Sometimes you choose your next project, and sometimes the project chooses you. While virtuously trying to attain some semblance of order in Studio Hunting Creek, I happened to notice the the Japanese print above harmonized nicely with the black embroidered fabric on the same shelf.( Digression: Did you read the article that said that
creative people had messy desks? ) When my
new Butterick pattern arrived, I thought, "What do I have that will work for this?", looking at my options. While trying to pull out some jade green charmeuse, I saw the Japanese fabric again. It is from the deepest of Deep Stash: Mr. Hunting Creek brought it home to me from his mother's stash. It's definitely vintage. But is it too much like the picture? I have an irrational dislike of making things that look like the pattern illustration. (The good student in me thinks this is akin to plagiarism.) I expressed this thought to Mr. Hunting Creek, while asking him if he liked the combination. He gave me the
Are you Crazy look. "Because of the 7 people in the world that you never see who will notice that?" he commented, with that patient tone he reserves for my irrational moments. (You know, that tone that makes you want to smack people with your clear ruler. It is especially annoying when he is correct. I did not tell him this.) This will be my project for my
Use a New Pattern monthly challenge.This Butterick is hot off the press, is super trendy (even though I am the least trendy person on earth besides Pope Francis, I do
notice trends.) and it looks easy to sew. I hope saying that does not bring a curse upon my head, causing sewing machine tension problems, or thread breakage or some other exasperation.
Do you make things that look like the pattern picture? Or do you avoid doing that? (Or, in other words, am I alone in my No Copying obsession?)
4 comments:
Usually I don't like to make things that look like the pattern envelopes. Though lately I seem to be doing the opposite - I really like the color/style of this outfit in a magazine picture, so I made a very similar version for myself. And my sister fell in love with a dress on a pattern envelope (color and all) so I ended up making her a dress that looks nearly identical. So I guess I don't usually try to copy the photos, but I am not against it if I see something I really like. I mean, that is a fun thing about sewing - if I see something I like I can just make my own version.
The only time I have a problem with these sorts of things is when someone makes something but doesn't give credit to the pattern. If you drafted your own pattern that is fine, but if you used a commercial pattern and pretend like you made whatever it is Project Runway style, then, no, that is not right. If you find inspiration from other sources (patterns, magazines, runway shows, etc.) and want to use that as a basis for a sewing project I also think that is ok as long as you give credit where credit is due.
Also, I vote for the Japanese print. Maybe it looks like the pattern, but I like the look of the pattern, so I bet your version will look great as well. Honestly, if it looks good, makes you happy, and uses up stash I say go for it.
I once disappointed my boyfriend, who really likes leopard print for some reason, when I showed him a pattern envelope in leopard but told him I would be making it in a different fabric.
I think your two fabrics look great together and you should go for it. First of all, with two prints, yours will be different/more interesting than the pattern envelope. Second, the envelope looks great so you know yours will come out! One of the downsides of sewing is not knowing what something will look like until you've invested many hours into it. Liking the envelope look is a happy coincidence!
35 years ago my MIL told me, when I asked her how her sewing always turned out so nicely, that she copied the envelope art. She was rather shamefaced when she said it and I was amazed. You could do that? :-)
I vote for that Japanese fabric-trust your intuition...it's beautiful fabric.
A quilt shop owner told me that a customer admired a class sample on the display so she tried to sign the customer up for the class. The customer looked a little bit longer and then said, "No, thanks. Green and purple don't go with my house."
I didn't even realize that there existed people with such limited imaginations before I heard that story.
Anyway, make something that you like, envelope be damned!
BTW, if I stray too far from suggested fabrics, I live to regret the decision. So don't be afraid to follow a trodden path. Sometimes, it's trodden because it is the best of the alternatives. I can't wait to see your garment!
Post a Comment