Teddy Bears & Craft Fairs .............................

Monday Greetings dear friends & readers

Exactly a week ago I tidied up my sewing room & covered up my machine ... I decided I wasn't going to make any more stock for my Christmas Craft stall
Right after making that decision I noticed an old box way up high on the top shelf 
An inspection inside the box revealed two vintage bears - given to me by my friend Gail a Very Long time ago as she no longer wanted them .... they had been part of a collection of handmade vintage bears she used to stock in her Gift Shop many years ago

I studied this one for awhile & decided I might be able to do something christmassy with "him" perhaps??
To begin I made him some pants, then a coat & matching Santa hat using some deep red coloured fleece I already had in stock

The wadding style fabric I used to trim his coat & pants was white but a quick dunk in parisian essence soon turned it the nice vintagey cream shade I was hoping for

Next I made him a bag using a panel of lovely Santa fabric I had in my stash - I sewed the bag to his hands
It was at this point that I realised he was probably going to be a "hanging Santa bear" to get the full effect of his Santa sack which I planned to fill with goodies

I gathered some goodies to put in the bag

If you were ever to pop in to visit me unexpectedly,  this is what you might find on my dining table ... I decided the wooden golly needed some hair & the merry christmas sign needed to be attached to a black stick !

Painting the golly hair with PVA glue so it sits upright !!!

I like my Santa Sacks to be stuffed really full

I was thrilled with how "he" turned out .... but thought he looked lonely, so I decided to make the other vintage bear (pictured below) into a "Mrs Santa's helper" !!

I sewed her a dress using the same deep red fleece & tea dyed more wadding for her trims

I have NO idea what Miss Pippi was doing here but I think its safe to say, she was Not checking my sewing !!!

I found part of a broken felt christmas swag which just seemed to sit perfectly in her hands .  .  .  .

Isn't it a GOOD thing I keep all these old junk broken bits & bobs for use "one day" !!??

.  .  .  . & then a sweet Boyds Bear brooch at her neck - I gave her a bow in the same fabric as "his" pants

Don't they make a great couple ???
(& they were my very first sale at the craft fair on Saturday)

The Christmas Craft Fair was a great success in that the rain stayed away & the crowds came out to shop.
Unfortunately the wind was so strong I witnessed a couple of gazebos get blown over!
It made it impossible to do any nice displays & instead I just plonked my work down & hoped for the best!!
A great deal of the day was spent retrieving things that blew to the ground!!

I have borrowed the photo below from the i-site website ... you can click *here* for more photos from the day

My stall is the blue gazebo right by the arrow

My neighbour was the same as last years fair - my friend Julie from Bo and Co

Yesterday was spent sorting & tidying & repacking the Cottage
To be honest, today I feel more shattered than I did yesterday!!
I have family arriving to stay for a funeral in the Bay of Plenty later in the week & a house that currently resembles a bomb site!!!

And these two below .  .  .  . are no help whatsoever !!

Resting up after a busy weekend of .  .  .  .  .   resting up !!! 😻

Thanks So Very Much for your visits today dear friends,
I hope the coming week is filled with good things & great moments,
with much love & friendship,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0

A Country Friends Angel & A Bowl of Gingers ..........................................................

Greetings dearest friends & folk

Welcome to another bright shiny new month

Exactly one week to go now until my local Christmas Craft Fair

 If you are in the area on the day, do pop by & say Hello ... I am site No 76
Lets hope for some fine weather for the day Please ..................... !!!!

This Country Friends Angel doll started her life quite sometime ago

I think it would be fair to say we are talking years here, rather than months !!

 Like many things here at Threadbear, she sat as a half completed dolly, wearing a pale blue floral skirt in the 
"one day pile"

(The pattern is called "Christmas Angel" & is an old design by Wendy Briggs of Country Friends)

When I came across her again I decided she should indeed be a Christmas Angel & so removed her blue skirt & made her one in christmas fabric instead ... bright red poinsettia fabric !

The original pale blue skirt

Though I have forgotten to take any photos as I progressed, I completed her but still felt something was missing ??
Perhaps she needed to be framed ??
I found an old "welcome" picture frame in my sleepout, removed the centre & then, with The Mr's help, stapled chicken mesh to the back of the frame ... she might look okay in this I thought

Yes she fitted perfectly but still .... something was missing ....

 I sewed a rusty star wreath to her hands then wound some berries around the wreath & hung a wooden folk art christmas decoration from it

I glued an old key to the frame & then I decided to add the christmas berry swag .... I think this just gave her that extra festive christmas zing somehow ....

I am thinking of including the blue skirt with her ... that way the red skirt, the wreath & the berry swag could be removed & she could stay out all year round in her frame wearing the blue skirt.
What do you think dear friends - would you do this ???

(The berry swag is wired to the frame .... so easily removed if necessary)

Another item in the "one day pile" was this plastic bag full of gingerbread men/women christmas decorations.
These had been purchased many years ago when I worked at the Gift Shop & would've been bought in the New Year sale when all the christmas stock was down to half price

I just loved their happy, smiley faces & had always planned to make up a small "gingerbread collection"
A friend had given me a cream porcelain bowl with a chip in the rim & I had put it aside for this very idea ....

Using Cottage Garden thread "waratah"  I stitched a small primitive pillow which I filled with crushed walnut shells 
I made some primitive candy canes & a calico gingerbread man shape which I painted with a strong coffee mixture ... he smelt delicious ... I coated him in a pva/water mix to stiffen him

All my bits & bobs fitted perfectly in my (chipped) bowl & I added some greenery, berries & a bundle of cinnamon sticks
I didn't have any gingerbread smelling oil so instead I sprinkled everything liberally with cinnamon oil

Lean in real close to your screens & take a big sniff !!
To say it smells divine would be an understatement !! 😊

A long time customer phoned to ask me if I would be at the craft fair this year & if so, would I have any golly teatowels for sale??
I realised I had not one single teatowel left in the Cottage so this week I managed to applique 6 golly teatowels & 6 angel ones

These items usually sell well for Christmas gifts

A small Christmas display created in the Cottage mid week

I was lucky enough yesterday to spend some time with my delightful grandson Alec ...

... who was so proud of the very colourful "worm" he created at daycare!!
Alec is now 2 1/2 & is talking very well - even his Granny can understand him now !!

Thanks So Very Much for your visits today dearest friends,
May your weekend be a happy & creative one
with much love & friendship,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x