Polperro, Cornwall and blogger awards

It seems only right that I start this post with a serene scene.
Polperro, in Cornwall the day after the kids went back to school. It had a very distinct lack of holiday makers. All to day trippers advantage............yep, that's us............

This is the calm scene.........the not so calm one was the day my washing machine gave up the ghost a few weeks ago.

Oh Mrs Grumpy!

Maybe Tony's suggestion that he could carry my washing down to the stream for me didn't go down well as he had hoped.

We have also "done" Halloween while we have been away from blog world..... Ask Mew...as the bear took up more of her space in the window than he usually does..................



Back to another promise...........blog awards.

We were very honoured to receive the KARMA award earlier in the year. At the time it made me smile as sometimes there is nothing calm around here.

At other times you can hear a pin drop. I drop loads of them and then have to scrabble around so no one ends up going to the vet.

Really pleased to have had this award then and still really pleased that Dolores at

TRUE BLUE CANADIAN sent it along the line to Soggibottom.

Dolores is a true recipient of this award......I always enjoy reading her blog and I'm sure you will too. It's not the first time that Soggibottom has mentioned True Blue Canadian....ah, don't I love looking at the quilts she displays. Does envy come into good Karma? No probably not!



Here is the easy bit.......I have had to trawl back and find the wording.....IT IS...............The Karma award. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kinds of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self- aggrandizement. (I still haven't looked into the dictionary for that one but I have the right idea - I think). Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. ~Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to some bloggers who may choose more and include this cleverly written text into the body of the award.


Not sure how many bloggers I am to pass on this award to, so thought I would mention five:-
Most of, if not all bloggers that I know work hard at what ever they do, not just blogging.

When Life Hands you Scraps

Uniqart

Purplecats Corner

Donkey Dreams

Harvesthome primitives

I realise not everyone is into awards, so if your not, that's fine.....but.........I have at last kept my promise and pasted on my lovely award. x x x

The other award Soggibottom had a while ago was from Aunt Pitty Pat
How lovely was the thought. Just as great and as large as my smile every time I click onto this lady's blog.....if your having a bad day, the washing machine does not work or the teddy bear takes up far too much of your window seat you need to visit Aunt Pitty Pats.

I have to again say a very large thank you for the honour. The rules of Aunt Pitty Pat's award are.
Accept the award and post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 (fifteen - do I know 15 ?) other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
Ah that's fine, easy.......I just take my own time at getting around to things.....ah...forgot you need to know who the FIFTEEN ARE....um.....how about five ?

I'll mention a few.......if I have forgotten you.....remind me ................



Nutbudquilter

Itching for Stitching

The Friendly Company of Bears

Oopsology

I Can't Sew

Scout the Bernese Mountain Dog

Wendy

Astrid ( I just love looking at her cakes)

Susan and Campball and the mad merles (Amie insisted I add Campball)





You've counted.....there are nine. I know there are other Amie Soto Blossom Fans out there.
Thank you again for both awards ladies.

Have a great time over the weekend. November 5th is a busy time for all budding pyromaniacs.

Free 1925 Soggibottom Teddy Bear Pattern

She gets in every where.....in this case into a Museum in Cornwall, we might not have been on the web for a few weeks, but as usual Amie has been out and about and we have lots of photo's of the South West ready to show you in future posts. Thanks for all your emails and comments. Great to be missed by Amie Soto Blossom Fans.

Now I suppose I should keep my promise. ~One Soggibottom Teddy Bear Pattern.

Here is Perkins, the rescue bear on your left. On the right is the bear I made slightly altering a 1925 bear pattern. The pattern below.

He has a barrel shaped body and large humped back. I haven't really "messed around" with him. Sometimes it takes me days to get the right expression or look that I am after.
Not this little guy I wanted to make him as straight forward as I could.
He does have glass eyes and I have stuffed him with a mixture of wood wool and polyester stuffing. He is jointed useing cotter pins and disks, he also has a growler. His feet and paws made from brown velvet material. On the whole trying to use materials that he would have been made from in 1925.


Before you start a couple of things with reference to the pattern. I'm not great at dots but they are just a rough seam outline for you to use. The arrows go the same way as your material pile, what ever you want to use. You don't have to use mohair.... if you use material, it's wise to back it first with an iron on backing that will strengthen your bear.
REV.....you need to reverse the part of the pattern you are using. E.g. inner arm cut x 2. One of which is reversed. I'm being to cautious...I'm sure you all know exactly what your doing.


But as always, if you want some help, email me and I will help.....



One more thing, if you don't want to make a bear with such a pronounced back hump. You have an alternative below with page No. 4


If I have made any mistakes, oops!!!!!!

I KNOW the beady eyed out there will let me know... have fun and you have time to make loads of bears before Christmas Day. I would love to see them.

The dressed Perkins and friend

Here he is all dressed and ready to sit in the window.........

He has been there for ages, and yes........ Soggibottom has been rather silent for a few weeks.

Up, and running again thanks to our own computer wizard at Sparkybrand
Part of the interweb again, thanks to Mark x x x
I have lots of catching up to do, there really is life out there besides the net, surprising as it might seem. Although we have missed you all and I have a huge pile of mail to get to.

I have dressed Perkins and decided after all your beautiful comments reference his clothes to dress him in 1920/30's dock worker togs (clothes). I have also made another bear to keep him company in the window. This bear is made from a 1925 pattern that I have altered slightly. It still has a barrel shaped body and exaggerated hump back from the original pattern. This is the pattern that I will post as it seems that my love for older looking bears has got the better of me.

I have promised to post a pattern for ages and haven't got around to it.



I have won something. NOT JUST SOMETHING.

Purple Cats art work. Very talented lady. THANKS KAREN x x x (and Karen's lad for pulling the Soggibottom name out of the hat). Shall I frame it or use it ?

You can see all Karen's beautiful art work at

Purple Cats Corner



I never ever win anything, everyone says that I know, but I am one of those that really doesn't. Great surprise that on this occasion I did and again many thanks to Purple cat.
I did win a Rubik's cube once at the school fete. I knitted a bear for the fete and after seeing it sat on it's own felt so sorry for it I went and brought it back. Nothing really changes does it?

Restoring an antique teddy bear

Meet Mr Perkins............... looking slightly different from the day he came home from an antique shop in Plymouth.


No eyes, dirty, a hole in his leg and very patchy sparse mohair. WHAT MOHAIR?
A typical well love and played with old teddy.
I never pretend to be an antique bear expert, so forgive the pun and bear with me over the next few photo's. This is the bear I chose from the three you saw in the display cabinet a post or so ago. He sat in the middle of a very sad looking Merrythought and another patchy old looking bear. The Merrythought had an arm missing, not impossible to give him a new arm and he had the right label and button. But I chose Perkins instead. No labels, no buttons in his ear (or evidence that there ever has been). Haven't a clue who made him.


The guy in the shop might have noticed me hovering around by the display cabinet for ages. Hovering wasn't the word, I just kept ending back at that particular display.

The Bear's pattern reminds me of a 1930's bears pattern. Maybe Perkins might be earlier. You will see why I think he might be as you scroll down.
The guy in the shop wrapped him so carefully in tissue paper and put him in a plastic bag (PLASTIC)..... When we got back to the car Perkins came out from the bag. Sat in Amie's place in the middle of the back seat, I left him wrapped in his paper as he looked fragile to take out completely.


This is the first night at Soggibottom.

I took a while to really look at him to decide what to do without ruining his old bear looks. First thing he had was a pair of eye's. Eventually he will have a slightly larger pair. The only pair of the right size glass eye's I have in my bear eye box are green. He doesn't look like he suits green eye's.

Hole in his leg, and worn around his joints where the stuffing had compressed and fallen over the years. Paw pads weren't too bad, worn and slight nicks. Repairable with thought.



This is the nasty stuff, if you look away Perkins and I will understand!

Kapok and wood wool stuffing, also a very, very old growler that looks like it had been made from leather and material. This is the reason why I think he is a twenties bear....but if you know different, don't hold back, let me know.



Not the most dignified pose, stuck on a plate on the kitchen table.

I re stuffed his body, you'll be pleased to hear. Stuffed around his head and the rest of his joints really softly and although I have wood wool I felt that to have put it in might just finish off the remaining mohair causing more holes over a period of time. He has a new growler, eye's and a new voice.



Bath time.

I used Bran and a warm water spray. The micro fibre cloth I used had to go into the bin when I had finished. You could say a bath was overdue.
Working the bran gently into the bear and using stroking not hard rubbing stokes brought off most of the dirt. Then left to dry and gently brushed with a soft brush. Very softly, softly stuff really....Holes fixed, I'm glossing over this bit because although I have made sure they won't fray anymore the decision is to sew, patch or stick.
The hole in his leg was different. I could have sewn it but instead, rummaged into my stash of mohair and found a backing that matched his as near as possible. I distressed the new mohair before using it for a patch. I had a fleeting thought about rubbing it in the garden or the stream...dismissed the idea. Instead I used an ordinary pencil. I think the patch works rather than anything else I could have done. Again any comments always welcome.



Here he is, in the cottage window.
Sitting up on his own without leaning on anything.
Watching the world go by and he can growl when he needs to.
Waiting for some clothes. They will help to protect him for a few more years.
If you have an old bear, protect him/her. It doesn't mean you have to keep them locked away in a dust free cabinet or in a box.......Keeping sunlight away helps, dressing your bear helps too.

Put them in your window, let them see who comes and goes. Let other people enjoy them.



If you have any idea's on a dress theme, feel free to suggest something.

Different bear from the one that we saw in the antique cabinet, different in as much as I hope he will last longer. Longer than rotting away in an antique shop display cabinet. As for the other two......ha ......well.................I have plans.

I'll warn you again, about spending money on an antique bear you fall in love with but might fall to bits as you get it home............

Restoration is not as easy as it might seem. Bran baths do wonders.................
One more thing I feel I should add, it's not polite to be touchy feely with old bears, or artist bears, always ask first!

If you ever need help with your bear/bears I'm always pleased to help.

I might be a gardener, a felter, knitter, quilter, doll maker, avid book reader, music lover, animal and bird lover, chaser of turtles and sharks on reefs, history lover, Amie Soto Blossom BOSS, the number one of all people at putting their one good foot in it and upsetting people, BUT most of all my passion apart from my family and friends.................BEARS...........especially old ones.

Is he smiling, or is it just my imagination?

What do you think?

Soggibottom has again been awarded an award...thank you.....I will post it, as always in my own good time x x x

To bear all!

Antique finds and the Mayflower steps in Plymouth Devon.

Weather wasn't great in Plymouth the day we visited the Aquarium.


Only hardy souls out and about.


Great for space, if you like the streets to yourself.


To find a street or backwater lane you haven't been before I always find interesting.


Yep.....this is what you think it is. Life size and on top of cupboards in the antique market.
They even had a stuffed crocodile.


Poor little guys. The bears, not the bottles on the top.

I always warn about buying antique bears.
No matter how much your tempted or how old the bear is, the bear really needs to have a good covering of mohair and be in reasonable condition..............
Otherwise your great buy and the love of your life will fall to bits before your eyes.
Don't these bears look sad?

Did I take notice of my own advice?

What do you think?

Rock Pools are still rock pools no matter how large!

If your still there and still clicking, you know we have toured the South West beaches over the last few weeks. It's a great sport, one I love..............Amie loves the rock pools................... I still love anything to do with the sea.



Not far from the cottage there really is a cove that hosts the fairy tale seahorse........
These aren't from the cove. The picture was taken yesterday when we visited the Aquarium at Plymouth. I could sit there for hours, normally knowing that we can't be long because of leaving Amie on her own.


Yesterday, Steve dog sat Amie, so we were in no hurry. At our leisure we watched the Octopus and sharks and Snorkel the turtle.


These are reef sharks.....and not very big ones!
Big enough for the tank they're in.


If you ever visit the South West you have to visit Plymouth Aquarium
I'm sure you will love it.




If you can't make it...don't worry, click and watch, you really could be swimming with the turtle.
No scuba gear to weigh you down............
Sound travels further underwater, not sure if I ever heard voices...so use your own imagination or turn the sound down.
No jokes about the back end of a turtle..................... x x x