Christmas Came Early, together with an update or two

March 9th, 2013:  While going through my Posts to refer to an old Post about Fred Bear, discovered I had somehow now posted the following draft.  Was absolutely sure I had.  So, just to boost the number of posts on file, here is a post that should have been published in September/October 2012.  Sorry about that!


Having got Bustards out of my system, the time has now come for me to bring some updated news of Cuddlies' friends, currently Patients in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) who  have recently featured in my daily activities here in Heytesbury.

Fred Bear - has been undergoing long-term treatment in the Clinic:  when his initial assessment and treatment were described on August 18, the post ended with his being de-stuffed ready for his new polyester fibre innards to be added and his paws replaced.  I had sent three sample fabrics which were in my stock for Fred’s Best Friend to  choose from. In a follow-up post, mention was made that Best Friend, PatC’s older sister was going to provide more suitable fabric, but there would be a time lag before that could be supplied.  He spent his time in a plastic bag, to keep off any fluff from my other projects, and once the chosen leather had arrived (last week just as I completed the treatment of Sleepy Kitten - September 12).  This is how Fred looked  prior to his treatment beginning again.

But before any further updates, I thought you’d like to see what I’ve recently received in the form of new fabrics for future Cuddlies.  Presumably, like me, you love the materials with which you craft in all your wondrous ways.  Yesterday, I had to replenish my polyester Fibrefill stocks and was kindly driven to my stockist, Fine Quality Feather Company in Frome by one of my fellow residents here at The Hospital of St. John.  There, together with four kilo bags (8.8lbs) of the fibre, I found an equally large bag of off-cuts ready for me to rifle through once I had got home.  This is what I mean by Christmas coming early!  There’s nothing more satisfying in my book than pulling out pieces of material, feeling their quality and imagining them as completed Cuddlies!

Here are some photographs of my haul from this quarter:

Velveteen and Tweed fabrics

Selection of Furs and Velvet, with Fat quarters of poplins

Rolls of Tweed and velveteen, with more Fat Quarters

But, it didn’t just finish there!

Daughter Clare had a birthday earlier in the week and decided, as part of her day, that she would like to have a wander around a Fabric Warehouse in a town where she went to school when we returned from Canada in 1987.  She’s developing a crafting business of her own, and is also in charge of a Memory Quilt project in which different versions will be recycled using Peter’s old shirts, ties, and pyjamas.  These are destined, when completed, for her sister, herself and me, and, depending on how the materials stretch, to other members of our extended family. 

In addition, her passion for crochet and knitting is going to form the basis of an Etsy business, which is in it’s infancy, but will be undertaken with a good friend of hers based in Nottingham itself.   But, I digress:  whilst the Warehouse did not come up to expectations on her behalf, she found some interesting fat-quarters of cotton poplin which she thought would make great dresses for the Lady ColdhamCuddlies - and they too arrived yesterday!  They can be seen on top of the Frome materials, pictures of which follow.

Then today, Fred Bear’s Best Friend, PatC sent me two semi-complete Pigs (requiring dresses - one a girl and the other a boy) which currently need to have their heads and bodies sewn together and their clothes made.  PatC is regrettably losing her ability to sew these days (without divulging her age, she is well over a decade ahead of me - and is, alas, suffering from  Macular Degeneration) so has donated the Pigs, and their cut-out apparel,  requesting they be treated as ColdhamCuddlies.  Of course they will be,  and PatC has provided the pattern for future editions as well. (She has just informed me that I can look forward to further supplies of leather and other suitable fabrics and edgings (from her sister), as well as similar goodies from her!  My - what to look forward to?  Just hope I have enough space to accommodate it all!)

Accompanying these two newbies, were bags of multi-coloured leather off-cuts (many sufficient for pairs of boots!) and felt pieces (suitable for Lady Cuddlies shoes) - which I have not photographed, but will appear as costumes for future members of the ColdhamCuddlies Family. 

I am now pleased to tell you that Fred’s treatment has been completed and he left Heytesbury on Tuesday, September 18 to travel back to his Forever Home in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.  A full description of his further treatment will form a blog shortly, which will be in the capable paws of Cy Bear, who has not had a look-in of late:  and is letting me know about it, as well!  (Fred has arrived home safely, is sitting happily in his favourite chair and has growled his satisfaction to have completed his treatment)

The Lop Eared Rabbit Arm Puppet has been taken to pieces, had a bath and is now almost re-sewn:  his treatment has been photographed too, and he too will feature as a full post shortly.  Cy Bear may well be in charge of that bulletin as well.  Meanwhile, here is a shot of him lying in his luke-warm bath!

So, no more for this evening!  Cy Bear will be with you shortly, and I’ll get back to my sewing.  Good night, and God Bless!  Isobel