Treating Long-Legged Tigger, Part Two

Hello Everyone - Cy Bear  here.   I’m back again to complete the telling of Long-Legged Tigger’s recent treatment in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).  When I left off, poor chap was pegged out on the radiator-airer, waiting to be dry enough for the next stage of his therapy.

Once all the pieces were collected together, Isobel began wielding her needle and thread.  Both the body pieces were sewn together (leaving spaces for the arms to be fitted at the appropriate time).  Then all the other pieces (except the ears - which were already sewn together, and which caused the drying process to go on a little longer) were sewn up, including the head.  Both the arms had the paws sewn on before the under-arm seams were finished off  - by being over-sewn along all the seams, to preserve the integrity of the whole toy for the future.

This picture shows Tigger ready to be stuffed - his fur does look a much lighter colour, does it not?
 

The head also has new glass eyes fitted.  Tigger’s original ones were made with some green double knitting yarn, which had some sort of glitter substance weaving through it.  His eyes really did not show up, and Isobel also felt that once he’d been taken to pieces, the yarn would not stay in place for long.  So we’ve included two glass eyes which we’ve had in stock for some time, and Isobel has both sewn them in place, as well as leaving a long piece of yarn on each eye which she then tied together.  Little fingers, when playing with Tigger should not now be able to pull them out - hopefully!

Here the process of putting Tigger together is nearly complete - his body is  fully stuffed and so is the head, and he also has a black nose and a mouth.  (When he arrived, his nose was brown - and did not really show up that well - and he had no mouth at all).

Tigger’s original white felt collar was far too big for him and was badly stained to boot.  So Isobel used the collar pattern she uses for the other dressed toys, and drew Tigger’s just a little larger.  She then sewed a new white felt collar around Tigger’s neck and attached the grey/pink diamond and bow felt decoration with which he’d arrived. 

This is what Tigger now looks like.  Pretty much the same as when he arrived (you can see how that was in our last post on August 26, 2012).  We think he’s ready for many more playtimes with Little People visiting PamL’s home. 

Meanwhile, he’s waiting for two more toys to be treated in the Clinic, before he, Little Brown Ted and the remaining Patients can be posted back to their Toy Box home in Nottinghamshire.

See you around soon:  meanwhile, I am watching as Isobel gets on with the three new versions of Tigger Long Legs.  These may be delayed a bit, because unfortunately, she had a fall this morning and seems to have strained some ligaments in her right hand.  Her little finger and the next finger were bent backwards when she fell, and there is quite a bit of bruising involved.    It means she keeps hitting the wrong keys on the computer key-board, but otherwise hasn’t inflicted any permanent damage.  However, she has yet to see what effect it has had on her sewing and stuffing abilities.   I think she’s putting it off for a while - although she’s had ice packs on her hand (which reduced the swelling greatly) and has taken anti-inflammatory pills, which will probably send her off to sleep earlier tonight than usual.  It did mean that she missed Zumba today, because having hit her head slightly, she felt it was wiser not to go there and dance heartily - something she enjoys doing, but in the circumstances, might not be good for her overall, long-term health.
 
Right, that’s all from me for this post.  Thanks for calling in and commenting!  Look forward to the next time!  All the best - Cy Bear

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.