Tommy Teddy's Rejuvenation Therapy

As suggested by Isobel a couple of nights ago, I've got the great pleasure of telling you all about Tommy Teddy's rejuvenation.

Although he arrived here in the summer, we've actually not had him "in person" since about mid-September when he virtually fell to pieces after Isobel had unpicked him and washed him very gently - by hand, in specially soapy mixture for delicate fabrics.  We were a little worried as to how we were going to put him back into a Bear shape and our task was made a little easier when Golden Teddy arrived and spent a week with us - enabling Isobel to trace his shape (without taking him to pieces) and then taking him back to his home (at the back of Heytesbury Parish Church).

Golden Teddy and I before he returned home after helping us

Then, Isobel had a problem finding fabric that would be suitable to make the new Tommy Teddy - eventually, after searching the local haberdashery outlets, sending an ear to Susan at Bear Basics in Wincanton (she couldn't help, alas) and finally searching the internet, Isobel settled on a pale blue and a pale pink fleece (the latter being used in the interim for the Baby Pink Rabbits that recently went to Saudi Arabia - which Isobel posted about on November 14, 2011 - "Welcoming Three New Baby Rabbits.)

Isobel began the process of making Tommy Teddy by tracing the various pattern pieces from the cardboard templates she'd created when Golden Teddy was with us.  The pink fleece is not at all like the salmon pink Tommy Teddy's face and paw pads were originally made with.  However, Philippa - Tommy Teddy's Forever Friend - had been sent swatches of  materials (we got about four different shades) and had chosen these for the final version.

Tommy Teddy's pieces before being sewn together

Isobel first sewed his head pieces together, put in the eyes - Philippa decided that Teddy Bear eyes would be better than the hand-made ones Tommy Teddy had somehow acquired during his earlier life, and then stuffed it.

Then she added the ears and embroidered the facial features:

Then Tommy Teddy's arms and legs were stuffed and attached to his body.  Isobel finally stuffed the body and here he is before the head was added to the body

Finally, Isobel put the head on to the shoulders and there was Tommy Teddy looking like a new Bear.  It was only at this point that we all realised that the finished version was a very big bear - even bigger than my friend Ed Ted.

Tommy Teddy - a frontal view

Isobel then took a side view of the new Morrell family addition - because he really is  new Bear to look at!

Just to prove how big he is, and because most of our Followers have got used to seeing me saying goodbye to the Cuddlies when they leave the shop at www.coldhamcudlies.etsy.com for their Forever Homes, here is a picture of Tommy Teddy and me together!

Just see what I mean?

Don't think I really need to say any more, do I?   Tommy Teddy will be travelling with Isobel and Peter when they go to stay with Philippa next week.

Isobel also tells me to tell everyone that the blog will shut down for a few days, while our computer has an MOT - in the UK all cars have to have this every year, once they have reached the age of 3 and means they are roadworthy!  Suppose a computer MOT is somewhat similar.  Someone is coming to take it away while Isobel is away, and once they return, the computer will come back.  The "doctor" is then going to set it all up again, and tell Isobel what NOT  to do, so that it will work really well - and we can blog even more, and better!

Before I go - Isobel has heard from AB from Ardwick, Manchester that Brown Bear Plush Glove Puppet is "beautiful:  even better than the photo".  So, he's arrived at his Forever Home and it's a good way to end this post.

Good night everyone, and here's to the next time!  Cy Bear.

News from near and far

Signed on to www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com at the week-end to find this message and attached picture in the Convo section.  Cy Bear thought you'd like to see confirmation that one of the latest Cuddlies has got home safely!

                                                                  "Hello Isobel,
                                                   Uncle Brendan is now in Versailles.
                                                   Thank you very much. I like it.
                                                    It 's a very beautiful rabbit.

                                                   Find attach 2 photographs of it in my kitchen.

                                                   Thank you again.

                                                                   Anne"

                                                         

Uncle Brendan in the Kitchen of his Forever Home

We're still waiting to hear if Noel, the Xmas Rabbit has reached his Forever Home, but as it took over a week for Uncle Brendan to get to Versailles, France (just across the English Channel from us here in Heytesbury, Wiltshire) and Noel had to get to the other side of Canada, it's likely to be another week or so before he gets to Richmond, British Columbia.  Two Foxes and a Koala Bear that I sent to a great neice and nephew in British Columbia - admittedly in a more remote area of the Province - took about six weeks to get to their destinations, so we've plenty of time yet.

At last, after all the recent orders I've been lucky to receive and managed to meet,  I've managed to do some therapy in the Soft Toy Clinic (Etsy Listing #79124185) - specifically to rejuvenate Tommy Teddy, a long time member of the Morrell Bear Family residing with elder daughter Philippa.  We're due to visit Philippa at the end of this month, so it was rather important that I got the job done before we left, and as he's turned out to be another large Bear, he'll be accompanying us when we drive to High Wycombe (just outside London) rather than undergoing the more adventurous journey by Royal Mail.  Certainly it's a less expensive option!


Tommy Teddy came to live with the Morrells in the early 1970's.  He appeared one afternoon when Peter, Philippa, (then a toddler of 2 and a bit) and I were visiting some friends of ours - a congregation of Catholic Nuns known as the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood.  Philippa had been whisked off by the younger sisters on our arrival, while Peter and I talked to Mother Superior, and just as we were about to depart, in came this big bear, with Philippa's little legs the only bit of her to be seen!  He was THAT BIG, and certainly the largest member of our Bear Family until the late 1980's, when we were joined by a huge bear called Rusty, who made Tommy Teddy look quite reasonably big.  Since then, he's travelled everywhere we have - to and from British Columbia (where we first landed in Canada) and then for 12 years in Alberta, as well as all over the UK when Philippa has moved around as her job dictates.  In the process he had become somewhat battered, faded and grubby (pale blue and salmon pink are not ideal colours to keep spic and span!).  So, when the Clinic opened, Philippa asked if I'd accept him as a patient, once Ed Ted (posted about earlier this year between 11/07/2011 and 31/07/2011) had received his treatment.

He really was salmon pink and blue - promise!

He arrived sometime in the summer and has been waiting patiently ever since.  The trouble was that when taken to pieces, his coat literally fell to pieces when he was given a gentle hand wash.  There was a point I despaired of being able to rejuvenate him.  I then met Golden Teddy - who plays an important part in keeping children quiet during services in the Heytesbury Parish Church and who featured in a post all of his own on 13/08/2011 - Introducing a New Friend.  I've used him as a model for the pattern, and as I'm not the greatest artist in the world, I have been more than a little apprehensive as to how Tommy Teddy in his new form would look like.  Am reasonably happy with the outcome - which you'll all see when Cy  Bear describes the treatment process in our next post.

Model for Tommy Teddy's transformation

Just before I close - we're almost at the 100 target for Followers:  92 as of today!  Thank you all so much for your support.  Here's to the last 8, before I have to sit down and think about how I'm going to expand this blog and invite guest bloggers to post here. Feel that 100 Followers makes it worth everyone's while to create another post in addition to your own!

In the meantime, goodnight and God Bless.  Hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.  Isobel

November's Hail and Farewell!

Hello again, everyone - Cy Bear entering the posting block again with the news of a departure from, and a new arrival in, the www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com shop.

The new arrival is Nick, The Festive Bunny, a O.O.A.K Brown Plush Rabbit dressed in a Lime Green Velvet Coat, with a  yellow printed cotton waistcoat trimmed in green braid which itself is decorated with red French Knots.  He's got some very smart Brown Leather boots - which Isobel found rather tough to sew through!  However, he looks so smart  in them that she is definitely going to make toys using the same leather again - at the appropriate time.  He is completed with a green felt stock, with a pearl button to hold it down in any wind, which matches the turnover on the boots.  She does have some non-dressed toys to make first - like renovating Tommy Teddy (which starts tomorrow) and replacing all the Fleece Baby Bunnies and then rejuvenating Mons. Reynard and Mme Lapin from France.

Nick, the Festive Bunny is listed in the www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com shop and his Etsy Listing is #86564271.   Here is the first picture of him in all his glory!

On a wall, beside a bush with orange berries

Here is another picture of Nick, the Festive Bunny - from the rear view!

Taken inside, standing on our printer

Isobel has been invited to guest blog with Jessica Currie of CurrieDesignsHandmade.com - it is scheduled to appear on December 12, so no more will be said about Nick now.  Jessica has asked for a blog based on a tutorial, and we've prepared one on how Nick was made.  However, we will also be listing the other tutorials that have been included in earlier posts on this blog for Jessica to look at.  So, if Jessica decides to go with one of the older  posts, we'll do one about Nick's production process later.

Then, who has left the www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com shop?  Well, it's one of the Glove Puppets - who was invited to join his Forever Friend last week-end.  AB, whose Etsy User Name is annabelrebecca, contacted Isobel last week-end, and once all the preliminaries had been completed, Brown Bear Plush Glove Puppet was posted off to Ardwick, Manchester, England, UK this morning.  We naturally had our customary farewell picture taken - and here it is! 

Don't we look alike?  But I'm much bigger than him!

That means the Glove Puppet population is now down to three - Foxy Lady, Brown Rabbit and Golden Bear puppets - until Isobel has time to make replacements of the others too.  She's got her work cut out, hasn't she?

Cheerio for this evening.  See you all soon.  Your friend, Cy Bear