Some toe info for a friend......

Here it is Allison,....... with a few simple pics and my own pretty simple explanation ....... ( I am a pretty simple person...so I don't want to confuse myself if possible !!) some people call them sculpted toes...some call them "pulled" toes. I can't even say for sure what they are, but here are Leonard's toes as promised.

Thread a needle with a length of upholstery or button thread in choice of colour;..knot on the end. Insert the needle into the foot somewhere near the heel.. sort of below the ankle bone area...then exit the needle on the same side of the foot a bit higher up toward the arch area but still out a bit away from the actual footpad. Gently pull the thread ...by grasping the thread (not using the needle to pull the thread as it could break the thread after awhile from sawing on the rough inside of the eye of a needle) until the knot disappears inside the fabric. Reinsert the needle almost in the same hole... and exit at the top of the foot at the spot that you want to use for the size and number of toes you have planned. I like to do big toes first and then do smaller ones. Take a large (external )stitch on top of the fabric..out over the tip of the foot..down to where on the footpad you want to make the base of the big toe……..insert needle and go back up (fairly deep inside the fabric.).to the top of the foot for the second stitch (mine will come out where the orange pin head is) Gently but firmly push the top of foot down a bit and almost roll it toward the sole of the foot.. (kind of tucking the toes under a bit) ....now… gently pull on the thread where you exited… pushing down with the other hand..till it holds the shape you are looking for...take the thread down to the space on the foot where you want the second toe crevice/base …... inserting the needle there and again going back up to the top of the foot inside the fabric. Just those two stitches will give you three toes .. so .. go back into the fabric almost where you exited and now go down to the side of the foot near the big or little toe and you can begin the creases if you want some. A longer piece of thread will be plenty to do creases as well … but if not … anchor it off and get a new piece of thread.



















Do a couple of discreet stitches that will hold the pressure of the stitches...then, bury the end of the thread by cutting it close while pressing firmly on the foot or leg where you end.























Sometimes I put stitches horizontally for creases as well ... but mostly I just use a bit of shading and because you pulled and tucked them a bit .. sometimes that is plenty and almost appears as creases.

This little guy has been around on my blog before...because he has a boo boo....... yep. At the point where I turned the leg and foot...I poked a hole in the fabric...yikes! Poor, poor Leonard! I didn't want to toss his leg...so, instead I repaired the tiny hole.... with some invisible mending and then... glued on his ladybug. Since he is my own..I don't mind that he has a slight imperfection.... he is still really cute to me!!

Let me know how it works for you.

Be careful what you wish for!

Darn, darn, darn...or... well...maybe it is yipeeeee after all !!

Some of you regulars will remember the day we all thought up ways for Pauline to either repair, or use to advantage, a small tear in one of her bears. Check under label "bear repair". I remarked that I did not have a poodle or bichon in my collection and that perhaps I may even have to intentionally poke a hole in one so that I could keep one. Erm..... well...... this pink poodle will NOT be sold at the Bear Show.

I didn't even notice til after I had jointed head to body that there is some pulling apart of fabric at the seam under her nose. Must have stuffed her a bit too firmly. Oh, well...like I say... it is either a "darnit" or a good thing. I am actually happy to be able to keep one for "show and tell".... although it could have been one not needed for an upcoming show couldn't it? It is difficult to explain any of the bears and dogs to folks if you have nothing to show except a picture. I like to see the real thing myself...and I am sure others do as well. So, today..... make up a new head and try again.

For the second year in a row, a silly robin made her nest in the Virginia Creeper that is all over our neighbour's wall. Well, I am guessing it must be the same bird anyway..... and yesterday...the whole vine fell off the wall...same as it did last year ... at or about this same time. It gets too dry..our neighbours have never heard or watering or plant care......and then the sheer weight of it when much of it dries out just brings it down....nest and all. They all fall out of the nest. Aha! "When the bough breaks" !! Finally, I remembered the nursery rhyme it reminded me of....Rock a bye Baby! .... couldn't think of it for luv nor money earlier... it took going out into the blistering sun and picking weeds for an hour. And, all of a sudden...it came to me!

Now, I am out there all day it seems; guarding baby robins ...in case a cat or something shows up that could harm them. These are the second batch of the summer...and they are pretty big babies........ very big and plump in fact...and loud too when they are cheeeeeeeping for Mom. ..... but can't really fly much yet. They jump up off the ground and flutter a few feet if I walk too close to them by mistake as I did last night trying to nip off a few old peony blooms and tidy in the garden a bit while sort of watching out for the babies. I never know which bush they are hiding in when I go out there in the morning. It is soooo hot right now too and they must need water. Finally...this morning..... I see that a very patient Mom has managed to coax them around to the big shady spruce tree in our front yard and they are right next to the birdie bath which I always keep nice and full in this heat. I hope they can hop up there soon....it is not high so they probably can...just have not seen one in it...yet. But..I am keeping a beady eye on them and listening through my open windows for any ruckus if something dangerous shows up. Two years ago they would not have stood a chance with the killer cat that lived across the street. We do have city bylaws against cats roaming... but he was never kept home. This was a huge cat that even suckered in people out for walks...he would go to them..roll on his back..they would bend to pet him and he would launch himself at them! I can't even tell you how many people I saw jump straight in the air with a cat attached to their arm....... can't understand why nobody complained except me. Well, he finally got his comeuppance. We found his remains in a yard down the block when the snow melted that spring and since then... there have been no more horrible murders of baby bunnies and robins in MY yard! I am not sure the neighbours believe that Oliver was killed by a coyote.... seeing as I had made threats out loud....

started a bear

That is my Mom in the background.. Fergus on the left and two of the other "Leonards"

Okay...listen, I know for a fact that a few people have tiptoed in and out of here ...had a peek into the "Bookcase" ..cuz... it said 42 of you viewed my profile.... well, yes, okay...a few of that count may have been me... but ..people have actually been stopping by...just ever so quietly.........

Funny how I expected them all to say "hi" out loud in the comments area of MY blog isn't it? Like mine is the one that REALLY counts?? Wanting them to let me know they checked me out. Hmmmm... but then I remembered how many blogs I have been visiting lately and ...did I leave messages in all of them? Uhm... no...'course, not.... silly me! However, seeing as how I am patiently waiting to see some comments..just to get the feeling that I am not totally alone...that somebody actually did read a post or two... had a thought about something I said or a pic I posted or hey! anything...... even if it has not yet appeared as a post.... ...from now on I am going to leave at least a "hiya" in every blog I hop in on....so there!

My friend Maggi was here yesterday and guess what? I started a bear!! YUP... finally. First one of 2007. Man..it is almost half over and I have only done one or two doll or bear related things. We decided to make Leonard from a pattern of my own. A perfect time to show Pauline, a fellow TTer, what I mean about a cover up.


Meet Leonard the IV.

The haemostats made a small hole through the rayon fabric of his footpad seam when I was pushing them out. Yikes! I got all hot and prickly... you know the feeling when you make a stupid boo boo. First, I cursed,.... berated myself of course.... but, then my husband, clever guy that he is...came up with yet another brilliant suggestion. He always has at least one to offer when I run aground with bears or dolls. Mend the hole..and place some little bug, butterfly, button or something over the area. Perfect!! I did. Now, this Leonard will never leave home, of course,...but, that's great...because he was my 4th Leonard and I still didn't have one of my own. Now...maybe I should poke a hole in the next poodle! Don't have a dog in the curio or the "bearister" either..........