The Promised Update on latest events

The Produce Sale in Heytesbury Parish Church took place as arranged, and I was given a nice space in which to display the smaller Coldham Cuddlies that have recently joined the family.  The space consisted of a trestle table which had been arranged on top of three church pews!  Very sturdy, but difficult to access without some agility on my part.  This involved hopping on to the seat of one pew and climbing over the back of the one in front, and lowering myself, via the kneeling bench, to floor level.  My Zumba classes have certainly helped, as it was not too difficult to accomplish, despite the concern of several of my fellow St. John's residents.  They clearly did not think me capable of such activity!  (Let you into a secret:  I wasn't sure myself, actually, but in the event, it was a cinch!)

Those being exhibited included the Hedgehog Family, The Owl Family (the latest was listed yesterday in our shop at www.Etsy.com/coldham cuddlies and has been named as Oliver Owlet, Etsy Listing #107123292 ), the replacement for Barry Beaver, and also the three prototypes Golf Club Head Covers - which will be listed later today, or over the week-end.  Black Gorilla was there too, but didn't seem to attract too much interest, but that may have been my fault, as he did get a little smothered by Baby Bunnies of different hues.

My two latest  Dressed Lady Bunnies were there too, with Jemima Bunny having a notice in front of her saying "Reserved:  Purchased in Mexico.  Destination:  Ontario Canada".  I'm waiting for a pattern for two bears, complete with their own uniforms (one a Policeman, I'm led to believe:  the other a Beefeater - of Tower of London fame!) and once they are made - if I can manage it - all three will go to Ontario together.  Will keep you all posted as and when!  Jemima was accompanied by the Halloween Bunny and they were both there to indicate the difference between one toy complete with a Carrot, and the other without.  (Naturally, a carrot can be added easily should a customer require it - but it will cost a little extra!)

MrDA-B, whom you may recall very kindly loaned me a Golf Club from his collection as a model, attended and was good enough to provide a customer test.  Pleased to report that all three passed with flying colours.  All were made with my existing Bear Head pattern, but appear as Golden Bear, Brown Bear and Panda Bear.  Now I'll try the same thing with a Rabbit's Head and the Fox's Head patterns, and have sent away for a Tiger toy, which I shall adapt along the lines I've done with Black Gorilla (BG - who featured in our post on August 12, 2012).

MrDA-B's  customer test consisted of putting his hand up through the tubular wool sock and confirming that, if needed, a bigger Club could be fitted into the space currently being occupied by his No.1 Driver.  He was also pleased with the elasticity displayed by my version of the Club's handle cover.  So, I  am now confident of introducing these new Cuddlies as full members of the Coldham Cuddly Family.

Here are photos of all three of them - not necessarily in order of preference or production:  just as they have been photographed:

The Golden Bear version:

Etsy Listing #107240612

The Panda Bear

Etsy Listing #107241362

The Brown Bear - I thought having a black handle cover would be just too much dark colour:  MrDA-B seemed to agree!

Etsy Listing #107242111

Our friend, Fred Bear still remains in a mutilated state as a Patient in the Soft Toy Clinic.  PatC, his Forever Friend, telephoned me early last week to say that during discussions between her sister and herself, both had come to the conclusion that my suggested fabric for his renewed paw pads was not entirely to their liking.  Elder sister, however, has got some delicate glove leather which she felt would be much more appropriate and both ladies wondered if I'd be prepared to wait until she returned home and searched for said leather.  Naturally, since they are the customers, there was no question of it being anything else but convenient!  (It did mean I could get on with the Golf Club Head Covers after all!)  So, as elder sister does not go back home until the end of August, and has difficulty getting around, seems it will be some time yet before Fred Bear can return home himself.  He's no trouble:  he's lying quietly in a corner, out of the way, so his further treatment report will have to wait too.

(Never being backward in coming forward, I did suggest that if elder sister had other fabrics that were looking for a home, and she considered them suitable for dressing future Cuddlies, I'd be more than happy to accommodate them as well as the promised leather!  Wouldn't you folks do the same?)

So, what did happen at the Produce Stall - other than an approval for the Golf Club Head Covers?  Not a lot really: except that almost at the end, one of my fellow stall holders came over and purchased one of the Baby Koalas - they really are a popular member of the Cuddlies Family!  So, the first venture into the 2012 selling arena was not entirely fruitless - especially as I really did not lay the toys out as well as I might have done.  Also, I was not expecting too much:  it was really an opportunity to show off the newbies, as well as rehearse for the real sales events later in the year.  The event really concentrates more on the provision of fresh bakery and garden produce, as well as a Raffle.  Last year I was quite lucky on the Raffle:  to date, this year, I have not!  Still there's a few weeks yet....  However, that means we have one less Koala in the Shop to sell:  although two more are still looking for Forever Homes!

Next thing on the agenda is the rehabilitation and creation of Tigger Long Legs and the Lop-Eared Bunny Arm Puppet.  Hope to have these up and ready for listing and sale in time for the 2012 Greatest Coffee Morning in the World (in aid of MacMillan Cancer research) due at Slater's Barn (as last year) on Friday, September 28.  So, off we go... until the next post!

Good bye for now.  Isobel

Litte Brown Ted's Therapy Programme

During Cy Bear's post on August 2 when he introduced some new Patients to the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79145185), he told you about Little Brown Ted (LBT for short).  Well, today's post is mainly about his treatment, but there are also some updates on other toys we've posted about lately as well.

First, though, as a reminder, here is LBT as he appeared on arrival from his long-term home in PamL's Toy Box in Nottinghamshire, England, UK:

 

The assessment of his condition concluded that LBT needed to be taken apart, destuffed, re-stuffed and sewn up again.  I also decided his presence in a different colour would be a real asset to ColdhamCuddlies Family, so while he was in pieces, I made a template for future use as Little Sleepy Ted.  I plan to make a several of him in the Golden Plush fabric which I've used in the past for the Hand Glove Puppets.


So, here is LBT in pieces, complete with all the stuffing with which he was shaped.  He was not as dirty as some of our previous patients, but still has benefited from this treatment.  His stuffing consisted of the nylon fibre that was available as an alternative to Kapok in the 1970's and 1980's, which proved to be inflammable if the item was placed near a live fire.  While LBT's stuffing was in pretty good condition, it did not provide the soft, cuddly feel that the polyester fibre fill I now use does, so it was consigned to the dustbin and at the appropriate time,  I filled him with the polyester equivalent.

The nylon fibre used had been packed in very tightly, which also contributed to his not being as cuddly as I like my bears to be.

Here he is, in pieces, drying out overnight:

Here is LBT with his head and body sewn up, waiting to be stuffed and joined together

Now, here is Little Brown Ted in all his current splendour.

While he was in pieces and being treated, I removed his original felt nose and eyes.  When I came to put him back together, they had mysteriously disappeared!  There are times when I am convinced that I have a friendly poltergeist living in my work room-cum-study-cum-second bedroom.  I'm always losing things and having them re-appear when they are no longer needed!  Wonder how many other folk suffer the same problem?

Anyway, to return to the subject of this post:  I cut out new black felt nose and eyes and attached them to the new version of  Little Brown Ted.  Although they are slightly bigger than the original, when compared with said originals (which did re-appear!), because LBT looks fluffier than he did on arrival, I have decided to retain the new facial features and think he looks a very handsome little bear.  He's got soft fur again, and he's very tactile.  His new little friends should enjoy playing with him in future.

Having said there are updates on other items mentioned in recent posts here on www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com, I think this post has gone on long enough.  So, I'll post about the updates next time around - which will be the week-end, after the upcoming Produce Sale at Heytesbury Parish Church.  I've been able to produce two prototype Golf Club Head covers and they will be on sale.  Will be listing them in the shop at www.Etsy.com/coldhamcuddlies next week - unless of course they've found new owners in the meantime!

Until then - thanks for all the nice comments recently received.  Good night, and God Bless!  Isobel

Promised Update about Black Gorilla and Little Brown Bear

In the post about Fred Bear and the first part of his rejuvenation (2012/08/08), mention was made of  Black Gorilla (BG for short) who arrived via E Bay so that I could take him to pieces and discover how he was made.    Originally, as shown in this photograph, he was a Golf Club Head Cover.;  and it has recently been suggested, these could well become a new branch for the ColdhamCuddlies Family but before proceeding I have been hesitant to proceed - until I knew more.

Having taken him apart, the decision has been made.  BG,  having completed the task for which he was purchased, will now be offered as a Hand Puppet, although only as an Associate Coldham Cuddly  because he is not handmade.  His label indicated he was made in China, and thus probably part of a long production line and machine made.  I've taken off the knitted part which covers the Golf Club shaft (more information about this shortly), and taken note of the dimensions involved.  I've made a template of the lining of the head piece.  Seemingly the Head Covers are stuffed a lot less firmly than for a normal ColdhamCuddlies toy and then the lining is stitched around the neck opening, with the knitted piece attached at the same time.  Hopefully, there should then be sufficient space for the Golf Club Head to be pushed into the head opening:  at least, that is the idea, anyway!   I'll be posting a step-by-step description of how I'm hoping to get it done - when it is done!

Meanwhile, here are some photographs showing how BG has been transformed:

Just a little surprised -  I'm 12" (30cms) shorter!

Still 12" (30cms) smaller:  but now from the rear

With the knitted part of the original Golf Club Head cover removed, BG required to be smartened up and converted to a Hand Puppet.  He's different from our usual ColdhamCuddlies Hand Glove Puppets, which tend to have a longer skirt beneath the head.  BG is all head and shoulders - like an ancient stone statue of similar proportions, but a woolly plush version instead.  He now has a finger guide added:

Finger guide now in place

I've also added a black seam binding and blind hemmed round the bottom of his shoulders.  Thus he is now ready to be offered as an Associate ColdhamCuddly to whomever would like to offer him a Forever Home.

Hello there!  Here's the new Me!

He will not be listed in our shop at www.Etsy.com/coldhamcuddlies as he does not comply with the need for being totally handmade.  Please contact me at www.Etsy.com/coldhamcuddlies via the Convo link, or by e-mail at coldhamcuddlies@tiscali.co.uk for prices (for BG plus shipping).

However there has been a major development.  Yesterday, while buying fresh vegetables and talking to the many kind folk who were enquiring after my well-being, I happened to mention my aim to have a prototype Golf Club Head Cover ready for the Produce Sale being planned for August 18.  As I said in my August 8 post, this is being organised by Church members who live here at The Hospital of St. John.  I was accordingly introduced to one of this week's Organisers, who also happens to be a regular golfer, and who - conveniently - resides just next door to the Church.

The gentleman very kindly broke away from what he was then doing, took me to his house - and Eureeka!  I now have a model Driver Club on which to actually create the Head Covers!  That's going to be a tremendous help as otherwise I'd have been working blindly without one.  The club can remain with me for "a week, a month, three months....however long you need it:  I don't now need it".  Apparently, Mr. DA-B now has a much more technological version of a Driver club, so that the one now with me has been consigned to the "back bag" (as opposed to back-burner).

Mr. DA-B was also kind enough to explain why such covers are needed.  When the clubs get shoved back into their slots in the heat of any golf match, as well as when they get carried about on the course, they slide about, and grate against the edge of the bag. Without the cover (and it's the knitted cover over the club shaft we are talking about now) the clubs get scratched and potential long-term damage can occur.  The manufacturers of these implements are now providing covers (which are not nearly as original or attractive - since they usually have a prominent logo somewhere on them) when clubs are sold.  Golfers are increasingly buying them, because Drivers now come with their own chips (latest technology here - a real eye opener for me I have to say!) which allow the players to adjust the height, angle of shot, etc. et al. so they are actively in the market for Head Covers.  (They are therefore an expensive replacement item, and owners need to care for them to justify this expenditure!)  Thus it would appear that there is indeed a real opportunity here for a ColdhamCuddlies invasion of the golf course!  Look out the Golfing World!

Having completed BG, the Quick Unpic has once again been wielded and an attack on the Little Brown Bear has taken place.  He's now been de-stuffed, washed and sewn up (with photographs taken at each stage).  This will form part of a future post:  (may be even the next one).  That will depend on when I can begin completing Fred Bear's on-going treatment.  While I wait for PatC's report on the decision(s) taken with her sister over the exact colour of Fred's paws, I will commence stuffing Little Brown Bear and getting him ready for his return journey to Nottinghamshire and his Toy Box home with PamL.

Meanwhile - here's to the next time:  by the way Followers are up to 203 (and we're hoping for more after the Liebster Blog Award) and at the last time of looking, the Blog has now had over 7,000 views.

 Thank you everyone for your continued support.  Bless you all.  Isobel