Brr Bear Renovation Project - the next stage

Hello again - Cy Bear here, being allowed to tell you what has been happening to my friend Brr Bear. In our last post, Isobel left him waiting for a bath, I believe, and I am pleased to tell you that the dousing happened later that evening.  He was soaked in a lukewarm bath with a soapy substance especially meant for "delicate" fabrics.  His pieces spent the whole night in the solution, and early next morning, he was thoroughly rinsed until there were no suds left and then Isobel stretched and pulled each piece back into shape and they were hung on a rack to dry.  Here is a picture to show you what I mean!

In the interim, while they dried, Isobel had a conversation with Mrs. DK, Brr Bear's Best Friend.  It was agreed that the wood stuffing used to stuff the muzzle area of Brr Bear's face should be used again, that his eyes would definitely be brown, but bigger than the ones that had been taken out and the growler to be placed within his torso was also chosen.  However, when Isobel got back home, she realised that she had more than one version of a brown eye!  So, she sent a sample of each to Mrs. DK for her to choose and the answer was received by telephone this morning.

So, while Isobel was waiting, she actually cut out and started sewing another Bear Glove Puppet - this time a Brown Bear - who by the look of it is going to resemble my good self!  He's not made of Beaver Lamb like me, but a nice soft dark brown plush fur fabric (whose label is Bruno, actually - which I am told is a bear type name!)  We'll post about him another time, because this is supposed to be all about Brr Bear, but you may be interested to know that the body is completed, as is the head.  They've just got to be put together, once the ears have been put in place.

Then last night, Isobel suddenly realised that it was already Monday evening and Brr Bear was supposed to be ready to be handed over on Friday.  So, she got a move on, and ironed all Brr Bear's pieces, drew a cardboard template of all of them and then transferred them on to the mohair fabric that we'd got from Bear Basics a few days ago.

Taken under electric light - hence the yellowish tinge to the fabric!

One thing that Isobel noticed when she was deconstructing and washing Brr Bear was how on some pieces the way the fur laid on the fabric differred.  Now Isobel takes a great deal of trouble to ensure that all our fur is lying facing the same direction.  In this picture - of Brr's arms as it happens - the fur is going in two different directions - can you see?

Now I know one arm is the left one and the other is the right one, but even so, it must have been very uncomfortable for Brr Bear  to have his fur going in two different directions at the same time. It was the same for both sides of his face, too.   But then, if it was always that way, perhaps he did not realise it should not have been like that! Isobel is making sure that his new coat has the fur going the same way, all over. (By the way, this is the colour Brr Bear was after his bath!)

Also, talking of his new coat, because we've now learned that Brr Bear arrived in Mrs. DK's life "circa 1953-ish", and he was made by a well-known  British bear factory called Chad Valley (who are not around any more),  it does mean that he may well not be the exact colour he was before he was deconstructed.  Bear Basics provides mohair which is made by the well-known bear-making company Steiff Schulte and they may well use different goats and other materials to those that were used in the 1950's by Chad Valley to make Brr and his friends.  He will still be creamy brown and very soft and furry, but not exactly the same.  But, Mrs. DK has been warned and is ready for it!

Having drawn the pattern on to the selected fabric, Isobel then cut out the new pieces, and put them on top of Brr Bear's original pieces, matching each bit in turn.  She then placed the cardboard templates on top of the various piles - all ready to begin sewing him up, as and when she knew what colour eyes Brr Bear was going to have.  Now she does know, the construction process can begin - and, in fact, it already has.  His head has been sewn up and the wood stuffing put into the muzzle.  His body is ready to be stuffed and waiting for the growler to go in.  Next Isobel will sew up his arms, legs and ears and then the fun bit begins:  putting all the bits together.  So she's going to stop me twittering on, so she can get on with the job!

Here, before I go, is a picture of the template piles awaiting attention (before the head was sewn).  Till the next time! Cheerio.  Cy Bear.

And another thing.... because Mrs. DK's  bedroom is being "done" - to quote her - Isobel now doesn't have to deliver Brr for another week!  That's so good, because she didn't like the thought of rushing to have him finished by this coming Friday!  It also means that we can get to know each other before he finally leaves us!  I like that - as the official ColdhamCuddlies mascot (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com)

Brr Bear Renovation Project - Deconstruction process

We've been talking about Brr Bear and his proposed treatment in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) in several posts during the last few days:  so, here is the first post about the actual process.

This is what he looked like upon arrival in the Clinic towards the end of July this year.  The delay in starting his treatment has been due to the fabric supplier for his new coat being on vacation the whole of August, and because there were other patients already in the Clinic undergoing treatment.  Therapy is offered strictly on a first-cum-first-served basis, or strictly in order of arrival.

Brr Bear sitting in Tommy Teddy's lap, both  being welcomed by Cy Bear

The first step was to send an ear off to Susan at Bear Basics to see if she was able to match his existing coat.  It's a little worn, but not nearly as bad as Ed Ted when he arrived in the clinic in early July.  By the way, Tommy Teddy is a Morrell Bear, who has been in the family since the early 1970's.  He's travelled to Western Canada and back to the UK, and even went to Belgium for a spell while my elder daughter was working there, so can be described as a "well-travelled" toy.  He was an interesting pale apricot and blue bear when new and has been sent to see if he can have a complete make-over so that he doesn't continue to let down the Bear Team back in the UK.  He arrived here at much the same time as Brr Bear, and his ear was sent off at the same time to Bear Basics.  Alas his coat match is proving more difficult to achieve.  Bear Basics has nothing to offer, but am very pleased to say that a piece of  Steiff Shulte 17mm Old Cream Windswept Finish Mohair fabric is ready and waiting to be used to renovate Brr Bear and give him a new long-term future.  Meanwhile, the search to complete Tommy Teddy's treatment goes on - with some light at the end of the tunnel, I'm pleased to be able to report.

Brr Bear while waiting for his new coat material to arrive

Now that the Glove Puppet project has been launched - but not yet listed on the www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com shop site (we're waiting for a few more to be constructed before we do so) - Brr Bear has occupied my full attention.

His sample ear came back and has joined the rest of his pieces, which have now been taken to pieces, prior to being washed.  He has accumulated "wear and tear" dust over the years he's been sitting on his Best Friend, Mrs. DK's bed, had an eye replaced - but in the wrong place, and his paw pads in particular needed replacing, as they had badly frayed.  His coat has several bare patches as well.  Mrs DK also mentioned he once had a voice:  so he will be given back  a growler, as I now have a selection in stock.  Later this week, a conversation will be held between Mrs.DK and myself so that final instructions concerning Brr Bear's reconstruction can be carried out, and she can then choose the right voice tone to be placed within his body when it is stuffed.  Meanwhile, here are some more pictures of Brr Bear - as he currently is:

This one shows Brr Bear's face (right front of picture, next to the unpicking tools),  then in the front centre is the crown and on the left of that his two ears.  Behind them is part of his body (the other half is just out of the picture, but is definitely there!), his two arms come next and on the right at the back of the photograph are his two legs pieces.  They are all inside out, waiting to be first scrubbed with a brush to remove the remaining kapok stuffing before they are washed.  Otherwise, the sink would get severely blocked, as over the years, the stuffing has collapsed and now looks like this:

I've had to put it into a plastic bag, as otherwise it would fly all over the place.  Taking it out was quite difficult and I spent a lot of time sneezing and coughing with the dust and broken down stuffing material.  Though very soft, it was very flighty!  It is destined for the garbage, together with the cotter pins and old growler once this post is complete.  We have no need for any of them now.

You will have noticed the pair of red pliers in the tool kit:  these are a vital component of getting the cotter pins out of any bear I've found.  You can see the collection of 5 different ones I've extracted from Brr Bear's arms, legs and where his head and body were joined and found when getting them separated that the original construction was nothing if not scrappy.  Put it this way - it's not to the standard I offer and it amazes me that Brr Bear has lasted as well as he has!

The final photograph for this post shows the rest of Brr Bear's innards as it were - the cotter pins, the existing non-operating growler (interestingly the current growlers are just as big - which makes the job of selection a lot easier!) - the hard wooden chip stuffing which make up his muzzle and the blue eyes (two of them - Mrs. DK was under the impression that one of his eyes had been brown originally, but when extracted, they turned out to be blue, but not the same pattern - which would account for the misunderstanding).  I'll have to establish whether or not she wants the replacements to be brown or I could still re-use the mismatched ones.  Also, as the wood stuffing is in quite good condition, will she want it put back (which I'm happy to do) or will she go with a stiff, clean polyester fibre stuffing which is my preferred option for any toys with which I am connected. 

Now the next step is to clean up the little chap and see where we go from here.  till the next post then.
                                                                            Isobel

Two projects completed - fast!

Goodness, gracious me!  This is Cy Bear back again - so soon!  However, Isobel wants to get on with sorting out Brr Bear.  She has been able to complete the first Glove Puppet we have been posting about just recently.  She has also managed to take a photograph of Rupert, so we decided to do a quick post this evening - because it may be a day or two before we have anything to show you (probably, the end of the week at least).

First of all, as promised when we finished last night, here are  a couple of pictures showing Rupert with his new patched cheek - hiding that nasty burn he had before.

This one is a close-up of the little chap:

Then Isobel took a full length one - which does show that the patch does not stand out too much!

Isobel thinks that Rupert would look almost as though there is nothing wrong if the fur was cut back a little.  However, she is going to leave that delicate operation for Rupert's Mum to do - if she wants to!

Now, to the first Glove Puppet - Isobel did not have as much trouble as she had anticipated completing this project.  Putting in the finger guide went in reasonably easily, as she used the one that had been in the Sooty look-alike, and treated it like she was putting in a neck joint into a fully grown bear - like me, if my head moved (which, of course, it does not).  She fitted the guide in half-way, leaving sufficient space for the body (or glove bit) to be sewn on to the lower part of the guide, and then she sewed the head to the glove.  Then she sewed on the paw pads.  Here is a quick picture of  our Golden Bear Glove Puppet - think we'll have to borrow a hand to show him off properly, but it does give you an idea of the finished project.

I think he looks rather splendid - and am looking forward to meeting the next two or three glove puppets, once Brr Bear is completed.  Isobel thinks one will be a Panda Bear glove puppet - using up the black ears she had cut out originally and then she'll do a Brown Bear glove puppet using up the brown ears she cut out at the same time.  (By the way, there are already 8 finger guides made up for use in the future puppets!) We'll probably be listing them in the shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com when we've got a series to introduce.

Until then, you (and I) will have to be patient.  Bye for now!  Cy Bear.