Work in Progress Wednesday - Hooray! Tomorrow I'll be Listing my New Bead Tutorial on Etsy

Sample page from Corset & Stays tutorial

At long last, it's almost done!  Tomorrow morning I'll finally be able to list my Corset, Caps & Stays beaded bead pattern on Etsy.  This pattern underwent considerable scope creep, from covering just my Corset & Stays beaded beads, to also including a basic right angle weave beaded bead and my Caps & Stays beaded beads.  They're all variations on the same riff, so it made sense in my mind.

Then I thought I'd add an 'idea gallery' page of ways to dress up the simple beaded bead.  Which meant stitching more beads as I found I'd given away or sold most of my inventory without photographing them, or didn't have the 'right' photos.  Ouch!

The idea gallery expanded from one page to three, each showcasing a different bead pattern with project notes and diagrams.

Sample page - right angle weave

And of course I included a primer on right angle weave - the basic stitch, a simple decrease, two different increases and how to join two separate sections.  While I have a free primer on my website, I went through and added additional diagrams, and completely reworked the text based upon feedback I'd received.  My goal was to cram as much information and tips as possible into each page while still making it appealing to look at and easy to read. 

My own little 'Look Inside' sneak peaks

The final pattern's 25 pages, designed very similarly to my book, with over ninety full color photographs and diagrams.  I'm currently going through one final proof, checking for consistency and any glaring typos.

I've worked on it at the studio and at home, at several different coffee shops, the library and even the local donut shop.  Anywhere that had power and would let me sit for a few hours to work.  I haven't added up all my time yet, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to as that's always a little daunting.  I know I am ready to put this project aside for a while and move on to something else.  But at the same time, I'm so pleased with how it's turning out!  And it's interesting just how much I've learned in the process.  Trying to explain it to someone else, really makes you codify your knowledge.

One last push to go!  Tomorrow morning, I'll finish up this round of proofing (there's always more possible to do) and then I can list this puppy on Etsy!  Followed shortly thereafter by kits.  Almost there....