Pattern Testers make the world go'round

Lots of people make patterns, just take a look at Etsy to see how many indie pattern designers there are.
What sets apart a Good pattern from a GREAT pattern is how finished the pattern is, not just the design or the photos of the finished project, but the way it is written and illustrated. How well do the pattern pieces fit together, did it run true to size, any confusing steps?
Those are the things that a pattern designer will learn when they send their patterns out to testers.

What is a tester supposed to do?
READ the pattern, typos are always an issue, and sometimes a construction step will get lost in the writing process.

Rose Clearfield has this to say about proofreading:

Proofread and spell check. Again, it saddens me that I have include this, but I have seen published patterns with red underlined misspelled words on the covers. Check and re-check your pattern and then have at least one other person proof it for you. If no one at home is interested in doing this, see if you can send it online to a fellow crafter.
Varied readers. When I was writing my first pattern, I found it really helpful to have both people who do and do not make that particular craft (in this case, beadweaving) read over my pattern. Especially if you are creating a pattern that is suited for beginners, it's really important to ensure that the terminology that you use is appropriate and will not be confusing.

SEW up the pattern, especially if it is a garment patterns, as it needs to be tested on a variety of body shapes.

So what I am looking for? at this point ANYONE with ANY interest including but not limited to:

• Modern Clothing for Women and Children
• Historical Clothing for Women and Children
• Corsets
• Soft Toys and Dolls
• Art Dolls
• Accessories and other Crafts

Interested?
 
SIGN UP HERE

When I have a pattern ready for testing I will send out an e-mail with information on the pattern and a form to be filled out to apply to test the pattern. Then I will e-mail back those I selected to test it out.


Links of interest on this subject
Colette on how their patterns are made

Abby Glassenberg on How to recruit, manage and get the most out of pattern testers

Patchwork Posse wrote a lovely post on  requirements for pattern testers

Charming Doodle invited a few other PDF clothing pattern designers to talk about pattern testing and what makes a good pattern tester.

Elegence & Elephants wrote a lovely scale for the levels of their pattern testers experience when they called for pattern testers


*I have a small list of people already who are my readers only, so I really am looking for people to MAKE these items up.

Creativity is....

Merriam Webster defines Creativity as: the quality of being creative, the ability to create

designaemporter

Earlier this week I started down a path of reading up on how to improve my writing/blogging, and I have been READING. Nothing else has gotten accomplished, well I drew a doll pattern.....

One of the things I have read is How To Be CREATIVE by Huge Macleod of gapingvoid

I am going to share some of my favorite quotes from this great bit of inspiration.

"The more original your idea is, the less good advice other people will be able to give you."

"Plus, a big idea will change you. Your friends may love you, but they donʼt want you to
change. If you change, then their dynamic with you also changes. They like things the way
they are, thatʼs how they love you—the way you are, not the way you may become."

Change is hard, but it is part of life, we all grow and change, it is just that CHANGE. I have been paying attention to some social developments going on close to me, and have been musing over how human interactions between parents and their children change as the child grows up into an adult hood. Some aspects of growing up the parent relishes and encourages (like potty training!) and others the parent may not be wanting to let of of just yet, fearing the change that will happen. We can't keep our children babies forever, nor would we want to.

Original idea, my idea isn't that original, but those I talk to most often have no clue what I REALLY want to do, it is outside their interest field, I have come to acknowledge this and accept it, so I don't often ask for their advice. In the end, I think only YOU should be making your decisions, and if you need to get out the old Pro/Con list, then do so.

Source: gethenchnow.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

"Your idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours alone. The more the idea is yours
alone, the more freedom you have to do something really amazing."

If you are trying to fit yourself into the confines of any group, art-form, business or any other "box" you are cheating yourself, limiting your abilities to create something truly masterful!

"Doing anything worthwhile takes forever. 90% of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort, and stamina."

SERIOUSLY! My mother always told me, "If you are going to do something, Do it Right the FIRST TIME!" Not to say you aren't going to make mistakes, after all we all learn from mistakes, and some mistakes, are in fact, in the end, not a mistake at all but a new discovery!
If you just glue some stuff together, it may look like something to someone, but the odds are it will just look like random stuff glued together to most people (including yourself) and if you don't value your work, why should anyone else?

"the definition of being good at it is being able to make it look easy."

But it isn't easy, we all know that. Just a look at some of the most influential pieces of modern art like this piece by Piet Mondrian

Source: Wikipedia Commons

Looks Simple right? Like any Kindergartner could have done it, so why is it considered an influential piece of art? For the answer you will have to learn more about art than I could teach you, not having an art class since High School! but I can tell you that there are important principles behind this work, which is why it is iconic.

"Nobody can tell you if what youʼre doing is good, meaningful or worthwhile. The more compelling the path, the lonelier it is."

Just think of Van Gogh for this one. He was compelled to paint, and those around him didn't see the value in his work until after he was dead. And I will not go on and on about how great the Doctor Who Episode Vincent and the Doctor is, all my fellow creative Whovians already know.

The point is, you are NOT going to gather a bunch of 'yes men" who applaud your every work overnight, nor would you want to!

You need to find yourself, and then be true to yourself, be true to your art, don't sell out, don't change something just because someone else wants you to. (Now, of course, if you had some niggling detail that wasn't right, but you could pin point it, and asked for opinions, someone else might be able to point out that detail to you)

Source: wordsoverpixels.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

"Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. 
Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with books on algebra etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the creative bug is just a wee voice telling you, “Iʼd like my crayons back, please.”"

"The wee voice didn't show up because it decided you need more money or you need to hang out with movie stars. Your wee voice came back because your soul somehow depends on it. Thereʼs something you havenʼt said, something you havenʼt done, some light that needs to be switched on, and it needs to be taken care of. Now."
So you have to listen to the wee voice or it will die…taking a big chunk of you along with it."


I hear this one from my husband often, but then he NEVER goes anywhere where without a sketchbook. He feels that school didn't teach him what he needed to know, and now that we have children in school, he is trying to prevent that happening to our children by exposing them to things that they show interest in (like algebra, at kindergarten age!)

What did you want to do as a child, chances that it changed more than once, does it still appeal to you? why aren't you doing it?

"Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
You may never reach the summit; for that you will be forgiven. But if you donʼt make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow line, years later you will find yourself lying on your deathbed, and all you will feel is emptiness.
“Admit that your own private Mount Everest exists. That is half the battle.”"

As Yoda said "Do or Do Not, there is no try"
Another good quote is "the only stupid question, is the one unasked." Now all my husband's questions are "stupid questions" he says so just before he asks them, and I tease him about it lovingly.
If you never try, you will never know what you can do, what you can accomplish

Source: imprinttrainingcenter.blogspot.com via Corsetra on Pinterest

"“The first rule of business,” he said, chuckling at my naiveté, “is never sell something you
love. Otherwise, you may as well be selling your children.”"

"The most important thing a creative person can learn, professionally, is where to draw the red line that  separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not. It is this red line that demarcates your sovereignty, that defines your own private creative domain. What shit you are willing to take, and what shit youʼre not. What you are willing to relinquish control over, and what you arenʼt. What price you are willing to pay, and what price you arenʼt. Everybody is different; everybody has his or her own red line."

Ohh Tough choices here, are you in ART or BUSINESS?
For me, I know a few things about myself

• I hate doing mass production. I may make multiples of the same thing, but they will all have differences, even if it is just a different color. I had a job sewing on an assembly line once, it killed my desire to sew at home, and it aggravated my bad hip.
• I am not the best seamstress. My actual clothing construction skills could really use some sharpening, and I know where to learn more, just not focusing on that because...
• I do not want to do sewing for a living. There I said it, and you may be surprised to read that, but I am not interested in taking commissions and working to someone else ideals.
• I want to design, to create, to take pencil and paper in hand and make something, I'll sew up that pattern to test it out, and then I'll likely never make it again. I have decent math skills and tools at my disposal to creat patterns, so that is what I am going to do.

"Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
Inspiration precedes the desire to create, not the other way around.

You have to find a way of working that makes it dead easy to take full advantage of your inspired moments. They never hit at a convenient time, nor do they last long.

Writerʼs block is just a symptom of feeling like you have nothing to say, combined with the rather weird idea that you SHOULD feel the need to say something."

The muse comes in spurts (so does depression it seems) I know this from my personal life, sometimes you are blocked creatively because there is another aspect of your life that is out of balance. I have just recently experienced this in my personal life, I feel that some of the non-creative problems have been dealt with and am glad to have my creative mood coming back.
DO SOMETHING ELSE the muse will come back, or if there is another problem, deal with that.

Mug from Cafe Press

So there you have it, just a FEW quotes from How To Be CREATIVE by Huge Macleodthat I found to be inspirational for me. i would highly recomend going over to ChangeThis and downloading How To Be CREATIVE for FREE, print it out, mark it up with highlighter and notes in the margins. Put it in a binder and read through it again when you have the need, I know that is what I have done, and will do.

Musings on Sewing Pattern Envelope Cover Front

I have been thinking of Packaging lately, maybe it is the fact that Christmas is coming up and I enjoy wrapping gifts.

Pattern covers should fulfill a couple of requirements:
1. Clearly show WHAT the pattern is
2. Be eye-catching

There are of course several key little things like

• Sizes
• Description
• Skill level
• Copyright
• Pattern name/ number
• Pattern Designer/Publisher

There is also a whole other list of things often found on the BACK of the envelop, that I am not going to talk about in this post. Partly because, when selling e-patterns, there is no envelope back!

I decided to take a look at Historical  Pattern Companies and see who they laid out the covers of their patterns.
Before I go any further I want to say I am looking at the COVERS only, and these opinions are mine and have no relation to how well the instructions or pattern pieces actually are.  I have used some of these companies patters, and never seen others at all. I did not pull up every Pattern company out there, just thous that I thought were examples of different styles, so  not all the costume pattern companies are represented in this discussion.

Let's start with Simplicity as our representative of the "Big Three" which actually contains Burda, Butterick, McCalls, Simplicity, and Vogue. these patterns are carried by many chain and independant stores in America and internationally.

What's the first thing we see? The color photo showing both the front and the back view of the garment. (I purposefully picked a corset pattern since I will be doing corset patterns)
We also see SIMPLICITY and the pattern number across the top.
Down at the bottom we see the designer's name Designs by Kay
As well as the barcode and web address for simplicity patterns.

Does it catch our eye? Yes it has a corsets, and corsets catch my eye.
Do we know who made it? Yes Simplicity is hard to miss, but Kay is small, and could be hard to see if the image is a thumbnail in a catalog or on the internet.
Do we have a description? No, that is all on the back, per Simplicity.
Do we know what is included in this pattern? We can assume the corset is, as it is prominently featured, but are the other undergarment? (Turning the pattern over would tell us yes.)
Do we know the size? Actually yes, it would be on the front of this pattern but has been photoshoped out, it is also on the back.
Pattern number is right on top, so it is easy to find it in the pattern drawers.
Skill level? Not really, Simplicity only labels the "Easy" ones.
Copyright is on the back.

Good points about this cover
Large color photo of garment on real human. Pattern number is up top as is sizes. this makes it easy to find the right one in the pattern drawers.

Issues I see with the pattern cover
No Description: the historical costumer would like to know the rough time period of the corset  Also it isn't clear from the pattern cover that the undergarments, not just the corset, are included in the pattern.
In a thumbnail the light colored corset blends into the other white undergarments and background.

Next up is Laughing Moon  Their corset pattern Silverado/ Dore was the main staple corset pattern for a number of years, many have used it and loved it.

We see the color picture of the corsets on the dress form first, then we see the text above it which gives us most of the information

Laughing moon uses a logo with their name on their patterns.
The pattern number is on top, just bellow it is the pattern name and description, followed by sizes and skill level.

What is the pattern? Corset and under garments as pictured and described.
Is it eye catching? The red corset sure is.

The size including cup size is on front, with a detailed size chart on the back.
Pattern number is right on top, so it is easy to find it in the pattern drawers.
Copyright is on the back.

Good points about this cover
Large color photo of garment on Dress From. Pattern number is up top as is sizes. this makes it easy to find the right one in the pattern drawers.
Clearly states that the pattern includes the undergarments.

Issues I see with the pattern cover
Description:is a bit wordy, also a bit overreaching that these 2 corset styles would span 1837 to 1899 any serious costumer knows that there are changes that happen in those 60 years! The patterns could be modified to fit those years, but right out of the envelope they will not.
In a thumbnail the light colored corset blends into the other white undergarments and background.
 

Truly Victorian is a pattern company Specializing in the Victorian are and many costumers have a lot of respect for their patterns.

This pattern features an illustration rather than a photo, this reads clear, and cuts down on printing costs. Since no other garments are included in the illustration, a buyer would not think that they were included in the pattern.

Company, Pattern name (note it is TV110 so that when it is carried by another pattern seller, the identifying number is right there)
The corset is dated 1880's right on the pattern cover.
All sizes are included, but the size chart is on the back.
Last is copyright at the bottom.

Good points about this cover
Large clear reading illustration. Pattern number is up top Corset is dated

Issues I see with the pattern cover
Sizes are not on cover

Reconstructing History is a prolific pattern company covering a very wide time period.

This cover has a colored illustration. RH does all their pattern colors as illustrations, the colored garments are what the pattern is for, so while a whole outfit may be drawn, only the garment that is colored in the illustration is in the envelope. A very interesting way to do a cover illustration.

Good points about this cover
Large clear reading illustration. Pattern number is up top Corset is dated

Issues I see with the pattern cover
Sizes are not on cover

Ageless Patterns reprints Victorian and later period patterns that were published in magazines. The reputation as a company is varied. Some love them, some actively do not! Luckily we are only looking at the cover today so none of those arguments will come to play.

The cover is illustrated with the original pattern illustration from the period source. Sometimes these illustrations were cut off by another garment and Ageless has removed the other garment so the illustration can look a little strange.

Good points about this cover
Large clear reading illustration. Pattern number is up top Corset is dated.Size is listed on cover

Issues I see with the pattern cover
Some of Ageless covers have the original images cropped weirdly since there was another garment in front in the original period image.



Mantua Maker is another historical costume pattern company

Mantua Maker is another pattern company that uses illustrations instead of photos for their pattern cover.
In this example we can see there are a few style variations in this pattern by the"flats" shown around the main illustration. The size chart is right there, as is the date.

Good points about this cover
Illustration shows variations. Pattern number is there Corset is dated.Size is listed on cover

Issues I see with the pattern cover
The pattern number is not op top and rather small.
The size chart being on top is a bit distracting.






Atelier Sylphe Drafts Corset patterns for Originals in their Private Collection.

This is the image used in online shops to sell the pattern, not really a pattern cover so to say.


Good points about this cover
Illustration shows seam lines clearly, photo shows the original corset very well.

Issues I see with the pattern cover
This isn't really a pattern cover, so there is no size info on the image, but everything is there in the listing.

King & Company is a newer corset pattern company

This is the cover for their paper pattern. The cover is a nice sepia illustration of both the front and back of the corset. This pattern is Named rather than numbered.

Good points about this cover
Illustration shows seam lines clearly, both front and back view is shown.

Issues I see with the pattern cover
There is no size info on the image, but everything is there in the listing. The pattern is Named rather than numbers, which could lead to issues if it was every carried and sold by another company.






Harlots and Angels is a newer pattern comapny

This is the cover for their paper pattern. The cover has a nice boarder and photos of both the front and back of the corset. This pattern is Named rather than numbered.

Good points about this cover
Multiple photo angles, both front and back view is shown. Sizes are shown on pattern cover. Link at bottom

Issues I see with the pattern cover
The pattern is Named rather than numbers, which could lead to issues if it was every carried and sold by another company.
some might find the boarder pattern fussy.







So in the end....

One Day left to vote!

There is only one day left to Vote in the poll!

I am busy writing up the posts to cover the results of the poll, but you still have time to change the results!
Go ahead mess me up, surprise me.

I have also been writing patterns in the back ground while I await the poll results. Just a simple craft that I made for my children for Christmas. I will be sharing these patterns for free over on Craftsy.

Why is this Important? It gives me a chance to try out my pattern cover and layout, and a new method to deliver patterns. When they are uploaded, I will let you know, and invite you to share your opinions about the pattern layout. I find that writing the instructions takes longer than actually making the pattern and the item.

Poll image

the Pattern Poll is still going, and it has been interesting to see the votes tally up. I am very much looking forward to sharing the results with you next week.

If you want to share the poll on your blog, feel free to use the above image.
Link for image

Introducing a POLL!

In my attempts to find the balance in my life, I have decided I need a good clear goal and a path to achieving it. I also need to be held accountable to someone. I think what I need is to do a month end post on the current project pattern, so which pattern should be first?

So here is the Poll, which you should be able to see at the upper left of this page. If you can’t see it, comment!

Which pattern should I FOCUS on first? It may not end up being the first one released, but it will be the one I focus on and blog about creating. All will probably become patterns in time, so don't fret if your first choice is not the one that comes out on top.

The Poll is now CLOSED you may see the results here 

Feel free to share this post, the wider audience the more variety of votes, the clearer the picture will be for me.

The Skeleton Corsets

Needs contact Met again, and the two patterns are SO different, it is more like 2 different corsets, not one in 2 sizes.


The 1810 Corset en X

Needs museum contacts, and grading, then testing. Read more here.

Regency girls outfit.

I have the basic pattern and instructions for the dress, I need to add the under and outer layers.
Read more about the inspiration here

Childs “Medieval” outfit

Refinement of pattern and instructions, additional layers added then off to testing

Dragon pattern.

CAD the pattern and make a new one, photos and testing.

Once again, the Poll should be in the upper left of my blog, and is open until January 31st, 2013. if for some reason you can not vote in the poll, comment! I will tally them all up at the end and anounce the scores on February 2nd.

Please SHARE this post to anyone you think would have an interest in these future patterns.

The Poll is now CLOSED you may see the results here

Sketchbook Friday Meet Girlfriend Dragon

Meet Girlfriend Dragon

So named by one of my young sons when I first drew her.
She is the logo for Corsetra Designs.
Why a Dragon in a Corset? Well she covers two of the largest aspects of our pattern offerings.
A Refresher image for you.

Corsetra Designs will be offering patterns in several different categories:
1. Corsets taken off of original Antiques and my own drafts.
2. Clothing of my own drafts, and taken off Antiques
3. Cloth Dolls and Dragons
4. Other Miscellaneous Crafts. (am don't feel like limiting myself)

Thus being a Dragon in a Corset she melds most of these aspects together and symbolizes what I want to produce as patterns.

Why not just stick to one of those aspects?
Honestly how many people limit them self to just ONE craft? So many crafts work well with other ones, and indeed, sometimes require other skills, that most, if not all of us actually do more than one craft all the time.
I like making dolls, and clothing for dolls. Many times I make an outfit I would LOVE to wear but can’t for any number of reasons in doll scale just so that I can make it.

Back to Girlfriend Dragon
Here is what the original hand drawing looked like when I scanned it in. Whoops, I ran out of page for all of her!

I also drew this image at the same times, but quickly decided that it wasn't a good representation of what I wanted to do for my pattern line.

I have actually made a dragon similar to the image some years ago, though I STILL have not made her a corset!

Meet Countessa Dragonessa Drackona of Dragonia
She is 19" tall and was made for a challenge on a yahoo group back in 2005. The challenge was to ONLY use the color purple, no other color, not even black or white.

The line from Disney's classic Sword in the Stone "Did I say no purple dragons" kept following me around. one night soon after the challenge was announced I was drawing and a lady dragon popped out of the page. So after some fabric shopping, I drafted up a pattern. and then let it sit. I procrastinated so long that I actually sewed her up in only 3 days, not bad. She placed second in the Public voting, and 6th over all (there were several layers of judging.)

She should get a corset at some time in the future, I think I even made a pattern for an edwardian one for her. It is porbably in the file with her original pattern. She also deserves to have her mate Count Drako Drackona of Dragonia made up for her, he is to be green.
Her eyes are made out of glass pebbles, which were painted on the back. Which you can see adds a realistic look to her when photographed.

Today I am going to play around with Spoonflower and try to get my logo made up so that I can recover my Child size dressform

The future is coming.

Some of you may know that I have wanted to start a pattern business for some years.
Well I am STARTING!
This is a preview of some of the patterns I HOPE to have in TESTING by the years end.

1870's Royal Worcester Skeleton Corset

(Multi-sized with instructions on making the unique busk and option booklet on the History!)

 Yup I have two, 2, TWO in my hot little hands!

1810 Corset en X (Multi-sized with a few style variations)

Girls Regency dress (sizes 2-6?)

Currently it looks like the Corset en X will be in testing FIRST. But before I can get that far, I need your help!
Starting up a business has a lot of costs, there are registration fees and then buying inventory and supplies. Luckily for me, I have most of what I need to start.
This is a list of expenses I know I will have Very Soon:
Filing fees
Paper and Ink
Shipping supplies
Mailing costs
Software costs

Eventually I will have to add to this list:
New printer
Storage supplies for Original Antique item, Reproductions, and Patterns
Antique items to Study
Advertising
As well as the continued cost of Supplies.

How can YOU help?
Take a look at my Etsy Store. I have over 20 Vintage patterns, many in PLUS SIZES (which I am not) along with a few pieces of Vintage Clothing, fabric, modern patterns and other items. Yes I have more to list too, so keep an eye out for another post about that.

The more Vintage patterns I sell, the more space I have to store MY own patterns before shipping them out.

Don't see anything you like, but want to help, share this post.

Also keep an eye out for a post coming in the future about how YOU can test an upcoming pattern.

Thanks for Reading, I hope to have more news to share with you soon.