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Flying Fur StudiosOkay, so here I am practicing drawing my own patterns. It's quite fun actually, and now I never want to use another artists pattern again. Okay, not never. but you get the point.
But I was wondering, the pattern that you are using right now, assuming that you designed it. If you were to take that pattern, and sell it without making any changes to it whatsoever, would someone be able to make it? What I mean is, do you have to fiddle getting the footpads in, or to fit the gusset etc?
Or does it all just fit one way.
I know i've made several patterns from other artsts that don't fit too well. The gusset is to short, foodpads to small etc. I'm thinking that the artist just has their own way of putting things together, and it works for them.
Am I Making sense??
Thanks guys for your input.
Heather
ontario, canadagood question! my patterns all seem to fit very well - without too much "fiddling". i have had other artist's patterns not be perfect and like you say - they must have their own way of fitting things....their patterns make perfect sense to them but maybe not us. my gussets are always too long. i haven't mastered that technique yet - of getting hte perfect gusset tail length! 
Bears-a-Bruin!I actually like to make the gussets a little bit long, as a kind of insurance 
I trim the excess off when I make the head up. The foot pads are pieces I find the most tricky to get exactly right and I do have one or two patterns where I know I need to cut an extra few millimetres off one end....one of these days I'll just redraw the pattern to the correct size!!! 
LuxembearsWhen you are sewing, depending how you insert your needle, you can unknowingly be easing one side of your sewing...hence, one side of your head gusset is longer then the other.
In many cases, a bit of easing is necessary around curves. I like a well fitted pattern. I match everything up and is I have to redraw a pattern them I redraw it . It is worth the effort to get it all fitting propery for future bears. 
My pattern pieces fit well...but sometimes if i am over generous with the seam I have to do a bit of easing...I couldn't be doing with a pattern that was a pain every time I made it up.
Posts: 3,177I agree with Judi here. How you actually sew the pattern makes a lot of difference.
Pinning is the key here Heather, pin the little blighter to within an inch of his life before you begin to sew. There is always a little 'play' in a pattern as the pile makes it slip a bit.
When i began making bears i started with a bought pattern - bloomin' 'eck it drove me nuts, nothing fitted!
Since making bears from my own patterns for a while now i realise that the pattern was'nt rubbish it was because i did'nt know how to manipulate the fabric, pin properly and sew, like Judi says, a particular way.
My patterns fit together no probs - it's me who makes the boo-boos :redface: But i think there is always a little easing to be done on paw pads - they have to fit TIGHT or they are saggy and you end up with a fat foot like an elephants' - ooo-er :(
Penny
Luxembearsbloomin' 'eck it drove me nuts
Penny, you are so funny! That tickeled my English roots 
Bears-a-Bruin!I forgot to say I use a lot of 'stay' stitches. The little 'uns are too little to pin!
Posts: 3,177Yes i've done that before Helena
I got so fed up with having to cut the end bit off that i started to just incorporate the excess into the head, do you know? - it turned out to be the best head pattern i made!!!
It's nuts aint it sometimes? - you do all the calculations then you say "oh blow it" and it turns out better than you thought!
I love the pattern process - but it does drive you nuts sometimes. I have a full-size cat pattern that i have been working on for about 18 months, it is still in it's 'crash test dummy' stage even now, but when i finally get the hang of the little beast - it should be good......
....hopefully
Penny
All mine fit perfectly. I am too picky to have to fuss each time. I do leave my gusset a tad longer, 1/2 an inch. I like having the wiggle room there. the rest should fit if the same seam allowance is used all over. 
Bears-a-Bruin!Haha Penny, I like your term 'crash test dummy'!!! I'm with Kirsten, I like the wiggle room that extra bit of length in the gusset allows. If you do ease it in, it can provide a nice shaped head. Or more often I trim it off/turn it under and use it to provide a neat finish around the cotter pin. It depends on the fabric. With the mini's, a little 'give' can turn out to be a lot in the final bear...so a good fit and careful stitching are even more important in my short experience.
But I still 'wing it' sometimes, and it can somtimes result in a better shape! (*winks at Penny* :P)
Posts: 3,177...so a good fit and careful stitching are even more important
Yeah Helena - which is why YOU do the minis and i do the bigguns hoo hoo hoo
Penny
Gatehouse GalleryIt drives me crazy when patterns don't fit, and I couldn't go on until I'd fixed it, but I purposely put in abit of easing in the muzzle and the skull to get the fullness I want.
Like Penny I pin, pin, and repin, till I get the easing symetrical.
The footpads are different, I couldn't stand it if the pad didn't fit perfectly each time, you'd be putting me in a padded room if it kept happening :wacko:
I do know people who sell patterns that don't fit and in one case its because she doesn't care if people can't get it to fit, because then they'll come to her classes to learn how to fix the problem. :twisted:
Glenys
Posts: 8,574Well, since I am getting a pattern ready to actually give to people to use in a class it has made me evaluate exactly how I do my patterns. And I found that because they are mine and I have sewn for 40 some odd, no mostly odd years I have a much more casual attitude, and don't have problems.
BUT
since it is going on someone elses web site, and since I want to be asked back, I decided to really, carefully evaluate each and every piece.
Granted on the back of the head gusset I do want some scrunching in on one side and pullling on the bias on the other I will have to consider how do explain that.
But I decided better safe than sorry and I am going with the premise that whoever makes this pattern has never sewn a stitch before in her life- and I want everything to fit perfectly. (Like what if someone says "what bias- I'm not biased" :dance:
:hug:
Dilu
thats for gollies
the teddy patterns don't have the same problem- but I think it is because I am not trying to stretch the limit on big fat round gollywolly heads....
Baird'sBears Good advice, everybody! :hug:
Anytime you need to match a piece cut on the bias to a piece cut on the straight grain, there's going to be some 'easing' necessary. You could always stay-stitch the bias piece, of course. I've wrecked so many quilt blocks in the past that I'm always extra careful!
I love the idea of using bias-cut pieces for a bit of extra fullness!
Eileen
Flying Fur StudiosOh wow guys, Great tips. But I'm left with a couple of questions
What is a stay-stitch?? Is that the same as basting?
And, please don't laugh, pleeease. What do you mean the bias?? Which way is that??
I am glad that you gals do have to do some easing. I find that mostly true when I do the footpads and the gusset/nose part. I really hope to create my own pattern that doesn't need alot of easing.
Judi writes
"When you are sewing, depending how you insert your needle, you can unknowingly be easing one side of your sewing...hence, one side of your head gusset is longer then the other."
So is the best thing to make sure you insert your needle straight into both pieces??
Penny, great tips, Thanks. I'm like you, when I've made another artists pattern, I also thought the pattern was wrong, but it was just me not knowing.
I like the idea of leaving the gusset a little longer, just in case. I've found there are a few drastically different ways of fitting the gusset to the side pieces, and I usually end up doing both sides different.
Dilu, great idea to write as if that person has never sewn an inch. I was one of those before.
And everyone else, thanks. Back to the drawing board.
Heather
