On the Moor

Chester and I want to tell you about one of the biggest blessings on the Craggy Moor!

The name of our blessing is the West Earl Woolen Mill. On Monday we ordered 3lbs of batting. On Wednsday UPS knocked on my door! WITH the batting!

One call to the West Earl Woolen Mill and you’ll see how kind and friendly they are. Their prices are so good, the best around for the 100% wool batting we love to stuff the Craggy Moor Friends with. The batting is beautifully soft, super clean, and like I mentioned a WONDERFUL price! Every time we’ve bought with them, they’ve shipped that same day (I call in the morning).

Because of the West Earl Woolen Mill, we can keep our prices where we want them, and make lovely hand crafted all natural treasures for you.

West Earl Woolen Mill, we’re so glad we found you! Thank you for all you do and God Bless you.

Have you met Lilly? She’s a sweet and leggy little lamby just ‘born’ on The Craggy Moor. Want her for your own? There’s only one way to get her. Just go on over to NorthernMama and enter our giveaway! Contest ends May 5th so get your entries in fast! Don’t forget (or in case you didn’t know) :

Everyone who enters the contest and posts a comment on our blog ( or convos on our Etsy ) will get  1 extra entry in the Giveaway per comment  AND 25% off  your first item purchase with us! Just mention Northern Mama and a product you like in our store!

 From Christy’s Desk

These were the thoughts running through my head as I searched the amazing “forgotten” fabrics the other day. There were herringbone, argylle, and fair-isle patterns. There were lovely thick wool suitings, and sweetly soft cotton knits. There were natural colors that I just feasted my eyes on and longed to create with.  I was in seamstress heaven!

I’ve seen these fabrics of yesterday in antique shops, and other fine homecraft stores fashioned into gorgeous and endearing bears, rabbits, dolls. My Mom and I love to linger in those Memories type stores and run our fingers over the cotton lace, the old woods, and old victorian tea sets. There’s just something so comforting about those heirloom treasures.

 And I have to tell you, each time I make a cute little critter out of wool or cotton, or velveteen, I just love watching the little personality emerge.  I see the same type of individual personality in those dolls of days-gone-by. It might be there, but I just don’t see that same personality in the mass produced, synthetic stuffed animals lining shelves at the different stores I see them at. I don’t have anything against a synthetic stuffed animal that becomes “real” to a child who loves him though. It does happen :0) There’s just something more beautiful in the texture of the wools, suedes, cottons, silks. There’s a love that is sent  through the handstitching, the individual shaping and stuffing and the uncomplicated little face. You could have a grey bunny OR you could have a grey wool herringbone bunny with suede patch paws and hand embroidered eyes! sigh. There’s no comparison in my mind.

I wax sentimental, but hey, that’s me! Who we are is largely where we come from right? I’m just loving the idea that my little son loves on a bunny that is made from someone’s grandfather’s suit coat. That suit coat lay on the back of a man who worked hard to support his family out of love. The suitcoat retired with the man, and then became a friend to a little boy, and now transmits a whole new kind of love.  It kind of connects us to the folks in the past who made us who we are today too.

That’s the special something in the handmade animals we make that you just can’t buy at the mega mart.

 You just can’t put a price tag on that kind of love :0)

I’m getting ready to make a new set of little friends this week, and I just have to give a shout out to Etsy! It is so wonderful that Etsy can be an outlet for artists like me who love to create to give you something special.

 Ok, I’m outa here to go create some cuteness now.

Here on the Craggy Moor, we love the story of the Velveteen Bunny. The idea that a well loved animal becomes real is so sweet and special. It is at the heart of a handmade stuffed friend. They are friends for life!

We’ve been searching and finally found some velveteen that we really like. Its repurposed, we love that. Most times when you think of the “old days” you think of Grandmom or Mom, Great Aunt or Aunt looking into her cedar chest, pulling out some precious article from days gone by. She smiles at you as she cuts, sews that precious saved bit of fabric into a loveable friend. As you watch, she puts love, and mabye a story into your time together and that goes right into your heart, and consequently, into the heart of your new little friend.

You know that special little friend is just yours, specially made for you.

We love that Etsy and the wonderful sellers there are seeking to bring back that special love that comes with something homemade, heartfelt. It’s why we do what we do here.

Our hope is to keep making a Velveteen line of bunnies while our supply lasts in honor of that wonderful story, and days gone by.

Angela at Northern Mama contacted us and asked if she could do a review of the Craggy Moor Store! We were so honored!  And even better!

Northern Mama is sponsoring a Giveaway with The Craggy Moor! Here’s your chance to check out her blog, and enter to win your own sweet Craggy Moor friend!

 Hannah Herdwick was grazing on the Craggy Moor  one day, and she caught Angela’s eye.  They were a perfect match! So, off to Canada Hannah travelled.

 It was so wonderful to “meet” Angela. She is such a nice person, and her blog reviews many good earth- friendly products that we really appreciate.  Responsibly using the beautiful fabrics from days gone by is what we’re all about! Angela has a beautiful family, and blogs about life in her corner of the world too. Family is so important to Angela, and to us too here on the Moor.

  This is Bronwynn, Angela’s youngest daughter, with Hannah Herdwick! So adorable.

Beautiful pictures like this are why we do what we do. We are reusing resources to better the earth, and our own life. But even more important, we are making special, lifelong friends for you  and the  ones you love.

Thank you so much Angela for all you do, and for the lovely review!

This is Anna. She has a new friend named Hoppey.

Hoppey belongs to Anna, and

Anna belongs to our dear friends Jim and Heather in OR.

Heather emailed me saying she walked into the room and saw Anna loving on Hoppey. I can’t tell you what a sweet blessing that was. And even sweeter! Heather grabbed a picture before that adorable moment passed.  Cuddly sweet little moments like this. That’s what its all about. That’s why we do what we do.

Thank you Anna, Heather, and Hoppey! You made our day:)

If you’ve bought a Craggy Moor stuffed friend for your little one send us a pic and we’d be so honored to put it and any little story you have to go with it up on the blog.

Here’s the newest Lamb in the flock! She’s so sweet and soft, and oh so cute. She just “spoke” to me as soon as she was made.

Drop by our etsy store to learn more about her. She might just be new friend you’ve been looking for.

www.thecraggymoorstore.etsy.com

Cinder is the newest lamb on the Craggy Moor, and just one step closer to the lamb I’m trying to create to look like my childhood lamby. This little guy is so cute! Who can resist a tilt of the head and soulful eyes? I sure can’t lol!

Cinder is made from some wonderfully soft cotton knit we found (white) and a very nice black wool that was so nice to work with. He’s stuffed with our favorite stuffing combo: brand new, 100% wool batting, dry inert lentils, and just a touch of the dry lavender we love so much. It gives our lambies that “running through the fields” essence.

Cinder sure is sweet, and he’s eagerly waiting for someone to adopt him.

Here’s the newest rabbit to hop onto the Craggy Moor! He’s irresisibly huggable.

He’s made of the most comforting cottons we could find! He’s all natural, just like all the bunnies here on the Craggy Moor.

He’s stuffed with brand new wool batting-you’ll love the difference wool batting makes as stuffing. He also has a few beans in his belly to give him that “real” feel that is so  very appealing.

Give him a peek-he might be just the handmade bunny you’re looking for!

The Bunnies and Hares around here sure do move fast! This cute little guy was adopted before I could get the blog up! A BIG thank you to all our customers and friends. We love you!

Jamison O’Hare  is made of a really lovely, high quality wool repurposed skirt from a friend of ours’ grandmother. His ears and feet linings are a nice cotton blend cranberry plaid that goes so well with the spring grey of the wool. I have to say, when this wool was stuffed, it took on a whole new, incredibly pleasing soft feel. The skirt was nice, but Jamison brought out even more beauty in the wool. We hope he’ll be loved for many years.

Stuffed animals that can become lifelong friends are one of our loves here on the Craggy Moor.  There are so many beautiful fabrics that just beg to “come to life” out there too! We are just inspired in so many ways lately. Keep checking back with us because even though Jamison has hopped on to his new home, there are more bunnies, hares, sheep and lambs being born on the Craggy Moor every week!

And they’ll just be waiting for you to love them.

Thanks so much for visiting our blog-we love correspondance! Leave us a comment anytime.