Dough, Dirt & Dye: Thursdays Get Together: C'mon Down!

Dough, Dirt & Dye: Thursdays Get Together: C'mon Down!

Welcoming three new Baby Bunnies

Recently, a regular friend of the Coldham Cuddlies - GandalfThePink - contacted me to ask if I could make some Pink and or Purple Baby Bunnies for one of their regular baby-sitting  clients.  As I hadn't made any in that format before, I had to research availability of fabrics for the commission, and discovered that while they could be made in Fleece fabrics, plush fur is not available in those colours (from my regular sources - nor, indeed, from the internet either).

After an exchange of convos via Etsy, and working out how to process the order - given that the specified products were not yet available in our shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com - we decided to created four non-existent White Baby Bunnies  to that shop listing, and proceed through the Etsy purchasing process as though there were!.  Once funds were in place, I got going on the production (which took about 10 days all told - there were 4 required for the whole order):

Four little rabbits - pink, purple/white, pink/white and all white fleece 

As making the baby rabbits follows the same process as any other toy - viz. attaching body pieces together (for the Baby Rabbits - whether fleece or plush - that means sides including the head, crown for the head and chest piece first, then sewing up the ears and bob tails, stuffing them as they are then all in one piece and attaching the ears and tail).  In a way, their formation is not unlike that for the Koalas (Etsy Listing #55190188),  who are just that little bit larger and easier to handle.

Three out of the Four waiting to be turned right side out

After completing the White Fleece Baby Bunny, all four were turned to their individual right sides and then stuffed - one does have to make sure you stuff the feet and paws first and being smaller cavities, they do take a bit of fiddling to get them stiff.  If one doesn't do it, I've found in the past, that they then don't look as though they belong to the bodies!

The Pink Baby Bunnies, one with white chest, from the side

I recently ordered a packet of glass eyes from Bear Basics, one of my local suppliers, and used them for the first time.  Normally, I create eyes for the Baby Babbits if made with plush fur by making a big knot in the same black double knitting wool I use for noses and other facial features, and then creating a round eye shape and sewing it into the fabric at the right place on both sides.  Then I tie the two pieces of wool tightly on the inside of the body.  They then get stuffed with the polyester fibre I prefer to use for all my toys, and lose the resulting knot in the stuffing.

I have become used to using the plastic eyes for the existing Cuddlies of all sizes since starting up www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com, and they require a different technique to be fixed.  The plastic eyes, which I rarely use for the smaller toys,  have a secure metal disc that one places on the post on which the eyes are attached and nothing can move them - unless brute force is used.  In the case of the glass ones, I had to pierce the fabric at the appropriate place, then tied them together with firm thread on the inside of each bunny, leaving a length to be woven through the stuffing.  That way, little fingers will have a mighty struggle to get anywhere near pulling them out, as the thread gets lost amongst the stuffing. Think I will continue to use these glass eyes for this particular bunch of Baby Rabbits - it differentiates them from the plush variety I think

The White and Purple Baby Bunnies complete

At this juncture I would normally add ribbons round the neck if the Bunnies were to become the first toys to be presented to new born babies or those up to 6 months' old!  However, the intended recipient of this bunch of bunnies is 6 years' old and MBP and CBP, my Saudi Arabian based clients,  were of the opinion that they were not required for their birthday girl friend.

I received the news today that their journey has been safely accomplished - so felt free to blog about them today - because they were intended to be a surprise for the customers as well!  Here they are all together and Cy Bear and I are looking forward to seeing a photograph of everyone once the first meeting has taken place.  Birthday is sometime towards the end of November - so watch this space!

(By the way, the purple Baby Rabbit really is a lavender colour when not on camera!  Try as I might, I could not get the photograph to show up anyway but blue!  There's probably some technical explanation for it - and these photographs were all taken in daylight - so lighting is not the cause!)

Before their departure for Saudi Arabia

Because I wanted to make sure they reached their destination in good time for the birthday, Cy Bear did not get the chance for an official goodbye photograph on this occasion.  Once I've replaced them, however, I'll make sure one is taken - if only to pacify Cy Bear, who does like to have his chance in the limelight!

Time to re-read this post and then publish it.  Wish the time did not fly by so fast!  Bye for the time being.  All the best to everyone. Isobel

Bon Voyage - as they say in France and elsewhere!

Hello there Everyone - Cy Bear being allowed (at last) to have a word with you all.

Isobel has been somewhat "otherwise engaged" lately - what with car problems, not quite sorted:  finishing off another version of Uncle Brendan (mentioned in our post dated 11/02/11/The ColdhamCuddlies' French Connection(s)).  This post attracted a whole heap of comments, incidentally - thanks to all of you who did so.  There have been visits to hospitals and car show rooms too;  because the car will have to be replaced - so everyone keeps sane!

So, today, I am very pleased to announce that Noel, The Xmas Rabbit - has already found a Forever Home. (He was the subject of a post dated 10/24/11 - "Latest Rabbit to Join the ColdhamCuddlies Family)  Last Sunday, Isobel received an order from CharmaineK  (a.k.a Lyrawing), an Etsy crafter based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada for Noel.  Everything having proceeded smoothly, he's on his way by Air Mail Small Packet post - as of this morning.  He was wrapped, as is everyone leaving us,  in chemical free tissue paper, bundled in bubblewrap, placed in a polythene envelope and posted in Warminster - the nearest place where the Post Office can deal with packets/parcels of the size of the Gentleman Rabbits, Foxes and Coyotes in the ColdhamCuddlies Family - as well as us Bears too.

Noel and I waiting for him to be parcelled up

At the same time, it is very pleasing to be able to tell you that Monsieur Brendan Lapin (mentioned in our post dated 11/02/11 - The ColdhamCuddlies' French Connections) caught the same post as Noel this morning, destined for his Forever Home in Versailles, France.  He has proved to be a bit of a problem one way and another - through no fault of anyone, really.  First of all, Isobel, having used all her previous stock, could not find the Brown Plush fabric, locally or online,  needed to make his head, hands and ears.  Then, once she'd got going, she really had a problem making his boots look right. 

This time, it was her fault!  She cut out the wrong pattern - using the one for the Lady Rabbits' shoes, rather than the Gentlemen Rabbits' boots. (T'would seem to be related to the fact she usually does the cutting out in the evenings, when she's perhaps not as fresh as at other times in the day!)  Then, not realising (or thinking about it, actually) that leather has a grain in it, when the boots were sewn, up the seams looked terribly crooked. A pigeon-toed rabbit really did look very peculiar!   After sewing them five or six times, she gave up, cut out a completely new set of boots - and finally last night, at the first time of re-trying,  was able to complete the latest member of the ColdhamCuddlies and send him on his way.  Fortunately, the project was completed within the 28 day deadline Isobel asks everyone to give her - just so she can cope with the production requirements of www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com. and allow for any possible emergencies in her life.

(Isobel here:  when Peter and I ran our own print/publishing company in Canada in the 1980's, every now and again, one project would be a difficult one, where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong!  Alas, MmeAB's project for Uncle Brendan, has been just like that - and I'm very grateful indeed for her patience and understanding).

Getting ready to travel to France - the official farewell photo

Whilst I'm REALLY PLEASED that both my Rabbit companions have gone to their new homes, I am very sorry not to have been able to get to know them better.  Noel has not been in our Shop (www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com)  for very long and Uncle Brendan (his Forever Friend, MmeAB has decided she prefers the Anglicised version of his name, so he will now be referred to as Uncle Brendan) never even got to spend any time there at all!  I know that is the object of Isobel's exercise, but even so.......

Then, yesterday morning, a local neighbour came to the front door and asked if she could buy someone from the ColdhamCuddlies to give to her new grandson, who had arrived in The World the day before.  Needless to say, Isobel was more than happy to accommodate her - and shortly thereafter, a White Plush Baby Rabbit and a Yellow/White Baby Rabbit were selected for the new arrival, together with Granma White Rabbit, who is going to become the Forever Friend of BabyF's big sister, aged two years.

So, the stock at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com is beginning to get a little depleted - Isobel has got a lot of replacing to do, once she has given Tommy Teddy the treatment for which he has been waiting in the Coldham Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) since the summer.  The therapy is due to start after this post has been completed and Isobel has given Peter his evening meal.   (Isobel again:  decided to leave the cutting out until tomorrow and catch  up on blog-related matters instead!)

A blow-by-blow account of the process (otherwise known as blogging!) can thus be anticipated shortly, together with the promised post about Slater's Barn (where the MacMillan Cancer Greatest Coffee  Morning in the World was held on September 30) and one about the Purple and Pink Baby Bunnies recently sent to Saudi Arabia, once we've heard they've arrived safely.  Where Isobel will get the time to do them, I haven't a clue - but do them she is determined to do!

The three of us together - isn't it nice the way they seem to like me?

Cheerio for today - it's actually the afternoon we're doing this, rather than at night time!  All the best from your friend Cy Bear, the Official Mascot to ColdhamCuddlies!

The Coldham Cuddlies French Connection(s)

Am having a frustrating few days dominated by car troubles, so in an effort to calm the nerves, have decided to post about the current toy-making projects.  Am well into the creation of the replacement Brown Rabbit destined for his Forever Home with MmeAB in Versailles France.  Have decided, given that he is the  first French connection for www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com that I'll call him Mons. Brendan Lapin for the purposes of this blog at least.  What MmeAB decides to label him upon his arrival (hopefully he'll be on his way by the end of this week) is entirely up to her, of course.

Waiting to be topped and tailed

As it is getting close to the festive season, I've given him some braiding decoration around his cuffs and around the neck of his waistcoat.  His boots are ready for sewing together and stuffing and his head is on its way as you can see by the next illustration.

Still needs a face and ears - not far off!

Completed his white bobtail last night and sewed the ears together.

The latter are due to be attached after I've done this blog and are shown below, together with the boot pieces awaiting attention.  Being real glove leather they do take a bit longer to sew - I don't use the sewing machine, even though my Janome Harmony 2039 model is supposed to be able to handle it and I do have a needle capable of doing the job.  The Coldham Cuddlies are hand made toys, and I'm sufficiently picky as to feel that is what they should be - by and large.  When making up the calico body prior to dressing them, as well as some of the jackets, waistcoats and dresses, I do resort to the machine.  The seams involved make it seem a worthwhile exercise.

Now to the other Coldham Cuddlies French connection:  in the last post I mentioned the arrival of  a Mr. Fox and a Mrs. Rabbit made in the 1970/1980's for my sister-in-law.  Well IM, my sister-in-law, being Mauritian by birth is a French speaker and actually lives in France - and has done for many years.  So, I feel justified in describing  Mons. Reynard and Mme Lapin as French residents as well.  Here are a series of pictures showing them as they arrived for treatment in the Coldham Cuddlies Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) last week.

I've taken several other photos, and will post them as I describe their treatment - but here is a taster.  There's no deadine for the jobs to be done, but it's nice for all of you to see them before their transformation.

For toys that over 35 years old, think they are in pretty good condition.  Mme Lapin is in the best condition, both need re-stuffing as I seem to remember I used either cut up foam rubber (highly unsuitable these days) and/or cut up nylon stockings/tights - again similarly unsuitable.  However, I'll fill you in on their requirements as and when I get to them!

In the interim, must close so that I can have a sewing session on Mons. Brendan as planned!  Goodnight and all the best!  Isobel

This and that - tidying up some loose ends

Hello there, everyone!

I Have been doing a lot of sewing this last week, as well as sending off the Baby Rabbits (yet to be listed) to Saudi Arabia, so there are a few loose ends to tie up.  I've also completed the O.O.A.K item now known as Noel, The Christmas Bunny and he's been listed in the Cuddlies' shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com earlier today.  This is the main picture of him in the shop, all complete in his party finery - and the Etsy Listing is #84913542.

Standing on the printer in my work-room

Some of the pictures on the site were taken last evening, in the setting sunlight.  Thus, his colouring is somewhat different to those you've already seen in our last post (10/24/11/Latest Rabbit to join the Cuddlies family).  After completing the post, I finished off the final Saudi Bunny and the next night got to grips with Noel's wrongly sited boots!  These are now firmly on the right legs and this is how he looked when I quickly snapped him last night, before the twilight completely disappeared!

Standing on a garden bench in the twilight

I've got a whole collection of lovely pictures of the Saudi Baby Bunnies, but as I said in my last post - and have repeated to MB-P and CB-P, my clients, I'm not going to publish them until they've arrived safely in their hands, and they've given them their approval!  I'm pretty satisfied with them myself, I have to say, and am confident the my clients will be happy with their purchases, but I don't want to take anything for granted.  After all, the customer is always right, aren't they?  Nevertheless, it is awfully tempting to include just one taster picture -- but I'm not going to!

We had an unexpected, but lovely surprise visit from husband Peter's brother, who normally resides in France on Tuesday afternoon.  He, his wife, son and his partner, and their lovely young daughter called in on their way back from a visit to nearby Glastonbury last Tuesday.  It was our first chance to meet our Great Niece and her Mother, and as it's Little One's third birthday on November 11, she was offered the choice of an early birthday present from the selection of Glove Puppets.  She made a bee-line for the Panda Bear version and he was duly christened "ME"!

Not only did we meet Little One, but I was re-united (after over 35-ish years) with a Mr Fox and a Mrs Rabbit that I made for my sister-in-law, after making them for my daughters and her son in the late 1970's!  They've been settling in to the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing # 79124185) to await their turn for treatment.  (There are two other long-term patients waiting for their therapy still!).

There is really not that much wrong with them, I am pleased (and not a little surprised) to say.  Mr Fox requires proper eyes and re-stuffing.  Originally, I made the eyes with felt and yarn and he looks a little slant-eyed - although they do appear quite foxy-looking.  Mrs Rabbit, however, does need a bit more attention.  Her apron has accumulated a lot of dust, which may not respond to a wash, and her dress has got to be replaced because the skirt is faded, and I cannot just replace that alone.  The dress top and sleeves are made separately, and in any case I cannot match the green gingham from which she was originally made.  She, too, needs re stuffing.  I think I used either foam rubber or nylon stockings to make them - neither of which I am prepared to countenance today, but at the time, located as we were in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada it was all I could find!

Needless to say, they will be shortly the subject of a blog post - just to show what they look like now (so that comparisons can be made once their treatment has been completed).  Fortunately, none of my current patients have a deadline by which they have to be completed, but Tommy Teddy (daughter, P's Bear) has been waiting a long time and I've promised him he'll be done just as soon as I've completed the two Uncle Brendan Rabbits in production at the moment!

That means, Panda Bear Glove Puppet is temporarily deactivated from www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com - but the replacement will have to wait until I have completed the two versions of Uncle Brendan Brown Rabbit (Etsy Listing #56013030).  However, they are both cut out, and one version - the one destined for MmeAB in Versailles, France has most of its clothes sewn, I'm due to get going on his head, paws and boots this evening, and all being well he should be on his way by the end of next week.  The delay in providing them has been due to my complete inability to source brown plush fabric from any of my sources - at least until yesterday morning, when - praise be - my local haberdashery shop in Warminster came up with the goods!  What a relief!

Right, those are the loose-ends - all but one, anyway - tied up.  The continuing one is the promised post about Slater's Barn, the venue in the village where the recent MacMillan Cancer Grand Coffee Morning was held.  As some of you will recall, it was when I was taking the pictures of the place that my former camera upped and died on me!  Having rescued the pictures on a disc, I've just now got to do some research about the place, and then will be able to post about it - as I think my 68 Followers will be interested, and it makes a change from my constant waffle about the toys!

Till then - God Bless and take good care of yourselves!  Isobel

Latest Rabbit to join the ColdhamCuddlies family

Hello  Folks - Cy Bear here again to introduce the latest member of the family to you all!

Noel, The Christmas Rabbit, as he seems destined to be called,  is not quite complete, although he looks like it to me.  However,  Isobel has just decided that his boots don't look right, so they're coming off tonight, before his final portrait is taken, and together with his various other views,  listed at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com. Apparently, when sewing them on, the right boot went on the left leg and vice versa!  Result is that he doesn't look quite right and standing is definitely not too easy for him at the moment!

Before going any further, though:  here are some pictures of Noel's head before it got completed and fixed to the body - which usually is one of the last items to be added when Isobel makes one of these toys.

This picture is Noel's right side image, with his eyes and ears added.  The next one shows him head-on, but still needing his facial features.  You can see - he's a very hairy rabbit!  And, because we've finished all the brown plush fabric, he's also likely to be a "one-off"!

You had a taster in our last post - when Isobel was announcing the arrival of her new camera - of what his jacket looked like at the beginning of the dressmaking process.  Here's the jacket, the other way around, with the edging being where the hem of the jacket is when finally completed:

Alas, this is really mid-way into the process of making a Gentleman Rabbit - be he a Daddy, Uncle, Cousin or whatever!  But, Isobel forgot to take the pictures as she was going along doing this fellow, so she will include these early steps when she makes up the two Uncle Brendan replacements - which are next-but-one in her list of "Things to Do!"

The reason they are not the next item is that there seems to be a dearth of brown plush fur fabric to be purchased anywhere we've tried, and Isobel is having to wait until the end of this week before she can get any to make the two Uncle Brendans! 

Noel has been made with the last of her brown plush fabric stock, after making the two Brown Rabbit Glove Puppets in time for the MacMillan Cancer bazaar at the end of September - and try as hard as she has, so far, Isobel has been unable to locate anything - on the internet or locally.  She's been promised some for Friday this week,  by our local haberdashery supplier in Warminster, so we're all keeping our fingers crossed.  We did get a sample sent from the supplier of the fleece we're going to use to rejuvenate Tommy Teddy.  I'm told it was beautiful quality stuff - but far too good (and therefore pricey) for the job(s) they are intended for.  As a ladies' coat, absolutely spot on:  as a skin for a cuddly toy, well -  not really appropriate!

So, having missed the basic elements of rabbit body making, here is the first shot of Noel, The Christmas Rabbit beginning to get dressed.  Once his body is stuffed, Isobel makes his plus-fours/jodhpurs/riding kit - call them what you like - and fits them on to the body.  Noel's are made in a shiny, silvery satin type fabric which we felt looks nice and festive!  To keep the trousers' shape, Isobel then added a little of the polyester fibre stuffing.  With the darts that are added to the waist line, it's usually a pretty tight fit, so adding the stuffing can be tricky - but is usually accomplished with the aid of a judicially placed knitting needle, shoving the fibre between leg and trousers!

Isobel  then makes up and puts on the waistcoat.  It's cut out double, front and back being sewn separately, turned inside out and pressed and then sewn together at shoulders and along the side seams.  They have to be fitted individually, because whatever Isobel does, she can never make an identical body each time she makes a toy - whether it is a lady toy or a gentleman one.

Here is Noel with his waistcoat on, showing his jacket arms already in place, together with his furry paws.

Once the waistcoat is on, the furry white  bobtail is sewn together, stuffed and added to the body, and when adding the jacket, Isobel has to make sure there is a gap cut and sewn in the jacket back to accommodate it.  You can see that quite clearly in the jacket picture above, as well as the taster photo in our previous post.

Tail being attached with yellow-headed quilting pins, and  cotton trailing

Then she adds the jacket, which she has sewn together at the shoulder seams and neck.  The jacket is lined in order to hide the seams because velvet - as everyone who has used the fabric knows, frays incredibly.  Sometimes, Isobel has to over sew all the seams, but on this occasion, it was not necessary on all the seams.  So that saved some time. The jacket arms have already been made and sewn into the body, so the jacket is added and sewn to the body, using ladder stitch all round the armhole gap - which is why all our rabbits have arms outstretched to their sides.  That's the way the pattern goes!

Once the jacket is on, then come the boots, which have to be sewn together, individually, and Isobel tries to help them to stand up by themselves, by adding a bit of cardboard cut in the shape of the sole of the boot before she adds the stuffing.  It's not always successful, but does give them some sort of a platform which helps them to lean better against an upright wall, shelf or what-ever!  All gentleman toys boots are made in real leather - this fabric is obtained as off-cuts from a local glove manufacturer, based in Warminster.  The firm is called Dents, and has been making gloves and handbags for over 150 years here in the West Country of the UK.

A contrast piece of felt is then cut, sewn and added to the bottom of the trouser leg and then the boot gets sewn on - in theory at least.  However, Isobel really does have a problem sometimes in getting the boot  and legs right first time around.  Noel is not the first one to have his boots taken off and re-fitted - and I don't expect he will be the last either!

(Don't tell anyone, but she has a similar problem with getting heads on the toys first time around too!  She had quite a job with mine, before she was satisfied, and Noel's had to be taken off at least once!  Still, that, I suppose, is the good thing about hand-making soft toys - you can change it before you finally list it on www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com!)

While Isobel has been waiting for the brown plush fabric to arrive, she has not been idle - you'll be pleased to hear, I'm sure!   The four little bunnies destined for Saudi Arabia have been cut out and sewing has gone ahead -  for two reasons.  The little six-year old girl for whom they are to become a birthday present needs them by November 29, and they have to be on their way as soon as possible, in order to negotiate the postal services involved between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.  Two are completed, a third is almost there and the final one has to be stuffed, and have his ears and tail sewn on.  We're hoping they will be on their way by the middle of this week.

The next post will show Noel, The Christmas Rabbit completed and ready for listing (if he has not already arrived at the www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com shop).  We will wait to tell you about the production of the Saudi Arabian bunnies, and show pictures of them, until they have safely arrived.  After all, they are as much a surprise to MB-P and her sister, CB-P, as they will be to their little baby-sitting client and to show them in a blog post before they arrive would spoil it for all concerned.  We know that we have readers in Saudi Arabia (according to the Blogger Stats, anyway) so they may be among them!  Suffice to say that Isobel and I think they're very sweet and that they should be enjoyed by all concerned!

That's it for now. Goodnight everyone! Cy Bear.

Back again - quicker than expected!

Hello everyone - as the title indicates, things haven't turned out too badly after all.  But, before going any further, thank you so much for your sympathetic comments on my plight!  I heard from several new people (welcome to the world of Coldham Cuddlies!) and some good friends too.  It was such a comfort! Especially to find that some of you had suffered in a similar manner - and felt as bereft  as I did earlier this week!

As I feared, though:  original picture-taker, a.k.a digital camera. was declared terminal when I took it into the camera shop in Salisbury city centre on Monday!  Guess what, though?  There was a special offer on, and I'm now the proud, if slightly apprehensive, owner of a Canon Power A1200. It seems to be easier to understand and get my non-technical head around than my original, but...... the practice pics I took when I got the new toy home certainly seem to be a lot better than I have been taking, so....  once I've completed the sewing tasks, etc listed in the last post, I'll have to take new shots of every one in the shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com - because as husband P says, this new gizmo should certainly help to sell the toys better!

My fears regarding the memory card on the original camera were also realised.  However, the problem of saving the pictures I had on it have been solved.  Originally, I appealed to techie daughter and son-in-law, who were prepared to lend their expertise without equivocation (bless them, I knew they would!)  However, I just happened to be going past Boots, The Chemist's local shop in Warminster yesterday, and wondered if they could help - and guess what?  They have a Kodak Instant Photo kiosk within their walls!  So, this morning I negotiated the various steps involved in transferring pics to CD, and this evening have managed to transfer them from CD to my picture gallery.  So, in the next day or so, once I've taken the final pics of Christmas Rabbit (he's going to have to be called something else when listed, but this name will do for the time being) and listed him, his construction process will be posted here, with relevant illustrations along the way.

The pictures of Slater's Barn have also been salvaged - and, as promised, will feature as a separate post.

As I said, not such a bleak picture after all! And, here's just a taster for the next Rabbit post!

New Rabbit's jacket in its early stages

Good Night - and God Bless you all.  You're a bunch of stars in supporting me!  Isobel