage girl she’s going to fail didn’t go down well, and there was no way I was listening to his ‘opinion’. I stuck to my plan. Thankfully, the sewing teacher (his wife, funnily enough) believed in me. She helped me with the machines, supported me when I needed guidance, and encouraged me to keep going. I drafted my own pattern, stitched the doll, and even designed her a little wardrobe. I still remember that bright yellow jacket with the white trim.

Results day came. I opened the envelope, expecting very little from product design.

There it was: a big, bold A grade next to the subject I was “never going to pass.”

I wish I had kept that doll now, I'd have loved to share a photo of her.

What Could I Have Done With Encouragement?

It wasn’t until years later I truly reflected on that experience. What could I have done earlier in life, if I’d had the encouragement I needed?

Because the truth is, I spent most of my teenage years being told I’d never amount to much. That I was silly for having dreams. That I wasn’t capable of that. I should just focus on getting a little job. Even though I always got good grades at school, I was more than capable, and I wasn't particularly rebellious either. I rarely received any form of encouragement.

And for a long time, I believed that. I stopped being creative shortly after leaving school. I got a little job. I played small. I stayed in my little box. I didn't dare dream of more.

But eventually, something started to change. My love for being creative came back. I started my first accidental business where real people paid me to make things for them! 

I did the work. I started believing in myself. I realised that I am capable. I can achieve that. I can have dreams and follow them. I realised that other peoples ideas of what I am capable of are their own, their not mine and its only mine which matter! 

So I smashed that little box that kept me small into pieces. I followed my dream, I done what I wanted to do just like I did with that rag doll. 

Why I Started The Heirloom Pattern Co.

That’s exactly why I started The Heirloom Pattern Co.
Because I could have just kept sewing memory bears for others quietly. I could have kept my memory bear patterns to myself.

But I discovered something, sharing what I know brings me so much joy.

I love seeing you create using my patterns.
I love watching you build confidence.
I love knowing that my work supports you, whether you’re sewing for family, or starting a business of your own.

That’s why I wrote my free beginner’s guide to making memory bears.
When I started, there was barely any advice online. I was winging it. Completely guessing.

I would’ve loved a guide like this.
So now, I’ve made one for you.
👉 Download your free guide here

If you’re just starting out, or wondering how to make your first keepsake, this is for you.

A Community Built on Lifting Each Other Up

And it didn’t stop with the guide.
I also started an exclusive Maker’s Club, a private group for all customers of The Heirloom Pattern Co.

It’s a place to:

• Share your memory bear makes
• Ask questions and give advice
• Celebrate each other’s wins
• Connect with fellow sewists and makers

No comparison. No gatekeeping.
Just support. Uplift. Encouragement.

If you’ve ever purchased one of my patterns, you’re invited to join us:
👉 Join the Maker’s Club here

Because when someone tries to tear you down?
You keep creating anyway.

And if no one else tells you this today:
You can do this. You are good enough. And I’ll be cheering you on every stitch of the way.

Related Posts You Might Like

• How to Choose Fabric for a Memory Bear
• Why Everyone Loves Bertie Bear
• 10 Tools for Making Memory Bears