Memory Bears
Around 38cm, hand-finished, with the details placed deliberately. The chest pocket on the front, cuff fabric at the paws, the label set into a seam.
From $245
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Melbourne · Sent Australia-wide
Turning your cherished memories into timeless keepsakes.
Outgrown baby clothes, a school uniform, the shirt he always wore. We upcycle the clothing you can't bear to give away into memory bears, keepsake quilts and cushions — keeping the pockets, buttons and labels you'd recognise anywhere.
- 4–6 weeks
- Turnaround
- Free
- Tracked shipping
- By a tailor
- Not a hobbyist
How it works
Four steps, and we tell you where it is at every one.
Sending away something irreplaceable is the hardest part. Here is exactly what happens to it.
STEP 01
Choose your keepsake
Tell us what you have and what it meant. We'll suggest what suits the garment and confirm the price before anything is committed.
STEP 02
Send us your clothes
Post them tracked from anywhere in Australia, or drop them in by appointment. We photograph and itemise everything the day it lands.
STEP 03
We lovingly craft your item
Cut, stabilised, constructed and hand-finished by a qualified tailor. Nothing is cut until you've approved the layout.
STEP 04
Your keepsake arrives home
Boxed and sent tracked, with your leftover fabric and a handwritten card recording exactly what we kept.
Our keepsakes
Made one at a time, from your own cloth.
Every piece is quoted after we've seen photos, because fabric condition decides what's possible. Prices below are starting points and include free tracked shipping within Australia.
Keepsake Quilts
Lap, single or queen. Built from a whole wardrobe, with each garment kept as a recognisable panel rather than cut into anonymous squares.
From $750
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Keepsake Cushions
The garment stays largely intact. On a shirt the placket becomes the opening and the buttons still work, so collar, pocket and cuffs all survive.
From $175
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Wedding gowns, heirloom restyling and multi-garment commissions are quoted individually. Ask about yours.
Gallery
Past work.
No two are alike, because no two garments are. Hover any piece to see what it came from.
Kind words
What families tell us afterwards.
“I sent Dad's work shirt and got back something I can actually hold. The pocket is on the front, exactly where it was on him. I wasn't ready for how much that would matter.”
“Four hearts from one dress, one for each of us. My sister rang me crying, in a good way. The little card saying which buttons were the originals is the part we all keep talking about.”
“They marked up the layout and sent me a photo before cutting a thing. After eight months of not being able to open that wardrobe, being asked first was what let me say yes.”
Questions
The things people ask first.
How many garments do I need? +
One adult shirt makes one bear, one cushion, or about four hearts. Baby clothes need more because there is less usable fabric in each piece — think five or six items for a bear. Send photos and we'll tell you exactly.
How long does it take? +
Four to six weeks from the day your garment arrives, which is considerably faster than most of this category. If you need it for a specific date, say so when you enquire and we'll tell you honestly whether we can meet it.
What happens to the fabric you don't use? +
It comes back in the box with your keepsake, in a calico bag. If you would rather we didn't return it, tell us when you order and we'll follow your instruction.
Are the bears safe for a child? +
They are made as keepsakes and labelled as keepsakes, and we don't recommend them for children under three. If you want something a young child will actually handle, tell us before you order so we can talk through what that would change.
Start here
Send us a photo.
You don't need to know what you want made. A photo of the garment and a line about what it meant is enough for us to come back with options and a price. We reply within two business days.
The Keepsake Tailor
Memory keepsakes by AD Stitch
Melbourne, Victoria
hello@thekeepsaketailor.com.au
