faq

Q. How can I contact you?

A. The best way for a timely answer is via the direct messaging in my shop, mmmcrafts.etsy.com. I can usually respond within a few minutes or a few hours, depending on your planetary time zone and whether I'm asleep when you're awake (but very likely I'm up late watching Korean dramas). I'm in the Eastern Standard Time Zone in the US.


Q. I have a question about your Christmas ornament series.

A. Check first for the answer in my extensive resource pages located here! If you don't find the info you need, I'm always happy to answer questions. Message me here!


Q. Help, I can't download my pattern purchase!

A. No worries, check for tips on how to troubleshoot here.


Q. How do I give your pattern as a gift?

A. Because digital purchases are keyed to the purchaser's email address, it's best to give your crafty recipient an Etsy gift card (or Visa gift card, or cash) and a link to my shop, mmmcrafts.etsy.com. They can easily create an Etsy account for free, and their gift from you will be backed up online and does not expire.


Q: Do you have plans to design a Nativity?

A. I've received many requests for a Nativity pattern series. Thank you so much! I have given it much careful thought, many times, and here's where I've landed: The night my Savior was born on this planet is, in my faith, one of the two most important events since the world was created. How I wish I could have been present to hear the angels singing and experience all creation rejoicing to welcome God With Us! It's amazing to consider, and I find I simply cannot fit my Lord and Savior into a wool felt ornament. It's way out of my league. It would be like creating the Creator. I hope you can understand?


Q: How do I find my pattern PDF? Will you email it to me?

A. Pattern purchases from my shop are not emailed. They are downloaded by you anytime you like after payment! Yay! No waiting. Etsy sends automatic email receipts to your account email address that include links to your files. Check your spam folder if it's missing. Your patterns are also backed up on Etsy.com, and can be found by logging in with a browser and checking under your purchase history. NOTE: Etsy also allows guest checkouts without logging in, but the only way to access guest purchases is through the email receipt. Guest purchases will not show in your Etsy account unless you link them. It's easy.
NOTE: If you purchased a pattern from my now closed CRAFTSY/BLUPRINT shop, you should still be able to access it at craftsy.com. Simply log in to your account using a browser and look in your pattern library. 


Q. Help! I already downloaded my pattern but now I can't find it. Can I re-download it?

A. Sure! Your purchase is backed up online at Etsy.com. You can access it by logging in with a browser and looking in your purchase history. Your pattern downloads don't expire.
NOTE: If you purchased as a guest, the only way to access your patterns is with the emailed receipt. Link your guest purchase to your account like this.
Craftsy/Bluprint: If you purchased at my now closed craftsy.com shop, simply log in and look in your pattern library.


Q. Do you take custom orders or sell ready-made items?

A. Right now time does not allow for any commissions or custom orders. I am up to my eyeballs in my own projects. LOL. Occasionally I might list some samples or needle books in the shop, and if I ever do I'll be sure to blog, FB and IG it. If you would like to find someone who sells handmade items made from mmmcrafts patterns, a great place to start is the mmmakers list on my site.


Q: Do you sell kits to go with your patterns?

A: I only sell patterns at the moment. That's all I have the time for. But! There are two US vendors I've worked closely with to supply patternless kits for my ornament series. For the kits, I personally choose the colors, make the samples, and provide detailed color guides with photos on this blog. In turn, Benzie Design and Felt On The Fly provide you bundled kits of beautiful wool felts, flosses, stabilizer and other notions that coordinate directly with my color guides!
Find quick links to all the Benzie Design and Felt On The Fly color guides on my Ornament Series Central page.


Q: Can you recommend international sources for wool felt and materials kits?

A: While I have no personal experience sewing with the felt from these vendors, I do have a reference list of international wool felt vendors that have been recommended to me by my customers from three different continents. Some of the vendors listed even offer kits specifically to complement my patterns. Be sure to ask! Click here to view the list!


Q. Where do you get your wool and wool-blend felt? And why do you recommend it, anyway?

A. Here's the skinny on wool felts and the vendors I recommend in the US. (Are you looking for international wool felt vendors? Check this post)

Wool-blend felt is a mix of rayon and wool. Compared to acrylic/polyester felts there's a much MUCH wider color selection, and large pieces/yardage are still an affordable price. I find it works very well for lots of projects. I usually purchase my wool-blend felt from Benzie Design in 12 x 18 inch pieces: 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BenzieDesign (Benzie also offers curated bundles and notions kits for my Christmas ornament series! Click on the color guide links here to see.) Benzie ships worldwide.
100% wool felt comes in such rich, vibrant colors! It has a heavier, more substantial feel than wool blend and the texture is so smooth and soft. I find it performs especially well for detailed projects with small pieces. I can personally recommend Felt On The Fly as a great source for 100% merino wool felts: 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/feltonthefly (FOTF also offers curated color bundles for my Twelve Days Ornament Series.) Worldwide shipping.
Why not acrylic craft felt? I don't usually recommend acrylic craft felt for use in my patterns (there are some limited exceptions!). While it is the most economical option and the most readily available at your local fabric and hobby shop, the colors are typically limited, the texture is not great, and it is not very durable at all. It can look shiny, which I do not prefer. It gets an unattractive halo of fuzz and pills after just a short while. Fabric glue refuses to bond it sometimes. Small pieces will fray and pull apart. It has a strange, almost greasy feel sometimes. It is also likely to shrink, warp, and melt if you iron it. It has its uses, but you'll find wool felt to be superior in many ways. 

Q. Do you supply file formats for automatic cutters, like Cricut?

A. No. For my ornaments, cutting the shapes beforehand with a digital automatic cutting machine does not work well. The embroidery is done by hand, and if you pre-cut the pieces they are often way too small to work with comfortably. If you try to cut them with a cutter after you do the embroidery, the outlines will no longer match up because the embroidery naturally pulls in the edges a bit. Embrace doing it the old fashioned way and enjoy the process. You'll get the best results by carefully trimming the embroidered pieces by hand, as laid out in my instructions. Cutting out the pieces as you go is actually one of the least time consuming steps.


Q. Can I sell items that I make with your sewing patterns?

A. Yes, if you are a home sewer you can sew up a storm with your own little hands and sell the items, with some limitations. Please read them here!


Q: Do you teach classes?

A. Not at this time. As much as I enjoy crafternoons with creative folks, I find that my current schedule does not allow for teaching sewing classes. That may change in the future as my kids wind up their high school years and transition to college.


Q: Why does it take you so long to release a new pattern? And why don't you give exact release dates?

A. Thank you so much for your patience and encouragement! I promise you I work on new patterns as quickly as my time will allow. I'm a part-time pattern designer. I escape to my design studio as much as I can during the week, mostly in the evenings. Sometimes designs come easily, and sometimes they do not. It's not an exact science, and my creative muse goes on strike occasionally. For that reason it is difficult for me to pinpoint release dates for you ahead of time. If you've followed me for any length of time, you also know I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and that my patterns are super detailed. They take a while to draft because I do all the work myself – design, layout, editing, proofreading, samples, diagrams, photos, marketing, PDFs, etc... I love it! I know it's hard to wait, but I'm doing my absolute best to ensure that you'll be glad you did. One thousand thanks for your support! :-)


Q. Where can I find empty Altoids® tins for the Wee Mouse Tin House pattern and the TravelWees pattern?

A. If you live in a cruel part of the mint eating world where you can't just go down to the corner drugstore and buy a delicious and refreshing tin of Altoids® Curiously Strong Mints, then you can buy them online directly from Altoids® or you can usually find them (fulls or empties) on Ebay, Amazon and Etsy.

The tin dimensions are 9.5 cm x 6 cm x 2 cm. If you are looking for generic tins, there are blank same-sized tins sold at various shops on Etsy and Ebay. A quick search for small tins will turn up several options.
(Disclaimer: Use due caution and read the fine print, like you would with any internet purchase!)

I'm always looking for good tin substitutes for any part of the world that is unlucky enough not to have Altoids® readily available, so let me know if you run into any!


Q. Where can I find faux shag fur for the TravelWees pattern?

A. Remnants are great for this pattern because the actual amount of fur needed for each TravelWee is quite small. Etsy.com and Ebay.com are ideal resources for that! Use 'synthetic shag fur' and similar terms in your search field and see what you can find. There are also some online fabric retailers that sell a good selection of synthetic furs.


Q. I asked a question in your comments but you never emailed me. Are you too busy?

A. Nowadays I don't blog too often, and it takes a few days sometimes for me to respond to comments left on my blog. I try to answer all the questions I get from your comments within the comments themselves, so that if someone else has the same question they will get their answer before they have to ask. If you would like to get an email response, check the box that says "notify me" in the comment form. If you did that and still didn't get an answer to your question, I'm so sorry! Sometimes I get distracted. Well, a lot actually. Sometimes I'm functioning on dangerously low caffeine levels. Please try me here: mmmcrafts.etsy.comfacebook.com/mmmcraftspatterns, or instagram.com/mmmcrafts.


Q. Are you going to make more needle books to sell? When?

A. I have no plans to do that in the near future. Now that the DIY pattern is available in my Etsy shop I've moved on to other projects that are taking all my time.


Q. What kind of software do you use to make your patterns?

A. I use Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. All the diagrams and drawings are done by me, either digitally or by hand. But I like doing it! I'm weird that way.


Q. What is a 'follower of Christ'?

A. I'm simply a Christian – 'follower of Christ' is a description of me, but not the name of my church. The church I worship with has "Church Of Christ" on the sign, but that is more of a description of who we are and who we worship than an official label. You can read more about my faith here.


Q. If I send you my fabulous product for free, will you give it a rave review on one of your posts? *wink wink*

A. Everyone likes free stuff. But this is a personal blog and I don't sell posts or offer advertising. I post about things that are meaningful to me and that I'm truly jazzed about. It's all about me. (Circling head with index finger)


Q. I'd love to post about one of your projects. Can I link to your blog/borrow a photo of it?

A. Sure, links are always welcome, and thank you! If you would like to borrow one of my photos, I'm happy for you to if you play along with the rules: Please only borrow a photo or two of a completed project. No in progress or tutorial photos/diagrams. And please credit me with the photo, Larissa Holland, and provide a link to mmmcrafts.blogspot.com. Thanks!


Q. Can I republish one of your posts on my blog? I'll provide a link and everything.

A. Nope nope nope, thanks. I appreciate your interest and your links, but keep all my posts right here at ol' mmmcrafts.


Q. {Your frequently wondered question here}

A. {My probably useful and possibly amusing answer here. Leave a comment below to start that ball rolling.}

49 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing the OM* button, I will be posting that asap!

    I hear ya on crafting winning over house work!

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  2. First of all, a compliment. You make lovely things. And you share them, which I appreciate.

    Secondly, a request. Last year you had a link to a tutorial on making retro stars on your left sidebar. Any chance you still have the link to that, because I've been thinking about it for a year?

    Thanks.

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  3. Ruth M, Hey there, and thank you. Alas, I took off the retro star link when a helpful reader said it was broken. It's now a private blog. Here is a link to it from How About Orange, maybe you can swing an invitation.
    http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2006/12/retro-star-instructions.html

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  4. No question, only comment: Those baby bunnies are the most adorable things I've ever seen.

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    1. Hey, HiLLjO, even though this isn't a question I still have a reply: a big THANK YOU! What a sweet thing to say.

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  5. I was curious to know where you buy your felt - none of the craft stores in my area have a good color selection and since you use it often (it seems) I figured you had found a place with good colors or a good price or both. Thanks!!

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  6. Hi, none!
    That's an oft-asked question. I think I'll add it to the FAQ! See above for your answer.

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  7. Hi Larissa
    I bought your Binky Bunny pattern some time ago and finally had some time to sit down and make one which I slightly tweaked as Masquerade Ball Bunny. I shared it and my blog and have referred you and your shop for the pattern. If you are curious my Bunny turned out..here is my blog:http://notaisihati.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/mmmcrafts/. God Bless from Melbourne, Australia

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    1. notaishati, your bunny, mask and tutu turned out super cute! Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Hey there! :)
    I just wanted to let you know that your blog is awsome! :D I can't wait to try out things and see more^^

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    1. Jessica, how nice! So glad you like it here. Thank you!

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  9. I love your simple, straightforward witness for Christ, sister! Oh, and your designs are beautiful, too...

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    1. Hi, Junetta! Thanks so much for being my Barnabas today! I try to wear my faith on my sleeve and give the glory to God. Thanks for the encouragement!

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  10. Thank you for your wonderful website and tutorials. Your website caught my attention because of the no OMG graphic. I purchased the Flora needle book pattern and enjoyed making it. So cute and practical.

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    1. Hey, Debi O, wow, thanks so much. How nice! I'm so glad you found me and thanks so much for your purchase!

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  11. Hi, i just want to say that i love your blog and that it looks great !
    I also have a crafts blog that i just started, please visit !
    http://crafts-by-me.blogspot.com/p/tips.html

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    Replies
    1. Hey, Chew Kai Hung, thanks so much! Good luck with your craft blogging. It's such a fun outlet.

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  12. Found some of you stuff in Pinterest and ended up trolling through your blog for a loooong time. Great stuff, loved it all, but particularly all the bits about your trip to Rio. I'm not a native but grew up there and it's a city that holds a very special place in my heart, although I've been living in London for more than 20 years now. Thanks for letting me share it again through your eyes!

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    1. Ola, Graciela!
      Thanks so much for this sweet note. I'm so glad you found my blog. My trip to Rio was so great, what a beautiful country. I also loved my trip to London town (did you see those posts?) Luck you to live there! Have a lovely day!

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  13. Do you have a tutorial or list of "how to" stitches? I'm not sure what a stay stitch is, but I will go looking for it on youtube.. :-) Thanks for your wonderful patterns!

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    1. Hey, Jeannie! I mistakenly used 'stay stitch' on some older patterns when what I meant was more like a hidden triple stitch underneath to secure stitches. Thanks for asking!

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  14. HI!
    I love your work and ordered the set of three this morning on ESTY. I haven't gotten an email. Do you know what I do next? Thanks!

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    1. Hey, Elizabeth, you just log into your account and download the links you'll find with your purchase record. Thanks so much for your purchase and I hope you like the patterns!

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  15. I am interested in buying all of the 12 days of Christmas patterns. Do you have a bundle price for all? Do you have a book with all of them?

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    1. Hey, Patsy,
      Sorry, no book in the works. I will have a bundle for all twelve patterns when the series is complete, but it's only halfway done. You can stay current by following my blog or facebook page on pattern releases. I plan to release four more this year. There are currently bundles in the shop for 1-3, 4-6, or 1-6. mmmcrafts.etsy.com

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  16. Hi, I was looking for something to keep my Sunday school kids attentive during worship service when I stumbled upon your page where I found exactly what I was looking for. Almost as if you you took the idea out of my mind. I was quite intrigued by your page and even more so when I realized we share the same faith. Your ideas and craft are quite amazing and i'm encouraging you to keep it up. I can already tell i'll be coming here quite a lot to get some Sunday school ideas ^_^

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    1. Hi, Mel, thanks so much and welcome. I don't publish a lot of my Sunday School stuff here, it's mostly crafting-centric. But I'm glad you can use the activity sheet! We love it.

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  17. Would I get two articles from one bundle of felt from Benzie ,ie.,1 and 7 of 12 days of christmas

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    1. Hallo, Mum :-),
      Yes, you should be able to make at least two ornaments from one bundle and more if you vary the color combo.

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  18. I love your coordinated sets of the first 8 days of Christmas. I'm hoping to make all 12 days, possibly in a "coastal" or "beachy" color palette and am trying to figure out how many different colors I need in my palette to have enough variety for the full set, but not too many. (I tried using the Benzie sets as a guide, but they seem to each include 2 colorways for each ornament rather than a spectrum of colors for making 2 different ornaments in a coordinated colorway.)

    PS. Your black swan sample is so beautiful that I'm rethinking my more subdued palette.

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    1. Hello, IndyElmer, thank you! I'd think 10 colors would provide enough variation for you. Of course I'm a color fanatic so you might be able to get away with less. I'd make sure whatever color scheme you go with to have lights, mediums, and a few darks. That will be important to add contrast and make them interesting. Love to see what you make!

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  19. i purchased the colly bird pattern but there is no informaion about downloading it. what is going on?

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    1. Hi, Dana! Thanks for your purchase. Both the blog comments and the Etsy convos come directly to my email so you do have a way to contact me directly, no worries.
      When you purchase a pattern from Etsy you should receive a receipt via email that has instructions for downloading. If you haven't received it you should check your spam folder and also make sure the email on file with Etsy is a current one.
      You may download your pattern anytime by logging in to your Etsy account from a browser (not the app) and going to
      You > Purchases and reviews
      The download link is with your purchase record. It's not a one time shot so you can re-download it anytime you need to if you lose the file.
      Thanks again!
      Larissa

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  20. These patterns were easy to follow and provided so much detailed advice in the illustrations and notes! Thank you for your time and talent! I made a few for my mother for Christmas this year and it brought her to tears when she found out I had made them, not bought them. She dearly loves the 12 days of Christmas song so it was the perfect gift for a mother who inspired me as a young girl to love crafting. Home-made magic! My sister wants a collection and, of course, I plan to make one for myself as well. I can't thank you enough for beautiful designs and for sharing this with everyone! God bless and sending a big thank you hug from California!

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    1. Hi, Suzanne! I love hearing that! I'm so happy to enable special handmade gifting! That made my day! Big hugs back to you all way over in CA!

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  21. While you make beautiful things... i think for someone so openly religious who even objects to OMG, you show some vanity, and little humility. which makes one question your sincerity.
    i think our religious views should be kept respectfully private. even if only to avoid saying The Name ''in vain'' (somewhere on a sidebar). it's easy to slip into self-righteous attitude or just being irreverent

    And it's not true ''Everyone likes free stuff.'' I wouldn't want strangers sending me things or gifts

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    1. Hi, Lily, that's certainly food for thought! Have a great day.

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  22. Hi, How you thought of this name? Travelwees. Actually i am not very good at english. I searched online wees means urine. I am sorry if i am wrong. Does it have an other meaning . please let me know. thanks you

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    1. Hey there! Your English seems excellent to me! Wee is an old English term (still used commonly in Scotland) which means 'little'. And, as you've discovered, it can also be slang for urine! haha. Which is not how I meant it. :-)

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  23. Hi there. Do you have plans to expand your Christmas pattern collection? (Christmas tree skirts, napkins, placemats, table runners etc.)

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    1. No current designs in the works for those items, but have considered stockings and a tree topper. A tree skirt also seems like a great idea. Napkins, placemats, and table runners would be good candidates for fabric on demand, which I’ve been looking into. Thanks for asking!

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    2. Larissa, I second the request for a Christmas tree skirt. I actually found your Etsy store as I was looking for one. Unfortunately, I never found one I liked :) judging by the ornaments, your style would be exactly what I want

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    3. Hi, there! It's a great idea but I don't have the time to develop one for a while. It's on the possibles list. :-)

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  24. Just taking a break from stitching and figured it’s a perfect time to let you know how much I appreciate your extraordinary talent from the design to the beautifully written instructions that went into the making of the Twelve Days of Christmas. I have completed one full set and have two more to do, one for each of my children to be given to them at Christmas. I consider these ornaments heirloom quality to be passed down to their children. I was wondering if you have ever come across a vintage, printable copy of the Christmas carol which could be included with each set. I look forward to your new creations and hope they will be available soon.

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    1. You officially made my day, Carole! Thanks so much for your encouraging words! It did my heart good. :-) No, sorry, you would think I would know of a nice printable version of the carol, but I mostly have copies of it via picture books. There are some really pretty Twelve Days of Christmas picture books, but they rarely portray the order of the original carol. If you are using the modern numbering you’ll have many choices, including a recent pretty William Morris version that has metallic gold ink accents. I do have one older 3 color picture book (a library book I found in a thrift store) that is the original and I love it.

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  25. I'd like to convert the pages I've printed out of the pattern (about 14 pages) to a jpeg file so that my CricutMaker can cut out the felt for me. Does anyone know how to do this? I really appreciate your help! Carmen

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    1. Hey Carmen, pre-cutting with an automatic cutter really does not work well for these ornaments and I do not recommend it or supply files for it. The embroidery is done by hand, and if you pre-cut the pieces they can often be too small to work with. If you try to cut them w a cutter after you do the embroidery, the outlines will no longer match up exactly because the embroidery pulls in the edges. It’s really better just to trim them by hand after embroidering as laid out in my instructions. Thanks!

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  26. Has anyone tried the Collybird pattern in just fabric, not felt, and what problems did they encounter?

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    1. Hi there, FWIW I have never seen a colly bird posted on IG made from fabric. It's not well suited to fabric as the edges of woven material would likely ravel quite a bit. :-)

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Hello. Enough about me. Let's hear from you! If you post a question, I answer with a reply comment, so be sure to click the 'notify me' box as you post your question to receive the answer via email. Thanks!