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<\/p>\nFROM a Kangaroo Flat shop, Susan McKennariey provides a particular service for a very special group of cuddly customers.<\/p>\n
The home sewer operates out of her sister\u2019s business, Sew It Up, to repair and restore teddy bears and soft toys that have been \u201cloved to death\u201d by their owners.<\/p>\n
For the past year, Ms McKennariey has stitched, glued, patched and mended her clients\u2019 beloved toys using skills honed throughout the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to make all the costumes for my girls when they did dancing and I used to do my own home furnishings,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I love teddy bears and as long as it wasn\u2019t too complicated I always mended them, and I\u2019ve made a few.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said there were many reasons people brought in their teddies for repair, like elderly parents wanting to return soft toys to their now adult children in good condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne teddy had no eyes, ears missing, feet missing, arms missing, and it comes back to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The young and young at heart come through the repair shop.<\/p>\n
One customer was a 72-year-old woman looking to have a Mickey Mouse toy made by her mother restored.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like to change the integrity of the bear or whatever it is, I like to show where the mend has been so that the original is still there and I keep it more authentic to its original state,\u201d Ms McKennariey said.<\/p>\n
She said repairing teddies for her customers was an \u201cabsolutely wonderful\u201d experience as she loves making people happy.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne girl, she didn\u2019t even want to leave it with us, it was so precious. She was nearly crying leaving it with us, so I quickly did it and she stood there and cried at the counter at how wonderful it looked,\u201d Ms McKennariey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOlder people, they just go \u2018oh, this looks so much better\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt brings back such good memories.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FROM a Kangaroo Flat shop, Susan McKennariey provides a particular service for a very special group of cuddly customers. The home sewer operates out of her sister\u2019s business, Sew It Up, to repair and restore teddy bears and soft toys that have been \u201cloved to death\u201d by their owners. For the past year, Ms McKennariey […]<\/p>\n