Saturday 20 August 2016

Sew happy for hedgehogs!

Mother hedgehog
As you may know through Instagram there has been great excitement (mostly on my part) that we have / had  a hedgehog family. Earlier in the summer we kept seeing an adult hedgehog out and about in the garden in the early mornings and late afternoons. I've always been told that a hedgehog out in daylight is a worrying sign, so at 5pm one Sunday I scoped her up in a box and with Pickle-Lily took her to our local wildlife rescue centre. We were greeted with 'Not another hedgehog' as we walked through the doors of Secret World Wildlife Rescue, but I hasten to add, in a very friendly way! She was taken off to be checked and then returned with the information that she had recently given birth, and she was out looking for extra food and was very healthy.
Mother hedgehog
When we first started to see her out and about I started leaving out some hedgehog food which went each night. As you know, you mustn't give hedgehogs bread and milk, and I've always left out water for any creature to drink. Now that baby hoglets were involved I wanted to make sure it wasn't the local cats eating the food so our lovely neighbours lent us a little wooden house their rabbits didn't use, with a lift up roof. Hedgehog food was put in their every evening and we waited.
During the following weeks we started spotting mother and hoglets out and about on the lawn and when I peeked inside the house discovered there were four babies!
I know it's dark - but there are four hoglets!

After doing more research on the excellent Hedgehog Street site, I discovered that the hoglets don't stay with their mum for long and the siting dropped off, of both adult and young. But I still put out the food and water, and the food is still being eaten so I'm convinced at least one is still around.
Mother hedgehog inspired me in my sewer's kit! I've been toying with an idea for a sewing kit and after finding some gorgeous ribbon and some sketching, cutting and sewing I made a hedgehog themed etui (sewing kit!). She is very cute - if I say so myself - and can be found in my Etsy shop.
Sewer's set on Etsy