What?! A Chainmail dragon?!

For a while, now, I have been interested in making a chainmail dragon, but I never bought the instructions, I just admired them from afar. In one of my chainmail groups, a member started posting a bunch of dragon pictures, and I knew that it was time. I HAD to make one!

I went to my supplier's website, and I bought the instructions and a kit to get started.
The kit color combinations available weren't really speaking to me, but I just picked the one I liked the most, just to learn. I figure I can make more later when I know how and have some experience behind me.

The first part of it, making the body and the head, went by pretty easily. I didn't have any majorly huge issues with it (just a minor problem attaching the last ring for connecting the head to the body).
Then came the scales down the back.
Here is where I was at this point:

I started adding the scales down the back, and I realized about 2/3 down that my dragon was too "floppy", and wouldn't stand up very well. I tried adding some rings under a few scales to tighten things up, which did help, but the whole thing just felt "off" somehow.  In comes the super amazing-ness of my chainmail Facebook group.

I reached out to another member of the group to see if she could figure out what I did wrong. It took several pictures going back and forth, but it looked like my scales were not attached correctly. So, I had the oh-so-fun job of taking them all out (along with the extra rings I had added previously).

Once I started re-adding the scales, correctly this time, it did make a difference. Even if it didn't seem tighter like I wanted, it felt and looked better. I didn't even try testing it, I just went ahead and added them all, then tested its standing ability.
He does stand better! He still wasn't working as well as I wanted, so I added a couple tightening rings again, and now he looks great!

I got the tail done, and then came the scales at the very end of the tail...
I tell you, there is something with me and scales that just don't seem to get along.
I connected them all right, but had them upside down. I had to take them all out and redo them, as well.
After typing this up, I just realized that I used the wrong scales for the tail, too. I have laser etched scales for the tail, and I just used regular ones. I may just leave it. 

I can finally say, though, that he is finished! Isn't he so cute!

Throughout the whole process, I just stuck to the standard of what the pattern showed, even though I found some ways to tweak things here and there to personalize them. I wanted to get just one done regular, and now I'm free to tweak away! I can't wait!
I have plans for several more dragons, so keep an eye out for my next ones soon. I will need to make a supply order first, but there are so many ideas going through my head, now!