Some Creative Musing on the Cuddlies Front: plus Order News too!

Hello there everyone!  

Cy Bear back again, this time in a bit of a hurry.  Things are hotting up in these parts, and I don't necessarily mean just the weather!  Last week's post about our latest Golf Club cover, our Otter Club Cover may - or may not;  one can never tell we find - have resulted in two new orders for the same kind.  

One, when they are made shortly, will be off to New York State, U.S.A.:  the other will be headed shortly afterwards to Austin, Texas,U.S.A.  There's just about two days in between the receipt dates for their respective orders, so I'd guess that Isobel will be making these in tandem, as it were!

Meanwhile, Isobel decided to have a bit of a break from Clerical Bear production - even though we  collected an off-Etsy order for another Padre Bear (which now makes 20 sales to date!) last Monday when Isobel was at a St.Barnabas Cathedral Craft Group meeting.  She was helping to finish off the banner-making in which she and her fellow member have been involved since the beginning of 2019.  We already have an order in for another Sister Breda Blue Nun Bear (the third or fourth version since she was originally introduced early in 2019). As you can see,  Isobel is being kept well out of mischief!!

As a breather from Bear-making (do not understand why she should need one, mind you!) Isobel embarked on having a go at making a brand new Golf Club Cover.  After all, it is golfing season now - at least that's what I'm told - and when making the Otter earlier in the year, she felt she had been challenged to have a go at making another kind,  as she mentioned in last week's post. 

We'd found a pattern for a bird (not a Peacock one - there were plenty to choose from, but none that looked like one we could use for our purpose) that Isobel felt she could use to create what she was aiming for - from that well-known site Pinterest:

This was traced off, and Isobel stuck it on to some of the cardboard (formerly cereal boxes, kept especially for this purpose!).  After cutting out each piece as printed, she then created a slightly larger version which she felt would be a better finished size for the Peacock Golf Club cover she was aiming for.

The materials needed for making the Peacock Club Cover had been in hand since the challenge had been received.  So, she first knitted up the metal handle cover - this time using a chunky yarn, rather than the usual double knit variety she usually uses.  That's proved to be a wrong decision, because she's currently involved in re-knitting the finished cover, because the original was just not wide enough to accommodate the club head when it is put together.   Isobel couldn't remember exactly the size of knitting needle best suited to this weight of wool, so she guessed, and although it looked good, it hasn't yet proved to necessarily be the right choice - not wide enough to give sufficient space for easy placing/removal of the wooden club head.

The two small bits on the right of the picture above are the proposed wings made in felt, and backed with a spare piece of white long-pile plush, which Isobel is now using as stuffing for club covers.  It's less bulky than full-on stuffing, and seems to work well.  During the week, however, she decided to cut out another set of wings in felt, remove the plush backing, and sew a second felt backing to each wing.  The plush was making the wings out of proportion to the body of the proposed Peacock!  However, the rest of the bird pattern was sewn with the white plush fabric to make the body.  It's meant, in this version anyway, that every piece has needed to be sewn to the backing, and then  the pieces of felt turned inside out, so that the pile is on the inside of each pattern piece.  As the plush backing does tend to fray, it's meant that each seam involved has needed to be over sewn too - so the creation process is quite long-winded.

This gives you an idea of what the Peacock began to look like as the "building up" process went along.  The beak is in two pieces, using black felt.  The "crown" was made by rolling up a small piece of left-over felt, and cutting thin tassel-like pieces half way down the finished roll.  It results in a fairly recognisable peacock "crown", and we feel is acceptable for this particular purpose.  After all, this is an experiment, isn't it?  We just need it to be recognisable as a Peacock:  not an exact replica!

Then the tail was created.  Using the tail pattern piece, Isobel used the two different-sized pattern pieces for that part of the bird, and created a fan type final product.  We cut out two pieces of the final tail piece, and on one of them, using coins as a template, Isobel created the circular peacock type eye decorations, and sewed them in place on the top piece of felt, with black double knit yarn knot as the centre piece, holding all the other colour pieces in place.  She then sewed round the darker yellow felt bit to keep each decoration in situ.  She then placed a backing piece, with wrong sides together and blanket-stitched the two pieces together, ending up with a tail piece like this,  She used pinking shears to cut out the tail pieces - hoping to give an impression of feathers:

At this point, Isobel got in touch with the gentleman who originally, had gestingly suggested a Peacock Golf Club cover - to see if he might still be interested in having one as his special golf club cover.  Initially, we don't think he was - he'd probably forgotten about it, and didn't want to be reminded!  However, the next day, the gentleman emailed Isobel to say "great work:  lovely colours.  Keep me posted!"  So, that's just what we have done, and will continue to do.  (By the way, Isobel is a little bit surprised at herself at the moment:  this is not her usual modus operandi, but we are both a little intrigued at how things are turning out!  Perhaps, she should have been as bold as we feel we are being here, earlier?)

Meanwhile, Isobel was scrolling through past conversations with customers - as she does from time to time - and was reminded of an incident just before Christmas 2018, when a customer asked us to make some Mice Golf Club Covers.  Now, other than Mickey Mouse and his Friends (all of whom would be taboo for us to use as models, due to copyright issues), mouse figures don't really lend themselves to becoming Golf Club Covers in the dimensions or pattern shapes we currently work with.  So, Isobel did suggest the lady might like to have one of our Panda Golf Club Covers instead:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/573989964/

However, she had trouble persuading her husband (for whom they were originally intended as Christmas presents that year!) to make up his mind (and during this week's contact, we discovered he'd gone ahead and got some for himself elsewhere!).  At that time, Isobel did find out that the lady was a golfer herself (as she'd mentioned she might be interested in the Pandas herself ), so she was told about the Peacock project.  We'd never really finished that original conversation, and two Christmases have intervened since, so Isobel felt it might be worth renewing contact!   The outcome of that last exchange of convos, is that she, was pleased to be contacted, and she, too, asked to be kept informed about the Peacock, and would like to see the final outcome!!   So, fingers crossed, if the original challenger isn't interested  (he will be given first choice once (or if) the Peacock Golf Club cover is listed ), we might still have an interested buyer on the horizon.  Exciting times, eh?

To get back to the Peacock saga - Isobel found some suitable eyes in our collection of such items, and added a white felt background for this latest Cuddly offering's facial features.

Then she starting putting the wings in place and sewing up the different parts of the body - tummy and back.  It was at this point that Isobel thought the original wings were out of proportion to the rest of the bird, and the new wing format was decided on.  (Making brand new Cuddlies is always a longer process than they become as they are repeated!) 

She's not sure, if the finished product may not need a little extra stuffing, because the seams here don't seem to be as neat as Isobel likes to end up with.  However, that decision is still for the future.

This is how the Peacock is now looking, with feet added, tail sewn in place (with the final decorative circle in place on it) and seen from the other side to our earlier photographs. (We think he's still looking a little thin in the body area!).

We now await the grand-putting together of the two golf club cover pieces.  Current thinking is that once we've got a wider handle cover, and it slips over the wood head as easily as our other models do (which the original knitted version did not - too few stitches had been knitted on the needle) the top of the knitted handle cover will be gathered, to create a sort of "nest" on which the Peacock will be sewn.  Then some elastic will be used lower down the knitted cover to create a pocket into which the golf club head can be housed - about 4-5 inches below the top :  the elastic will have to be sufficiently long to easily slip over  the wood head, because these covers tend to be replaced (and removed!) fast by the players when in use.  

So, there's still some way to go - but we think we're nearly there!  Am hoping matters will go smoothly, as life with Isobel is always much better when these experiments go well!!

Until next week, then:  hope everyone has a good one.

Your Friend, Cy Bear.

New Creatures in the Golf Club Area

Hello again, Everyone:  Cy Bear back again, and after that short week, slightly breathless!  Where did those days we DID have, go?

While Coldham Cuddlies were off line earlier this year, following the various technical issues we suffered, as you know Isobel's sewing activities were not hindered.  What with the Clerical Bears, who have kept her busy - and still do, and the four Bears (Two Yellow and Two Silver Grey) she was  asked to make (all of whom I've posted about here in recent weeks), she also was approached by a keen Golfer to see if she could make him a Custom Order Otter Golf Club Cover.

As you know, Isobel is always game to have a go, but is useless when it comes to creating a pattern from scratch.  However, fortuitously, daughter Clare had come across an Otter pattern (from Pinterest) a week or two earlier, and had sent it to Isobel - saying she thought that making an Otter Toy would be a great addition to the Coldham Cuddlies Shop...(https://www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies ).  We're very lucky having her nearby offering such constructive ideas!  

While researching it further, Isobel got in touch with the original creator of the pattern to ask if she would mind us using her original as a Golf Club Cover,  "Fluffmonger" is the name of the creator, and we were given the go-ahead - and asked to let the originator have photos of the finished piece, as well as us giving her credence for her pattern (She creates other animal patterns, and makes them as well). 

This we did - as we are doing here too - when we sent the Otter Golf Club Cover off to our customer, MrPH.  (He is a member of an English Golf Club - near Liverpool - and many of the members have club head covers with animals related to their surnames, which are also often their nick-names among the group of friends).  Our customer's surname was Holt:  Otters live in "holts", so the obvious animal head he needed for this purpose was that of an Otter:  so, he'd found Isobel/ColdhamCuddlies on the internet, and approached us to see if we could help.

The original picture is for two stand-alone toys (Mother and Baby Otter):  so Isobel decided to use the top half of the Mother Toy pattern, and the arms that were also included in the pattern.  She also tried a new technique for stuffing the animal head part of our Golf Club Covers.  Normally, she makes a lining for each head, and lightly stuffs the resulting space with our usual polyester fibre stuffing.  However, we've had a supply of white long-pile plush fabric in our stash, which ought to be used for making polar bears or other white toys.  The fabric pile is too thick for our dressed Rabbit Toys, the pure white colour is really impractical when it comes to long-term Toy usage, and it's been taking up valuable space in our store cupboard.  So, Isobel cut out identical pattern pieces of this white plush fabric, and sewed each Brown fleece fabric to them, with the pile (fluffy side) on the wrong side of each fleece piece. This results in a less bulky final product, and a harder-wearing inside lining to each Club Cover.  We thus had a stuffed Otter Head ready to be attached to the knitted Club Handle cover which forms the rest of the Golf Club Head Cover.  (It's also a lot less cumbersome than the other Heads, although no one has complained about them to date).

The two separate bits joined together

In order to make our Otter Club Cover more manageable (the flapping arms would not be an acceptable "look"), Isobel decided he needed to have his arms actually holding something - and tried her hand at creating a fish!  Now this was real experimental stuff on her part, you understand, but we were both delighted with the outcome:  because the end result does actually resemble a fish!

Fish being held in place with pins prior to sewing securely to the Club Cover

This arrangement is in addition to what happens with our Golf Club covers to date, which have a collar where the head and handle pieces meet, and look like these:

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/573989964/black-and-white-panda-bear-head

This is the kind of golf club that all these Golf Club Covers are intended to cover.

This one is the sample Isobel was given when she first made these items for sale in our Shop, and although the more modern examples are made with more light weight materials, they have a lot more technical features added to them - which is a very good reason that Golfers like to look after their clubs by giving them covers.


Golfers also like to keep their special clubs from damaging each other when they are in their golf bags being "caddied" around the golf courses during their games:  and these club covers do just that as well..

Here you can see the finished Otter Golf Club Cover on the Golf Club I've shown you:  and here it is when it arrived with MrPH:

MrPH was also kind enough to write to his golfing chums in the following terms - (this was a non-Etsy connection, as many of our Orders can be).

"May I introduce you to Isobel, cc’ed above, who recently hand made my “Otter” head cover for the princely sum of £15 plus delivery. Isobel is aware of the animal nickname tradition we have…. 

So…..if any of you are interested in a bespoke peacock, wombat, seahorse or whatever…….Isobel may be able to help!!

Isobel can be contacted through - www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies, and then scroll down the left side of the page to the section "Golf Club Head Covers". She can also be contacted on pimstgabriel@hotmail.com if some are a bit hesitant about the "cuddlies" connection!

Cheers!"

This did result in one of the 17 fellow golfers he contacted responding fairly promptly (using the suggested alternative link!).  Apparently his nickname is "The Peacock" (or something like it), and Isobel felt that the response, although very welcome, was somewhat doubtful as to whether a Peacock Golf Club Cover could actually be created!  (Don't tell anyone, at the time, so, too was Isobel!). 

However, as time has passed, and a change from the production of Clerical Bears began to be contemplated, Isobel has been cogitating.  That's always a "dangerous" thing - and just recently she has started to work on a prototype Peacock Golf Club Cover (without approaching the gentleman concerned!). 

Using the new modus operandi for creating Golf Club Covers - one semi-complete wing - centre front

If it works, Isobel will offer it to him (she kept the correspondence on file, for just this possibility).  If it doesn't, well there's no harm done........but watch this space!  The finished product, if the Challenger doesn't want to go through with the idea, and if it's acceptable quality, will then become a new member of the Coldham Cuddlies family!  We'll keep you updated as we go along!

See you all again next week, everyone.

Your Friend, Cy Bear.

News About Some Toys that Aren't Bears: Tigers For Starters

Good afternoon Everyone:  Cy Bear greeting you all again! Good to be back.

Some really popular toys (other than Bears!) Isobel has made for the COLDHAM CUDDLIES family since 2010 are Tigers.  Most have been in the form of Hand/Arm Puppets, but they have also been in the form of  Long Legged Tigers too - they can be seen by clicking here:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/656861636/long-legged-tiger-fun-toy-presents?ref=shop_home_active_6.

These are based on one of our early Patients in the Stuffed Toy Animal Hospital ( https://www.etsy.com/listing/670854959/animal-toy-hospital-dog-and-bear-toys?ref=shop_home_active_4) whereas the Arm Puppets are made using a pattern provided to us when Isobel first "met" MrSS - one of our best customers, who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Isobel and He first collaborated when he asked for some Tiger Puppets he was working on for a private project connected with a very popular TV programme in the USA and Canada (in the 1970's and 1980's) - "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood".  There were several Tiger Puppets in the stories, and Isobel was asked to make copies of three of them, and then was allowed to keep MrSS's pattern for future use in the Shop.  

That has recently resulted in Isobel being approached to make two variations of one of the programme's popular characters, who accidentally lost his stripes!  One came from a gentleman, who is a professional Counsellor, who thought having a Puppet would help him deal with some of his Patients and had fond memories himself of that particular television programme.  We don't use the name of the character (we don't want to have copyright issues!), but refer to the character as the "Tiger Who lost his Stripes", and our Buyer wanted his puppet to be a Tiger type, but, colour-wise,  looking more like one of the other characters too - so the first version was made in Grey Plush, and looked like this, before it was put together.

Until this batch of puppets came to be made, Isobel used to make finger guides - for the operating digits to fit into - with cardboard rolls covered with calico which were then sewn into the neck area of the puppet involved.  That worked well for the smaller puppets (https://www.etsy.com/listing/700871997/brown-plush-rabbit-glove-puppet-toy?ref=shop_home_active_6), but with these arm length ones with their larger heads, the heads did tend to be somewhat "wobbly" to operate.  (It also meant that the finished puppets couldn't really be exposed to water, making cleaning "accidents" a problem).  So, she decided to make a separate fabric only, circular, opening to make a larger aperture - through which more than one finger could be fitted.  (It gets sewn in the neck opening). It ended up looking like this:

This seems to have done the trick, and this is what the finished Grey Tiger Who Lost his Stripes looked like before being sent off to his Forever Home - with one of Isobel's friends holding him up to demonstrate the new arrangement.  (The lady was a valuable source of great sewing ideas, as well as providing a useful prop for such occasions!)

 -  and the lower photo showing what he looked like last August, when he was originally made.

(This Puppet headed to Exeter, Pennsylvania, USA)

Not having done an Arm Puppet for some time, and actually "up to her eyes" in the preparations for introducing The Clerical Bears to the World,  Isobel was surprised (and delighted too!) to get another enquiry from a lady - this time living in Mississippi, USA.  She wanted to have a similar Arm Puppet, but instead of it being in grey long haired plush, she asked if it could be in a tan colour.  Her partner was also a devotee of the same television programme, he had a birthday coming up within a few weeks, and she and her Partner's sister, felt this would be an ideal gift to celebrate the occasion.  So, after locating suitable (fleece this time) fabric for the task, and as a break from The Clerical Bears,  Isobel set to, used the same, new finger guide pattern as well, and very soon, Tan Tiger Who Lost His Stripes was winging its way to its Forever Home.

Modelled by the same elderly friend (who is, alas, no longer available for this service) this is what our Tan Tiger looked like before being wrapped up and sent off to Brandon, Mississippi:

Showing a similar, rear view as his Grey Tiger Puppet friend:

The Tan Tiger Puppet survived the international journey, and reached his intended destination in good time for the "special occasion" for which it was intended:

Operated by his new  Forever Friend

This is the review we got from our Buyer for this Coldham Cuddlies export:   

Sarah DNov 5, 2018

5

This stripe challenged tiger is absolutely the best purchase I have ever made!! Isobel has an amazing talent and we are so grateful she has shared that gift with us.  I have a VERY happy Mister (Rogers for Halloween!) and several Littles who thought it was “the best thing ever!” If/when the need may arise again, I will be purchasing again!!

Getting reviews from buyers is something Isobel really appreciates - and so far, all the 75 reviews we've received have all been the full five-stars! (It also helps potential Buyers when they might be considering a purchase!!!)  We've actually sold a lot more Toys since we began in 2010, but many have been off-line so don't show up on the Etsy stats, and they represent about half of the actual Etsy - based sales Isobel has achieved.  (How do we know?  Well every Cuddly has a Coldham Cuddlies label sewn somewhere on it, and Isobel is well into the second batch of 500 labels!)  One cannot MAKE Buyers leave reviews, but it's a terrific boost to Isobel, I know (and we are sure as important for all her fellow Sellers) when customers do take the time to leave a nice message like MsSD did on this occasion.

Clerical Bear orders continue to steadily flow in (18 just now, and counting!)  - and we're always willing to receive them (from anywhere in the world!), so I'll finish this week's post - hoping that everyone has a good one.  We've got another Bank Holiday this Monday (we've got 3 of them in an eight week period in 2019 - which does seem to be a lot to have so close together!!)   So, we've got another "short week" ahead of us,

See you all next week-end, all being well.  Your Friend, Cy Bear.