Here's the Story of the Memory Cats (now named the Grampy Cats).

Hello there Everyone! 

Cy Bear back again with two weeks missing in between!  One was - as ever - a technical hiccup:  the other Isobel started to do this post, and found she then had filed the photos for the finished Toy Cats destined for MsVS and the family in Tulsa somewhere on the computer - and couldn't then find them for including here!  We're hoping that we can conclude the story this time around.

Our last post ended with the hope that I'd be able to start telling you about the Cats - then called The Memory Cats.  These were the result of a commission by MsVS, daughter of Cuddlies Friend and Designer,  MrSS who sadly died earlier this year.  Isobel hadn't realised that he'd been living on borrowed time, so when the event took place, it was a bit of a shock.  Not only had MrSS been the "go-to" designer for Cuddlies for whom Isobel didn't have a pattern, but he'd also become our Best Buyer - by far, as he seemed to buy all the new models of our Clerical Bears - who can be seen here - https://www.etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies?section_id=27506818 - but also had been responsible for introducing his daughter and her family to the Cuddlies, as well as his Mother. 

The first Cat Head, as well as two of the 4 calico cut out bodies

Anyway, MsVS contacted Isobel in the early summer and asked if she would be prepared to make a Memory Cat if she sent us some of her Dad's favourite shirts to make them with.  After a battle to get the right price for the package sent to us in the UK - from Tulsa, Oklahoma - the fabric eventually arrived, and we were able to get started on the commission.  

As Isobel deactivated the order when it was completed, she's unable to give me a photo of the fabrics to show here.  It consisted of two shirts (one blue and one sports shirt in a lovely green colour, and a bit of a family joke fabric consisting of material with lots of yellow ducks - the kind that kids play with in baths).  Once Isobel understood the significance of the last item, she had great fun deciding exactly how to incorporate the ducks (which faced in all sorts of different directions on the material) - once she had unpicked both shirts so that she could use the fabrics without seams getting in the way.  (That wasn't an easy task, because both items were well constructed - and she also had to try to save some decals that were incorporated on the two shirts as well).

While undertaking the unpicking task, Isobel decided that instead of doing just the one Cat - as she had already decided - she was going to make the Cat using at least two, if not three, of her existing Toy patterns.  As she could think of at least 4 close family members who might like to be eventual Best Friends with  the Memory Cats (MrSS's Daughter, Grand daughter, Son and Mother), she began to plan her attack on the fabric and go for the full foursome.   

First to be cut out was a Lady Cat using the green shirt for the Cat's skirt. (She decided she would make two Girls and Two Boys, and leave the Family to decide who would get which cat).   The Cats' Faces, Paws (hands and feet) and Tails were to be made with our Grey Premier Plush fabric - which is lovely and soft and most recently used to make our Elephant Toy 

                                                - https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/825844254/

She then cut out a similar number of  Ducklings to be added to a Blue Skirt (with the lady Cats having Tops made with Blue or Green, depending on which Skirt one was looking at). The Gentlemen would have a similar colour choice - and you can see what I mean by looking at the then headless Cat Boy Toy below.  MsVS had stipulated she didn't want Shoes or Boots, but Furry Feet and Paws, and this Isobel set out to provide.  The Snoopy decal was delicately prised off the Blue Shirt when she was unpicking the shirt seams.  Where appropriate, she used the Lucky Ducky material as linings, which she backed with thin interfacing, as the fabric was a lot thinner in weight than the two shirts.

You can see the first Boy Cat's clothing a bit better in the photograph below.  All the Cats' arms were made so that they could be moved once finished - giving the eventual Best Friends as much opportunity to arrange their own Memory Cat to suit the eventual spot where they would spend their forthcoming lives.

When the heads got cut out and sewn, no matter how she tried, Isobel couldn't help feeling that they didn't look as much like Cats as she would like - even though the pattern she was using most was said to be from a Cat Puppet!  That may have been because the Grey Premier Plush didn't really lend itself to looking like the desired animal, but in the end, Isobel decided to carry on carrying on - because whatever she did, none of them would necessarily look like each other - which was the effect she was trying to achieve.

This is how the First Cat Toy looked when finished - we decided that a dark blue satin waist band gave the Toy a good completed look,although she also definitely needed something around her neck too.

A photograph of the first completed pair shows the Boy's jacket closed by using a popper (under the gold button), because we felt it would spoil the jacket if  Isobel made a button hole with which to close it.  Also, the Lady Cat now has a neat white, embroidered collar to finish off her outfit.

Then Isobel turned to the other two Cats she had in mind, alternating the fabrics to get different tops and bottoms, although she felt the Green material made the better trousers.  The decal on this Girl's top was taken off the original Green Shirt fabric - and has a horse depicted on it.  MsVS's family are keen horse-people, so she was keen to include this item in the Memory project  (it was originally off the Green shirt - a Ralph Lauren product).  The waist band, this time, is provided by a matching pale blue satin ribbon tied in a bow at the back.  The skirt and waist band are sewn in, and the finishing touch of a felt collar was added, because both the Girls'  necks looked a little bare without something there.  The collars have embroidered edges, picking out the main colours in their outfits.

Isobel felt that all of the Cats needed to have their own tails, so she made all four of them furry ones to match their head and limbs and they ended up looking like this.

The Cat with the Green Skirt can sit down - and actually prefers to do so.  The Blue-Skirted Cat is not able to do so, because Isobel forgot to do the necessary seams to enable it to do so!  (We're not sure what the speck is in the photo here - because all the Cats had soft furry ears on the outsides, with a grey lining for all ears to complete the look).

The Memory Cats, as they were called when they left us, lined up for their final pictures before each were individually wrapped and fitted into one of our biggest postal envelopes  - nice and snugly.  They travelled quite fast this time around.   (During our relationship with MrSS there had been times when Toys had gone for longer journeys than intended and one nearly being returned, because the wrong Zip Code had been provided to Isobel!).  They were picked up from their local post office, after the postman had initially not been able to deliver them - and were given a seal of approval from MsVS's daughter, who was originally intended to get just one.  

While she looks like she's happy to love them all, we now await to hear which family member gets to house which Grampy Cat - as they have now been named now that they are arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  (Technology is once again intervening, and not allowing me to copy and paste them from their original Facebook files.  We'll work on the problem over next week, and show you some of the photos then).

Until then, I'll sign off for this week,

Your Friend, 

Cy Bear.

An Important announcement follows:

• MrSS and Isobel had originally crossed paths when he contacted her to make a series of  Tiger Arm Puppets about 5 years ago - and he then gave us the patterns for us to use for all our Arm Puppet Toys in the Shop.  So you see why Isobel is so grateful that she was given the chance to make these Memory/Grampy Cats for the Smith family.  MrSS has been a large part of the reason that this week, COLDHAMCUDDLIES is able to announce that we have now made 200 Sales from our Etsy Shop since we started (and that doesn't count all the sales we've made OFF LINE - at craft bazaars and other events in the same period).  We're looking forward to making many more as the months go on - but meanwhile want to thank EVERYONE who has supported us since our start in September 2010.

Yet more technological problems: but coping/learning as one goes along.

Hello again Everyone - from Cy Bear!
Many apologies for the break down in posting - but technology has intervened once again. Apparently the internet connection Isobel relies on for doing all the Cuddlies work with her laptop failed - because something called "the router" broke down and the only remedy was for a new one to be supplied by the Post Office - who provide Isobel's broadband and telephone connections.  The router applies just to the broadband service, so she was still able to make/receive land line telephone calls. 

            This is what the lining of a Tiger (or any other) Arm Puppet looks like when first sewn 

 

Needless to say - because it seems technology likes to break down at week-ends - it was on the Sunday that the problem showed itself.  That meant no blogging session, not to mention all the daily Etsy routine tasks having to be put on hold as well.  When first contacted the Post Office Call Centre had Isobel crawling (no mean task nowadays with her still injured left hip) around electric sockets in our flat to find out which plug related to the router - and then applying the tests requested by the Call Centre staffer.  None of them worked, so - as it was Sunday - Isobel was told to ring for more technical assistance the next morning.

Here is what the latest Tiger Who Lost His Stripes looked like before being turned right side out

Monday dawned, and Isobel was on to the Post Office folks early.  She had to go through all the tests again, because this time engineers were involved, and apparently they never take anyone else's capabilities seriously!  We were promised a replacement router as soon as possible - because Isobel stressed her need for being able to communicate with the outside world on behalf of the Cuddlies.  A week later (last Monday in fact) she was again on the Call Centre line very early - to find out that somehow the router order had not left the Call Centre.  
Isobel was not a "happy camper" as you can imagine, and demanded to be put through to the Manager of the Call Centre!  This was not possible immediately - there was a 36 hour wait for such a conversation to take place.  Believe me, the flat was not a comfortable place for some time on Monday morning - but there was little Isobel could do about it - except wait for the arrival of the newly ordered replacement.  (A Manager did indeed call back within the stipulated period - with profuse apologies), but the matter had been largely solved by then!)
Settling in for another week of learning how to work her new Galaxy smartphone whether she liked it or not - Isobel was delighted (and very surprised) to get a special Next Day Delivery parcel from the Post Office - with the required router inside it.  The rest of the week has seen Isobel concentrating on making everything work - something that can take her a lot longer than it does younger folk. However, she linked everything that needed it (including the Printer) to the new router and the office systems are now functioning - for the time being.  (The Smartphone and Isobel are getting on better than expected by the way!)
She also unexpectedly linked up with Microsoft Help yesterday - something she's been trying to do for MONTHS, and someone actually remotely accessed her computer and seems to have put some of the problems to bed.  One or two still remain, but she's hopeful that having discovered a route in, she will be able to get extra assistance - when she has the time to be able to do it.  As long as the laptop works, she's happy to carry on because things are beginning to hot up on more than one front.
When she's not trying to be an amateur engineer, Isobel has been sewing as normal.  The Memory Cats were finished - and posted to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  She is waiting to learn about their safe arrival before telling you about the two that were still unfinished when she wrote about them on 6th September.  That should happen next week, because checking the Tracker Number before starting this post, we know they've arrived in Tulsa - the postal folk have not yet been able to deliver them because MsVS is currently "living" between two houses - the new one (where the parcel was sent to) and her previous dwelling, which she is getting ready to sell!  Always a difficult situation for everyone concerned, I should imagine!

Here the two bits of the Tiger are in place - awaiting the addition of its Head.
After the Cats, Isobel began another Tiger Who Lost His Stripes Puppet - this time for a Buyer (MsML from San Diego, California - the photos here were taken to keep MsML updated on how her commission was progressing!).  There's a real story attached to this one, which will form another blog, after I've finished the Memory Cats Saga.
Until the next time, then.  Stay Safe Everyone in the meantime.
Your Friend,
Cy Bear

News on the Tiger and Memory Cat Fronts

Hello once more Everyone!
Here's this week's bulletin from your Friend, Cy Bear - with good news on the escaping dog front (eventually).  She led the searchers a merry dance, but was finally persuaded into a trap set by the terrific team on Thursday morning this week.  She was nearly persuaded earlier in the week, but was scared away from the area she had chosen to "settle" by the early morning Waste Bin Collectors on Tuesday morning. In the end, she moved her area of operations - not too far away - and found some friendly dogs to play with on a small-holding located in a countrified bit of  Kirkby in Ashfield.  Here is Molly - on the run - but nearby where she found some friends to play with shortly after this was taken.

11+ days on the run beginning to take its toll

Clare - who was on site as much as possible compatible with getting her young son back to school after the Covid19 Lockdown, as well as it being the start of a new school year - watched how Molly (the dog's name) began to relax her guard (shortly after this photo above was taken), and was then guided by her doggy friends (and owner) towards what WILL BE a much safer existence than she has had so far in her life.  Arriving back at just after midnight on Wednesday/Thursday morning she's been largely sleeping off nearly 12 days on the run. 

Now begins the long job of getting her settled into the family - at her pace, not ours.

Meanwhile, life on the Coldham Cuddlies front has been moving forward steadily.  The latest Tiger Who Lost His Stripes order will hopefully be ready for posting tomorrow/Tuesday. 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/650644825

 Isobel wants to send it tomorrow (Monday), but may not be able to do so because the Cavity Wall Insulation applied to all the buildings at Old Chapel Close recently needs to be inspected by those in charge of such things.  They're due to be calling in on Isobel between mid-day and 1500 hours.  She's hoping the Tiger will be finished by bedtime tonight - so she can post it tomorrow morning, while returning some unwanted goods - ordered recently from some people called Amazon.com.  (I don't know them from Adam, of course, being a Beaver Lamb Bear - but they do seem to be around a lot hereabouts these days!).  She's discovered she can hand the goods in at one of the Supermarkets where she gets her shopping done, and is going to try the system for herself in the morning - or as soon as she can afterwards.
Now an update on the Smith Memory Cat Project I mentioned a few weeks ago - in our post on 16th August, 2020. 

This one needs a Nose/Mouth Job, as well as his Tail being attached

Work on the Smith Memory Cat Project has moved ahead steadily.  Two are now nearly fully complete:  and the rest are in pieces. These now need to be assembled, stuffed and put in place.  Cat No.1 has had her ears changed, but now needs to have her tail added in the appropriate spot on the back of her skirt.  She now has dark blue sash around her middle (not yet stitched in placed), and will have a white collar (suitably embroidered with some of the colours her outfit is made with).

Waiting for her Tail and a Collar around her neck

The Snoopy Dog patch was carefully extracted from the shirt it was originally sewn on, and has been successfully added to the "shirt" made for Cat No. 2 (see below).  That Cat - a gentleman Cat this time -  also now has a Coat - lined with the Smith Family's "Lucky Ducky" fabric that came with the two original shirts.  This was also used to provide the decoration round Cat No. 1's green skirt.  There is still some sewing needed to neaten seams, and add buttons/button holes before that bit of clothing is complete, but we are getting there. (Ms VS has seen where we've got to - and is happy with what is coming along).  

Still requires the addition of buttons/holes and a head/neck and tail before he's complete

We'll be back again, hopefully, next week - possibly with the Smith Memory Cat Project down to it's last few pieces.  It's taken a bit longer than Isobel intended, but she didn't want to waste too much of the fabric by doing things too quickly.  There is a lot less material for her to play with on this project than she normally has to hand when making the usual Coldham Cuddlies toys!
See you all again soon
Your Friend,
Cy Bear.

Hello there Everyone from Your Friend, Cy Bear
Today's blog is going to be a shorter one than normal - really a "holding" one.  Because a lot of things have happened, but results are "on hold" waiting for their final outcomes.
The main thing is not strictly a Coldham Cuddlies matter, but an "Isobel's Family" matter - in which she has been doing as much as she can.  A rescue dog - called Molly - who arrived at daughter Clare's home last week-end, bolted on Tuesday, and has been on the run ever since.  There's a group of professionals on the case, but Isobel has been tasked with looking out for the missing dog here at Old Chapel Close - if she should evade the team closing in on her - because she did spend time in the gardens where Isobel and I live, and she may recognise some of it were she to come back.  However, Isobel's  main role has been to supply the items needed to lay a scent trail in the hope that the animal will follow it back to Clare's home up the road and (three doors away from our flat).  The ingredients are a mix of tinned Sardines in Oil and Hot Dog Sausages (Frankfurters) - apparently irisistible in such circumstances.  She's not far from home - but is a determined (but very frightened)  escapologist.  Fingers crossed that she's caught soon, and life can return to somewhat more normal.  Can't think why the "runner" seems to prefer being loose, rather than inside in a warm home:  the weather this week while she's been out has been simply awful - and it's turned a lot colder too.
We're still waiting for an answer from Etsy.com as to what happens now in the case of our Black Squirrel Order:  with over 66 million shops online, and many complaints/questions to answer, understandably it will take some time.  The Support Desk has acknowledged Isobel's approach, however, so we are "in the system"!

Crab Apple Butter ready for the Store Cupboard.  These were the larger jam jars used. 

Before I finish, though, there has been a successful outcome on the Crab Apple Butter story! 8 jars (of varying sizes) were made with the fruit picked for Isobel a couple of weeks ago, and she's already tasted from the bits that didn't fit into a bottle that could be sealed - for keeping! (Definitely acceptable apparently!)  One, smaller - in case it wasn't really what the person liked - jar was reserved for the young gardener who picked the fruit from the tree for Isobel.  He appeared to be pleasantly surprised to get it, even though he'd been told he would!  The Gardening Team visit Old Chapel Close every two weeks between March and October, so we'll find out how the Butter went down next time they are here!
That's it Folks.  I'll be back again next week - just wonder what will happen next?  Hopefully, the Wanderer will have safely returned by then.
Stay Safe Everyone!  
Your FriendCy Bear.