Cuddlies Slippers - the final installment!

Good evening once again Everyone! 

 Cy Bear signing in for the final post about the Cuddlies Slippers - at least for the time being.  Hope you're not getting bored with the whole idea - because from what I can see of Isobel, they are definitely THE NEXT THING as far as ColdhamCuddlies and their www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies site is concerned!

In one of my latest conversations with you, I mentioned that Isobel had got two custom orders for slippers from KatherineV our next-door neighbour here in Heytesbury.  This time, it was for some UK Ladies Size 7 Slippers for her other daughter.  Isobel was told that they did not need to have quite as much material for this version, and that she was quite happy for us to provide another set of Rabbits, or any other animal we fancied.  However she did add that this daughter was a person who "turned herself out well" and was "conscious" of her appearance, so Isobel decided to make some Panda Bear Slippers, and trim them with black and white checked ribbon.  She also thought the bow should be somewhat smaller, and provide a neater finish.

So here are the Panda Bear Slippers at various points in their appearance on the ColdhamCuddlies stage.

The heads were made first - using our existing Panda Bear pattern, and cutting the seams so that the finished head was slightly smaller than those appearing on our full-sized Panda Bear (Etsy Listing #55269914).   They are very much smaller than the one used for our Golf Club Head Cover featuring a Panda (Etsy Listing #1072411362), not to mention our Panda Bear Glove Puppets (Etsy Listing   #91356474).

This is the insole base we use to build the slipper.  It is actually a "memory" insole and somewhat thicker than some other insoles available in relevant Warminster outlets.  But there is a choice of sizes on the one base, and Isobel cuts out the size she needs for the slipper she is working on.  These need to have the water resistant covering tacked on before the sides of the slippers are attached.

We decided to take the photographs in a different location this time.  These were set on the sideboard in the dining area of the flat, with the silver salver presented to Isobel when she retired from being a District Commissioner for the Canadian Girls Guides in 1986.  That event took place when Peter and Isobel decided to return to the UK (after 12 years of trying to get back - because the Alberta winters were becoming too hard for the family to handle)  In the event it was another year before that actually happened.  However, as we then moved to another part of Edmonton shortly after the presentation, the outcome was the same!

The slippers are lined with white fleece fabric (used originally to make the White Fleece Baby Rabbits featured under Etsy Listing #89020911).  At that time we also made other Baby Bunnies in Purple, Pink and Blue Fleece, some with White Fleece chests and others all self colour.  They've proved very popular when Isobel has taken them to Craft Fairs and Bazaars - because they are just the right price (and size) for Little People to buy for themselves when they attend these events.

That brings me to the end of the Ladies Slipper Saga:  we've now got two sample pairs of Childrens Slippers ready for listing,  They are the Small and Medium-sized versions and feature Foxes and a new animal Cuddly Friend, a Leopard (complete with lots of spots).  The Large Kids' size is next on the production programme, and then there will be a break in Slipper production for a while.

Here's a preview:

The Foxes are made in the Small Kids' size:  the Leopards are Medium sized.  They can of course be inter-changeable.  I'm just curious to know who is going to appear to represent the Large Childrens' size!
Believe me, I'm the last one to know what happens in the world of ColdhamCuddlies!

We have three Bear Patients awaiting treatment in the Stuffed Animal Restoration Clinic (Esty Listing #79124185) and we've decided that their needs require attention before any more Slippers are produced.  Isobel has not been neglecting them, but has been having trouble in acquiring fabric to match one Bear, who is a Winnie the Pooh look-alike (called - what else - Pooh Bear!)  However, earlier this week, she was finally able to find the type of Poodle Fur fabric from which Pooh Bear was originally crafted - even though it was definitely not a colour match!  Yesterday, at the weekly Produce Stall Sale in the Village Church, she was able to show PennyAB (agent on behalf of her two sons in the matter of the Bears' restoration) and was given the go ahead for the suggested therapy for Pooh.

His friend is made of similar  fur, but does not need as much treatment.  He's a Brown Bear (known as such) and a few years younger than Pooh Bear.  They will doubtless feature in future posts, and I hope I'll be able to tell you about what happens to them, myself.

Here's an introductory view of the Clinic Patients shortly after they arrived a few weeks ago.  Bernard Bear (in the centre of the picture)  is still waiting for his Forever Friend to decide exactly how much treatment he wants Bernard to undergo.  Certainly, like the other two, he will need two new eyes.  Why is it I wonder that my Bear Friends' Forever Friends seem to "attack" their right eyes?  All three of these new Friends require that therapy - and they come from two different families!  Because they would look odd with different eyes, they will all three need to have two brand new eyes put in for starters.

Isobel has just told me that these will feature in a post quite soon, but until then, I'll close for tonight.  Good Night - and I do hope you all have a great week!  We've been told to expect a heatwave for a few days - so, with my Beaver Lamb fur, I'm keeping as still as possible sitting on Isobel's bed which is in the shady part of the flat, most of the time.

Be back with you all soon!  Cy Bear.

Cuddlies Slippers - the next stages

Goodness me, just how the time does fly!!  Here is Cy Bear again , almost a week since I was telling you about how the Cuddlies Slippers  have come to be produced.

Here are the three components of the slippers - body, head and ears ready to be put together and made into the final product.

Once the head was sewn on, Isobel fixed the ribbon trim (a satin ribbon), which she then threaded elastic through, and hoped that that would help to keep the head sitting up, without flopping around.  In the event, LauraC did report some problems with both of them.  Please - remember, they were experimental in the first place - but Laura is such a whizz with the needle herself, she was able to correct the floppiness and they now look proper!

Here is the final slipper, with the bow tied up.  The bow covers  the place where the elastic has been sewn together.   Isobel left sufficient for LauraC to adjust the elastic to suit her own individual requirements.  This is something we've done for all the subsequent slippers that Isobel has made -

beginning with the Light Brown Rabbit Slippers (an English Ladies'  Size 6) - for our next door neighbour, KatherineV.  She has a little dog called Widget (a Boston Terrier) that Isobel looks after during the day whenever KatherineV is away for any length of time.  Widget did stay all day and night  with us when the arrangement first started, but lately, Isobel has been taking her back at night - so that the cat, who also lives next door, has some company at night.

 

But I digress:  here is another picture of one Light Brown Rabbit Slipper.  They have already been given to their intended recipient (one of KatherineV's daughters).  The only thing is that KatherineV's little grand daughter likes them so much that she seems to have taken them over.  She goes to bed with them on her pillow each night, apparently, and insists on wearing them as soon as she comes home from school.  They have to be tied on round the foot to make sure she doesn't fall in them, (she is only 8 years old!)  Think Isobel will have to get a move on with making some of the Children's Slippers she's planning on doing, so that the Little Person can have her own footwear, and thus allow Mum to get a look in!

Now this post has gone on long enough - so I'll close for tonight and get Isobel to do her usual thing about telling everyone who needs to know that this post has been published!    But before I go, the Small Kids Slipper sample has actually been finished:  she's done one of the Medium-sized pair, and is working on the second.  When all three are done, she will make the decision as to whether she will list them in the shop on Etsy  (www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies) as individual units (Small Kids' Slipper, Medium-Sized Slipper and so on) or as Kids Slipper, S.M.L. on one site.  Which would you think would be best, I wonder?

Meanwhile, Good Night everyone - until the next post, which will happen in between Isobel's endeavours with the Children's Slippers.  Cy Bear. 

Cuddlies' Slippers - Here's how they've been made to date.

Greetings everybody:

 Cy Bear here, now that Isobel is beginning to get over the computer troubles that have been plaguing us since the middle of March.  Am so glad that I don't have to be involved with such matters - it's so much nicer being the ColdhamCuddlies Mascot - and performing duties such as this!

Saying goodbye before the Golden Rabbit Slippers left for their new home

These Golden Furry Rabbit slippers (Etsy Listing 152976020) came to fruition after we'd been asked to provide a custom order for our friend, LauraC who lives in Florida, who badly wanted to have some  Slippers like these.  Isobel had never made any, but having been provided with the measurements so that the finished slippers would fit Laura, the production process got under way.  (Now that three sets have been listed, Isobel has included all the measurements she would like to have in order to get made-to-measure finished products that really do meet everyone's exact needs!)

The material used for the soles,  we actually had in stock.  It is waterproof on one side, and has a fleece lining on the other.  It had previously been used to make our Green Frog (Etsy Listing #116285186), but for the purposes of this experiment, Isobel decided to use some to see how it would work out.  We started the whole thing off by getting a  pair of  insoles and cut it to fit the UK equivalent of a Man's Size 10 foot (USA) (as requested).  Laura wanted it to cover her whole foot, plus socks in cold weather,  and gave us a measurement which actually took the slipper over her ankles.  There may be times when she's not living in Florida (but in a colder part of the USA) and a warm cuddly pair of slippers will come in handy.

Step One looked like this

Then Isobel added the other side and a panel at the back, cutting out matching pieces of the Gold Plush fabric and the waterproof material - with the fleece lining on the inside.  The slipper then looked like this:

The seams were then sewn together - separately for each piece of fabric:  so the inner lining was sewn together first and then the outer shell (with the seams on the inside)  Isobel is keen not to have any chance of rubbing of skin occurring in the final product.  The next step was to add the furry insole so the slipper is really warm on the inside (as well as the outside), again, with no seams showing.

Since starting and completing the Golden Slippers, Isobel has made two more, different coloured slippers. LauraC was very pleased with her version, incidentally, and her comments have appeared on this blog earlier in proceedings.  However, I have to report that they frightened  her cats on arrival apparently!  Because of the computer problems, Isobel and Laura have not been communicating just recently, but on the strength of her first attempt, we've now completed another custom order for two different pairs  - this time for our next door neighbour, KatherineC.  One is for another pair of Rabbit Slipppers, in Brown Plush fur, with a mauve satin ribbon trim, and the other for a pair of Panda Bears.  These two will form the basis of the next installment of the Slipper creation story.

Till the next time, folks - it's good to be back blogging again. 

But before I go, Isobel has asked me to tell you that the other new project is also beginning to take shape (the distance learning course for her to become a Children's Writer).  Both of us are looking forward to this new adventure:  the ten unit course has arrived and Isobel sent off her Student Data File (which she had to fill in telling them all about her life and interests) which is designed to find a suitable Tutor to guide her through the course.  Isobel is determined not to let the new experience interfere with either her toy-making activities, nor our joint blogging - so, she's going to be busy!  We'll be keeping you informed, as ever.

Good night for the time being!  Cy Bear

Third Item in the Novelty Slippers range - 2013 New Product offering.

Just listed in our shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies, here is the third version of our new Novelty Furry Slipper offering.

Etsy Listing # 155281164

These were the third set of slippers that I have completed.  They are easily replicated and have been received with much amusement by their recipients, whose Mother decided they would make ideal "joke presents" for a special birthday this year!

Novelty Furry Slippers, for Children, Ladies and Men are  one of the new ColdhamCuddlies' product offer for 2013.  Whilst still in the experimental stage of production, these particular specimens have been made at the request of a  local customer here in Heytesbury, England, UK.   They took me between 3-4 days to make, so if anyone is looking for a similar pair for their wife, daughter or significant other, be happy to meet your requirements.  The pattern is based on slippers  made one Christmas for all the male members of my significantly large family - but those were made with felt, and didn't last as long as I believe these will.

They consist of an insole (this example has a memory foam base)  to which a Black Plush outer covering is lined with White Fleece.  The underside of the sole has a  waterproof  fabric complete with its own black fleece inner layer.  Both plush and fleece fabrics are then sewn to the insole.  The same black plush covers the insole, hiding the seams (illustrated here).

The plush and lining outer pieces are sewn separately and fitted together so the seams do not show - either on the inside or outside of the slipper.  A Panda Head is then created, with Safety Eyes, lined Ears and stuffed with polyester fibre infill which meets all international safety standards.  This is attached to top of the slipper where it meets the ankle.

 Once the head is attached, each slipper is finished off with a black and white checked  ribbon edging with  elastic threaded through the ribbon. Sufficient elastic is provided for adjustments to meet the individual requirements of the customer   The bow, which can be undone on each slipper, conceals the elastic fastening.

Animal heads do not necessarily have to be restricted to Pandas.  They can be selected from any of the Toys available in  the ColdhamCuddlies Shop.  Colours in which they are made can be the same as those currently displayed in our Shop or  also be individually selected.  Should the selected fabric not be in stock, this may add to the delivery time(s).

To ensure the finished product is "Made to Fit"  when ordering   the following information will be most helpful, but are  not absolutely vital.  The items highlighted with a ** ARE needed however.
 
(1)  Your normal shoe size. **
(2) Colour combination(s) - if different from those shown**
(3) If possible, a drawing of each foot - to accommodate individual shapes!
(4) Measurement of each foot from Toe to Ankle OVER the instep arch.
(5) Width of foot from side to side, OVER instep arch.
(6) Ankle circumference at top edge of slipper - to accommodate any possible swelling involved.

My snail mail address can be provided  when the order process has commenced, if scanning and other electronic means of communication are unavailable to you, the client.

Armed with this information, it should be possible for me to meet your very specific needs!  The resulting product should resemble the items shown here:

Slippers can be made for Children, Ladies and Men - once all the above information is provided for each person.

Prices are as follows:

Men's Slippers Size L-XXL         USD61.40 per pair

Special Fittings (All)                    USD84.40 per pair

Ladies Slippers (all sizes)            USD46.00 per pair

Childrens' Slippers (all sizes)       USD34.99 per pair - all sizes.  Small ones can be as difficult to sew as the      larger ones!

Recently added to the ColdhamCuddlies pattern line are slippers for Children and Men - which I'm very pleased to say are not that different from this third version for the Ladies!  The templates for all of them are now ready to be used on the fabrics, and production is about to begin.  Watch this spaces Ladies, Gentlemen - and Children too!

Be back with you all soon.  Isobel