Lots of people have been asking lately, "where are you?"   "why aren't you sewing?"  "when can I have a grump?"    and so I thought I ought to explain why I am awol in the internets.   The reason is this you see...  (in a nutshell)...

There is an EU Directive which states that all handmade toys must confirm to certain safety standards and carry a CE mark to confirm this.   This has been in force since 2011 but it seems a lot of toy makers don't actually know about it.  (And those that do, now have big headaches).

Now, I have never considered my freaky little creatures as toys for children and have always considered them as collectors items for older children and adults with squiffy brains  (I mean, it's not as if children don't already have enough STUFF, the little darlings)... but it seems that this is quite a grey area, with differing advice being given by Trading Standards in different areas as to what can be classed as a collectors item and what can't.

And so, until I have spoken with my Trading Standards office, and am sure that I am complying with their regulations then I must stop with the sewing for a while.
Hopefully only a short while.

I was going to start sewing up some samples to show them today, but my dearly beloved hobbit has given me his head cold, and it is hard to sew when your head feels like it's full of cold porridge.

So maybe I'll be just a while longer....

But not too long...

I hope...

Atchoo!


p.s. this is how I feel...