Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT THE PATTERNS

Can I get your pattern emailed to me in a PDF format?
NO, they are not available in PDF because the pattern pieces don't fit on 8.5 x11 paper for printing in home printers. Having the printed patterns allows you to get sewing and not waste time sizing and gluing paper pieces together.

Do you sell wholesale?
Yes the patterns are available to shops in minimums of twelve, which can be mixed. Write to me for a full list and terms. I do not do consignments.

Can I sell the dragons or dolls I make from the patterns?
Yes, IF you attach a tag on it with your name as the creator and credit the pattern to my name or Smallwork.com. I love to see people make these designs to share with others. Many women have also donated dragons or dolls to fundraisers and drawings, and I have thanked them for their consideration in citing me as the pattern source.

Can I teach a class or lead a doll club in making dragons or dolls from smallwork.com patterns?
Yes, ONLY IF each person purchases their own pattern from me, or if the sewing shop who is sponsoring the group has purchased wholesale from me. I offer a 30% discount to clubs who purchase 10 or more patterns at one time. I appreciate knowing about plans like this and can offer some tips to the facilitator.

Can I copy the pattern pieces onto freezer paper at home for my own use?
Yes, the pieces that are templates are great to use on freezer paper ironed onto the fabric. BUT enlarging my patterns is a mistake because the construction won't hold up in a bigger scale, and reducing is just really nuts. The patterns are copyrighted and cannot be copied for any other purpose.

Where can I find a Bow Turner or turning tool?
DollmakersJourney.Com carries turners which are tubes with rods that fit inside. Sewing stores carry the Dritz "Quick Turn" for about $8.oo with 3 sizes, and the smallest works for the dragon tail. My own 12" set was made with a metal tube about the size of a pencil and a thinner metal rod that I purchased at a hobby supply store for $3.00. Don't get the kind that have a claw on the end of a wire which functions differently.

ABOUT MAKING THE DRAGONS

Will my dragon look like the ones on your website?
Yes, all pictures on the website show dragons made from the patterns by myself and others, following the fabric guidelines and stuffing directions. Typical problems can arise when the face is over stuffed, the body or wings are under stuffed, and knit fabrics are used. Some people have been more satisfied with the dragon wings when they added a wire in them.

For the Dragon legs, can I use wire other than clothes hanger wire?
Yes, florist wire in 16 gauge or heavier works, or bundle lighter wires together, or use heavy aluminum doll armature wire. Some people have used romax construction electric wire for the legs and in the tail, and have added lighter wires to the wing sections, all to good effect.

Can I use knitted fabrics?
NO, knits are not a good choice because they keep expanding when putting in the stuffing. Use only woven fabrics to keep the shape under the pressure. If your favorite fabric is a knit, you can try fusing it to a sturdy iron-on interfacing or onto a woven backing fabric.

Where can I find fabric prints that look like dragon scales or feathers?
If you do not have a fabric store nearby, a good mail order fabric source is www.keepsakequilting.com. At thrift stores I have found garments with wonderful snakeskin or scaly textured prints. It is best to keep the different fabrics at about the same weight or thickness, so if you like a fabric that is too light weight, support it with iron on interfacing or another fabric layer to make it sturdier. If you love a print that is not the color you want, you can always PAINT it with acrylic, or stain it with inks. Add enhancing brush strokes after you have sewn the parts, or after it is assembled. I have cut up a pair of wide wale corduroy pants for the striped belly fabric. It had to be pieced together and it was white, so I stained it with a paint wash to coordinate with the body color. You can paint the whole dragon if you wish.

WAYS TO SHOP at Smallwork.com

1. On-line Shopping Cart System (credit card only)
2. Printable Order form for ordering by Snail Mail (credit card, check, or money order payable to Melinda Small Paterson)
3. Phone in your order to 503-292-4147 (credit card, check, or money order payable to Melinda Small Paterson)

If you don't want to use the shopping cart system, feel free to print the order form, or simply write down the information on the items you wish to purchase and mail your order with payment to:

Melinda Small Paterson
10465 NW Lee Street
Portland OR 97229

SHIPPING in the US - All packages are sent through the US Postal Service. We do our very best to process orders within three to five days of purchase and mail the same day upon receipt of payment. Generally orders under $30.oo are sent 1st class mail and orders over that value are sent Priority mail with tracking and insurance. If your purchase has not arrived within three weeks of purchase, contact Melinda at 503-292-4147 or melinda@smallwork.com

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING - Shipping on Patterns and kits outside the US is $2.oo more than US rates. For the rest of the items, foreign postage rates are based on the package weight. When we receive your order we will then calculate total shipping cost. If you wish to know the total postage before we process your order please indicate that in the comment box on the final order form. Foreign orders generally take 7-10 business days to arrive but on occasion can take as much as 3-4 weeks.

PRIVACY: Use of Personal Information - Our customers' personal information is used only for the purposes of doing business with Smallwork.com, which does not not share, sell, or rent any information to any other party. When customers supply their information it is only used to fulfill their order, reply to a comment/question form, direct e-mail, or request to be put on a mailing list. Any information maintained is password protected and does not include Credit Card information.

Email addresses are required in the on-line shopping cart for the purpose of sending a receipt of purchase; telephone numbers are needed for contacting the customer for additional information or verification in processing a purchase. If you don't have an email address, enter any text in the email address field in order to complete your purchase.

SECURITY: Shopping Cart and Credit Card Transactions - Smallwork.com uses Mal's e-Commerce to provide the shopping cart for customers to make credit card purchases on-line. The cart uses industry-standard SSL encryption to protect data transmissions of all personal information, including name, address, and credit card data. It is in effect when a "lock" image appears in the web browser and "https://" precedes the URL. When using the shopping cart, you will notice the URL web address of the browser changes to "http://ww10.aitsafe.com/cf/add.cfm." Smallwork.com endorses this as the proper URL for the shopping cart and as you select shipping and submit personal information, the characters that follow this URL will change, but the main address will not.

The company Square/Point of Sale provides our service for processing credit card orders. No Credit Card information is stored online or on paper, beyond the time required to process the transaction.

REFUNDS AND EXCHANGES - Total refunds will ONLY be given due to a fault in the actual handiwork. Every effort will be made to remedy the very rare case of a missing page to a pattern. PLEASE do not simply return an item without contacting me first.

HANDMADE DETAILS - Every item I sell is made entirely by hand and will be very similar but not an exact copy of what is pictured. If the item you receive is different from what you expected based on my photos and you wish to return it, please contact me to discuss an exchange, credit or refund. If you are purchasing a hat, please refer to the sizing chart and directions on the hats page to ensure the hat will fit you well.

COLORING - Electronic devices vary in display colors so there may be some discrepancy with the color of items in my photos. If the color of an item you receive is different from what you expected and you wish to return it, please contact me for an exchange, credit or refund.

SHIPPING DAMAGES AND LOSSES ­ - Refunds will not be given due to damage or loss during shipping. This includes the package being damaged during transit or damaged, stolen, or lost after it arrives at your door. While I ultimately have no control over the package when it leaves my hands, I will do everything I can to help locate a package should it become lost in transit.

REFUND/EXCHANGE SHIPPING - If an exchange is to be made, you are responsible for paying the shipping for the returned item and the shipping of the new item that will be sent out. An invoice for the shipping will be sent and no new items will be shipped until the invoice is paid.

REFUND/ EXCHANGE TIMING - Monetary refunds will be issued after the returned product is received or as stipulated in any agreements reached by the customer and the shop owner. It may take several more days for the refund to appear in your bank or on your credit card depending on your banking institution's own policy.

Terms of Business