Stuff and Nonsense

As well as aprons and bags, Christmas was also a time of cushions. One, in shades of purple, for a work colleague fond of forty winks under her desk. The other for a sister-in-law whose cats are partial to a snooze. For this I used the fabulous cow fabric from Etsy, careful to shear through the psychedelic herd as gently as possible. It was strange to make such a gigantic cushion after the bijou one we made in Roz’s class. And slightly tricky, remembering which bit to sew where and at what point to attach the ribbon ties. It also took great thirsty armfuls of stuffing, entire cumulus clouds of squidgy white disappearing into the dark interior but still the cows on the outside remaining limp and flaccid. The purple cushion, much smaller, was less greedy and only nibbled at the remains of the giant sack of polyester candyfloss. Mum used to call it ‘kapok’ although technically that only applies to the natural fibre from the kapok tree. I think we used to have both types, the natural fibres softer and more oily against the dryness of the man-made polyester but both with the same ultimate purpose of giving dimension to whatever school projects were on the go back then… a tartan elephant, as I recall, and a cat with a neck like a giraffe and – is that a cry of horror S? What’s that? Soft toys are the spawn of Satan?? Don’t be so melodramatic – other assorted plush animals.
Stuffed to the gunnels, the two cushions were dispatched to their respective new homes - one now doubling up as a cat basket in Bromley while up in the city the other adds a touch of comfort to a hard office floor.
Which leaves us with the perennial post-Christmas problem of what to do with the cold, leftover stuffing. Another cushion? Perhaps, but I think I’ve got something that will go down much better. Something with a hard button nose, beady glass eyes, grasping, clasping claws and soft, soft fur…