Grandma's Glove Puppets

The teaser from a fortnight ago, a stack of fabric, and now a little bit more revealed. 

It was all Rosie's idea. When we visited Swaffham Museum in the February Half Term - specifically so she could go in the Carter Room and revel in the Egyptian Antiquities - she absolutely adored the place. When the assistant said "Would you do an evaluation form with me?" our Little Miss Enthusiasm agreed. Final question [Grandma holds her breath anxiously, what will she say this time?] Rosie said the Museum was brilliant, and she liked the fact there were things in the rooms for smaller children to play with. But she liked the Carter Room best, and there was nothing in there for her little sister - "I was in there the longest and if Jess was with us, she would have been bored"

The lady admitted there wasn't anything for Littl'uns. What would Rosie suggest? Rosie said Dressing-up Clothes "We had some, I think they were put away during Covid Lockdown. Anything else?"

"Egyptian Glove Puppets, my little sister loves glove puppets" And the lady said that was a very good idea, but where could they get Egyptian Glove Puppets. "Grandma!?!" declared Rosie, very confidently. And thus I found myself agreeing to make them a set of puppets to be delivered after Easter.

I did my research, finding photos of Howard Carter, the Egyptologist, Lord Carnarvon, who financed it all, and statues of the boy King Tut [I didn't feel I should use his death mask!] Lord C always wore a hat with a wide brim and flat top, he had a big moustache. HC had a smaller hat and smaller moustache. To even things up a bit, I chose two women - Nefertiti and Hatshepsut.

I drew out some designs, and made a cardboard puppet template. Then I created the puppets from felt. My new machine was brilliant for stitching elaborate designs on garments, gold trimmings and more. And I made a bag to carry them all in. This week, Bob and I took them over to the Museum. Tim the Trustee and his staff were quite delighted.

We went to the Carter Room, and he showed me that the costumes are back in use - and also took photos of the puppets. He said they'd like to have the new puppets out on display, but don't have a stand for them. "I could make one" said my Shed Man!

Tim had asked if Rosie would be coming with us to deliver them. I explained she was back at school in London. So they gave me a gift for her, because she was the inspiration for the puppets. I did an "unboxing" over WhatsApp, that evening. Rosie recognised it instantly. She is quite thrilled with the model of Bastet the Egyptian Cat God. I thought that was extremely kind of them, to encourage a child like that. Swaffham Museum is independent, run by community volunteers, on a shoestring budget. 

I love the way I could use so many of the embroidery patterns already installed in my machine, I think Nefertiti is my favourite, but I am pleased with Carnarvon's hat too. And the inbuilt font meant I could stitch names on the backs [co-ordinating fabrics from one of my curtain sample books]

Have you ever made puppets?