Some Hails and Farewells to tell you about!

Warm and Happy Greetings to you all - Cy Bear signing in to bring you up to date on various happenings in the ColdhamCuddlies world.

Now that the computer has been returned, Isobel seems to be getting to grips with things although there are still some problems.  She's found a programme (whatever that is - it's foreign to us Bears, of course) that will tell her how to work with Windows8, and looks out for it in the daily post.  It hasn't arrived yet, but when it does, guess there won't be too many posts happening while she plays with the computer and, hopefully, digests the contents of what ever is in the package when it arrives.

Meanwhile, in between computer hassles, Isobel has been busy with some replacements.  Starting off with our Barn Owl friends, she decided to make two of everything when she replaces Cuddlies who have found their Forever Homes.  Just as well she did in the case of the Owls, as no sooner had she made the two of them, and even before she renewed them in the Etsy Listings for the Shop, one of them was purchased and is even now on its way to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - his Forever Home is going to be with AndyB's Grandma - who, according to HeatherB (Andy's  Mum) is "very fond of Owls".  He was parcelled up and sent off before we could have one of our traditional Farewell pictures (with me in the photographs), but here is a picture of the Owl Twins before one of them left us.

The Twin on his way to Canada is the one on the right of the photograph.  Isobel put numbered labels under each Owl's talons, and HeatherB chose the one she wanted her Mum to get.  So, there will now have to be another replacement Owl once the other jobs have been completed.

The next replacement project Isobel had on her list was to produce another Green Frog.  She duly cut him out and was almost ready to stuff him, when she showed him to the lady who comes to look after Isobel's feet (I believe they are called Podiatrists).  Well, no sooner had MrsJulietW seen the unfinished Frog, but she said she'd buy him once he was completed.  Isobel told her that she still had the Green & Orange Frog (Etsy Listing #116285186) if she would like to see  him before making up her mind finally.

MrsJulietW took one look at the fellow on the right, and bought him on the spot.  Apparently she is "Frog Mad" - as she described herself, and I'm told that when Isobel went into Warminster after her treatment, her car is full of frogs - of all shapes and sizes.  At least six others were on the back window ledge, there were some hanging in the car itself and there were even some on the dashboard!!  So our Frog won't be lonely!  I've since learned that her house is called "Frogwell", and that MrsJulietW has some real frogs, as well as us toys ones!  This meant that we had to have another two new Frogs in the Shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies.  They are slightly different - because we now have an Orange and Green Frog (the colours are switched from the that shown in the previous photograph) as well as a Green Frog (in the same two shades of Green).  Isobel will be doing a post about how she makes Frogs sometime soon, so we'll show you the two new Cuddlies properly then.

Then, at the week-end, we learned that Beau Fox has a new Forever Home.  His Forever Friend has a birthday coming up later this month, and her friend HelenS asked if we could possibly send him to Lochgilphead in Scotland.   I think that is in the UK, because the parcel that has been made up so that he can be posted off tomorrow (Tuesday, April 30) doesn't have an Air Mail sticker on it.  So, this afternoon, before Beau Fox was wrapped up in tissue paper and bubble wrap, and while the sun was shining, Isobel had a photo session in and around our grounds here at Heytesbury.  Here is the official Farewell photograph of Beau Fox before he goes to his Forever Friend.

Then, because it was such a lovely day, we decided to take a photograph of me with the remaining Barn Owl Twin.

Then, we can show you all the Cuddlies we've been telling you about today - including the two new Frogs.

Which is why this post has been entitled "Some Hails and Farewells to tell you about".    Good night - until the next time.  Cy Bear!

The Latest Foxes and how they joined the Coldham Cuddlies

Earlier in April  - 08/04/2013 to be exact, under the title "Attempting to Re-start the Posting Process...", I threatened to tell you how our Country Gentleman Fox and Beau Fox appeared in our shop at www.Etsy.com/shop/coldhamcuddlies.  The post was really a repeat of the Etsy listing for each Fox, plus a few extra items to make it a little more interesting (hopefully!).    I hadn't intended the gap in the process to be quite a long as it has been, but having completed the reports on Turner Bear's treatment, there were some unexpected delays in getting the new computer back, and it's really only today that I've been able to try to post about the production process for Foxes.  So, here goes:

As ever. these Cuddlies are made with separate calico bodies, which are then stuffed and made ready to have their clothing attached.

Country Gentleman Fox (CGF) 

As I go along, I'm finding that it's better for me to get all the bits and pieces sewn together so that heads, tails, boots, jacket (with arms and paws attached in this case) are ready to be put on the body as soon as trousers and waistcoat are in place too.

While waiting to attached the jacket, I used some rubber bands to hold CGF's newly-cut tassels in place at the top of his boots.  The suede leather was a tad inclined to stick out instead of facing downwards, and I experimented with the rubber bands which just happened to be at hand.  It actually worked quite well, and  I shall be using this as a patented Morrell method in future - when the need arises.

This rear view of CFG shows the white tip that all my Gentlemen Foxes are given - to distinguish them (as in real life) from the Ladies whose brushes are all in natural chestnut plush.

Once this fellow was completed, the process began all over again for Beau Fox -  whose apricot
pink fleece trousers make a change from the white felt johdpurs that my Gentlemen Foxes tend to appear with. The fabric happens to be left over from making the The Pig Twins earlier this year.  As I didn't have sufficient for another whole Pig, Beau Fox's johdpur trousers seemed the best place to use the remnant up.

 The waistcoat is a rather smart blue plaid fabric, which was part of the haul I received when I last picked  up  my fabric supply from the Fine Quality Feather Company in Frome, Somerset some weeks' ago.  (The Three Buchanan Foxes' dresses - described in our posts "Making the Buchanan Foxes, Parts One and Two - 18/02/2013 and 25/02/2013) - were part of that consignment), and I have some other unusual plaid fabrics to use in future - whose destiny has yet to be decided.

As I was finishing the waistcoat, I decided to see what might happen if I put the sleeves in at this point, rather than waiting to insert them in the overcoat/jacket.  I had some rather nice royal blue velvet remnant to hand, so decided to use it for Beau Fox - to show up the waistcoat, and also decided not to hide it when attaching the outer garment.  I also thought that a little light blue ric rac added a certain "je ne sais quois" to the overall look - what think you?

His boots are made with a lovely crimson soft glove leather remnant I have in my leather collection, and I then added the white stock to finish the overall look.  At that point, I did waver:  because he actually looks quite smart as he is - without the full jacket.  However, having cut out the jacket, I went ahead and completed it - and actually think he looks even smarter than before, especially with the double breasted fastening, which allows the waistcoat to be viewed, as well as the scorpion type emblem embroidered on the white felt stock.  This is what makes creating my Cuddlies such enormous fun - without an original pattern, I'm absolutely lost:  but give me a pattern, and my creativity has almost no bounds!

This last photograph was taken just a few days ago, with the sunshine blazing and the garden here at The Hospital of St. John just beginning to burst into flower.  I also took some of CGF at the same time, as well as one or two of them together.

Now that Spring is beginning to show it's hand, I shall endeavour to take as many photographs outside as I can.  Obviously, while the production process is in hand that does also mean that some still have to be taken in the work-room, but I do think daylight makes such a difference to showing off our Cuddlies!  Hope you do too.

Have got some outside shots of the Owl Twins (now only one still looking for a new home) as well as two new Frogs to show you.  That will have to wait until next time.  In the interim, I'll close this post  - and wish you all a great week-end.  Seems like it was  only yesterday when I was posting about AndyB's Christening in Edmonton, Aberta! - and yet it is 6 days ago, already and Clare arrived back in the UK earlier today!   How the time flies!   Isobel