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Posted by Cina on March 31, 2005, 4:35 pm
At a thrift store, I spied a neat red cape thingie in the "vintage"
section, and couldn't resist. However, it's a weird fabric
("Kashmiracle" whatever that is?) in a red too vibrant for me, it's a
teeny bit tight in the shoulder area, and the lining was held in with
some sort of foam adhesive, which has disintegrated into a flaking dust.
So of course, I decide to do what any fabricoholic does, and buy it to
copy it. But, I've never copied something before, and I could use some
tips.
Pictures of the cape are at: http://cinaminx.com/gallery/album35
First, what's the best way to copy something without taking it apart?
I've got some lightweight fabric that I can use as a pattern... I
figured I could just copy each panel and add a seam allowance. That
should work, right?
Also, how to make the shoulder area more roomy? Just add another half
inch or so to a couple seams?
And how do I tell how wide a dart should be? There's a few darts along
the neckline, and I can see how long they are, but I'm not sure how to
add in the extra dart area to a pattern piece.
And one more... the fabric I bought to make this is from a Walmart
clearance shelf. The bolt said "boucle" but not what it's made from. Do
I pre-wash? Will it change appearance? How about the lining fabric?
(Also from Walmart clearance shelf, I think it's polyester.)
Oh yeah, another question. I've been thinking of starting a small
"sewing stuff to sell to tourists at a weekly market in town" thing.
Every Wednesday in the summertime, my lil town has an open-air market.
There's a few folks selling veggies, a couple with baked goods, one guy
with pocket knives, a photographer, and a guy who does wood carving. I
figured that place would be perfect to sell something I sewed, but I'm
still dithering on what that could be. Quilts? Bags and purses? Costume
things for kids (wizard capes and hats, fairy wings?), that nifty
potholder idea from a few weeks ago? (the one that looks like a
sandwich), stuffed animals? I'm still dithering.
Well, suppose I make this cape, and decide to make a few more to sell.
Are there copyright issues with doing that? There are a few things I'd
like to change on the design (the collar, and I want to make the pocket
one big one instead of two small ones), but I'm unsure if that would
make it "my" pattern.
Help?
Cina
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Posted by on March 31, 2005, 6:02 pm
Cina sez:
Pictures of the cape are at: http://cinaminx.com/gallery/al=ADbum35
show/hide quoted text
<mega snip>
---
Great cape, should be relatively easy to copy. The good news is that
you won't have to copy every piece---remember that fronts are usually
made from one pattern piece, which is reversed onto the fabric, so that
you have a left side and a right side. (Same with backs, gored
sections, etc.) Best to measure the left and right sides to ascertain
that this is fact.
To copy darts, I use a pivot method. Measure the width and length of
the dart. Pin cape onto tracing paper, muslin, or interfacing type
cloth. I like to use paper, because I just stick a large pin through
the garment details, leaving a hole in the paper beneath. After I
pin-hole all details, I remove the garment from paper, then just
connect the darts, truing lines where necessary. Then I mark other
details onto the paper. Button placement, yardage needed, etc.
After the first mock-up, you might need to make additional changes,
as vintage garments can losse a bit of shape over the years.
Pin-tracing:
You can start with the dart legs: pin at narrow end of dart, mark one
side of dart top and leg ( sides of dart), mark dart center, pivot from
pin, half the width of the dart, mark other dart leg and dart top.
Use the pivot method to copy garment outlines.
To make the garment roomier, I slash-and-spread the pattern, as
opposed to simply adding onto the pattern sides, which adds fullness
where you might not want it. You may need the fullness across the
shoulders, so slash-spread in shoulder area.
Fabric treatment: Pig in a poke when you buy from Wal-Mart, but it's
often the same if you buy markdown bolts from TSWLTH. Test it to see if
it is washable: cut a 2 inch square, wash, dry as you plan to care for
the garment later.
If you love the present hand of your fabric, and it changes too much
with washing, then plan to dry clean it. Most poly linings will shred
in the washer, unless they specify 'machine washable'. TSWLTH carries
one washable lining, which, unlike the usual polys, has a matte finish,
and a bit of a crepe feel to it.
Looking at the 'boucle', it might be be difficult to pattern-match at
garment edges, so you might want to cut it on the partial bias. Check
the grainline of the cape to see if it is cut straight-of-grain, or
bias. Bias takes tons of fabric, and remember, you must enlarge a
pattern which is made for straight-of-grain placement.
Interestingly enough, Threads magazine, May 2005, the newest issue,
has an article about washing your stash, and details likely results.
You may be able to access the article online. Judith Neukam wrote it,
look for:"Wash Your Stash'.
Re: the crafts: I think success with crafts depends upon where you
live, as well as what the local fads/trends are. I had no luck with
crafts here, but this area is rife with creative type people, and I was
not on the cutting edge of trends, so I view such ventures with a
jaundiced eye.
You can invest a lot of time and money, and wind up with excess
inventory. If you don't know how to price items, you'll do a lot of
work for very little reward.
I'd suggest you see what sells locally, figure if you can create it
and make money. Otherwise, consider making samples of some of your
favorite garments, show them, and take orders for Custom Work. I have
traced off garments and made copies of favorites for clients--in
multiples.
Copyright issues: you're in a murky area, but, as this is a vintage
garment, and you plan to make design changes and are not going into
mass production, you'll likely have little to worry about. Keep in mind
that no one here has a degree in copyright law, copyright being the
usual way to protect a pattern, so don't quote us if the law comes a
gunnin' for ya.
Using commercial patterns to mass produce items for re-sale, OTOH,
is a big NO-NO. Check the disclaimer on every pattern envelope.
Cea
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Posted by on March 31, 2005, 6:02 pm
Cina sez:
Pictures of the cape are at: http://cinaminx.com/gallery/al=ADbum35
show/hide quoted text
<mega snip>
---
Great cape, should be relatively easy to copy. The good news is that
you won't have to copy every piece---remember that fronts are usually
made from one pattern piece, which is reversed onto the fabric, so that
you have a left side and a right side. (Same with backs, gored
sections, etc.) Best to measure the left and right sides to ascertain
that this is fact.
To copy darts, I use a pivot method. Measure the width and length of
the dart. Pin cape onto tracing paper, muslin, or interfacing type
cloth. I like to use paper, because I just stick a large pin through
the garment details, leaving a hole in the paper beneath. After I
pin-hole all details, I remove the garment from paper, then just
connect the darts, truing lines where necessary. Then I mark other
details onto the paper. Button placement, yardage needed, etc.
After the first mock-up, you might need to make additional changes,
as vintage garments can losse a bit of shape over the years.
Pin-tracing:
You can start with the dart legs: pin at narrow end of dart, mark one
side of dart top and leg ( sides of dart), mark dart center, pivot from
pin, half the width of the dart, mark other dart leg and dart top.
Use the pivot method to copy garment outlines.
To make the garment roomier, I slash-and-spread the pattern, as
opposed to simply adding onto the pattern sides, which adds fullness
where you might not want it. You may need the fullness across the
shoulders, so slash-spread in shoulder area.
Fabric treatment: Pig in a poke when you buy from Wal-Mart, but it's
often the same if you buy markdown bolts from TSWLTH. Test it to see if
it is washable: cut a 2 inch square, wash, dry as you plan to care for
the garment later.
If you love the present hand of your fabric, and it changes too much
with washing, then plan to dry clean it. Most poly linings will shred
in the washer, unless they specify 'machine washable'. TSWLTH carries
one washable lining, which, unlike the usual polys, has a matte finish,
and a bit of a crepe feel to it.
Looking at the 'boucle', it might be be difficult to pattern-match at
garment edges, so you might want to cut it on the partial bias. Check
the grainline of the cape to see if it is cut straight-of-grain, or
bias. Bias takes tons of fabric, and remember, you must enlarge a
pattern which is made for straight-of-grain placement.
Interestingly enough, Threads magazine, May 2005, the newest issue,
has an article about washing your stash, and details likely results.
You may be able to access the article online. Judith Neukam wrote it,
look for:"Wash Your Stash'.
Re: the crafts: I think success with crafts depends upon where you
live, as well as what the local fads/trends are. I had no luck with
crafts here, but this area is rife with creative type people, and I was
not on the cutting edge of trends, so I view such ventures with a
jaundiced eye.
You can invest a lot of time and money, and wind up with excess
inventory. If you don't know how to price items, you'll do a lot of
work for very little reward.
I'd suggest you see what sells locally, figure if you can create it
and make money. Otherwise, consider making samples of some of your
favorite garments, show them, and take orders for Custom Work. I have
traced off garments and made copies of favorites for clients--in
multiples.
Copyright issues: you're in a murky area, but, as this is a vintage
garment, and you plan to make design changes and are not going into
mass production, you'll likely have little to worry about. Keep in mind
that no one here has a degree in copyright law, copyright being the
usual way to protect a pattern, so don't quote us if the law comes a
gunnin' for ya.
Using commercial patterns to mass produce items for re-sale, OTOH,
is a big NO-NO. Check the disclaimer on every pattern envelope.
Cea
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Posted by Kitty In Somerset, PA on March 31, 2005, 6:15 pm
sounds like you have a good idea of how to alter the cape and copy it.
I would go with it. as to how to do darts, here is my method which
works for me.
if you have the length you can "figure" the width of it by feeling it.
measure the width through the fabric, go in under the lining and get a
GOOD measurement, or even take the darn thing apart if you want strict
accuracy.
starting at the center back or center front, measure to where the dart
should be, then on your paper fold out the right amount width wise, and
length wise. then measure on, to the edge again and mark that.
regarding copyright issues..
there are many people who say that morally we don't copy other people's
designs. there are others who say only for personal uses... then there
are the practical facts which are that there are copies of runway
designs on the streets practically the next morning after a runway show
and noone can stop that so I take that to mean that as long as you
don't mention the designer in selling the product, you can sell copies
which you copied.
HOWEVER, the pattern companies have on their pattern envelopes that
they are not for commercial sale, so I would think that the creating of
the commercial multi sized pattern on paper makes the design
copyrightable.
Since this would be for sale at a local outdoor "mart" I would think
you would be fine with a pattern you took from a garment you own,
especially if you are making changes. I personally don't see that
there is all that much difference in any type of clothing except for
fantasy clothing, maybe. and you will note that this is all My
understanding of the problem based on what I have seen, read and heard
of. There are TONS of opinions on this subject on this newsgroup,
just google copyright law or pattern copyright On Google or just this
newsgroup and you will have enough reading for a week.
As to what would sell at a flea market, I would think matching sets,
such as cape and bag, maybe a scarf or hat included, stuff for kids,
Sun suits with matching sun hat, and maybe a matching bag.
Doll and child clothes anything cute and matchy would be my bet. our
fleamarket is on Sunday so I never get to go, so I gave up on selling
stuff there. hope you do well.
Kitty
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Posted by dnmgiordano on April 2, 2005, 12:46 pm
show/hide quoted text
> As to what would sell at a flea market, I would think matching sets,
> such as cape and bag, maybe a scarf or hat included, stuff for kids,
> Sun suits with matching sun hat, and maybe a matching bag.
> Doll and child clothes anything cute and matchy would be my bet. our
> fleamarket is on Sunday so I never get to go, so I gave up on selling
> stuff there. hope you do well.
> Kitty
I second the kids sets idea. I would buy something for my kids, but rarely
for myself.
Michelle Giordano
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