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Posts: 8,574
Please you mini-mavins, you miniature magnifiscents I want real feed-back.....
OK I have spent quite a while trying to develop 'my' mini style. I think I have it on the little light colored bear, but perhaps he is too plump?.....the goldish bear is ok....I love his legs, but I think I need to shorten his arms.....they feel way out of proportion to his legs and his body.....and I am wondering if his head should be a tiny bit bigger.....
So I want real feedback.....cuz, once i finally get a couple patterns I really really like then I wont have to spend so much time trying to come up with new patterns....I play around with patterns all the time.....sigh
Is it me or are mini patterns actually harder to perfect than the larger ones? I think maybe because there is a smaller margin of error. I used to feel the same way about pediatrics.....scared me to death! smaller margin of error, those little ones...
thank you you guys
Dilu
Flying Fur StudiosDilu, what cuties!! But if you want real feedback..............
The light colored bear is my favorite,but I have to admit I thought it was a bunny. A cute bunny though. That aside, I think that pattern is perfect.
On the other bear, maybe the body could be a little fatter?? More of a rounded belly maybe. But then again I'm no mini-mavin.
Other than that, great job!!!
Heather
PS, what kind of fabric did you use for the light colored bear?? I really like that stuff.
Apple Dumpling DesignsDilu....I took thought the light colored one was a chubby little bunny...and I personally love her...she's got that..."you talking to me..." look going...especially in that last picture. I think she is in on the hiding the Nutella with Tilly. They have it in for poor Bergy don't they?
Posts: 8,574Hey guys! What a great idea....change her ears into real bunny ears.....the hubs thought her ears were too big.....
So maybe plump up the gold guy....wheres the nutella!
Oh no that's to plump up MY guy....
But what about the arms, anyone, are they ok, or should I follow my guy reation and shorten them a little.....maybe they are too big around too.....oh I don';t know
Shantell- I love the 'you talking to me' look.....all my grammar school pictures show me with the same 'don't BS me big guy' look. How can someone so young be such a smart aaaaa?
Re:poor bergy......let me tell you it's not for nothing his hair is standing on end!
Posts: 8,574Hey guys! What a great idea....change her ears into real bunny ears.....the hubs thought her ears were too big.....
So maybe plump up the gold guy....wheres the nutella!
Oh no that's to plump up MY guy....
But what about the arms, anyone, are they ok, or should I follow my guy reation and shorten them a little.....maybe they are too big around too.....oh I don';t know
Shantell- I love the 'you talking to me' look.....all my grammar school pictures show me with the same 'don't BS me big guy' look. How can someone so young be such a smart aaaaa?
Re:poor bergy......let me tell you it's not for nothing his hair is standing on end!
:P
Thanks for the input......
Bears-a-Bruin!They are both very cute Dilu, and I love the little (lighter coloured) fella....though I also thought he/she was a very cute bunny at first glance! Nothing wrong with bunnies, I love bunnies!
You're right, there's less margin for error with the little ones. I think the proportions are great - but the golden bear's arms could probably be shortened a little as you pointed out. Head size looks good to me though. If you place the cotter pin a little further forward in the head you'll find that he'll look straight ahead or down which can be a very cute look. Do you put darts in the body? This helps plump them out (shoulders and bottom), as well as extending the tummy a teeny bit. Personally I like the way his body looks already!
Nothing to say about bunny/bear....you can't improve on perfection!!!! 
Dilu great bears!!
I think you have the foot pads about perfect on the gold guy-so nice and oval and I think the legs are a great shape. Trust your own feelings yes you could shorten his arms by a bit and maybe shrink his head a scooch - Helena has the best suggestions there (cos she's a mini expert unlike us opinionated ones!!)
I use the most simplistic method ever to design my minis - grab some lined paper - rule a line at top and bottom - a fraction larger than you want your bear to be. Fold the paper in half top to bottom so the two lines meet, and then fold in half again so that you have 4 equal sections. Draw out your bear pieces as if the bear is standing in profile - the head in the top quarter - the body about the size of the middle two and then the arms and legs about the same size as the body - and drawn as if they were jointed on to the body From there you can play around and refine shapes - I usually do the head a bit bigger than the quarter size but that's about it. Then I just trace the bits out from that drawing and design the pawpads gussets etc to fit. I don't bother adding seam allowance as the seams on minis are so small. It's from the jennifer laing book - totally not my idea. This is a very rough sketch to show you what I mean - heaven help the bear that was made from this pattern!
Heather
That fabric looks like Sassy long pile fabric to me - isn't it gorgeous!
Pandy Potter BearsMelissa thats a great idea. Dilu I'm the same as you. Each one I make I might change slightly. I would shorten the arms on the gold one. I had the same problem on one of mine. I also noticed they were too chubby (on mine that is). I do the same with bodies too, just keep changing as you go along. I do think as there is less to work with its hard to get what you want in the pattern.
I have also ordered some 3mm glass eyes instead of the beads. Even though I pull in the eyes sockets with thread the eyes can still stick out and look a bit googly. I'll let you know if they look better, should do as they will sit flatter. Keep posting as I like the mini talk.
Posts: 8,574Well my marvelous-mini-mavins
Last night I redrew new ears, both beary and bunny and cut a white bunny- will see what happens.....
Melissa- I do it the simple way too----I actually drew out new arms on the back of a bill.....well the envelope.....any way
Yes - it is Sassy fabric-I wish I had at least one of each......I never knew it existed untilyou guys brought it up
Helena- the gold guy does have darts, but I have redrawn the pattern last night to plump out his body, with slightly bigger darts to emphasise the bottom roundness
and I have shortened and slightly, just a whisper thinned the arms
I will sew him up as soon as the 'bunny' is done......
Dilu
Wish I had some sassy white.....I really need to seel something so I can get new fabrics :lol:
the beary lament
Kim-Bee BearsDilu they are cute! I think the lighter one does look like bunny and think the suggestion to lengthen the ears is good 
