Liberty Belles -- I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag ...

This is the year of the American Heros and Patriots, of celebrating America and the American way of life.  These ladies have sparkly silver star crowns and together they form the American flag.  They are all three devoutly pledging their love and devotion to their country and the American legacy.

Hurrah for the Red, White and Blue!

All My Children -- Mother's Day 2012

What a great year it has been so far!  I have been celebrated by my three grown children on Mother's Day with wonderful phone visits and all good and happy news for each of them.  My own mom is now 86 years old, happy, healthy and chats with me on almost a daily visit.

Still find myself somewhat tired, though.  And then I realized that I have been busy, not in turning 65, but in giving birth (of sorts) to many delightful little cloth creatures.  We had a little reunion here and a "family" portrait of just a few of the little ones I have made since the beginning of this year (and a little spilled over into the tailend of 2011). 

Here's the gang .... 

2012 Doll Family

Originals and prototypes (Nov 2011-May 2012)

There are 30 dolls in the photo (must apologize for the poor photo quality ... am working on adjusting this).  There are 6 very tiny mini dolls in the front row.  Several of the Christmas & Halloween darlings were not able to attend because of other commitments. 

I love being a mom in more ways than one!!

Sew Now What?! ..... New WIP

Since the weather has been fickle as to whether it will be spring, summer or remnants of winter, I decided to press forward and start creating things for Halloween.

I began exploring characters from Edgar Allan Poe's stories (he was certainly an interesting chap).  After completing my research, I decided to create a character from The Black Cat ... the lead character who tells the tale of mystery and dementia (I named my character Grim Gristlebone) and, of course, the star, Pluto 2 ... the black cat.  The story is delightfully so "Poe-ish" and sizzles with the insanity of emotions gone awry and inflamed by alcoholism, helping to develop the intense characters in dilemmas that we, in everyday routines, often find ourselves internally confronting but have the good judgement not to release on our partners, spouses and/or friends and families.

Here is the first release of the process of developing this character into a 3-D artpiece.

Grim Gristlebone (WIP) 

Grim G. completed

Grim Closeup



Certainly no prize winner for most lovable darling, Grim wins my award for the zaniest  and insanely entertaining of the villainous lot of characters predating Wiley Coyote.   If you have a few moments and need some inspiration for new Halloween personalities, I highly recommend checking out Edgar Allan Poe's stories ... the possibilities are endless!!

With a Whisper of Lavender .....

With a soft whisper of lavender and a gentle smile, Maeve the Merrie is now ready to step forward on her journey of comfort and healing.  Maeve is a Celtic Comfort Crone, a spirit and healing doll.

She is carrying a les or bag on her belt filled with healing stones, herbs and lavender.  Her beautiful blue velvet bag holds her 25 rune stones which help guide her in her peaceful and healing channeling. 

Around her neck she wears a torq upon which hangs a beautiful genuine moonstone pendant which was created especially for Maeve by the gifted artist Quentin Eckman (www.lunarskies.com).   He designed the setting in which he placed this perfect moonstone and the stone, later purified, was set out to absorb the energies of the full moon.  Since ancient times the moonstone has been very sacred to the Celtic shaman.

Maeve's cape, hood and boots are all created from soft velvety fabric in the colors of the forest.  Her face was soft-sculptured and her tunic hemline is embroidered with a special runic oracle which she will bring as a protective guardian to her new ward upon her arrival.

She has a sweet, gentle spirit and will delight in being a happy companion for many years.

Maeve and her Moonstone pendant
 (pendant designed and created by Quentin Eckman)

Maeve the Merrie

Heart Candy ~~

Nothing says lovin' like a sweet little rag doll.  Here are two of my new additions to my raggedy family:  Abigail and Ellie SugarBabee.  They are ready for their new homes and I love making these dolls.  The eyes are handpainted as well as the shoes and both are sealed.  Then the facial features are handembroidered.  Their dresses are designed from 1930's repro fabrics and their little striped stockings are made from homespun ticking.  The cluny lace was handsewn for their collars and for the hemline trim.  Tiny hairbows dress up their imported wool topknots and hair and, along with ruffly pantaloons, they even have tiny shoe laces.  A red heart button brooch sets off the neckline and an Osnaburg apron makes these little ladies quite neat and trim.

How do you like the girls?  They are fun and delight all packed into these little gals who are only 10 inches tall and would be a delightful addition to any collector's treasury.

They can be found in my shop at Etsy:

www.etsy.com/shop/pollywogpatterns

or in my shop at Tittle & Tat:

http://tittleandtat.com.au/shop/Polly-WogPatterns

Abigail & Ellie SugarBabee

Toddler Ruby and Dolly Lucy - WIP

Thought you might be interested in seeing my newest Sugar Babee.  She is a toddler standing at about 22 inches tall and hugging her favorite dolly, Lucy.  They both love hot cocoa and shortbread in the afternoons just before their stories and nap.

Hope you like her.

Sooooo ... Give Me the Details ....

Now that you have completed your beautiful original piece of art in the form of a doll, you notice that it needs something more than perfect stitching, firm stuffing, quality fabrics ... something just leaves your creation a bit flat.  What is missing?  Details .... that little tweak that gives the careful, delicate and heartfelt sewing that one last element ... personality in the details.

The details and accessories that are carefully added to an artpiece ... say, a doll, (my medium) are just as important as the decorator frosting on a wedding cake ... not too much, but definitely not too little.

As you are creating a piece, especially a one-of-a-kind (OOAK) piece, a story comes to mind.  This art work has a story to tell ... a raison d'etre.  The story itself then becomes a beautiful detail.

As both the creation and the story develop, you discover that you are actually breathing life into your art.  You are giving your passion a history, a present and a future.  Now to add the beautiful final touches, "the jewelry," so to speak.  It is ever so easy to complete the basics of say a doll with a wonderful simple dress, an apron and some pantaloons (many dolls don't even have underwear [blush!]).  Sometimes a doll's statement is to be gracefully simple (take the primitive style doll).  However, even in the most prim of the details, there is a story ... simplicity.   Many artists tea or coffee-dye the fabrics for an enrichment of "vintage".  A prim doll may have patches or ragged hemlines or "aging" processes applied to add to the richness of a past that the artist has created.

If you look your creation over, does it tell its story or does it draw the observer into its history with interesting detail that helps it make a connection with an admirer?  In creating spirit and healing dolls, I have not only done research into shamanism but have added details that are actual miniaturized pieces that a human shaman might carry or use in daily routine.  The Celtic shaman would surely have carried a healing bag packed with healing stones, crystals and herbs.  She would also carry her own pouch of rune stones to help keep her in "spiritual" touch through  guidance and meditation.

Dressing a character in costume is fun and, unless you are adhering strictly to historical detail, should be enriched with textures, colors and even layering to add interest and dimension to the character.  However, be warned ... overwhelming your work with too much "stuff" (unless it is a peddlar doll) can be confusing and attract attention to just the "things" and distract from the essence of the beauty of the whole.  Just enough detail will invite intrigue, pique curiosity and arouse the imagination of the beholder ... hopefully, like a moth to a flame.  Your artistic "statement" has hit its mark.  Mission accomplished!

Below are examples of before and after facial details of Maeve and some accessories designed for her.  At this time, she is not quite complete, but her transformation is becoming very apparent.

             

Rune Pouch which holds 25 miniaturized runes

Sample of miniaturized rune stones beside actual sized rune stones

      

Les or Herb and Crystal Healing bag

Embroidered rune Oracle on hemline of tunic

WIP ... Maeve the Merrie ... a Spirit & Healing Doll

During the cold bluster of an unsettled winter, my creative focus has returned to one of my first loves ... the spirit and healing doll.  This series of OOAK pieces is called Celtic Comfort Crones and they are meant to bring peace, serenity and direction to anyone who needs some comfort and focus in their life.


Briefly, a spirit and healing doll is a type of totem that channels positive energies in a strong spiritual way to the recipient of that doll.  I have enjoyed creating these dolls and have looked forward in completing many commissions for my work in the recent past.  It was time to return to my past love and begin creating these wonderful dolls again.


So, I will give you a sneak peek at my present WIP ...  Maeve the Merrie.  She is of Celtic origin, a crone of great wisdom and bright spirit.  These pictures show you my work in progress as she sports pins to hold on her hair, her tunic is still basted in place during these humble beginnings of this little creature.  Her facial features are not finished and she has a lot of detailing to go before she is complete. 

Hope you like her so far!


Here's Maeve the Merrie ...

Wax Lips, Zagnuts, Wax Bottles, Sky Bars, Candy cigarettes and...... SUGAR BABIES!!

Ahhhhh! The simple delights of being a kid in the 30's, 40's, 50's with such glorious confectionary delights as Zagnuts, wax lips, wax bottles,  candy cigarettes and Sugar Babies.  Do you remember those?  Some of them are still available even to this day.

Sugar Babies were those little bean-shaped carmel candies covered with milk chocolate in the bright yellow wrapper.  Sugar Babies were named for the song that was written in the 1930's called "Let Me Be Your Sugar Baby."



Well, here are my Sugar Babies ... not made to be eaten but definitely made to enjoy.  They are only 9" tall from top of the head to tip of their toes and will fit into a pocket to ride along joyfully or to peek over the edge of a Christmas stocking or nestle on a shelf in a loving rag doll collection.

This is my first attempt at a larger doll than the 6" mini and smaller than the 18" art doll that I have worked with in the past.  I love the size and it certainly is easier to work with as far as designing and sewing clothes, handpainting or hand-embroidering face detail.  The hair is fun to work with, too.  

This is my first experience with coffee-dying fabric but I love how it mellows the homespun look of Osnaburg and softens and antiques cotton flannel.  This was a lot of fun to do and I will be placing a line of Sugar Babies in my Etsy shop next month which will include boys and more characters.

Hope you enjoy this non-fattening but definitely not sugar-free brand of Sugar Babies.




Hester-Sue and Polly



Polly



Hester-Sue

 



Secrets in the Garden

With the weather blazing hot and the humidity so dense it sucks the breath out of you, I was down on all fours in the garden, handpicking out the wire grass and other pesky invaders and trying relentlessly to swat gnats and stay on the lookout for kamikaze bumble bees who are upset at my unreasonable intrusion into their daily routine of bee buzzing and flower tending.  I must have been a comical sight with my floppy sun hat and huge, insect-eye like sunglasses, rummaging through the undergrowth.  Though the heat was penetrating my brain and baking my senses, I distinctly heard a little chuckle within the lavender.  When the stems and leaves  parted ...

Hermione was there in the garden inspecting the lavender crop and checking out the Black-Eyed Susans and gathering a little thyme for her evening salad.

She decided to rest next to the Black-Eyed Susans  and we got caught up on each other's projects and gossip.  When she asked how the writing of stories was going, I swallowed hard and could not answer her.  She insisted on scolding me for not getting on with my writing about Frog Bottom Borough.  After I whined off at least 10 excuses for not writing, she gave me that look:

stood up with a large hrrrummmph and said, "Well, my dear, they are not going to write themselves!" and waddled off into the undergrowth.

  Guess I'd better get busy!  Ouch!  Where is that bug spray!??

Sleepless in Transylvania -- A Tribute to Vlad the Impaler

It seems very appropriate to be writing about Vlad the Impaler, gruesome individual that he was as the thunder is rolling over my head with a warning of an upcoming storm.  Yes, he is the real-life individual that Dracula was based on.  Vlad had a reasonably normal childhood for a young count during the 15th century in Romania.  Even for him, I guess there were tender moments growing up and, just as many of us, those sleepless nights during a thunderstorm.

Vlad the Impaler

So I have designed a tenderer side of Vlad in my Drackie entitled, "Mummy, I Can't Sleep!"  He too cuddles a teddy and clutches a blankie but still seeks the solace of a hug during the worst of times.  I find myself as I am sure many of you do seeking support and comfort from friends and fellow artists when those nights have run dry of creativity and the demands of our craft loom overhead like

heavy dark, lumbering storm clouds.

  I dedicate this doll to all my special friends who have supported me in my darkest hours.  I am sure if Vlad had had as many friends as I have found with my blogs, he might have turned out to be a better guy .... who's to know??

Thanks, Everyone.

Such Nunsense!!

My mom turned 85 yesterday and to celebrate her birthday, I made a doll for her as her patron saint.  Mother Merry Walker is the Patron Saint of Senior Walkers.  She comes with an iPod tuned to "A Closer Walk with Thee," and the photo on her monitor is a miniaturized scene of the view out my backdoor which is graced by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Mother Merry Walker is about 7-8 inches high and she is signed and detailed on the back of her wings.  She sports cross-trainer shoes and is full of zip and vigor just like Mom. 

My mom walks every morning for a half hour at 4:30 a.m. in her condo highrise apartment building.  She is bright, adorable and beautiful.  Mother Merry Walker is just a reminder to Mom that I am thinking about her as she starts her day.  Love you, Mom!

Mom

Part III - Anniversary WIP

Well, this was a busy weekend but good progress was made.  I thought I would catch you up on the designing process.

Here is an engagement photo of the happy couple that I used to set in my mind the facial details for my puppet caricatures:

Now, I'm not that good at capturing details yet but here are the ideas I had.  Doesn't Mike remind you of Waldo in "Where's Waldo"?

So, I made a simple drawing to simulate the face and here is the puppet face in the early stages:

Now, Chris was the challenge but here she is in early stages:

There you go ....  Of course, they will look much better with hair and costumes but we are on the way.  I also painted and sealed the handle rods and attached them to the heads.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

One Wedding Anniversary to Remember - Part II

So to continue with our project, as mentioned in my last post (Part I), I had decided to design a Punch & Judy miniature puppet theme using caricatures of my brother-in-law and sister as the main characters.  I also decided to design a presentation box for the puppets and would decorate it to look like a Victorian puppet theater.

Now, how do we begin?   Designing the puppets will be easy, so I will start with my search for a box to accommodate the puppets both for storage and display.  I had very good luck in my visit to Michaels and found an unfinished wooden shadowbox in the best size for the job (11" x 14") with a glass panel on the front and wonderful hidden magnets which hold the display case door closed.

With that done, I moved on to cutting my main puppet handle rods from a dowel (cut 2 ; one for each character) and painting them with 2 coats of acrylic paint; one red, one blue.  I also painted the finials to match the respective rod.  As you will note, I didn't have anything clever to hold my dowels and finials while they were drying, so I improvised by using a mini cupcake pan.  I wadded up a ball of aluminum foil into a cupcake section and jammed the dowel down into the middle of it.  It held the rod like a charm!  As for the finials, I fit them down on the end of the handle of a sponge applicator brush (which I always have handy) and used these nifty sponge handles to hold my finials as I painted them.  When it was time to let the finials dry, I left the very tip of the finial (which is flat) unpainted and propped the brush up against my twine drying line until they were dry.  By the way, I have included a picture of my twine line which is simply a length of twine tied up to two rather tall candlesticks and stretched.  My pic shows how I hang little doll legs with painted boots up to dry in between paint and sealant applications.  Pretty neat, eh?  If you have longer legs to dry, just raise the candlesticks by setting them up on stacks of books so that the item you are drying does not touch the surface of the table, etc.

As you can tell, I have adapted my dining room table as my studio annex for painting projects, etc.

When the finials were dry enough, I placed craft glue on the bottom of the rod and some into the opening at the end of the finial and carefully pressed them together and let them rest until the glue was completely dry.  Then I coated the rods and finials with at least 2 coats of sealant (I like to use Modge-Podge "Satin finish").

So, I hope these little hints have given you some food for thought as well as letting you assess my progress so far.  Now I must go back to the drawing board and begin assembling the puppet heads and attaching the rod mechanism.

Be back with Part III shortly....

Carlin





One Wedding Anniversary to Remember - Part I

Punch & Judy

Punch and Judy are one of the most beloved and oldest married couples known down through history.  I won't bore you with all the details of their marriage [nothing, of course, like my sister's], but they have been around squabbling and interacting in their relationship since the late 14th century and perhaps even earlier.  That's about the longest ongoing relationship I have ever been familiar with and I love the two characters almost as much as I love puppets and a rollicking puppet show.

So in honor of my sister and brother-in-law's 40th wedding anniversary, I decided to recreate my beloved puppet characters with a caricature of both my b-i-law and sister portrayed as the two characters in a miniaturized rendition of P&J and boxed in a wooden presentation box to look like the Victorian version of the Punch & Judy stage (see photo above).  This piece will be able to be hung on the wall or allowed to sit upright on a mantle-piece or to rest on a coffee table.  The puppets will be miniature rod puppets with tiny wire rods to control the arms.  They will be attached inside the box when it is on display or detached so the puppets can be removed for some fun action.

So now you know "what" I am going to give and "why."  In the next post, I will begin revealing just "how" I plan to execute this project in some wip posts.

So.....until next post ....

Carlin

Fortieth Wedding Anniversary --- the Good News and the Bad News

The Happy Couple

Well, nowadays, a fortieth wedding anniversary is something to be very excited about.  Of course, it is!  My sister and brother-in-law will be celebrating such an event this spring.  Now, the bad news ... what do you give a couple who are very well-established housewares-wise, just got back from a beautiful Hawaiian holiday early last year [both work, so taking leave cannot be done at the drop of a hat], and truly enjoy close friends and family with dinners at home and just relaxing in what free time they may be able to salvage outside of two separate, busy working schedules.

Well, I am so proud that they have had such a beautiful marriage and have such sucessful lives together and individually.  They have two incredible daughters who are both equally successful.  Perhaps you have run up against the dilemna of deciding on a gift that would be special enough for two such special people.  I wracked my brain morning and night for a couple of days and finally came up with an idea that I know won't be duplicated and will be enjoyed by both of them because it is so personal and it is a piece of art that will be personalized and one-of-a-kind.

Can you guess?  It's not a collage of their lives together (that's being done already and not by me), not a sterling silver engraved serving tray ....

Okay ... I am going to keep you in suspense and let you follow me on my ongoing blogs to see my anniversary work in progres as well as to understand that it has to do with my speciality of making 3-D art!  I will also give you hints to how you might adapt such a gift for your special couple's celebration or celebrations in the future.

So ..... hang on out there and catch the next installation in this Anniversary Idea!

See you soon .......

Carlin

Need Inspiration for Creating Doll Characters?

This winter weather has definitely knocked the creative edge out from under many doll artists.  Halloween and Christmas seem so far away and Easter has its perks but not like the Big Two.  Somehow our brains have shriveled up and withered as has any inspiration.

Well, to stoke my fizzling imagination, I first looked back at what I had done in the past year.  One group was particularly outstanding as far as getting very positive reception from doll fans.  The PumpkinHead family had a small group of fans that asked to see more.  In order to help me to design dolls that had that special "kick" to them, I wrote a short story description which lent character, personality and warmth to the family and allowed a connection between the dolls and clients.  By adding depth to the characters, I found that more potential clients were interested in returning to ask questions about them and to "relate."

After receiving requests to write about these PumpkinHeads, I needed for them to have a story, at least one in my own mind, so that I could introduce them to the "public."  They needed more involvement in their own lives (the PumpkinHeads) and therefore, they needed extended family and neighbors to plump up their purpose in life.  In developing another family, I felt I needed to learn more about the particular area in which the PumpkinHeads lived.  The description only mentioned a field in our Virginia mountains; there was no named location.

While having lunch with my hubby in a local family restaurant in Buena Vista (pronounced Bu-na Vista), I picked up on a conversation my husband was having across the table with a BV life-long resident named Red.  Seventy-year-old plus Red was talking about growing up in BV and some of the names of places long gone by, some of the city's past residents and a lot of local color that no tourist guide handbook would ever reveal.  I went home rolling all this "color" around in my head and decided to return the next day and sit down with Red and discuss more about his life.

Well, Red is a storyteller to rival Joel Harris (Uncle Remus stories) and he was delighted to have someone new to soak up his rendition of local history.  It was one of the most fascinating and enlightening afternoons in a local cafe over a salad and tea that I have ever spent.  By the time I got home, my head was bursting with characters, stories and adventures for my entire lifetime (or at least for the lieftime of my dolls.)

I started sketching characters, doing research on gourds, scribbling down names, descriptions and a wealth of rich Virginia history that I would have never been able to capture first-hand had I not taken the time to just listen that one afternoon.  Looking at my beginning effort with the PumpkinHead family, I realized that they were a bit sterile, but now a little man with a twinkle in his eye and a gift of gab has helped to breathe life into my otherwise Plain Janes.

If you find yourself in a creative brain fog, take an afternoon and go to the local cafe for a cup of java or tea, a bowl of homemade soup, piece of pie or a bowl of salad and just listen.  You'll be surprised at what creative gifts and inspirations are waiting for you in the most unlikely places right in your own backyard ... or "thair 'bouts."  You might even walk away having a new friend.

Avoiding the 7 Deadly Sins of Pattern Malpractice

I can't believe that it has been over 35 years since I started designing, teaching and writing patterns for dolls and puppets.  Being an insatiable pattern collector has only served to whet my appetite to create more characters and share the excitement of designing with others.

In my quest to share what I have learned through experience, I have written pattern instructions that I hope have served my clients and students well.  Here are some tips I thought I would share with prospective pattern designers:

1.  Include concise details and measurements where possible.
    
      One thing that has always been the "fingernails on the chalkboard" creepies for me is finding a written pattern that assumes that I am on the same level of sewing, painting, detailing or crafting experience as that of the author and does not instruct me with those finite details which allow me to be more successful in crafting the end product of my desire.  For example, simply stating, "Place front and back of fabrics together, sew, cut out and turn," leaves the beginner with a myriad of questions and hidden secrets of technique such as:  Cut with any seam allowances?  Clip curves?  What size seam allowances?  Smoothe curves?, etc.

For the very experienced crafter, anticipating all the problems by leaving out these details would prove to be a slight challenge, but for a novice customer, this would be a disaster and cause much frustration and, of course, a loss for the designer in future sales, not only from that client, but from others with whom she/he would be discussing those frustrations (or with an infinite number of contacts through blogging!).

2.  Include "Figure" drawings to show and visually explain a detail included in your instructions.

     Nothing can be more frustrating than to have a critical detail of the instructions explained in writing and, for the reader, not to have a clue about what the author has just said even though it was fairly well-stated.  Always include drawings to demonstrate and clarify complicated (or even simple) techniques or details.  These can be simple "stick" drawings or cartoon-ish renditions but make sure they are clear to the reader.

3.  Drawings of pattern pieces should be clear, legible and as crisp as possible.

     I hand-draw my pattern pieces and use a very fine Sharpie pen for the initial product.  I then send them to my son who "tweaks" these drawings with his PhotoShop skills and makes the lines clearer, bolder and very concise.  Without my son's expertise, my pattern templates would be perfectly concise enough for use in a pattern, but I prefer the professional look of this technical step-up.

     If you don't have the advantage of the extra fine design step, be sure that your drawings are concise and smear-proof.  Your hand-drawn creation can be accurate enough for production; however, it doesn't hurt to use "White-Out" or white paint, etc., or any other correction products to help smoothe out the little bumps and lumps that might occur in a handwritten pattern.  Always checkout a test run of your template copy before proceeding with copying and assembling your pattern package.

4.  Include an accurate listing of materials needed to create this design.
    
     List appropriate quantities of yardages of fabrics; colors of items used such as flosses for details (even list the colors, color numbers and manufacturing names to help your client to make decisions about their artwork), varieties of metals, etc.

     A listing of alternative items that could be substituted for a material (eg.:  muslin, flannel, cotton, etc.) is very helpful and very appreciated by your client.  A suggestion of detail accessories that may be used to enhance your finished product is also important, especially if the photo of the finished item on the pattern has accessories that are not included in the pattern.

5.  Never, never, never print pattern templates on both sides of the same page!!

     Directions can be printed on two sides of a page (I strongly suggest that pages always be numbered and that you print out a sample page and check if the paper you used is of good enough quality not to allow the printing from one side of the paper to interfere with the legibility of the printing on the opposite side).

     Pattern pieces to be used to cut out fabrics, wood, metals, etc., must be free of any "bleed-through" of other pattern pieces on the backside.  I never cut my original paper patterns out from the original pattern; however, some clients may do this and it would be impossible for them to execute the design with a double-sided pattern.  Do not cut corners here!!!  (No pun intended.)

6.  Number pages of the written instructions (at least).

     Numbering the pages in the Footer of the page is so helpful, especially if the client might be inclined to lay the instructions on the worktable.  One good sneeze or breeze could set a negative tone for the entire day.

     I also number the pattern template and figure pages.  I include the copyright information in the footer on every page and have found that including the name of the pattern in each footer also helps keep things organized.  If the client works like I do, ideas from several different patterns and resources help in the design process.  At the end of the project, it is so easy to reorganize patterns, sources, etc., properly and quickly if they are labelled.  In most word processing programs, once you set up your footer information, it is automatically placed on each page.

7.  Proofread your pattern and check and double-check your pattern templates.

     It is so crucial that you proofread your instructions. If there is time, it is important to do at least two to three proofreading sessions on a pattern for typos and in order to make sure that the instructions make sense.  I find it so valuable to make a doll from one of my patterns by simply following the directions that I have written.  You can't believe some of the interesting things I have found and/or caught and corrected before these went to publication.

     Always double-check that you have included all the pattern template pieces.  This needs no further explanation.  One experience of extreme embarrassment through neglect will be all you need to remember this one!


     So, I hope this has helped you to alleviate the Seven Deadly Sins of Pattern Malpractice.  I haven't included everything in this blog on pattern publishing, but I have saved that for another time!

Happy Designing !!

Carlin
Polly-Wog Patterns