Treating Tigger - the latest Patient in our Clinic (Part One)

Hello Everyone - Cy Bear taking over for a couple of posts,  since it was under my jurisdiction that you first heard about Long-legged Tigger. 

Long-Legged Tigger - on arrival

Just recently, Isobel has been calling him Tigger Long-Legs, but I’ve just pointed out to her that the latter name is what all our new Cuddlies (made like Tigger) will be called, once they get listed in our shop at www.Etsy.com/coldhamcuddlies.   They are going to be made with the template Isobel has created while Tigger was being assessed.  (Isobel here:  three versions have just been cut out, and once Cy Bear has finished this post, the assembly of each will begin.)

Long Legged Tigger has been one of the new Patients in the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) when he featured in my post dated July 30, 2012).  His treatment has now been completed, and Isobel has suggested that I take over and tell you all bout it!  So, here goes:

As ever, the first thing that happens is that Isobel gets going with her Quick-Unpic and Tigger was soon in pieces. 

Then came the second stage - his bath.  Although he did not seem to be that dirty, Isobel was surprised at how much the water colour changed in the overnight soaking he received.  Isobel uses delicate, hand wash soap suds to clean the Patients, and starts them off in lukewarm water.  Once they’ve lost the surface dust, she then rinses them in cold water - she finds that more dust/dirt comes off that way. 

This time, as there were several bits of Tigger to contend with, Isobel loaded him onto a convenient wooden tray.

He’d had most of the remaining water squeezed out of him (she never wrings toys out - it could disturb the plush nap if  she did that, and besides her fingers/hands are now not as strong as they used to be!).  The pieces are a little fiddly too, so squeezing is the right method!

Then, Tigger’s individual pieces were pinned onto the radiator-airer and he was left over night, and most of the next day.  His ears, because they were double, took the longest to be ready for the next stage.  Isobel did not think they needed to be taken apart;  next time, she might think twice and separate them, although in the event they have turned out fine.

Having removed all the pieces from the airer, Isobel then got on with putting Tigger back into his original format, so that he could be stuffed. 

Because Tigger is quite an elderly toy, and even though the body fabric seemed to be quite strong, Isobel actually over-stitched (by hand, as it did not seem worth the effort to get her sewing machine out just to do the body and arms) each seam.  That will, hopefully, preserve Tigger's integrity for many more years to come.

Here is where  I’ll break for a while,  because this post - illustrated stage by stage as it is - will become far too long for everyone to read properly!  Folks do seem to do that - for which both Isobel and I are very grateful.  We do appreciate the comments made and the time you spend with us and I‘m pleased to say that we‘ve now 209 Followers and according to the Blogger stats, our viewings are now reaching the high 7,000‘s.  That is very gratifying!

The rest of Tigger’s treatment will follow in the next post - and Isobel is preparing another, rather unusual, post to include here at www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com.  However, some additional information is needed before putting fingers to the keyboard and preparing it for your edification! 

Until then, from both of us:  Cheerio - and God Bless!  Cy Bear.