Gerri, I used to have trouble when I first started PP. I find that if I cut a copy of a pattern into pieces (saving the original so I can see how they fit together - what angle the arm was, etc), then use each pattern piece to cut out that piece of the puzzle. Sometimes I change the pattern a little (for example my Mickey riding the Dumbo ride has an added Santa hat since we were there in December and Dumbo had a Santa hat on). Other times I reposition an arm or change what the character is doing. I always decide first where I will leave "extra" paper so that other pieces of the puzzle can be glued on top. I'm lazy. I'll draw wrinkles in clothing by myself, but I never do a face without cheating. I don't think I would ever be happy with the outcome.
Hands and faces are the hardest for me. I have develped a method of doing that, too. Say I am making a Mickey Mouse. I make his ears and face and body and shoes, etc. Then I take the face piece and cut along his smile. If you carefully line up the pattern and your "face" you can just trace along the cut lightly in pencil. Then do the same with eyes, eyebrows, and soon you have most of his face traced. Just go back with a pen and go over the lines, clean up with an eraser and you're through. Another friend scribbles on the back of the pattern with pencil and then just draws over the lines on the pattern. I find this takes more clean up, since the pencil smudges, but it might be easier sometimes if the face is complicated and small.
Have I confused you more? I hope not. What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to be particularly artistic to do this. I've taught several friends and if you cheat it's really pretty easy, but time consuming. You just have to figure out how it works. Hang in there.
No actually, I just have a couple of questions.
