Making of Mandela Tribute EK Buddy Cushbear

The Making of Cushbear Mandela is a tribute to a great man.  A few people submitted some good ideas and we came up with this fabulous little fella.  Actually, he is not so little.  It a was important to use the colours of the South African Flag.  We wanted to use an actual flag, but cutting out the template would have eliminated some of the colours.  This way, we were able to incorporate all of them.

Thembu Tribesman 

On Cushbear Mandela's right ear is the year he was born and the year he died. 1918 - 2013 in a glitter green which stands out wonderfully.

 Because Mandela spent 27 years of his young life in prison, we thought it appropriate to put his prison number 46664 and the word FREE above it.  His freedom symbolises so much to so many, and for me personally, imprisonment is not necessarily about being behind bars. It is about choices and the freedom to live our lives the way we wish to without prejudice and judgment.  These things are going to happen anyway, but if you are 'Free' inside, you will find 'freedom' on the outside.

 I'm not a photographer clearly, lol.  But I like to take a snap of the various stages of my work.  At this point, I have partly sewn on the face, which is taking shape, and stuffed the bottom lip and chin.

 Ok, this one's a bit blurry but you can see the outline better than in the first one. Really!

       Haha! 'ears getting there.  His face is stuffed, literally and his ears are taking shape.

 I really love his nose.  I think it looks a bit like a lion's, the red bit does to me anyway.  A couple of people said it reminded them of the map of Africa.  I thought that was very positive feedback.  What do you think?

 

At this point, I have outlined the various cotton coloured fabrics making up his face with a  metalic almost royal blue.
This helps to add depth and make the colours standout more. The top stitching is still visible, which I like, it gives authenticity to the fact that all our products are handmade.

 Ok, another blurr lol.  But here Cushbear Mandela is, all stuffed and waiting for his head to be closed. Yes, that's his hat on the table.  I was doing some tweaking to him while visiting my daughter in hospital. Incidentally, the nurses thought he was pretty cool too.

                                                  Nelson trying on his cap for a good fit.

'What are you going to put on his head?' My mother asked me.  My intention was to give him some grey hair. 'Oh no', she said.  'You have to put that green cap on him.  The one he wore at the 1995 Rugby World Cup when South African Springboks won!'  That was a landmark victory for Nelson Mandela, in more ways than one.  Of course the number 6 T-Shirt was far more significant, but we needed to cover his head, so for us, the hat capped it. Besides, it was much more out of character to see Mr Mandela in a cap.  Mandela wore his silver grey hair with pride, so his Cushbear has a little of that too.

We would be very happy to hear what you think of him and any ideas you might have for an appropriate story to give him.

Thank you for reading our blog again.  Keep in touch and let us know if there is anything in particular you want to know.

Best Wishes from us at EK Buddy BlanQuilts

The Making of an EK Buddy Cushbear

Hello

Here we are again and so happy to see you.  Today, I would like to take you through a little of the process of making a Buddy Cushbear. It's not as simple as it may seem.  Well, not to me anyway because its all about mental imagery.  When someone orders a Cushbear, they want it to be a personal thing.  Something they can relate to, that means something special to them.  Ok, let me use Bearthany as an example.

This little girl loves hearts, pink and anything with a bit of bling. Her mummy likes, quirky, unusual things. So even with this little bit of information, the mental juices start merging and eventually we come up with a eye catching cocktail of Cushbear ingredients.

At this stage Bearthany is almost done, but the three main ingredients are there.  She's pink. Her nose is an upside down heart and made of fabric that contains hearts and the pink button on her nose is also a heart. Need I say, her mouth too is a heart.  By now this Cushbear is full of heart lol.  The third ingredient, she has pink glitter trimming her nose and mouth.  It's important to add here, that the age of the child is crucial as to what type of bling is added. Sequins for example come off too easily.

Pink hair was a must. And her butterfly heart headdress just as a unique, quirky and timeless touch. Might I add, it also looks fab.

 Bearthany, giving it attitude and she can't even see who she's giving it too lol

 Bearthany, reserved now she has opened her eyes and see's whose in charge. Just look at those lashes!

 'Ears her name in shimmering pink. No need to over emphasise it, she knows who she is!

                             MMmmm great spot between friends, a final goodbye before I move in with
                                                  my forever Buddy Bethany.

                                 The Making of SanTartan one of our Christmas Cushbears.
I live in Scotland, so had to have a Tartan Santa.  At EK Buddy BlanQuilts, we love unique and there is something exceptional about being positively different!  EK Buddy BlanQuilts prides itself on individuality and giving our customers something that absolutely no one else has; and whats more, they are entirely handmade.  Every stitch is lovingly made and we pay great attention to every detail so our Cushbears look just right, with a particular quirky expression.

 Joining the forehead and cheeks.  Here he has on his (bit like Miss Piggy) nose lol

SanTartan must have a moustache and one shaped like a bow was just what the Doctor ordered.

                             This Highlander SanTartan simply had to have a goatee beard.

A little of the green glitter beads to spice things up and represents the greenery of the Highlands.

                                               'I raise my hat high and a merry jingle to you.'

                            Look at those expressive eyes, they say 'Hi', 'Hello', 'How are you?'
A Cushbears eyes are very important.  They say a lot about their character and determine the outcome and expression of the face.

So, let us know what you think of the process so far.  In the next blog, I will be taking you through the making of our Mandela Cushbear. 
Thank you for taking the time to join us and have a read.

                                       Best wishes and a Happy New Year to you

EK Buddy BlanQuilts Storytelling Mini Movie - Pinkabear

EK Buddy BlanQuilts make Cushbears that tell their own story.  Here is a sample of some of the Cushbear Stories, told in a mini movie clip.  We hope you enjoy them.

This one is Pinkabear.  We will post more soon.

 

 

 

 

http://youtu.be/LpQCUVSBvTE

Creativity and a Buddy Aids Recovery

EK Buddy BlanQuilts did not just spring out of the ether.  It evolved, from a
long and arduous journey on an isolated road to recovery. Everybody needs a Buddy, particularly during difficult times in ones life.  Can you remember your first real Buddy?


Mine was a teddy and I remember vividly the devastation I felt, when I returned home from school one day to find that my mother's clear-out included ted, a huge cuddly thing almost taking up half my bed. His name escapes me, but I do recall his matted bronze fur and evidence of several repairs; his partially chewed nose, dislocated limb and squint through one eye.  Need I say much more about the fun we shared and the love and care I bestowed upon him for so many years?

JuJu with Buddy BlanQuilt, Eli Snuggles and his two cousins, Bearesford Slee-Peasy and Kozi Bearsfeet (red eyes). 

These two Cushbears were made from my daughter's favourite jeans and a much loved top.

My son's was a much loved blanket, a part balled up in a tightly clenched fat fist; providing strength, courage and a hiding place, should monsters chance a visit during a restless night.

A pillow which smelled apparently, of strawberries and cream gave my daughter a great deal of comforting pleasure; until one fateful day, I put it in the washing machine. Ooooops still haven't lived that one down 27 years later.

But I've made amends, me thinks with our Buddy Cushbear range dedicated to all those big and little people who have lost a much loved Buddy.

I love Blubear and so will the person who owns him.

I'm good to go and just so you know, I'm Blubear and I don't like bullies so you better not think of having a go! Got it.

Look        www.ekdesigns.mycylex.co.uk       Buy   www.ekbuddyblanquilts.co.uk                  

We have two websites, I know!  I'm not batty or trying to show off, our purchasing website was made by the fabulous Marie at Mamidesigns where you can purchase our products or have one specially made.  The other one, was me, trying my hand at a different kind of creativity and adding a bit more fun to our much loved Buddies, where you can have a look and feel for the passion involved in creating our wonderful products.

A Huge thank you goes out to Simone Gibbons for our fantastic logo and to my daughter, Taylor for dreaming it up.

Pop it in your Pocket Poppet

Those wonderful days when my children were little and my handbag, pockets and baby bags were full of their necessities and more importantly, valuables. I can remember having to retrace my steps to pick up a dropped hat, shoe or sock that my little ones had pulled off.  Then all of a sudden there would be this anguished wail, a most treasured toy had been lost. 

These days, I am able to avoid such tragedies having come up with the concept of EK Buddy BlanQuilts. Not only do we make beautiful bespoke blanquilts but they come with every parents dream, additional pockets. No more tears, as you simply teach your child to 'Pop it in their Pocket'.

This beautiful BlanQuilt with a jungle scene and a large pocket with mountain peaks, referencing and inspired by his name, Dante, was created and designed by me after providing some ideas to his mother, who loved what I came up with, but also required one large pocket.

Baby's Buddy Mummy's Best Friend

EK Buddy BlanQuilts designs and hand makes beautiful bespoke quilts primarily for children.  Each quilt has storage for 'your treasure's treasures'. Our catch phrase is 'pop it in your pocket poppet'.  Each quilt tells its own story according to the theme or what it expresses in mood and colour.  My designs and stories are very spontaneous and speak to me as I'm making them and their story emerges.

EK Buddy BlanQuilts also designs and handmakes bespoke Buddy Cushbears.  All the bears have names and come from various fictitious bear families.  For example, the Firrhill Crew, the relatives of Eli Snuggles, the Posh Bears and so on.  Some of the bear stories are short biographies, some are like poems and others are stories.  It just depends on what the bear has to say whilst being created.  They each have their own personalities and style.

The BlanQuilts and Cushbears can be designed and their stories related to a specific child or family member.  For example, AlecBear and BradBear were made for little boys called Alex and Bradley; Bearthany, for a little girl called Bethany and a quilt for Dante depicting features his mother wanted on it.

We also have the fabulous and very popular Glow-in-the-Dark Octobears with their very exciting and interactive deep sea adventure story.

We also do a range of bespoke Cushion Aids for all the family and particularly for propping up baby and breast feeding.

Our bespoke soft play rugby balls provide lots of fun.

Bespoke 3 pair hanging Scissor Holders. You can use them for your make up brushes, combs, pens and pencils too.

Order your BlanQuilt,  Cushbear  or Octobear today; Or one of our other fabulous products.

Go on our website and see the range of wonderful products we have on display.

www.EKbuddyblanquilts.co.uk

EK Buddy BlanQuilts Storytelling
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Watch this space. I will be posting some of our short story films just for you. Enjoy