Ancient creatures
Meet Earl Fitzwilliam! He’s probably about 35 years old and lives in Leeds.
Originally he lived in Sheffield, on top of a cupboard at Sheffield City College, so that he was out of reach in case any of the students took a fancy to him! So he’s done well to be around 35 years later.
And now meet Betelgeuse and Sid, both of whom live in my house in Birmingham and are, if anything, a bit older than Earl Fitzwilliam, but of a similar vintage.
Betelgeuse is the crocodile and still serves as an effective drought excluder in my lounge.
Let me tell you a little bit more about Earl Fitzwilliam and Betelgeuse.
Earl Fitzwilliam was a present to my father, except that he wasn’t named that at first. He was made in the colours of Sheffield City College, where Dad worked. Which is why he lived at the college, on top of a cupboard out of reach of any students who were impressed by him! Earl Fitzwilliam was local gentry and owns / owned a lot of land in Sheffield. Probably in about 1979, my father’s part of the college moved out to Wentworth Woodhouse, the stately home of the FitzWilliams, and if the owl hadn’t already got his name by that time, he has certainly had it ever since that move. He still lives in my father’s study. My father still has a study. And indeed, I still have a father. All good news! Even though Earl Fitzwilliam’s ears are not quite as robust as they originally were…… but the rest of him is in good condition. (A bit like my father actually!)
Betelgeuse. I sewed too much in those days as well, and when my wardrobe got full, I made animal draught excluders and gonks! (Today I make raincoats!!) When I had finished these things, I named them after something that was in the news that day. And Betelgeuse was in the news the day that I finished the crocodile. It was an oil tanker that blew up in Bantry Bay in Ireland! But I liked the name and it’s stuck. I’ve even been to Bantry Bay to see where the oil tanker disaster was!
Betelgeuse isn’t in such good condition. He gets cleaned by the vacuum every now and then, but was rather dusty before I took the picture. His neck is a bit weak, and his feet are a bit loose. I repaired one of his eyes a few years ago. But he is still a working crocodile, and is likely to remain at work longer than I probably will do. He fits beside my lounge door rather well. Sid, rather boringly named at the time of the British Gas campaign, is too long!
So I am only 35 years or more late blogging about them. The idea of ‘allmyownworkbyAnn.com’ might have seemed a bit crazy at the time. But then lots of things were a bit crazy at the time.
Ann, Sept 2015
One Week, One Pattern
Me Made May 2016
Me Made May 2015
Simplicity Competition
Sew Over it Patterns
all my own work by ann 