I am enjoying ...

 

I am enjoying the blogging again on a regular basis...

I look forward to telling a story or showing my work...

The photograph is about 

ILLUSTRATIONS for Christmas projects.

I illustrate the design but do not provide a dedicated project.

The way I see the world is there are 100s of stocking layouts, quilt constructions, bag patterns , tags etc

So reineventing that wheel seems a bit of unnecessary costs in paper, pricing etc.

The other gain with these designs is you use your skill base to stitch, simple or complicated.... needle turn some parts, applique, make all in felt or mix up.... paint the fabric .....use coloured pencils, paint on water colour paper.... or do all of those with one design..layout. Take a small part of the design for a small project or shrink or enlarge all for your personal use.... I mean yes fine to make for personal gain from markets etc...not the commercialisation without licenced to do so...simple really....

Such a great way.

I have placed one restriction & that is wood cut outs because I still use these in my business....and copyright always remains the illustrators ....but that is not a problem if all intentions are fair and honest ....it also makes a clear boundary for what I create.

I will tell you a side story on copyright after the photo....

A COPYRIGHT STORY

A very good friend of mine I met at a craft event many years ago and who is a lover of cats as I am.... 

Who designed these whimisical stuffed cat patterns after making the finished product at a market we both did monthly before our design lives. Also Angels in her sweet way were made & ever so popular.....

Her design cloth Doll & Cat  pattern business was very successful and she did many magazine projects. 

Also she had a wonderful distributor in UK who did the European circuit.... these were days before the internet was the way to reach international audiences.

Sadly the distributor became insolvent during a money recession where he also sold much larger products but included the cloth cats & doll patterns and made up samples she had done.... all went in the sell off ... 

But her business online was hers and of course continued as the patterns sent were "paid " for....or went under like a sinking ship.....

However copyright of those sold off designs belonged to my friend always !!! The product was a reproduction for personal use to make etc.

Imagine my horror as I saw the first complete pattern with a new pattern cover layouts exactly as in the original pattern but in another language under another "designer's name" Full of copyright protection is usually there also....

Now not once have her designs be reproduced like this but I find them on social media for sale as patterns "created by ?" Not one scrap of acknowledgement well that would be admitting ....no licence fee paid to my friend....nothing.

She has retired from the designing but holds everyone of the patterns and illustrations of how they came to be way back in the early 1990's or earlier..

I am aware that she should be paid for the reproductions and it would be delightful coin in her pocket.

I also write from experience . some same , some taken straight from project in magazine, so when we designers ask for this to be respected...it is not out of some high ego trip ! 

It is that awful feeling of having something so personal has been stolen and the reflected back at you....

Originals I adore & there are styles of countries .... 

UK designers who are able to do a sparse design but it is so something !!!! LOVE THAT LOOK ....their screen printers are the best.....well I love their style.

America comes with a very different feel and was how Australia became into the country  design style in early 90's. Quilts came in first then folk art ! Much was brought back from Defence force wives returning from postings in America & the wives begun to quilt or paint.  

I also love what many of the Scandi designers, often mixed with early history of cross stitch, needleturn 

Oh the French needleturn is the best ! 

Australia has a style of a mix of whimisical... and now the artist who are embracing our Australiana in a most amazing and beautiful way... I own several pieces made into carry bags and I show it off at the supermarkets when I shop !

Sometimes we have watched another country join this design world and can see the influences but also originality, because it comes from how each designer sees their world and what shoes they walked in to get to that self expression.... this is me...it says.

What you see is not always who we are and another is colour as we select different mediums and colours shows often a present time or something about to embrace our way of life. And we move through but with a signature of style...

It is a great world full of many many creative original people. If I tried to match my world with a more successful designer than myself I would be off course and it would soon show....each of us is driven a different way on how we come to a design.

For me, that is something inside needs to speak ...& that arrives from my trusty pencil with paper & pencil sharpener close by. & the pen and later the eraser....off to become a Christmas decoration or button etc....

Now I have returned to illustrations as my body complains if I stitch and who wants to be dizzy and pained for weeks ....so I always wanted to paint on water colour paper ....time during COVID gave me that and now it is all new again.

But my imagination is vivid in I see my illustrations stitched on a stocking, made into a quilt, etc....because I have wandered there or I am taking yet another risk.  I also have a memory of the early designers from America we were introduced to in our country decorating.

Designing is a RISK TAKING business !!!!! 

Putting it out there, believing it is the best, not sure ever it will take, paying for whatever production needs to happen .... sell face to face is different from internet etc etc...all a risk....  but when one copies another's work, their risk is very much diminished ....  there are times when a design is changed by others to become a very commercial product and we often look as if we are the copiest.....even though it could have been illustrated years before... 

Licencing is simple ask is all it is.....& we all appreciate this....