First of all, let's begin from where we left - which was Isobel telling you all about some of her future plans and some trials connected with the Shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com). She's relisted all the entries in the shop, filling in a new bit of the form about which she was not aware. That's because she's been so involved with Ed Ted and blogging about him too! She's also started to list on the new website, the address for which she will reveal when she's got all the Rabbits, Foxes, Coyotes and Bears - except me, included. The process is a little different to the www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies requirements, so it's taking her a bit longer to do than she had bargained for
The business cards may already have resulted in a new restoration project. This time from what Isobel has been told by the Bears Friend, it's a case of replacing blue eyes in a brown bear and probably the replacement of the stuffing. Isobel is also going to look into replacing his growler - which now no longer works. That will be a first for Isobel. Life is exciting, isn't it? We won't know what we're facing until the end of July, when the new Bear's friend is coming to the Summer Fete which is being organised here at The Hospital of St. John on July 30th.
However, we do know that Burr Bear, as he is called, will not be such a total repair job as Ed Ted has proved to be - and in the process Ed Ted has turned out to be bigger bear than we had both thought! I'm going to have mind my p's and q's! He may turn out to be bigger than me!
Here are all the appliqued pieces of Ed Ted ready for the next stage - which means that Isobel spent yesterday drawing round each one onto cardboard. She uses breakfast cereal packets for this purpose - saves the whole packet going to landfill: so preserving her claim that the Coldham Cuddlies are as environmentally friendly as possible. Once they are cut out, then she draws round each piece on the mohair fabric piece.
Silly Isobel: guess what she didn't do before she took Ed Ted to pieces? She didn't measure him, did she? So, when it came to ordering the fabric, she did not order sufficient. Fortunately, Susan from Bear Basics in Wincanton, Somerset (who says she stocks "the largest selection of Stieff Schulte mohair in the UK - and she's only 30 miles down the road from here!) still had enough to meet Isobel's needs. The mohair that has been supplied is described as "17mm Dense Distressed Spring Gold" and I must say matches Ed Ted very well. When he's finished, he really will be quite something! I shall be more than happy to be photographed alongside him.
Once all the pieces had been drawn onto the fabric, Isobel cut them out and then spent most of yesterday evening tacking each piece of Ed Ted's original body and head onto the matching pattern piece using the new fabric. Here are pictures showing where Ed Ted's reconstruction process has currently reached and been photographed.
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| Crown and Leg pieces ready to be drawn on new fabric |
And finally, here are all the pieces together - with the mohair material waiting to be drawn on. Cheers for today. Cy Bear
