Christmas Came Early, together with an update or two

March 9th, 2013:  While going through my Posts to refer to an old Post about Fred Bear, discovered I had somehow now posted the following draft.  Was absolutely sure I had.  So, just to boost the number of posts on file, here is a post that should have been published in September/October 2012.  Sorry about that!


Having got Bustards out of my system, the time has now come for me to bring some updated news of Cuddlies' friends, currently Patients in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) who  have recently featured in my daily activities here in Heytesbury.

Fred Bear - has been undergoing long-term treatment in the Clinic:  when his initial assessment and treatment were described on August 18, the post ended with his being de-stuffed ready for his new polyester fibre innards to be added and his paws replaced.  I had sent three sample fabrics which were in my stock for Fred’s Best Friend to  choose from. In a follow-up post, mention was made that Best Friend, PatC’s older sister was going to provide more suitable fabric, but there would be a time lag before that could be supplied.  He spent his time in a plastic bag, to keep off any fluff from my other projects, and once the chosen leather had arrived (last week just as I completed the treatment of Sleepy Kitten - September 12).  This is how Fred looked  prior to his treatment beginning again.

But before any further updates, I thought you’d like to see what I’ve recently received in the form of new fabrics for future Cuddlies.  Presumably, like me, you love the materials with which you craft in all your wondrous ways.  Yesterday, I had to replenish my polyester Fibrefill stocks and was kindly driven to my stockist, Fine Quality Feather Company in Frome by one of my fellow residents here at The Hospital of St. John.  There, together with four kilo bags (8.8lbs) of the fibre, I found an equally large bag of off-cuts ready for me to rifle through once I had got home.  This is what I mean by Christmas coming early!  There’s nothing more satisfying in my book than pulling out pieces of material, feeling their quality and imagining them as completed Cuddlies!

Here are some photographs of my haul from this quarter:

Velveteen and Tweed fabrics

Selection of Furs and Velvet, with Fat quarters of poplins

Rolls of Tweed and velveteen, with more Fat Quarters

But, it didn’t just finish there!

Daughter Clare had a birthday earlier in the week and decided, as part of her day, that she would like to have a wander around a Fabric Warehouse in a town where she went to school when we returned from Canada in 1987.  She’s developing a crafting business of her own, and is also in charge of a Memory Quilt project in which different versions will be recycled using Peter’s old shirts, ties, and pyjamas.  These are destined, when completed, for her sister, herself and me, and, depending on how the materials stretch, to other members of our extended family. 

In addition, her passion for crochet and knitting is going to form the basis of an Etsy business, which is in it’s infancy, but will be undertaken with a good friend of hers based in Nottingham itself.   But, I digress:  whilst the Warehouse did not come up to expectations on her behalf, she found some interesting fat-quarters of cotton poplin which she thought would make great dresses for the Lady ColdhamCuddlies - and they too arrived yesterday!  They can be seen on top of the Frome materials, pictures of which follow.

Then today, Fred Bear’s Best Friend, PatC sent me two semi-complete Pigs (requiring dresses - one a girl and the other a boy) which currently need to have their heads and bodies sewn together and their clothes made.  PatC is regrettably losing her ability to sew these days (without divulging her age, she is well over a decade ahead of me - and is, alas, suffering from  Macular Degeneration) so has donated the Pigs, and their cut-out apparel,  requesting they be treated as ColdhamCuddlies.  Of course they will be,  and PatC has provided the pattern for future editions as well. (She has just informed me that I can look forward to further supplies of leather and other suitable fabrics and edgings (from her sister), as well as similar goodies from her!  My - what to look forward to?  Just hope I have enough space to accommodate it all!)

Accompanying these two newbies, were bags of multi-coloured leather off-cuts (many sufficient for pairs of boots!) and felt pieces (suitable for Lady Cuddlies shoes) - which I have not photographed, but will appear as costumes for future members of the ColdhamCuddlies Family. 

I am now pleased to tell you that Fred’s treatment has been completed and he left Heytesbury on Tuesday, September 18 to travel back to his Forever Home in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.  A full description of his further treatment will form a blog shortly, which will be in the capable paws of Cy Bear, who has not had a look-in of late:  and is letting me know about it, as well!  (Fred has arrived home safely, is sitting happily in his favourite chair and has growled his satisfaction to have completed his treatment)

The Lop Eared Rabbit Arm Puppet has been taken to pieces, had a bath and is now almost re-sewn:  his treatment has been photographed too, and he too will feature as a full post shortly.  Cy Bear may well be in charge of that bulletin as well.  Meanwhile, here is a shot of him lying in his luke-warm bath!

So, no more for this evening!  Cy Bear will be with you shortly, and I’ll get back to my sewing.  Good night, and God Bless!  Isobel

Following the Go Bustard Trail - A follow up post

Having recently waxed lyrical about Buttons, the Bustard (September 7, 2012 post), one day last week, when the autumnal weather was at it’s best - sunny, but not too warm, but above all - dry)  I decided to give the toy-making a rest for a few hours and set off, using my trusty Free ‘Bus Pass to get me to Warminster, in order to follow what is known as The Go Bustard Trail.

First place of call was to “Think Outside the Box”, where Buttons resides.  There I was given the official form which lists all twelve entrants in the competition - which I now find actually ends with the prize-winner being announced on Saturday, October 6 - the first day of the Warminster Festival.   The entrants all have their names in one column and their Post Code (Zip) in another.  Great, if one knows how to decipher Post Codes.

 (October 6 also happens to be the day that the ColdhamCuddlies will be exhibiting at the Craft Fair being organised as part of said Warminster Festival - the biggest event so far in which we’ve taken part ).  
 
Thus, once off the ‘bus from Heytesbury, my first port of call was to the local Tourist Information Centre.  Whilst very willing to help, they did not have as much information as my next port of call, the Warminster Library, conveniently located on the other side of the Central Car Park.  As I was one of the first people in that morning, the staff were not as rushed as they can be later, and one was kind enough to put all the 12 postcodes into her computer and I was thus given most of the likely spots where  the Great Bustard statues could be found.  Some are located outside Warminster itself, so I decided that all within walking distance might give me an idea about Buttons’ competition  - so off I set.

The first one did not require too much of a hike:  he was located just next to the computer from which the post code locations were spewing forth.  He is called Percy and looks like this.

Green and Gold  is the theme of this Great Bustard entry:  green background and signatures of library customers and their friends (for which a small fee was levied - this being the  Library’s fund-raising venture.)  Destination of the funds raised were not divulged, but could well be for the Bustards re-introduction project I mentioned in my previous post about Buttons.

Percy from a different angle

Just a few steps away, in one of the small shopping malls in Warminster, I came across “Jigsaw”.

His picture is somewhat blurred because he is located in an empty shop window, and the only way I could photograph him was through the glass window.  We all know what happens when one does that - and this is no exception.  However, you can get an idea of what he looks like - and there was a helpful notice placed nearby which says:

“Jigsaw, The Great Bustard, is a result of a project involving Warminster Police Community Support Officers, Youth Development Centre (YDC) and W.A.V.E.   (Sorry, but I don't know what this acronmym stands for, but a Community Support Officer forms part of the local police force, but without the full powers of a qualified police officer).

The Warminster Area Board were approached for funds to purchase the bird and they readily approved the grant application.  Coates and Parker (publishers of The Warminster Journal, as well as the only Stationers in town) contributed some of the paint for the project and two local artists assisted in overseeing the painting. 

Members of W.A.V.E  and the YDC were asked to submit designs for Jigsaw and were then given the opportunity to paint their designs in the puzzle piece.  All designs are relevant to Warminster and the exciting year of 2012.” 

(In the UK, we’ve had the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, as well as the Olympic and ParaOlympic Games in 2012, not to mention various local projects as well, so to call 2012 an exciting year is a fair enough description, methinks!)

Just a short distance from Jigsaw I came across Cordath.

He was placed on the pavement, outside the Town’s ironmonger (a wonderful shop  - a veritable Aladin's Cave - where one can get everything but the kitchen sink, including supplies for D.I.Y. and sugar craft, to name but two items).  He’s on the pavement, closely padlocked to a convenient lamp post  - which may be useful to keep him in place, but makes photography a somewhat difficult undertaking, especially when the lamp post is next-door to scaffolding.  However, I did manage to get a couple of pictures of him.

He, too, had a convenient notice giving some interesting facts about him -

Artist:  The Frostick Family.  Sponsors:  SL. Cordons (the ironmongers), Le Café Journal, Warminster and District Film Society, Athenaeum Limelight Players, Kumon Study Centre, Athaeum Masqueraders, Warminster Philatelic Society, The Athanaeum Friends and the Athenaeum Trust.

 (The Athanaeum is the local Theatre - a historic building - which is the venue for many town activities, some of whom are included as Cordath’s sponsors.)

The next port of call found me looking for the Minster (one of the four Anglican churches in Warminster) Primary School, which was somewhat further towards the “other end of town”.  Having remembered the location of the street where the school is situated, (The Tourist Centre had kindly shown me a town map) I eventually found it, and then had to find my way in.  Getting into schools can be quite difficult, if one does not have a connection, but fortunately my visit coincided with the morning break, and the children were haring about in the courtyard getting rid of surplus energy. (Wish I had some of it, these days!) 

Going up to one of the adults supervising this energy, I was told I’d have to ask the Head Mistress if a photograph could be taken, because Emwell spends all his time in the School Assembly Hall.  The helpful adult kindly took me towards the Head’s office, but we met  as she was on her way out.  Having established my credentials and requested her permission, she was kind enough not only to let me in to see Emwell, but was also prepared to have her photograph taken beside him.  (Is it just me, or are Head Mistresses getting to look more like their charges than I ever remember any of mine ever doing?)

Anyway, here is Emwell in all his glory - he will be returning to live in the Hall once the competition is over - and is the product of the childrens’ designs, which were converted into how this Great Bustard now appears by a local artist, Hilary Jackson - who often just happens to sit behind me in St. George's R.C. Church (so, perhaps this one could also be described as an Ecumenical project?)!  I think the children did a great job, as did Hilary in preparing Emwell for exhibition.  (The school is situated in Emwell Street, so, presumably, hence his name?)

By this time, it was getting rather close to the time for me to catch my ‘bus home to Heytesbury.  All the walking round town had got my appetite going and it was getting a bit close to lunch time!  However, the next destination was on my way to the ‘bus stop, so it was no hardship to call in at the Civic Hall and make the acquaintance of Bertie Bloomer, the Great Bustard.


He is the product of an artist named Maureen Lakey and he has been decorated to raise funds for MENCAP and Gateway - two mental health charities:  one national (the former) and the other, a local one.

Here are another two views of Bertie.

 I have to say, even though my support still remains firmly behind Buttons, Bertie Bloomer does run him a very close second. If there were to be a third place, I think it would go to Emwell.    I’m just glad I don’t have to make the ultimate judgement.

Buttons - just as a reminder!

Wonder what your thoughts are on these splendid artistic creations?  I’ve managed to find, and visit, six out of the twelve.  The others are either not visible at times that I am in Warminster, or are located in premises in the surrounding villages which are not accessible by my local ‘bus service, and thus require a car to reach them.  However, six out of twelve is a sufficiently representative selection for me to make up my mind, so I shall be submitting my vote before the September 30 deadline.  They have to be placed at either Coates & Parker (see above - in Jigsaw‘s descriptive paragraphs) or the Library, where Percy reigns supreme.  Indeed, if you look at Percy's portrait, there is a box on his plinth, where some folks have already deposited their votes.  There is also a prize for the member of the public who both picked the winner and saw the most entrants.  The actual prizes are a Family Day Out either at The Hawk Conservancy (as the name suggests, a local tourist attraction) and seeing the real, live Bustards in their habitat on the Salisbury Plain.  A "family" is defined as two adults and two children, so that rules me out!

The competition result will be reported after October 6 - and will probably feature in my post about the Craft Fair on that day at which, hopefully, some of the ColdhamCuddlies will be finding their Forever Homes.

This is a monster post - but it's difficult to see how it could be presented in serial form.   Normal service - latest on the toys, both old and new, and  less voluminous content - will be forthcoming shortly.  Meanwhile, cheerio for now!  Isobel

Sleepy Kitten - latest Nottinghamshire Patient has had his/her treatment!

Sleepy Kitten (SK for short) was one of the five or six patients who travelled to Heytesbury with me earlier in the year, having spent their previous lives as residents in  PamL’s Toy Box.  (PamL is my son-in-law’s Mother).  Other residents have included Little Brown Ted and Long Legged Tiger, whose treatment - and subsequent phoenix-like emergence as Little Sleepy Teddy (Etsy Listing #107350815) and Tigger Long-Legs (Etsy Listing #108763404) - have recently featured in posts here at www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com.  It’s just been SK’s turn, and I thought you’d like to see how he’s turned out after undergoing therapy in the ColdhamCuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185).

Upon arrival, there was not much wrong with him, other than that he required a good wash and brush up, which involved him being de-stuffed, taken to pieces (so that I could then create a template for future use as a ColdhamCuddlies Family member - I’ve already got a commission for a Black Plush version, even before one has been made in White Plush fabric!)  Must confess, it was originally my intention to just wash and re-stuff Sleepy,  but when the order came through, I changed my mind pretty rapidly!

Here is SK fully made and ready for his journey back to Nottinghamshire:

Taking him apart was in the end not an option, because whoever had been responsible for making him in the first place - he was an original hand made Toy - had clearly got a little lost when finishing the body and sewing on the head.  The seams were all over the place, with the result that he had ended up somewhat smaller than he now is.  His seams are now under control and he actually does not look as tired as he did.  That resulted in my calling him Sleepy Kitten.  Any ideas as to what he should now be called? 

The head could only be taken to bits as far as the muzzle - because both eyes and the nose were original safety backed items, which once fitted, never come out.  However, even I could make a pattern with the head in its shape (seen in the right centre of the next picture) with both the fabric pieces and the cardboard template arranged on my ironing table, set up in my work room.  This also acts as the second bed-room when guests overnight with me.  The stripey background that has occasionally featured in my previous tutorials is the mattress of the fold-away bed!

Here is a close-up of SK in pieces

Once washed, SK is now a definite White, rather than a grey-white figure, and his stuffing has been thrown away.  It was nylon based material which was used to replace Kapok in the latter years of the 20th Century by toy-makers looking for a material which allowed toys to be washed.  Whilst Kapok did not allow such action, this nylon stuff seemed to be answer to all toymaker’s prayers (at least to me, anyway).  However, it was highly inflammable if exposed to heat, so thank goodness polyester fibre has now replaced it!  I don’t use anything else, and find the resulting firm, but soft, feel is a much more acceptable result than I was able to offer previously.  SK now is softly springy and really cuddly:  previously, he was rather rigid.  He is made in a wool fabric, rather than a plush one.  It's going to be interesting to see what he will look like made up in plush versions.

Here are the prepared cardboard templates, with instructions for me to follow the fabric nap, and the number of pieces required,  ready for use in future versions of SK, whether Black or White Plush, or even, White Fleece - which could well be another option for this little fellow.

This photograph shows SK with his newly sewn head, complete with floppy ears, stuffed and ready for attaching to the newly sewn up body, with its tail sewn in place, but waiting to be turned inside out.

Next, the head awaits the body being stuffed, prior to being attached firmly in place - on a slightly side-ways slant.

Now the head and body are together, and SK is ready to join the rest of the gang waiting to return home.

There are just two more Toys to be treated - Loppy Ears, the Arm Puppet, who is next on the list,, and Blue Teddy Bear, who will just get a wash and brush up (which means a complete re-stuff - as he has polystyrene balls inside him, and I’m not a fan of that kind of material either!). 

Blue Teddy Bear is not going back to Nottinghamshire.  Instead, when he has been treated, he is going to be a Raffle Prize - in support of The Journalists’ Charity.  Dear Peter was a life member, and we’ve been helped by them several times in the past.  So, he and another Cuddly (who that will be has yet to be decided) will be going to help raise funds in return - hopefully in time for various Christmas events being held for such purposes around the UK. 

I’ll keep you posted on both the upcoming treatments before the two toys go their separate ways, but meanwhile, must end so that I can get on with taking Loppy Ears to pieces.  Goodnight all - hope everyone is well, and look forward to our next meeting soon.  Isobel