Nut House

[scrollgirl]

I don't think you are stupid for wondering at all!  I appreciate the feedback you are telling me.  It is funny, but when I fill orders, I am sure to let everyone know that I want their feedback on the patterns.  That isn't a computer-generated form - I am really asking the question.  I really want to know how to improve things.

I have been doing this a long time.  And although I don't do a lot of intarsia and segmentation, I guess it comes naturally to me because of my other art background.  I try to cover things from a beginners point of view so that everyone can enjoy the patterns and even new people can accomplish them without much difficulty.  Sometimes I find I assume that others know things that a new person wouldn't.  It isn't on purpose, but I miss it.

I had a customer ask me why I say some of the same things over and over in lots of my patterns.  "Don't you think we know already?" they asked (they did say it nicely, though.)  But I answered them that even if they know, it doesn't mean everyone knows.  The instructions are there and you can follow them or not.  I would rather err on the side of offering too much information than not enough. 

I take your points very seriously and I think it is a great idea to offer maybe a step by step article on shaping (or several, if needed.)  I also didn't realize that I should differentiate in the lines between cutting and just shaping. It never occurred that people would wonder. 

So thank you very much for telling me.  As I said, your project came out wonderful!  I think you did a great job and I will work hard to make things easier on the next project.  Paper is cheap.  Wood and people's time are 'priceless'.  Using another piece of paper to explain something more clearly is well worth it to me!

Sheila

[julief]

Becky,  thanks for the info on the tints.  I have picked them up and put them down a dozen times because of the cost.  The results are obviously worth the investment.  Again - absolutely beautiful.

[Intarsia92]

Becky, I think you did a beautiful job shaping the leaves and the colors are awesome.

[Becky]

Oops, you mean I wasn't supposed to cut the vein lines on the leaves?  LOL, no matter.  I've had a couple of people (non-scrollers) ask me how I got the lines on there and seemed impressed by that level of detail!  

I should have emphasized that I thought, overall, your instructions were great.  As a relative beginner, I find the detail very helpful.  If I don't need the instructions after I have gained more experience, so be it.  I definitely learn new things with every new project and the vast majority have me scratching my head at least once or twice along the way.  I've come up with several solutions to these problems that may not be original or new but which I can then apply to future projects.

What I also meant by saying it was a challenge was that it was probably the most complicated project I've done.  It certainly had the most pieces (and why I about swallowed my tongue the other night when I read about an intarsia project using over 500 pieces).  The letters, especially the little ones, were a challenge.  But a challenge is good.  I keep pushing the envelope with my skills and that'll only make them better.  At the end of the day, it was the challenges I overcame that made me proud of what I had accomplished when it was finished.

And thanks to Julie and Intarsia92!

[scrollgirl]

You did great, Becky!  You WERE supposed to cut the vein lines and then use them as kind of guide for the shaping.  I think you did a wonderful job!  I am glad you took on a challenge, as that is how you grow artistically! Thank you for all the kind words and I am happy you had fun!

Sheila