When a Kirkcaldy woman tragically lost her step dad, she had to find a way to deal with her grief.
Amanda Whiteford was working in a pharmacy when Paul McCafferty passed away.
In order to deal with her trauma, she was desperate to find things to keep her busy — one of which was sewing.
Amanda made a memory bear out of her stepdad’s clothes in order to help her deal with the pain and grief.
She has since crafted her own business, Love ‘N’ Memories, creating keepsake bears from old clothes in her Kirkcaldy studio.
The business focuses on helping people celebrate and “remember special times and special people”.
‘I had to find a way to deal with the trauma of that night’
Amanda gave her step dad CPR while waiting for an ambulance on the night which he passed away.
Desperate to keep her mind busy, she turned to a childhood interest of sewing and bought a machine.
Amanda said: “I was on medication and it was a really painful time for me.
“I’d always been interested in making clothes when in school but couldn’t use a machine.
“I decided to buy one and watch videos in order to learn. I almost gave up at times but my husband sat me back down.”
Amanda had a bag of her step dad’s clothes which she felt she couldn’t give away.
After his passing in September 2019, she found herself setting up a Facebook page for her own business at the beginning of the following year.
Amanda added: “I didn’t want to give the clothes away as it felt to me like I would be losing even more of him.
“When I was grieving I was broken and didn’t know how I was going to keep living.
“I made the bear out of his clothes and would sit and watch TV with the bear, or just sit and chat to it. It helped me so much.”
Love ‘N’ Memories, named after Paul’s love for “rock ‘n’ roll”, operates from a studio in Amanda’s Kirkcaldy garden.
Love ‘N’ Memories is ‘personal’
Amanda said she only one other business offered similar services to her when she started and found it had a huge waiting list.
After realising how much it helped her through grief, she knew it was an opportunity to help others as well.
Amanda said: “When a customer comes to me with clothes they can be upset.
“I get to spend time with people and listen to them. This isn’t just a hobby, it needs to be special for each person.
“I know how much my step dad meant to me, and I would like to help bring some comfort into people’s lives.
“It started with friends and family who had projects for me but it has grown beyond belief.”
Amanda, who now employs a member of staff to help with demand, makes around eight bears a week.
‘It’s not about the money’
Amanda said this is the first job in her life which she feels she is “doing something really good”.
She added: “I don’t want to make loads of money, it’s not about that at all.
“I just do it to help people and to make sure I am doing something meaningful for others.
“Sewing saved me, so in a way this is me getting to say thanks.”
Conversation