Well, yet another week has flown past, and here I am again - Cy Bear - to give you the final installment in the Cat Puppet Saga. We have yet to hear whether she (for it is indeed a she-Puppet) has arrived safely in Tulsa, but it took about 10 days for the last package we sent to America to reach it's destination, and thus, we hope we'll know sometime this week that the journey has been safely accomplished.
However, since last week's post was all about the Prototype that was made to see if the concept actually worked, we thought you'd like to see the finished version - so here she is:
The human hand manipulating this Cat Puppet is another fellow resident of ours - a lady, who is blessed with long fingers and a wider hand than Isobel has, and found her easy to work. (Which means that if MrJS from Tulsa wants another person to help him, either his son or daughter will probably have little difficulty in stepping into the role.)
The fabric this Puppet is made with was specifically chosen by MrJS after he was introduced to our Mohair fabric supplier, Mohair Bear Supplies Limited - who are based in Telford, Staffordshire, England,, UK. (We were very lucky to be able to use it, because when first chosen we were informed that it was "out of stock".) However, there was just enough when Isobel contacted Mohair Bear Supplies Limited for our requirements. I gather that she fits the bill exactly and her arrival in Tulsa is awaited eagerly. (The Puppet on which this Cat is based was well known for not being the happiest individual, and Isobel tried very hard to replicate her facial expression from the photographs that were sent to her.)
This shows the Cat Puppet in a sideways on, semi-prone position. As the front paws are unstuffed, Isobel had to arrange them so she appears to be leaning on her elbows, but the back legs and tail are able to stay where they should be.
This angle gives her face a rather sweet and forlorn look I feel.
And I'll finish off this final piece about our Cat Puppets (until Isobel is asked to make another one!) This shows the two completed Puppets - using this model and both made from the same pattern, despite the apparent difference in size. What makes the difference, is the thickness of each fabric. The Sad Puppet on the left is made from a Faux Fur fabric - while the Cheerful Chappy on the left is made with a Plush material. It all depends on the thickness of the pile utilised for each project.
At the moment, and because we've not yet listed the prototype in our Shop, if another one is made, probably it will be like our original suggestion. But..... in this toy making business, it would seem, one can never tell. We remain at the service of our potential customers.
Good bye for this week. By the way, Isobel has added another skill to her toy-making abilities by finally managing to alter a pattern from the diagram she finds in her pattern books. The result took two evenings to achieve, and was accompanied by some not very ladylike expressions of frustration (from what I could hear from my perch in the bedroom), and I hope to be able to show you a picture of the latest addition to our Shop (www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES) sometime soon.
Until next time - your Friend, Cy Bear.