The Repair Shop by Karen Farrington

Author:Karen Farrington
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473531963
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Throughout her childhood and beyond one woman held fast to her toy panda. It was a gift from her father who died when she was nine and afterwards, by her own admission, life went from colour to black and white. The loss haunted her for years during which time Panda become her only confidante and friend.

Fifty years later the English-made bear was suffering from bald patches, weak seams and missing facial features. The black fur was particularly worn, a problem Julie and Amanda have seen before and assume the dyeing process to be responsible.

First task for team was to remove the head, one small stitch at a time. Only then could the foam rubber stuffing be removed and the body parts separated before being cleaned, to avoid any risk of the dark colour leaching into the pale.

Each bit was then lined to give the ageing fabric new strength. When it came to sewing them back together Julie and Amanda were careful to follow pre-existing stitch lines. Fabric that had been hidden behind the seams for decades had vibrant colouring compared to the rest. But to give panda stripes to mark his age like this would mar his appearance. His label, originally sewn in upside down by the manufacturers, was also stitched back in exactly the same way.

Once the head was firm with new stuffing Amanda sewed on a new nose and replacement red tongue. She also had the tricky job of stitching the head back into place. Vintage fabrics are prone to stretching which could leave the bear with a drooping head or a cricked neck if the seams are inexpertly joined. Lining the fabric lends stability and that’s how Julie and Amanda sidestepped the pitfall.

When he was returned to the owner, ready for a second lease of life, she felt the final piece in the bereavement puzzle had slotted into place.

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