The Magic Bean

Craftsy Patterns are Now Live!

Craftsy has just launched its e-pattern store.  So you can now buy my PDF patterns via Craftsy and get them instantly. 

All you need is to register an e-mail with Craftsy and then you can use Pay Pal to purchase patterns using a credit or debit card or your Pay Pal balance. 

Check out my Craftsy Pattern Store by clicking the link.

Have your own patterns to sell?

If you are a pattern designer yourself, or maybe you just want to be, consider selling your patterns on Craftsy. Craftsy charges no fees to list your pattern and no fees when you sell.  Added to that, when someone buys your pattern they download the pattern directly from Craftsy after they’ve paid. That means that you don't have to e-mail or post anyone the pattern. Find out more about how Craftsy patterns work by clicking here. 

Free Stuff

You can even find free patterns on Craftsy.  I've uploaded two free patterns to Craftsy - The Little Sneaks Shoe Deordoriser Dolls and A Delicate Disposition Eucalan Bottle Doll.

So head on over to Craftsy and see what you can find!  

Two New E-Patterns Available: The Green Man and Dive Into a Book

If you have been patiently waiting for me to release my designs for my cloth doll fairy bookmark, Dive Into a Book...

and the male pin doll, the Green Man as e-patterns...

Then you needn't wait any longer.  You can now buy these e-patterns from a few of your favourite suppliers of instant download e-patterns. 

These two new patterns as well as my complete line of patterns are available at Doll Street and FabricAddicitons.com.  The great thing about these sites is that you can shop for patterns and online classes from other designers at the same time.

And the best news? Both designs are an extremely affordable $6.00 US!

I'm also selling both Dive Into a Book and the Green Man in my Etsy shop.  But that's not all, to say thank you to my blog readers and to celebrate the release of these two new e-patterns, I am giving you a 10% discount on any pattern in my Etsy shop.  Just enter the coupon code:  THANKYOUENDOF11 to receive your discount.

Go on, dip your toes into some creativity before we close the book on 2011.

Drum Roll Please...All My Paper Patterns Are Now Available as E-Patterns

I have just finished something that has been on my to-do list for ages - converting my first three paper patterns into e-patterns.

You can now get the Gather Ye Rosebuds pattern in PDF format.

Treasures of the Deep in PDF format,

And Give Us a Kiss in PDF format.

My other two pattern designs, Fathoms: A Deep Sea Mermaid

And the two-in-one pattern Snowflake Sprite and Spider Sprite are also available as PDF e-patterns.

The patterns are not only available at my Etsy shop, but they can also be purchased from Doll Street's pattern shop. 

Why buy e-patterns?

Save Money- You save $2 (USD) when you buy my e-patterns.  Because I don't have to have the pattern printed, photos printed, and then assemble the whole lot in a plastic bag, I can offer an e-pattern for less and I pass the savings onto you.  Think of it this way - there's more money for fabric.

Save Even More Money on Postage - When you buy an e-pattern, the pattern is sent directly to you via e-mail, so you don't have to pay money for postage.  Depending on where you live, that could save you considerable cash.

Instant Gratification - Doll Street offers patterns on instant download.  If you order an e-pattern at my Etsy shop, I send you the pattern as soon as I receive confirmed payment.  No waiting for the post to arrive.  No waiting for the pattern to cross an ocean or a border.  Just pure unadulterated doll making straight to your inbox.

Once the pattern arrives, you can print the pattern, so if you want a paper copy you can have one.  Or you can save a tree and work from a digital copy, which also helps declutter your home or studio at the same time and the feeling of smugness you get from that is just a bonus.

If you really don't like digital or don't have a printer, you can still order my printed paper patterns from my fabulous stockists. 

In the USA:

Doll Makers Journey

Joggles

Cloth Doll Patterns

Designer Doll Patterns

In the UK:

Jan Horrox

Cassie Rafferty

If you want to go old school and stick to the paper patterns, go for it. 

If you want to save money and have your doll pattern instantly, then you can have that too.  From Etsy or Doll Street. 

Whatever floats your boat.

Oh and another thing.... After a brief time of not being able to get clock parts for my Gather Ye Rosebuds kit, I now have a kit back in stock.

The new clock hands are slightly more fancy than the older version, but I think they look great.  Sadly, no one has found a way to beam a kit of felt and clock hands directly to your home, so you do still need to order this the old fashioned way. 

 
Please be aware that the kit DOES NOT CONTAIN THE PATTERN.  You will still need to buy the pattern separately.  I offer the kit without the pattern for those super-keen folks who want to make multiple dolls and therefore need multiple kits, but only one pattern. 

Now if only someone would invent a teleportation device....  

Freebie Friday - The Newest Free Cloth Doll Patterns

I've come across some great free cloth doll patterns across the net lately. Here are some of my favourites:

Rag Dolls and Play Dolls

If you are looking for a simple rag doll that a child can play with, download the free PDF pattern for this Babyville Boutique Doll found on the Fairfiled website. Hint: click the link and then click Download PDF to the left of the screen.

These little fabric gnomes from Whimsical Whimsies would be great for kids.

Winter and Christmas Dolls

If you want a doll that is a bit more involved than a rag doll, but with major cute factor and a wintery theme, download the free pattern for Jennifer Carson's Yuki Frostfooton the Fairfield website. Hint: click the link and then click Download PDF to the left of the screen.

Make a simple gift, ornament or stocking stuffer with a girlie twist using this free tutorial from Intimate Weddings for a Flower Girl Fairy using a clothes pin and fibres to make a lush tu-tu.

Gingerbread Snowflakes has a number of angel ornament tutorials using Yarnia yarn cones. There's a folk art angel tutorial, a beaded snowflake angel, a quilted angel, and lastly a harvest wheat angel.

Over on Lazy Basset there is a tutorial for some felt Christmas Angels to decorate your tree.

Art Dolls

Kris and Kim from The DIY Dish shared how to make a gorgeous fabric mannequin pin cushion. It is beautiful as is, but if you added a head, she would also make a great Art Doll Pin cushion. Download the mannequin pin cushion pattern on the DIY Dish and watch the video below to learn how to do it:

If you do want to add a head to the mannequin, why not try this Lucky Penny pin doll head pattern as designed by Judy Skeel- you'll need to size it to make it fit proportionately, but wouldn't it look great?

Jodie Carlton at Ric-Rac has a really cute free little robot softie pattern. Not exactly a doll per-se, but seeing as this is my blog and I make the rules, I'm including it. So there.

Nellie of Nellie's Needles shared a nice and simple Spirit doll free pattern. Fans of goddess dolls will love this one. Thanks to Shashi for sharing that link.

Shashi herself has a free Ladybird pin doll pattern over on her blog Sewing with Moonbeams.

Marla Lee Nierderer designed these great pin dolls and shares the needle sculpting techniques that she used in a tutorial on her blog Orsini's Angels.

Break out the needle and thread, there are lots of ways to create little people in cloth in these links!

Little Sneaks Shoe Deodoriser Dolls Tutorial

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like many of my other doll designs, these shoe deodoriser dolls will do double duty - making your shoes smell lovely while at the same time, being the cutest things the inside of your shoes have ever seen.

Even if you are not a cloth doll maker and doll faces scare the heck out of you, you can make these little fairies. I teach cloth doll making across the UK, US and Canada and I hear people complain of doll-face phobia all the time.

But guess what?

This free tutorial not only comes with thorough instructions to guide you through making your own pair of 9" (22.9cm) lavender scented cloth fairies, but it also comes with two face templates and instructions on how to print the face templates directly onto fabric so all you have to do is colour them in.

 

What are you waiting for? Get your free tutorial now by clicking the link to:

Download Little Sneaks Instructions and Pattern.

I'm warning you though - these fairies are mischievous and they do like to sneak into all your shoes to take naps, so watch your step as you slide into your sweet smelling shoes.

 

 

If after reading this tutorial you are feeling bitten by the doll making bug, then take a look at my patterns for sale on my Craftsy pattern shop.  They're all available for instant download!

 Including the Green Man:

and the Dive into a Book fairy bookmark

Visit my Craftsy shop today, just click the link!

 

 

The Last But Certainly Not the Least

Romona King, my third and final tester has finished her version of the Snowflake Sprite.  Romona has been testing my patterns from the beginning.  I love Romona, can you feel the love?

And, oh boy, is this doll luxe!  Check out that rich colour and fabulously dyed laces.  Yum.

 
Romona's dolls is definitely ready for Christmas.  I just love her little spritely face.  In fact,  all my testers did a stunning job on their doll's faces (if you missed the other testers' dolls, click here to see them).

So with all my testers finished and their feedback taken into account, I will be sending this pattern off to the printers.  What that means is that this pattern will be available shortly.  Phew.  Can't wait to see what creativity this pattern kick starts.  As a designer, I can safely say that is the best part.

I Wish I Could Say that I Never Made Mistakes

I admit it, I make mistakes.  Sometimes I even make dumb ones.  And because I know this about myself I always put my patterns through a regime of editing and testing so that I catch my mistakes before I publish the pattern.  First, my mum edits the text.  Since my mum is a former teacher, the daughter of a librarian and the kind of person likely to inform you that the correct past tense of "sneak" is "sneaked" (snuck is colloquial slang), she is the perfect scout for grammatical errors or problems with syntax. 

Then I send the pattern to three different testers.  They make the pattern and tell me where I goofed up, what confused them and what materials they had trouble finding.  I love my testers.  They make me look like I'm the kind of person who doesn't make mistakes. 

And I have to say that this time my testers have pulled out all the stops and impressed the socks right off me with their testing of the Snowflake and Spider Sprite.

Mary Wilkes, my friend and all round special person, made this version of the Spider Sprite.

 
I love the colours and fabric that Mary chose for this doll.  Isn't she fantastic with her perky face and in all her eight-legged glory?

Then the wonderful Karen Mallory created this version of the Snowflake Sprite.

 The face on Karen's doll is just so special and soft and the laces she chose are wonderful.

My last tester Romona King has sent me some sneak peak photos of her doll in progress.  Like Karen, Romona has chosen to do the Snowflake Sprite version of this doll, but she has chosen a wild and wonderful colour scheme that screams Christmas.  You can have a sneak peak at Romona's doll too by visiting her blog, here.  She's even cute bald!

My testers have made me really eager to get this pattern out into the world.  It won't be long.  I promise.

New Supplier of my Patterns: Designer Doll Patterns

I am very happy to announce a brand new supplier of my patterns and kit - Designer Doll Patterns.  Cindy operates this cloth doll pattern and supplies website out of California.  See my patterns on Designer Doll Patterns by clicking the link.  Cindy is adding all sorts of great new stuff in the coming months so check it out.

Once upon a time I said I was going to make another version of this doll...

Remember when I first introduced you to the Snowflake Sprite, my newest doll design?  (You can click the link to read that introductory post, should you have a yen). 

 
Once upon a time in May when I was making this doll, my dad very quietly said that he thought that this doll could also be a spider.  I looked at the doll in my hand, and I don't know if it is because we share the same gene pool, but I could immediately see what he meant.  Genius.

 
So the Snowflake Sprite went for a walk on the dark side and became the Spider Sprite.   

 
Complete with 8 hairy legs, mandibles and spider eyes staring out of her hat; this sprite is ready to hang up as a Halloween decoration.

I am really excited about releasing this doll as a pattern.  Before you ask I am hoping to release the pattern in early September.  There are going to be a lot of two-fors with this design.  A two-for-one pattern, available in two formats, both e-pattern and paper pattern. 

 
Actually I lied.  She'll technically be available in 3 formats, as I am also teaching this little sprite as a class November 6-7, 2010 at Blue Haze in Chesham, Buckinghamshire.  Click here to find out more about the class or call 01494 782030 to book your spot now.  Better hurry as I am told that the class is nearly full.

Freebie Friday - Wire Tutorials for Doll Makers

I must confess that as well as having an unnatural love of alfalfa sprouts, I also have an unnatural love for wire.  It is strong and bendy and you can do so much with it.  Here are a few wire tutorials to help you with your doll making:

Start out with a really simple wire project making wire spectacles for your dolls with this tutorial on Cut Out and Keep.

Wire trees make another great accessory for a doll or a piece of art in itself, click here for a bunch of links to twisted wire tree tutorials.

This simple button and wire fairy doll is another great beginner project.

Here is a tutorial on how to make your own wire joints for cloth dolls.  (Click the picture to see it enlarged)

I absolutely love the wire arms and legs on these papier mache dolls. Check out part 1 of the tutorial here and part 2 here. 

The main way that I use wire in my dolls is as an armature.  There are so many ways of creating armatures.  In fact, I have never used the same method twice in any of my cloth doll patterns.  Partly because I want each pattern to be unique but also because different methods suit different dolls.  Here are a few different methods.  Many of these are intended for sculpture with clay, so if you want to use them for cloth you will need to adapt them:

Here is a wire armature screwed into a base.

Here is a very simple wire armature that would allow you to pose a doll, but would not be suitable for free-standing dolls.

Here is a far more advanced armature method intended for polymer clay figures.

This tutorial is great as it shows a cloth body being used with a wire armature.

Here is an older post on wire armature tutorials including my own tutorial on creating a free-standing wire armature for dolls.  This is similar in method to how I created Finders Keepers (pictured below) but has been simplified.

 

This doll is only available as an in-class doll as I go into so much detail that it wouldn't be suitable as a pattern.  However, I use wire armatures in my patterns Treasures of the Deep and Fathoms if you are looking for a pattern that goes into more detail about wire armatures.

I am also teaching my doll Water Lily on Joggles.com starting July 22nd and she has quite an involved wire armature which allows her to remain steady while crouched and balancing on her toes and finger tips.

Click here to read more about the class and to sign up.