Surfacing once again, following a postal hiatus.

What a day it was yesterday!  Meant to post again, but there was a bit of a problem in arranging the journey of Hairy Bear, Koala and the two Baby Rabbits to Edmonton, Alberta.  Hairy Bear (as well as the other Bears in the Bear Family) are really quite large and it's nip and tuck whether they will pass as a "Small Packet" when being considered for their tickets at the Post Office.  Light Brown Bear, when he recently left for Massachusetts just made it.  Hairy Bear was originally meant to be accompanied by the other three going to the same address - but alas, the dimensions of the packet, as well as combined weight, were just too much for the "system".

So, all of them, still wrapped in their travelling packs - chemical free tissue paper, plus bubble-wrap to save them from the inevitable bumps involved in international travel - had to be separated.  Hairy Bear bravely agreed to travel alone while the other three fitted into a smaller envelope and went at the same time later that day.  Heather in Edmonton has been advised of their departure - we all now wait with bated breath to see how they all got on and hope they arrive by the end of next week.

In the meantime, I've been asked to try and repair a very much loved small teddy bear who is falling apart after many adventures and was (when in his prime) a bright scarlet bear.  He's smaller than the current Bear Family and when finished with his new modern fur fabric coat should be a little bigger than the Koalas and a bit smaller than the Pandas.  RedTed lives just three or four houses down Heytesbury High Street from The Hospital of St. John and I've today made new pattern pieces so that I can cover him and make him smart enough to be on show.  His owner has lots of grandchildren, but was anxious to be able to give one of the latest a scarlet teddy - similar to RedTed - because she had had such fun with him all her life (quite a long one, incidentally, and full of international travel - Army background: need I say more?)

I now have a set of pattern pieces to be used for other similar Little Bears (with RedTed's Mum's agreement), but unfortunately, because RedTed has been sewn up so many times - after adventures with children and dogs -  it's going to be difficult to put him together again. So, I'm going to collect all the bits, sew as many together  as I can and wrap him up carefully when providing a more modern version (with much safer joints, eyes and stuffing) and return him to his home.  Do hope his Mum will be happy!  Meanwhile, RedTed  II will also be made (same size as current Teddy Bear Family) for the grand-daugther.

No pictures of RedTed yet, so will close this post -  with a picture of one of the Baby Rabbits now on their way to a new home.

Wishing everyone a good week-end.  Isobel