Four kangaroos later…
She has a nice wide open pocket ready for a joey.
There are so many factors to take into consideration when you are designing in three-dimensions. So many variables and so many ways to go wrong. It took two tries to get the stance of the legs right, but then the chest was sticking out too far. First the arms were up, but I decided they'd be better down. The chin was too pointy, the neck was too narrow, and I wanted an upturned tail. And then I kept forgetting to sew the pocket in.
I think sometimes when you read craft blogs, the really good ones, you get the feeling like things come together perfectly the first time, every time, for that person. And maybe that is the case for them, but it certainly is not for me. Although it happens once in a while, the truth is that a really good pattern, a complex pattern with design detials that make the finished piece really engaging, takes many drafts full of small edits and sometimes radical changes.
I always love people’s posts about their process. Thanks for sharing. The kangaroo looks great!
I feel your pain. I just wrote a pattern for a teepee sewing box & checked, double checked, triple checked my angles. But i ended up hating the construction of it. When the pattern reached four pages long, I should have known there was a better way! Sigh. Back to the drawing board….
That’s one of the reasons I read your blog – it’s a realistic look at the process! The kangaroos are adorable. Stuffing them all must have taken a great deal of patience.
I didn’t know before how big the ears of a kangoroo are.
Thank you for sharing the progress and the finish.
I *love* hearing about people’s process, and their mistakes. I learn more from mistakes than from success! Thank you for sharing!
It’s so interesting to see the process-I’m just getting into felt toy making-mostly food so far-and I love seeing how you come up with new creations! It’s encouraging to me to know not all your things turn out right the first time, because mine sure don’t either. I’m definitely going to have to get your book someday when it cones out 🙂
and sometimes a hiatus of months because it is so infuriating you have to leave it alone.
Do you keep all the earlier versions Abbey ?
Jodie – No, I don’t. I think you are supposed to, but I just unstuff them and toss their skins.
Thank you!
I love your candor. Your blog is one of the most beautifully authentic that I know. I’m really excited to see the finished kangaroo…especially the joey.
And I thought I was the only one! Thanks for your honesty.
The kangaroo looks great – worth all the tries to get it right! It’s nice to hear about your design process too and know that I’m not the only one that makes several versions before I’m happy with the final design.
I wanted to say thank you for all of the wonderful tips you’ve been giving us & share something that I’ve made recently. I definitely noticed myself doing things a little differently than I would have before reading your posts.
http://tiffanyharvey.livejournal.com/230957.html