BESTeam Feature Blog - for February 26, 2012 promo

The Boosting Etsy Shops Team's goal is to offer support
and promotion of one another's Etsy shops primarily through our
personal Blogs, and also through our Twitter Accounts and Facebook Fanpages.
Commitment to this common goal is what makes our team the BEST! 

Patty’s Dream Designs is the first Etsy Shop I'd like to feature today.

Patty, who became a BESTeam member the same day as I did earlier this year, is a jewellery designer/producer par excellence, with a work-rate that leaves me totally breathless.  Every time I go on Blogger.com to check what my selected bloggers have posted about, Patty is usually there - with at least half-a dozen new products to boast about.  Heaven knows from where she gets her energy:  wish I could borrow some of it!

The particular item I’ve selected to feature this time around is a Peridot Swarovski Crystal Necklace with matching ear rings.  I’m a great fan of Peridot as a gemstone:  I’ve been lucky enough to inherit two sets of Victorian jewellery of which I’m very fond.  Patty’s modern version has therefore attracted my attention for that reason.  It stacks up jolly well against it’s older counter-parts, I might add.

Patty's contact details are Blog:  pattysdreamdesigns.blogspot.com;
 Facebook:  www.facebook.com/paages.Pattys-Dream-Designs/206760559365056
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Coe2-coe
StumbleUpon: http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/pcoe6

Peridot Swarovski Crystal Necklace

It’s great to hear about a younger person’s dedication to dress-making and ambitions to become a full-time seamstress. Stitch Princess, the Etsy shop owned and operated by Faith Snowden is the next BESTeam member I want to feature in this post.  Her dresses are all wearable - whether bridal creations, evening gowns or just lovely daytime wear.  My choice from her current offerings in her Etsy shop is one of her versions of a reversible Flowery skirt.  My particular favourite  is the red, white and blue (so very patriotic for an English person in this year of our Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations!) panelled version.  It actually takes me back to my young days (in the 1950’s !) when dirndl skirts were all the rage,  and skirts were meant to swirl, while dressing them up (or down, as the case might be) or just be comfortable .

Flowery Skirt OneSizeFitsMost Reversible Skirt

Faith has a really great selection of other dresses and skirts, so why not check out her shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/StitchPrincess?  You won't feel you've wasted your time!


Danielle Saletzki is a clever person who manages to operate two Etsy Shops at the same time and she's my third selected feature for this post.  One Shop specialises in retro/nostalgic photography, while the other - a recently started venture is known as ChickyDs - and  indulges her love of ribbons and fabric head adornments (Bow, Flowerclips, headbands, as well as branching out into pillows.  One of these pillows particularly attracted me - Owls in Trees, made with a corduroy fabric picturing multi-coloured owls in trees.  Since I’m considering going into the owl business myself shortly, this piece is particularly appealing.

Owls in Trees 18" Corduroy Pillow

So these are the three  shops I've selected for this BESTeam feature blog.  If there are any of you with an Etsy Shop looking to boost your visitors, why not check out the BESTeam Forum and maybe join the team.  If they allow me in, they'll be more than happy to have you become a member too.  They're a wonderful group of people and all most encouraging and helpful too.


As part of my BESTeam commitment, throughout the coming months (provided they accept me as a full time member) I hope to  be posting short features of each of the fabulous shops and talented craftspersons representing the team.  What is BESTeam?  It's The Boosting Etsy Shops Team and our goal is to give support to each other and to help promote each others' Etsy shops through blogging, Facebook and other social networks.  If you are an Etsy shopowner and are interested in learning more about BESTeam, please visit the team page on Etsy or have a look at the BESTeam blog.

 

Continuing the Rejuvenation of Mme Lapin

Thank you everyone for logging on and commenting on the first stage of Mme. Lapin's rejuvenation therapy!  Here goes with the next stage.

Decorating the skirt

The final picture on the last post showed the decoration I'd decided to add to Mme Lapin's apron.  Previously, because my imagination had not got going in the 1980's when I had first made her, I had only used one of the embroidery stitches which I could find on my sewing machine.   Although it had looked fine at the time, after 30 years and with my new-found creativity with all my other toys, I decided Mme. Lapin deserved to be similarly highlighted. In addition,there is access to a greater choice of decorative material nowadays than was available to me in Canada in the 1980's.   Here is a close-up of the  braid (used, incidentally, as the collars in all my Christmas Fleece Baby Bunnies - Etsy Listing 89020911), which I attached, once again, using red French knots.  Since the braid consisted of holly and ivy leaves, thought the red knots could convey the holly berries for this purpose.

Newly prepared pantaloons, boots and body

This photo was taken while I was doing the work one evening last week, and - as I tend to do - taken without benefit of my new studio. (One of the lamps that form part of the studio package has been sent back, because it was not functional:   it should be back soon, hopefully).   So, everything gets placed on my conveniently located printer and since it is a similarly light, whitish background, the pantaloons (a creamy satin fabric) don't really show to advantage.  The 30 year old felt boots come through well, though - and a stuffed toy's body is just that:  a stuffed body.  It's what covers it up that makes it exciting!!

The boots are on the body, and the skirt as well

Showing bobtail, dress top and arms/paws in place

Mme Lapin's arms, with paws attached were washed without me having to take them apart, and were then attached to the top of the dress.  Then the top was pulled over the skirt, covering the gathered waist, and ladder-stitched in place.

Mme. Lapin's head ready to be attached

Mme Lapin's ears stand up a lot better than previously because of the material I found to replace the felt lining with which had been used previously.  Her original glass eyes had stood the test of time and I was able to put them in through the same holes made 30 years ago and tied firmly through the polyester fibre stuffing.  The facial features were then added.  She doesn't look quite as prim as heretofore!

Almost complete

Once the head was on, the final piece of the re-creation was putting on the newly-decorated apron and the collar.  Whilst the former was part of the original Mme. Lapin, the collar is fresh white felt, decorated again with red and green French knots and tied with red satin ribbon (again a left-over from the Christmas Baby Rabbits!).  The apron was attached by carefully stitching through the green chain-stitching decorating the waistband, I then tied it at the back taking the bob-tail into consideration.

Mme. Lapin from the rear

Then the final addition - the newly made carrot - was provided and the whole creation can now be revealed.

Holding onto the new carrot!

Then the final photograph prior to leaving home for her "After" imaging procedure at the premises of Outsphere UK & Ireland, in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, where - Royal Mail permitting - she should now be sitting looking something like this.

By the way, Mons Reynard is now in pieces, looking a very different colour and will be beginning the renewal process later today.  He's got new eyes, and will be having a set of new leather boots - his others had got so dry over the years, that as I de-stuffed them, they began to tear apart.  (Because we now have access to softer, glove quality leather, I'd already decided they would be replaced!)   Also he will  obviously be getting completely new stuffing.  Other than these items, all the original materials  used can be utilised to bring him back to life and ready for the next 30 years with Mme. Lapin in France.  His progress will form part of the next post or two.

Meanwhile - au revoir for the time being!  Isobel

Getting back to normal - for a start: Treating Madame Lapin: Part I

What with the BESTeam feature for February and the unexpected Versatile Blog Award, I have not been able to concentrate on my normal posts for www.ColdhamCuddliescalling.blogspot.com as much as I have wanted to.  However, I can now do so:  but before doing so, thank you all who so kindly sent congrats on the latter!

Madame (Mme) Lapin, having returned from her "Before" imaging procedure at Outsphere UK & Ireland a couple of weeks ago. has spent the time since languishing in the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing # 79124185) in company with Mons. Reynard,  However, last week-end, her rejuvenation treatment began in earnest - beginning with a thorough attack by me with my "Quick un-Pic" so that I could remove her Kapok stuffing and clean up her clothing and plush fur fabrics.

Everything original, except the carrot, was kept for ongoing treatment

Thus, here we have all the components for her head, including her original glass eyes.  The body, for the most part did not need to be washed, as it had been well covered by her clothing.  The carrot, although useable, was discarded.  After over 30 years, I felt Mme deserved to have a fresh one to hold, in due course!

In this picture, you can see (from top to bottom) her skirt, pantaloons, top of dress and arms (with paws attached), her brown felt shoes, apron and the body prior to being unstuffed.  The brown shoes were in really good condition, so, once unstuffed and re-filled, they can be used again.

Having separated all useable parts, except for the body, everything spent the night soaking in cold water in the kitchen sink.  Last week-end the temperatures here in the UK were pretty icy, so that must have been a shock to the fabrics involved.  However, over the years, I've found a long, uninterrupted soak in cold water is a great way to begin removing surface dust and dirt, prior to the washing process.

Next morning, before breakfast, I removed each piece - one at a time - and using a washing up bowl with lukewarm water and a delicate soapy detergent added, I gently rubbed them to remove the remaining surface grime. The soapy water was an "interesting" shade of light brown when I had completed that delicate task!  Having carefully rinsed all the pieces, I gently pulled them into shape and hung them individually on an airer, which I then suspended over a convenient radiator.

Hanging up to dry!

The fabrics involved are all seemingly made of cotton or a washable, man-made material, so did not take that long to dry.  So later that day, when my latest batch of ironing had been finished, I set out  to to flatten and prepare each piece ready for the next stage - putting Madame Lapin all together again.

Ready to be sewn together again - different colour eh?

Decorative ric-rac  sewn on with  - what else? French knots!

While waiting for the items to dry, I had de-stuffed the body and replaced the kapok used 30 years or so ago with the more modern, and infinitely more tactile, polyester fibre that I use nowadays for creating all the Cuddlies forms. 

Then comes the really fun bit - re-making the original toy.  The pantaloons got some new lace edging; and the apron was decorated with a Christmas theme.   Because Mme Lapin originally was a Christmas present for my sister-in-law, IvyM, and she also is one of those less fortunate folks who also has a birthday very close to that festive date, I felt it was appropriate that Mme Lapin should now  reflect the Christmas seasonal colours in her new apparel.   ( Incidentally, Mons. Reynard was sent at the same time, destined originally to my nephew (and her son).  This was because both our daughters and a neice who lived - and still does - in Canada had already got their own versions,  and I didn't want him to feel left out.    However, somehow, Mummy got to keep him!  (Now, does that sound familiar to any of you folks, I wonder?) 

This post has now gone on long enough, so I'll continue with the Rejuvenation of Mme Lapin in my next post.  Good night for now ... God bless too!  Isobel.