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make-a-long story: chapter one
It's here! The first installment of the make-a-long story is up. Click here to read the story and that will lead you to the first make-a-long pattern for Olive & Archie.
I can't believe we actually made our Sept. 15th deadline! I'm a little nervous. Three days straight on the computer and my brain is a little addled. I'm saying my prayers to the technology gods that everything will work smoothly. I hope y'all like the pattern and it's clear and easy to follow. This one is a little trickier than the put-together book but not too bad. I hope. My testers survived at least. Huge HUGE thanks to Laura, Erica, Sasha and Brooke who just floored me with their generosity, energy and intelligence. You guys saved me so so much time and caught stuff I'm sure I wouldn't have seen if I'd looked at it a hundred times. Thank you!!
And for those of you with a good memory, I'm putting the kybash on the 'special perks for early adopters' plan. After spending the past week consumed with this project I realize how long it all takes and trying to make 'extras' might just kill us. There will be freebies and fun things and they will be available to anyone who buys this first make-a-long pattern. I'm excited to get working on freebies and fun things. I've had my fill of html, illustrator, dreamweaver, blah blah for awhile. I haven't even been in my craft room since vacation. Ok, enough jabber.. make! a! long!
September 14, 2006 in makealong | Permalink
Comments
Wow, your story looks wonderful. I can't belive the fabulous pictures you've taken. Great job!
Posted by: Melissa | Sep 14, 2006 11:02:07 AM
Olive and Archie are so cute!! I love the book so far...what a great job you did! Wishing you tons of success {that I know you will have}.
Posted by: Veronica TM | Sep 14, 2006 11:04:18 AM
Oh, it's even cuter than I expected! And a cliffhanger? That's just cruel! You've really done a wonderful job, Hillary!
Posted by: Erica | Sep 14, 2006 11:17:52 AM
So cute!!!!! The download was so simple and I love that the pattern pieces fit onto single sheets of paper without overlapping or enlarging! I'll be busy this weekend.
Posted by: Charmaine | Sep 14, 2006 11:19:09 AM
Love it! It downloaded with no problem. Can't wait to make. Do you think your story would be done by Christmas? I was thinking Christmas present for my girls. With book and dolls it would just be darling. But now is probably not a good time to ask after all that hard work. Just a thought. I absolutely loved it!
Posted by: Amber | Sep 14, 2006 11:28:19 AM
Olive and Archie are indeed very cute and the make-a-long story is just amazing !
Posted by: Tania Ho | Sep 14, 2006 11:30:34 AM
I just printed out my download - no problems - and it looks great! Arughhhhhh! I have no time to start making these until next week!!!!!! Hmmmm... can I be "sick" tomorrow and take the day off to sew????
Posted by: laeroport | Sep 14, 2006 11:41:49 AM
Thanks Hillary!!! I love the story and the patterns! Thanks for making it all so easy:)
Posted by: Katie | Sep 14, 2006 11:42:06 AM
I AM SO EXCITED! This story looks SO cute. This was the best idea EVER. AND! Instant PDF gratification! I love it!
Posted by: amy | Sep 14, 2006 11:42:50 AM
yeah and boo hoo!
oops messed up and didn't get my pattern.
i will email you my paypal receipt.
Posted by: Nancy Cook | Sep 14, 2006 11:43:17 AM
congratulations Hillary! it's fantastic and fun and oh so cute! brilliant idea, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Posted by: kelly | Sep 14, 2006 11:50:52 AM
So cute! I just bought the pattern... Of course, I somehow managed to miss the download part. Glad I'm not the only one. I guess I'll e-mail my receipt like Nancy. Sorry bout that!
Posted by: Liz | Sep 14, 2006 11:52:20 AM
Hilary,
Thank you for downloading the Make A Long today. Tomorrow at the crack of dawn I'm going to Ireland. I was so worried about my dtr checking and ordering. I knew she'd have a difficult time figuring it out.
The dolls are terrific.
Barbara
Posted by: Barbara C. | Sep 14, 2006 11:53:00 AM
Yay!! I'm so excited to start!
Posted by: erica | Sep 14, 2006 12:01:07 PM
Hilary -
I just got your e-mail and can't wait to download the pattern. From the response so far, I think there will be a lot of little Olives and Archies in the world.
Thanks for saving me the headache of wondering what the heck I'm going to give to all the little girls in my family for birthdays and Christmas.
GREAT job! I wish I had a quarter of your creativity!!
Posted by: Melissa | Sep 14, 2006 12:10:03 PM
Hillary, thank you! I had so much fun making my Archies! I will post a picture of them on my blog this afternoon. You are so talented, this is all fabulous! Love the pictures with the story!
Posted by: Sasha | Sep 14, 2006 12:13:59 PM
Great story! It looks amazing but still, i'm hoping you turn it into a "real" book somewhere in the future. As a doll maker myself i shouldn't buy the pattern to avoid future "inspiration" but it's quite simple and apart from the body and leg size everything else looks very like mine so i'm all good. i like to collect these things anyway, i hope in the future baby Lilo will enjoy the collection of patterns i've gathered for her, i'm sure she'll make a bunch of Olives. Humm... maybe my 7 year old cousin gives it a better use than me. yep.
thanks again for that story, you rock!
Posted by: van | Sep 14, 2006 12:31:03 PM
How sweet! I love the story!
and say, how do you get to be part of that "Tester" gig? That sounds pretty cool to me.... =D
Posted by: Heather M | Sep 14, 2006 12:45:04 PM
Oh my. Just precious, as we knew it would be. I'm waiting for my daughter to wake up from napping so we can read it together!
Posted by: Mama Urchin | Sep 14, 2006 12:46:58 PM
YAHOO!!!!!! I just printed my pattern. Thank you sooooo much!
Posted by: Anna | Sep 14, 2006 12:54:32 PM
they are sooooo cute!! I can't wait to get started! Thank you!
Posted by: Krista | Sep 14, 2006 12:56:53 PM
Thank you! This is a great project for me and my daugther to make for her little brother for his birthday!
Posted by: MagFly | Sep 14, 2006 12:59:52 PM
This could not be cuter!!!!!! Your talent continues to amaze me!
Posted by: Lotta | Sep 14, 2006 1:12:06 PM
Oh Hilary you've done it again - created wonderful adorable, irresistable characters. I have just gone and got my PDF and can't wait to get cracking. Thank you so much.
Posted by: caroline | Sep 14, 2006 2:11:18 PM
awesome! this is so darn cute!
Posted by: shoofly | Sep 14, 2006 3:00:37 PM
***YAY! for you***
I got it and i'm soooo excited, although depressingly i know it is likely to be the New Year before i can make a start on this due to a scary number of crafting projects to finish for the kid's birthdays and Christmas.
Still, it'll be something to look forward to in the January gloom - can't wait :o)
Posted by: Nicki | Sep 14, 2006 3:03:06 PM
thank you for making a cute boy craft!
Posted by: KIRSTEN | Sep 14, 2006 3:41:19 PM
Great job Hillary. Another success story.
Posted by: JoAnn | Sep 14, 2006 4:08:13 PM
I just love the book and the patterns. I think I will be busy (and have to figure out the legs thing). My daughter will love Olive and Archie and this will keep her looking forward to what comes next! Great Job!!!!
Posted by: Beth | Sep 14, 2006 4:18:43 PM
I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend. I can't wait for Leil to get home from school (3rd grade, how cute is that!)and read along with the story. You've really done good my dear. This is fabulous! Congratulations on getting it launched.
Posted by: kathy | Sep 14, 2006 4:56:30 PM
This is just brilliant! And I am just thrilled that Olive and Archie are 3rd graders. I am quite partial to the third graders... :)
Posted by: lla | Sep 14, 2006 4:57:00 PM
oh-so very very good!! you are a super star.
Posted by: amy k. | Sep 14, 2006 6:10:23 PM
hello. i only just found you a couple of weeks ago and completely fell in love with archie the first time i saw him. i can't believe that now i can make him myself! thanks so much hillary. i can't wait to see what you come up with next!
Posted by: kristy | Sep 14, 2006 6:49:07 PM
My favorite part has to be the "Off Limits- no little kids!" sign. What a riot. From the back of their heads they look very concerned!
Posted by: Morgan | Sep 14, 2006 7:02:13 PM
Wow! They're so cool! And what a cliffhanger! Sorry for the gratuitous use of exclamation points. I was wondering why my wee bunnies looked so small compared to everyone else's and after reading the pattern instructions for this, now I know. I must have resized to fit on A4 paper, which brings it down to 99%. Not a huge difference but probably enough. Anyone know where to get US letter sized paper in Australia?
Posted by: Emma | Sep 14, 2006 7:18:29 PM
congratulations! it is fabulous... so, so cute and irresistable. thank you for putting this online for the instant gratification :)
Posted by: amisha | Sep 14, 2006 8:40:49 PM
Thank you thank you thank you. What else is there to say? I understand why you're nervous, but this is a rousing, wonderful success. Congratulations!
Posted by: Jennifer | Sep 14, 2006 9:14:16 PM
Thank you! Just got my copy and absolutely love it. I can't wait to find the time to get sewing.
Congratulations! All that hard work made for a lovely story/pattern
Posted by: Adriana | Sep 14, 2006 9:29:24 PM
Adorable. Please don't let them get beat up on the playground!
Posted by: Alicia P. | Sep 14, 2006 11:10:05 PM
WOW!!! Oh to be so talented... can't wait to see what's on the list of things that Olive and Archie must do
Posted by: Libbie | Sep 15, 2006 12:01:43 AM
Me and my kids are such great fans of you and your dolls! I can't wait to start making your dolls! I promised my kids i'll make one for each of them, luckily I have 4 kids, so I'll be busy this weekend!
thank you - thank you -thank you - thank you - ...
greetings from over the ocean
Posted by: hilde from belgium | Sep 15, 2006 6:58:57 AM
Thank You,
My daughter and I are so excited, we cant wait to make them. We cant wait for
more adventures
Posted by: Yasmin | Sep 15, 2006 8:24:48 AM
What fun this is going to be! Thank you so much for the story and the pattern.
Posted by: June | Sep 15, 2006 9:15:59 AM
the pattern is flawless! Thanks for such a fun project, Hillary. I just posted my 'Olive'!
Posted by: amanda | Sep 15, 2006 10:46:20 AM
Thank you, the pattern looks great!!! I had no problem paying and downloading it. :-)
Posted by: Helena | Sep 15, 2006 11:53:36 AM
Goddammit I wish I'd thought of doing this, it's brilliant.
Posted by: lyn | Sep 15, 2006 12:27:27 PM
Sweet sweet sweet!
Posted by: Deborah | Sep 15, 2006 12:52:18 PM
I just downloaded my pattern! I can hardly wait to get home and sew (yes, bad girl I am- downloading and blogging at work. it's friday! what do expect!)
thanks for making this so much fun...
and for all your inspiration- I just made my first toy last week- my own pattern and I am in love with playing on my machine now.
keep it coming!
Posted by: NessieNoodle | Sep 15, 2006 2:43:00 PM
PS I was wondering, we will need to purchase further patterns? or does the purchase of the first cover the entire make-a-long story?
Posted by: NessieNoodle | Sep 15, 2006 2:45:01 PM
So cute! Thanks, Hillary! The download worked great. I'm wondering if the book will be printed up and available when everything is done. Your mad photoshop skills slay me!
Posted by: Bettsi | Sep 15, 2006 3:53:37 PM
You are a legend. I love your website and ideas. You are fantastic!!!!
Posted by: Rosi | Sep 15, 2006 10:15:46 PM
Thanks so much for this story! I have been stalking your site for a week now waiting for the release! I managed to flub the download somehow, but emailed you my paypal receipt, too. Sorry for the user error.
I was hoping you would re-release The Stitchettes since I missed that and I am sure you could sell out another group of them!
You are such an inspiration.
Posted by: Molly | Sep 15, 2006 10:44:11 PM
Such a brilliant idea Hillary! You're the ultimate crafter.
Posted by: Julia | Sep 16, 2006 1:31:00 AM
oooops...I didnt download the patterns.I have just sent you an email with my receipt. And Ive blamed it on my kids..(as you do yeah??). Im dying to see what they have to do, to be big kids and get into that playground!
Posted by: kylie d | Sep 16, 2006 4:08:44 AM
i just love you ideas. i have been looking forward to getting these patterns since you announced it. i bought mine the first chance i got and look forward to sewing them up the first chance i get. i look foward to continuing their story...thanks so much! :0) x
Posted by: vera | Sep 16, 2006 6:05:06 AM
Congrats! I went ahead and bought it even though I'm a novice. I would love to have a set of these dolls for my kids one of these days. Your wee bunny was the very first thing I ever sewed so I'm hoping this will get done too!
Posted by: Madeline | Sep 16, 2006 12:05:43 PM
Am excited to get back home and make these. I just lost my father due to an extended illness and this will be a great project for me. I did make a kitty for him from your pattern book and he was able to see it and hold it before he passed away on Thurs. What a brillant and talented lady you are. Thanks for sharing. Kay
Posted by: Kay | Sep 16, 2006 7:56:57 PM
:D fun, fun, fun!!
Posted by: catarina m. | Sep 18, 2006 6:24:38 AM
I only just found you (via SouleMama) and have already succumbed to your wiles and bought the pattern for Olive and Archie (although I think in our house they will be known as Helena and Daniel and will have many many adventures, including travel to Jupiter, a destination de jour, for some reason).
I am glad to have found you -- for here there seems a small oasis of sweet simplicity, which we could all use more of.
Posted by: Francesca (Stuntmother) | Sep 18, 2006 6:49:09 PM
Number 9 was indeed a challenge, but the result is totally worth the pain: http://petitmorceaudevie.blogspot.com/2006/09/olijfje.html
Thank you Hillary!
Posted by: Veronique | Sep 20, 2006 2:33:09 PM
My real little boy is called Archie. We'll be sure to follow the story together. Archie would love it if he was the Hero and save Olive from the big kids !!! Hope I haven't given the plot away LOL
Posted by: Kirsty Campion | Sep 21, 2006 2:29:11 AM
hello.......... i see great animals here!
congratulation!
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