Stitch and Stuff
Gwenllian and her Nain lovingly stitch and stuff the Panda until it comes to life.
"Nain made my dreams come true one year, when she gave me a Giant Panda as a birthday present. Even though I pretended he came from a nature reserve in China, he actually came out of a packet, with instructions on how to make him, and Nain was the one that helped me bring him to life.
I spent hours and hours at her house up the road, stitching every piece together by hand to create my bundle of joy. It was one of the best times of my life, just the two of us... Nain watching my every move, guiding me carefully and helping out when needed.
Her fingers were still nimble enough at that time to do the niggly bits that my novice little hands couldn't manage. With love and care, we stitched and stuffed, until he was finally whole.
I had big plans for the three of us. I thought I was going to take Panda and Nain to see the world... but that wasn't to be, and after an unfortunate incident in the garden one night, and an emergency operation to save Panda's nose, I decided he was too precious to endanger.
So, apart from the occasional visit up to see Nain, the only travelling Panda has ever done is to wherever I have lived over the years. Nain hasn't been with us for quite a while now, but Panda is still with me, and like all the memories he represents, he will always be precious and protected."
Gwenllian Mair Williams
