Sunday 16 August 2015

Starting Afresh - First Cuddly with a New Look

Goodness gracious me - but it is such a long time since I've been able to talk to you - Cy Bear back with you again!

As the title of this post indicates, we at Coldham Cuddlies are thinking of starting afresh in various ways.  Jogged into action by Isobel's recent differences with her computer, we've joined a new Team on Etsy.com - called Friends R Us, and from all accounts it's going to keep Isobel busy, as well as hopefully raise the Cuddlies profile at the tame time.  (There's a lot of daily supporting each other that goes on, and lots of Treasuries and things involved as well). The Shop is going to be re-jigged, beginning with new titles and new tags - if and when there is time for it happen that is.  Finally, but actually most importantly, new Cuddlies will be coming in to the Shop (www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES).  I'll qualify that last statement by saying that perhaps they won't ALL be brand new specimens, but different versions of old favourites - just like our Frog, which Isobel has been working with over the past few days.


He's made from the same pattern used to make our previous Green Frogs - who have had either light green undersides or orange ones in the past - and Isobel has decided to another multiple offer.  This one has been listed  in the Shop earlier this week under this link -

https://www.etsy.com/listing/116285186/stuffed-frog-brown-and-yellow-animal-art?ref=shop_home_active_1

(Alas, pictures of our original Green Frogs are not currently available, I don't think - until Isobel has a chance to look at the photographs she did back up, well before the computer crashed a couple of weeks ago.  Otherwise, because she's enjoying making these guys at the moment, it may mean she makes a couple of the Green ones again - but I do know the fabric for them is running out, so that may be ALL she can do in that particular colour format.)

In case the link doesn't work, I'm going to show you some other views of this fellow - which Isobel has found a lot easier to work with this time around.  She'd realised that it was in fact easier to follow the instructions given in the pattern - TO THE LETTER - rather than make him the way she THOUGHT was even better!!   (It wasn't actually!)


 It's resulted in almost three versions of Mr. Frog being made in 10 days or so of evening sewing.  One remains to be stuffed:  the other is in the throes of being put together.  As you must realise, in effect Isobel has to make each one twice, then sew the limbs on to the body, and then sew the underside to the rest of the body after that. 


She's  hopeful that all three will be ready to be offered for sale by the middle of the coming week, because she's not going to be living in two different places from now on.  Clare and Alan have been busy getting to know and cope with their adoptive son in the last 12 days or so, and it's meant that at times Isobel has been staying up the road with their dog and two cats - feeding them at regular intervals and walking the canine too.  We are all hoping that as of this week, Little Person will be allowed home for good and can carry on getting settled - as he's shown every sign of doing to date.  Isobel can then spend all day at home, because for the next few weeks, no one is allowed near the house to enable the parent/child bonding process to strengthen.  So far so good:  and everyone can't wait until some sort of  "normality" can be achieved.

Meanwhile, here is a close up of Mr. Frog to end this post.


Hope to be back with you again next week - it will depend on what Isobel's sewing and other plans end up achieving.  Meanwhile, have a great week everyone. 

Your friend, Cy Bear.