It’s been a while since our last check-in, so let’s catch up on what’s been happening!
Our move went well, but we were without internet until yesterday. Even though we moved in on January 25th, our new internet provider didn’t have an installation appointment available until February 18th. We expected maybe a week without service, not almost four! We relied on our mobile hotspots where we could, but data limits and slow speeds made it tough to keep up with everything. During that time, we focused on email and our Discord group rather than Backerkit. Aside from the internet struggles, everything is great! We’re fully settled in now and ready to get back on track, hopefully without any more unexpected delays.
🌱 Survey Timeline Update
In our last update, we estimated that surveys would close on February 20th, but that’s no longer the case.
Critterfolk is my first campaign and while things have been going well overall, I underestimated how long it takes to finalize so many designs. Not having internet only caused further unexpected & unavoidable delays in the timeline.
Going forward, the survey closing date & card charging date is still up in the air! I don’t have an exact date right now and truthfully, I feel awful about giving new dates only for them to change. So for now, surveys will officially close sometime in March. I’m really sorry for the shifting dates — it's definitely a lesson learned for next time!
🌱 Complete Plush Prototypes!
In case you missed the last update — all plush prototypes are complete! 🎉
Clover Fawn, Frasier Fox, Briar Wolf, and Willow Cat
Rowan Raccoon, Honey Rabbit, Juniper Coyote, and Cinder Opossum
Most of the outfits are done! Here’s a peek at what’s finished so far:
The outfits for Clover, Frasier, Honey, Rowan, and Briar are now finalized! We are now just working on finishing up the outfits for Willow, Cinder, and Juniper.
Here’s where we’re at with the remaining outfits!
🍄 Juniper's outfit is almost there! The sweater is finalized, but we are trying a lighter color for the shorts & a matching inner pocket fabric (instead of a white fabric).
🍄 Willow's outfit just needs a few tweaks too! There are only a few adjustments left to be made, such adding the split to her shirt's lace collar and finding a more suitable, muted green color for her dress.
🍄 Cinder's outfit still needs some work, but we have already sent these changes over to our manufacturer!
Thankfully these are all small changes and shouldn’t take too long, meaning we’re officially in the final stretch of prototyping!
🍄 On another note, we recently brought the plush to a family party and the response was amazing! ✨ Everyone absolutely loved them, especially the kids! We heard so many compliments about how well-made the plush are and how soft their fur is, which made me feel so much more confident that you all will love them too!
Everyone also had the chance to dress the plush up, and we got great feedback on how it was to put the clothes on. We noticed that while adults and older kids had no trouble, some of the younger kids struggled with fitting the plush heads and tails through the clothing openings. Since our littlest fans are just as important as our older ones, we’ve made some changes to the clothes! Going forward, the Velcro closures on tops and the tail openings on bottoms will be slightly larger. With these changes anyone should be able to dress the plush with ease!
🌱 What's next?
Surveys won’t close until all prototype samples, including outfits, are finished. Once they’re done and in my hands, I’ll take photos just like I did for the plush!
Once everything is ready, I’ll post an update announcing 1 week left until surveys close and orders lock. During that final week, I plan to host a few "dress-up" livestreams where you can request different clothing combos on the plush! It'll be a fun time to hang out, experiment with outfits, and just play together! ❤️
🌱 That's all for now folks!
As always, if you have any questions about your pledge or the survey you can comment below or email me at [email protected]!
If you want to connect the Critterfolk community, you can join our discord server! There, you can ask questions, stay up-to-date with mini-updates on plushie development, and chat with many other Critter-lovers! Come hang out with us! đź’• đź”— https://discord.com/invite/UR3CYWFr97
