On August 2, I scanned this sketch of “Nutcracker Stanley” and started designing a new class. I LOVE to make Christmas tree ornaments. Christmas is not even close to being my favorite holiday; that’s Halloween, of course. But there is something about Christmas tree ornaments that just captures my heart. They are tiny and exquisite in all of their perfections and imperfections and meant to be loved year after year. I have made hundreds of them from knitting, sewing, polymer clay, wood, and laser cut acrylic.
For several years now I have hosted an ornament sew-a-long on Zoom where a group of us have made Santas, Scrooges, hens, and teacup mice, but couldn’t find just the right thing this year. So I decided it was my year to design one. These nutcrackers started as an ornament but I quickly realized that they needed to be a little bigger to match the idea I had in my head. Someone always asks “how many of these did you have to make to get the pattern figured out?” so I thought I’d tell you a little about my process.
I started with a sketch, which is a little unusual for me. I am not a sketchbook kind of person, so I don’t always work designs out on paper first, but I do love using a sketch as a starting point when I am drawing patterns in Adobe Illustrator. My sketches have so much more character when I draw it than if I just jump right in to digital tools. So I sketched and scanned this and then started to draw pattern pieces by tracing over my sketch. I like to make patterns in Illustrator because it makes it so easy to make things to exact sizes and straight lines. I always intended to do a trio of nutcrackers (dog, cat, and classic) but I started with the dog because that is naturally my favorite.
Once I had the pieces worked out, I started to make the prototype. That’s the one you see in the photo above. As I stitched pieces together, I made notes. The pants needed to be a little longer to fit under the coat, the paws needed a trim. I tried out a couple of different fancy stitches for the coat. When I started stitching, I didn’t know where all of the sequins were going to go; I just kept adding them until it looked like enough. I wanted it to sparkle. I tried and ripped out a couple of ways to hang it.
At some point, I had the brainstorm that I could make it free standing by adding a weight and a magnet to the bottom. That totally didn’t work, but a folding stand took its place and I like how it folds flat so you can still hang it on a wall or the top of your Christmas tree.
When I finished the dog version, I started on the classic Nutcracker, figuring that not everyone was maybe as crazy about dogs as I am. I love the way that next sample turned out, but I didn’t love the colors. I just didn’t have the right vibrant greens in my stash and it looks too dull to me. So this one is getting a remake so I can try out some brighter greens and add some red to make it a little more classic colors.
Next I moved on to the cat and I tried a few different things to stabilize the insides that didn’t involve cutting down paint stir sticks, which is what I used in the first two versions.
Today’s task is making another version and photographing all of the steps as I cut and stitch them. This one will be the sample that I use to make the pattern. I am planning on offering these as a .pdf pattern that will include all three options (dog, cat, classic). I’m going to use the revised greens palette for this one that I stitch today.
Then next week I will start filming the on-demand video version of this as a class. So I will stitch another version as I film those lessons. I am planning to do another dog version of that in the pink & orange colorway.
I’m also going to teach this as a live Zoom class, so I am making kits for all three colorways (red & aqua, pink & orange, green & red) to go along with the class. That means making a spreadsheet of felt colors, thread colors, sequin colors and sizes. I’ll make a guess at how many of each I need because it takes so long to get the materials and put kits together and shipped that I need to get everything ordered much before the class registration will close.
So the nutcracker count is up to 5 planned samples at this point. Some designs take more or fewer, depending how it all goes together. I was really lucky that my very first prototype is pretty much exactly what I wanted. I will probably make a couple more samples to photograph and go with the pattern. I am thinking an all white/gold/champagne version could be pretty. I like to show people who purchase the pattern different color options to give ideas about how you can use what you have. For those extra samples, I will take lots of photos of them and then make the originals for sale in my Captain Labradork Etsy shop. I don’t sell finished pieces of my patterns very often, but I really only need so many samples before my studio is busting at the seams. Literally.
So here’s where the numbers stand right now:
- 16 days to design and make samples of 3 versions in 3 colors
- 7 of 20 (?) pattern pages completed
- 3 of 7 finished samples
- plan to release 3 versions (pattern, zoom class, on-demand class)
- 3 teaser photos and this “behind the scenes” posted to social media
- two fingers crossed, really really hoping that this pattern release is not a flop
The Zoom version of the class is open for registration NOW. The PDF pattern and on-demand video versions will be available mid-September.
