Hey every critter — it's time for another check-in!
We have a lot to cover today, so before we dive into the updates I just want to take the time to express my thanks and gratitude to all of you. You have all displayed so much patience and understanding thus far and it truly means the world to me.
It’s clear we’ve blown past my original projected timeline, and things have felt a little up in the air these past couple of months. I did my best to predict how long everything would take, but unfortunately, my calculations were off — and for that, I can only apologize. Part of this update will be about explaining the reasons behind the delays, so you have a better idea of where we’re at and how things will move forward.
I always try to put on a brave face, but honestly, this project has been a big test of my personal grit and endurance. Between tariffs, sample delays, and the general scale of the campaign, I'll admit that the stress got to me over the past couple of months. Despite all of the prep and research I did ahead of time, some things you just can't fully prepare for, and the uncertainty of it all was a bit paralyzing. It was difficult feeling out of control and like I didn't have clear answers to give, so I just instinctively pulled back to take some time to ground myself. It's always been important to me to be level-headed, so this pause was necessary for me to find that inner balance again.
During that time, I also did more research, spoke with my peers and manufacturer, and mapped out a fresh timeline! Things feel much more sorted out now, and I hope the rest of this update will bring you some renewed reassurance about the campaign. Once again, thank you so much for sticking with me! Now, let’s get into the big topics of this update!
🌱 US Tariffs and How They Affect Critterfolk
I want to start with the biggest elephant in the room for all creators right now : US tariffs.
After talks with our manufacturer, our representative reassured me that the tariffs will not affect our order.
Based on our shipping method and the agreement we made months ago, our export company will cover the tariff costs, not us as the importer. Of course, I’m still holding onto extra funds just in case something unexpectedly changes, but for now, I’m accepting this news as a big win!
That said, even though we aren't being directly affected, we are feeling ripple effects caused by the tariffs. Many bigger businesses, those who will be affected by the tariffs, are racing to get their shipments out before the tariffs begin on May 2nd. We can't compete with the demand of these bigger businesses, so that has been slowing down both our plush production and clothing samples. Progress is still happening, but at a much slower pace until the beginning of May.
🌱 Clothing Sample Update
All of the remaining clothing samples are nearly complete! As a reminder and fresh update, here's what the outfits look like :
Everything’s finished except Juniper’s Pine Forest Sweater. Originally, it was completed, but after some testing our manufacturer alerted us that the type of fabric used is extremely prone to pilling, so we made the joint decision to change the base fabric to something else. The new fabric choice can be seen in the image above and while it does lean a bit more green in hue, I think it will still work!
Right now, we’re just waiting for our sample copies to be completed (one for us, one for the manufacturer’s reference) and shipped to us. I’m hoping to have them by May 10th, so we can finally close and lock surveys!
🌱 Plush Production Progress
If you remember from our last update, we placed the plush order at the beginning of March!
We ran into a hiccup where some fabric was not in stock, so we had to wait for the fabric factory to produce more before we could begin production. Aside from that, the embroidery work is now in progress and should wrap up by the end of this week. It won't be too much longer until our critters start getting sewn up!
🌱 New Estimated Timeline
With all the delays and obstacles, it’s time for an updated timeline. Please remember this is merely my best estimate, and while I hope we face no more challenges, the timeline is subject to change at any time.
🌱 Lock Orders & Charge Cards : Mid to Late May The exact date for locking orders and charging cards has not yet been set, so please keep an eye out for our next update!
🌱 Place Remaining Bulk Orders & Production : Late May to Late July After the surveys have been locked and the funds collected, we will begin production on the remaining items! We anticipate production to take 2-3 months.
🌱 Plush Transport Overseas : August - Mid September Once production is complete the plush will ship to me! Large shipments typically take 1-2 months to arrive.
🌱 Receive Plush & Quality Checks : Late September Once we receive the plush we will proceed to grade the plushies & clothes. This may cause an initial sense of delay, but we greatly value the quality of the plush you receive! Depending on the volume of plush, this may take a few weeks to process.
🌱 Shipping Plush to Backers : October The time we will start shipping out your rewards! Depending on the volume of plush pledges, this may take up to 2 months to process.
I know this new timeline is very different from the original, but I promise the extra wait will be worth it! I’m doing everything I can to keep things moving as fast and as carefully as possible. If anything changes, I will be sure to update you all as it happens!
🌱 Survey Lock Date & Card-Charging Information
Like I mentioned earlier, we don’t have a set date yet for locking surveys and charging cards, but we’re close. You can expect those to be set sometime in mid to late May. I’ll send another update once we have a firm date!
❤️ Once again, thank you all so much for your support! ❤️
I don’t recall if I’ve explicitly said it yet, but this is my first campaign, and I’m so grateful for all the love, patience, and support you’ve given me so far. It’s already been such a journey of learning, self-discovery, and so much more for me so far. I’m always a little nervous to share my struggles, since the fear of failure and disappointing others still lingers in my mind, but I know that setbacks like these are just part of the process! Sometimes things happen that are completely out of our control, and the best any of us can do is focus on what we can control and keep moving forward.
Thank you all for giving me the space to grow through this! If even a few of you can find inspiration from my journey, that honestly means more to me than anything else.
——————————
As always, if you have any questions about your order or survey can email us 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! 💕 🔗 https://discord.com/invite/UR3CYWFr97
