Safely Back Home - and Some Up to Date Cuddlies' News as well.

Hello Everybody!  

Isobel here with a shorter post than usual, because I only got back to Kirkby in Ashfield on Tuesday afternoon, and much of the time after that has been spent catching up with all that happened while I was away in Buckinghamshire with elder daughter, Philippa.  A lovely break from normal routine, and reasonably easy travelling conditions, it's very good to be back home again - and almost back to normal (or what passes for it these days!).

Cy Bear, in his last post here, mentioned that we'd recently received an order from Santa Cruz, California for a Fox Head Hand Puppet - and I was able to cut it out and almost finish the sewing involved BEFORE leaving for my Easter Break.  So, when I got back, I got on with the rest of what was needed.  Basically, making the finger guide and sewing it into the Neck region of the Puppet's Head and finishing off the seams for the Glove component, and putting together the lining and outer cover.

Here is the new Fox Head Hand Puppet, with it's white felt collar - decorated with orange and green  French Knots, joined together with a yellow running stitch, picking up the main colours of the Buchanan Tartan plaid fabric with which the Glove component is made.  The paw-pads are created with our brown leatherette fabric (which is often used for the beaks of our Owls Toys - see below)

Beak and Talons made with the Leatherette fabric

I also used a Copper-coloured plush fabric for the Fox Head and Ears, which are lined with a matching copper-coloured satin lining.  (Previously, I've always described the Plush Fabric I use for making my Fox Heads - and Squirrels - too) as being "Chestnut Brown").  However, recent changes to the Etsy Listing processes have resulted in the colour being called "Copper", so that's how the relevant COLDHAMCUDDLIES Toys will be described in future!

Our Red Squirrel Toys - previously made in "Chestnut Brown" Plush!

The Fox Glove Puppet was duly dispatched to Santa Cruz to our Buyer, MsBB on Saturday, a day later than I had hoped - for a very good reason.  I've not always been satisfied with the way my Glove Puppets' final "look" can turn out:  because until now, I've finished the lower part of the glove component with seam binding tape - which can sometimes result in a "scratchy" finish.  Making the California-bound Puppet, I decided to see what it would look (and feel) like if finished off with a satin ribbon (as I do with my Novelty Slipper' trim around the ankle area)- 

Our Snowy Owl Novelty Slippers, complete with Brown Satin Ribbon trim

Frankly, I like the new look (and feel), so in future all COLDHAMCUDDLIES Hand Puppets will be finished with a suitable satin ribbon trim, looking like this

Showing the Puppet's finished base area

One of the great things of making toys as I do, is that it is an ever-evolving process.  I can experiment as I go along, and adopt the ideas I feel work best - and discard those that don't!  (And, there's no one to tell me which way is best!!!  Other than, of course, my individual Buyers!!).

I also managed to re-list two of our Toys which had inadvertently been deleted while I was learning another listing technique a few weeks ago.  This did mean that I had to wait until the weather was right to take the new-look photographs, because I do think Foxes and Wolves look better with an "out-doorsy" background.  I do hope you do too!!  (Previously, the photographs had been taken inside, and while effective, it's good to have a change!!)

Our re-listed Fantasy Fox Toy- https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/526389261

 as well as the newly re-listed Grey Wolf Toy -

Listing Number : https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/526385477

Well folks, that's it for this week!  I'm hoping to be able to get down to some much-needed replacement sewing this week,as well as to update the listings in the Shop (www.COLDHAMCUDDLIES.etsy.com).  Most of the Toys are listed as being particularly suitable as Gifts for Easter - and with that Festival now a week away already, it's time to find another suitable Occasion or Celebration (new Etsy-inspired "attributes" which have to be taken into account when listing the COLDHAMCUDDLIES these days).  With 105 different Cuddlies available nowadays, that can take some time to achieve too!!  So, I'd better stop now and get on with it!!

Until the next time - sending you best wishes from Cy Bear (who held the fort magnificently while I was missing last week-end!),here's a photo of the Fox Glove Puppet and Cy Bear, before the former got wrapped up and prepared for the  journey to California.

Showing off the new-look Glove Puppet formula!

.

Your Friend, Isobel

Duckling Toy Production - Part 2

Greetings to you all!  Cy Bear here again, on a beautiful sunny afternoon - with temperatures in this part of the UK at summer time ones today.

We've been very busy here in the ColdhamCuddlies Shop this week, with Isobel spending a lot of time marketing us Toys (that's what she calls all the time she spends on the computer!) as well as sewing new Poultry Toys.  

We've now got 3 more Chickens in the Coop, and  3 new Ducklings - and I'm delighted to say that the Chicken and Duckling promised to our Friend, MrsSF (who provided Isobel with the original patterns for the toys - as I told you last week) were sent off on Friday.  They arrived in Worcester, in the UK West Midlands (we live in the East Midlands!) on Saturday.  We received a very nice message from MrsSF to the effect that she was pleased with the way they'd turned out!!

Here's one of the farewell photos that Isobel took before the pair left for Worcester.  We've found that these Ducklings and Chickens really do need a dark back ground if they are going to show up on any pictures!!


Now to the second phase of making the Ducklings - having left off last week, where I told you that Isobel likes to begin her toy-making by sewing up the "peripherals" - the beak, and feet - for the Ducklings, in this case.

She's now made three more Ducklings since these photos were taken.  The pictures were used for the listing in our Toy Shop (COLDHAMCUDDLIES.etsy.co) - 

 https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/508463030/baby-duckling-toys-yellow-duck-toys-baby?ref=shop_home_feat_1

and has now got the production process down to just over 2.5 hours from beginning with the beak, then doing the feet and wings, sewing up the body and finally attaching the feet and wings.


The process is as follows:


Once the feet are sewn and turned inside out, Isobel stuffs them lightly, and creates a "web-look" by sewing through the stuffing on each foot.  Then having sewn the beak and turned it inside out, she rolls the beak and attaches it to the spot on the Duck's head where that should be.  She then sews the eyes in place.


To make the eyes, Isobel makes a knot at the end of a piece of Black Double Knit Yarn.  She decides the spot on the head (on each side) where the eyes should be placed, and then using a darning needle, she pulls the knotted piece of wool through, with the knot on the right side of the Duck's head. (The process is repeated on the opposite side of the body/head piece).  She then fiddles with the knot, gets it into place, and then - using matching black cotton - she stitches the knotted wool into an eye shape, and finishes off the whole process (on the wrong side of each body-piece) to make sure the knot/eye remains in place.  Choosing the right spot is helped, in the case of the Duckling Toys at least, because when the beak is in the right spot, the tip is pretty well where the eye needs to be!


Then the body pieces are sewn together.  Over the week, she's found it's best to sew the body sides to the body front - from under the beak to the tail, first.  She sometimes then sews the body back half-way to the tail, leaving an opening through which the stuffing is pushed. (MrsSF suggested we left the gap under the tail area, but Isobel found it easier - with her arthritic fingers - to do it via the back).   Then the whole Duck's body is turned inside out and the stuffing pushed through and manipulated into place to produce a Duck Toy that looks like the middle one in the photograph below.

The two feet are then sewn in place onto the body of each Duckling and then the COLDHAMCUDDLIES label is sewn under what looks like the tail of the Toy Bird.  That helps to make sure that the Toys stay more or less upright.  They can also be "persuaded" to stay that way by some pressure being applied from on top of the body!!


Then the wings - you can see them on the right of the middle toy in the picture above - are each lightly stuffed and sewn into place on each side of the body, and you are left with the completed Toy - ready to take "wing" to wherever.....

Here are the completed original three Ducklings.  One, as I've said already, has been sent to MrsSF (the one in the middle of this photograph, actually.)  The one on the right of the picture was the one selected by AB, son of MrsHB - who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada -  and is the lady who ordered one of the Ducklings almost immediately it was first listed in our Shop a week ago, yesterday.  The third one, who was provisionally booked by one of Isobel's friends at Mass last week, is still with us.  but has been joined by two more fully-fledged Duckling toys, with another in the process of being made.


Here's how they look in our Etsy Shop (link given earlier in this post) - beginning with the one just above us.  Then:-

A side view of the Duckling Toys

The Ducklings from the rear

The Duckling Alberta-bound.

And finally, the Duckling on the left of this final photograph is the one that has now landed in Worcester, UK.

We also received an order, early last week, for one of our Fox Hand Puppets this week - see below

A similar Hand Puppet Toy to this Coyote, but with a  Fox Head instead.

The one chosen from the Shop had recently found a Forever Home, and what with Ducklings and Chickens, Isobel had not had time to replace it.  So the Order will be fulfilled and sent off after Easter.  It will still reach it's intended destination in good time - and well before the official dispatch date on the Order itself (which is not until the end of April).


 Isobel is due to spend the Easter week-end in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire,  with her daughter, Philippa.  This time - as she's only going to be away for 5 days, and has a busy schedule of activities already fixed down there - she's not taking the computer with her.  Thus, there will be NO BULLETIN from here next Sunday.  I shall be in charge of the Shop - supervising the Toys from my spot on Isobel's bed.


So I'll close this post by wishing you ALL a very Happy Easter, and look forward to telling you about the Fox Hand Puppet and the preparatoons for its final destination - Santa Cruz, California, U.S.A. - in two weeks' time.


Until then, have a wonderful holiday Everyone.


Cy Bear, Your Furry Friend.