St Paddy’s Day Leprechaun

[Fran L]

Thought I’d make a little St Patrick’s Day decoration. Finished product doesn’t quite pop for me like I was expecting from the pattern but it was definitely worth the unexpected challenge. I thought it would be fairly easy, just time consuming with a lot of small frets. Boy, did I not look at very closely. I noticed a lot of the veining in the vest and beard when I was prepping but didn’t realize how much until I started cutting and how I had to plan on the cuts on the fly. For instance, the buckle on the hat ended up being a much tighter bridge then I expected. I realized it as the piece start bouncing a little midway through. Also the beard and fingers, etc. . Never would have been able to do this with my old saw with the way my blade travelled on it, the pieces would have snapped during the cuts. The veins are pretty thin using a 2/0 blade and I know of the way some will go back through with a bigger blade but I’m a coward and couldn’t risk it. It's a pattern by Bob Valle

Edited March 8, 2019 by Fran L

[lawson56]

An Awesome job!!! And May The Luck Of The Irish Be With Ye Me Boyo

[daveww1]

great job

[Scrolling Steve]

That turned out great !

[Scrappile]

I'm thinking you need a green background and then you will get your "pop".   You did a very nice job cutting.  When I do veining, I use a small flat blade first to follow the lines, then I go back with a 3/0 Flying Dutchman New Spiral blade and cut them again.  It is quick because the spiral blade follows the precious cut and it gives me just the right thickness of a kurf that I like.

[Gordster]

Looks great Fran,lots of detail there....excellent cutting.

[Rockytime]

Looks great and the veining looks difficult yet well done.

[Charlie E]

Nice job. I like the veining just fine as is.

[amazingkevin]

You've excelled in this one!!!

[GPscroller]

Super job Fran.  Love patterns by Bob Valle, they were featured frequently in the CWW&C magazines of years past and I have cut lots of them.  The nursery rhyme series he designed were fun to cut, I think there were eleven or twelve of them.

Jeff

[Fran L]

On 3/8/2019 at 11:02 AM, Scrappile said:

I'm thinking you need a green background and then you will get your "pop".   You did a very nice job cutting.  When I do veining, I use a small flat blade first to follow the lines, then I go back with a 3/0 Flying Dutchman New Spiral blade and cut them again.  It is quick because the spiral blade follows the precious cut and it gives me just the right thickness of a kurf that I like.

Thanks Paul. I'll have to try that backing and see what happens.

[Fran L]

54 minutes ago, GPscroller said:

Super job Fran.  Love patterns by Bob Valle, they were featured frequently in the CWW&C magazines of years past and I have cut lots of them.  The nursery rhyme series he designed were fun to cut, I think there were eleven or twelve of them.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, I got this from a batch of patterns on sale a few years ago. I don't even remember where. Thanks for the nursery rhyme tip. I'm going to have to try and track them down.

[Scrappile]

1 hour ago, Fran L said:

Thanks Paul. I'll have to try that backing and see what happens.

Just make sure it is Irish green!!

[wombatie]

On 3/11/2019 at 1:13 PM, Scrappile said:

Just make sure it is Irish green!!

All greens are Irish green Paul. 

Marg

[wombatie]

Very Irish, I love it.  A green backer will certainly bring it to life.

Marg

[heppnerguy]

Nicely done. I was going to suggest about the going back with a spiral blade through the veining. I do the same thing. A good trick and it helps a lot to use the flat blade on them first. Makes way nicer and straighter cuts.

 your little guy made you push your envelop and venture into something you may had strayed from had you really looked over the pattern more closely. I had a gal order some pieces from me that I was fearful of cutting a couple of years ago and found, like you, that I was able to do more then I thought I could. It is these little mile stones that builds unknown confidence in ourselves. Great job.

Dick

heppnerguy