For Ayla

Dear Ayla
 
As promised, here is the bear for your Mum.  As discussed he has been made from hand dyed mohair and woolfelt. 
 
While I have tried to acheive the mouldy gold colour, as we said in our last conversation, I think in all honesty that is that really only  comes with age sadly, as the mohair pile picks up dust over time and discolours. I have tried to match the mohair to my old Chiltern bear,who is also a greeny gold, although  it probably looks a little more stone in the photographs due to the light - the  backing fabric does tend to pick up the  dye more intensely than the pile.  However I hope he will be reminiscent  of your Mum's bear when he was new and fluffy, but with the addition of his  repaired and replaced paw pads in a vintage pink and rust woolfelt.  As a point of comparison for the colours, I have managed to dig out the last of the wool used for Vinnie's scarf (yes I hoard everything!) and have included it in the last photograph.
 
As discussed he is a touch over 13 inches tall although he feels a little more substantial due to the density of his fur which is beautifully tactile, making him very cuddley.   He is what I would call a proper teddy, so I haven't removed any of the pile, other than from the muzzle as I thought it would be nice for him to age in his own time.  He does however have a little staining to the backing fabric of his paws, toes and ears to give the impression of having a little age.  He has been filled with a mix of woodwool and polyester fibre and is weighted with steel granules in his tummy, wrists and ankles,  His glass eyes and black stitched and waxed nose, have been gently enhanced with hand painted detail. He is 5 way cotter pin jointed and wears a hand dyed pink, raw edge silk habotai bow and little gold coloured bell.
 
He doesn't have a name yet, but I'm sure we can come up with something a little kinder than "Mouldy Gold Bear" as he has been referred to over the last year or so!  I'm not sure if your Mum's bear has a name? Perhaps we could use something similar, or I could simply put that he's your Mum's bear on the tag (if you could let me have her name).
 
Anyway, I do hope that you will like him and more importantly that you think your Mum will be pleased with him.  If you are happy with him, please feel free to use the shopping cart facility, if however he is not what you had hoped for please do let me know.
 
Height: 13"
Fabric: Schulte Mohair
Filling: Woodwool, polyester fibre and steel granules
Eyes: Glass
Accessories: Hand dyed silk bow