Tuesday, January 17, 2017

"Free" Patterns

http://www.patricklose.com/shop/Printed-and-Digital-Patterns/Patrick-Lose-Studios-digital-patterns.htm
There's something I feel like I need to weigh in on because there's been a lot of talk about it recently among designers and shop owners who are trying to navigate some challenging times in the quilting and other creative industries.

The number of free quilting, sewing and crafting patterns being offered everywhere you turn is seriously hurting the livelihoods of those who publish quality patterns of original designs and offer them for sale. All of these easily-accessible, free patterns are making so many of those who use them think that all patterns should just be free of charge and happily handed out for nothing. Do they really believe that they’re getting the best quality patterns? Do they think that the free patterns have been tested and proofread to the extent of those that are sold in the marketplace? Are they getting original designs or just another rehashing of an old standard with minimal instruction? Even those have a monetary value when someone has put a lot of their time, effort and talent into making the pattern something from which the end user will benefit, by making their own efforts easier and more enjoyable.

As a pattern designer, I’ve actually had to explain to some people why we sell our patterns instead of giving them away and, even then, some have become disgruntled and behaved almost as though they thought we were stealing from them by selling our work. They’re probably some of the same ones who also think it’s okay to just share patterns among friends - which most of us would never consider. I’ll never understand it.

Designers deserve to make a living from their honest, hard work, just as everyone else does. The vast majority of us do not give our patterns away for free and our businesses shouldn’t suffer because of those who distribute them for nothing online. We’re just trying to offer something valuable to those who enjoy what we do and that should be worth something. We hope that you’ll help to educate those in your own circles who don’t understand everything that goes into creating and making a design and then writing and proofing a pattern to make it suitable for your use. I can tell you, from my own experience working with companies who offer free patterns, you get what you pay for with many of those “free” patterns.

I do want to thank those who support what we're doing at Patrick Lose Studios/Patrick Lose Fabrics by purchasing and using our products and doing such great things with them. We love seeing your work and appreciate your spreading the word about how much fun you have making the projects I design. You're a part of the hope that designers have in being able to continue their work of making sure there are innovative, inspiring and exciting patterns available to the creative people who want them. You're the best kind of ambassadors we could have representing us.

On that note, stay tuned for some information coming very soon about our new Patrick Lose Brand Ambassadors Program. Maybe you'd like to be a bigger part of the work we do and the fun we have at Patrick Lose Studios...?

Cheers,
Patrick




13 comments:

  1. The Brand Ambassadors Program sounds interesting. What is involved?

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    1. Details are coming soon, Lynn. Please keep an eye out here and on our Patrick Lose Studios Facebook page. :)

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  2. Good ...cannot believe a lot of people don't think you should get paid for your work of art.

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    1. You'd be surprised to hear some of the things we do. Some think "ideas" should be given freely. They don't understand the concept of Intellectual Property. It's all about education and we appreciate that you already understand it. :)

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  3. I buy a lot of patterns, including yours. But it's very nice when a designer offers an occasional free pattern. Bonnie Hunter comes to mind. She does a free mystery every year and has free pattens on her blog. I also bought 4 of her books. So, maybe the occasional good will freebie is worth it to your followers. What say you?

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    1. I absolutely agree. As i responded to a Facebook follower, I don't mean to sound like "free" doesn't have it's occasional value, also. "Free" might be what makes a first time quilter or crafter realize how much fun it can be or, if it's not a well-done pattern, it could be the free one that turned them against ever trying it again! We occasionally share a tutorial or a little project to introduce a skill to a newbie. But when they're ready for their first big project, we hope they come back to us. One of our distributors told us - after years of being a vendor with them - that, if we started giving out free patterns, they probably wouldn't carry as much of what we do. They also said that their newer vendors were being told they wouldn't carry thier products if ANY free patterns were distributed by them. It decreases the value of what is being sold and the value of your brand. We try to offer more freebies in technique and education and you'll find several free tutorial downloads at PatrickLose.com :)

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  4. I am retired and on limited income. I truly appreciate free patterns. I have no problem buying something if it is original. Unfortunately, so many patterns today are just rehashed with a different fabric line. Most of them are so simple I can figure them out myself. I love buying new fabric lines and at the price per yard today it is hard to make ends meet. I do not want to give up quilting, soi use my scraps and I use free patterns.

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    1. A pragmatic approach is necessary sometimes, too, Liz. It's different when you know what you're doing and not relying completely on a pattern's instructions, word for word. Whatever keeps you quilting and we thank you for being a customer even if it's a one-time purchase! :)

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  5. I feel that free patterns do the same to a designers livelihood as discounters of fabric do to the livelihood of quilt shop owners, devalues it.

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    1. Agreed. One of the main reasons we decided to go out on our own as a fabric company is that I wasn't happy with the deep discounts being given to specific buyers based on quantities purchased and relationships I had nothing to do with. Of course, there's no such thing as price fixing and retailers can sell at the "suggested" retail price or not, but we now have the ability to control the price at which my fabrics are sold so they can't be heavily discounted. I've been a loyal advocate for the independent shops for my entire 24 year career as a fabric designer and, now, as the fabric company, I have even more ability to support them.

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  6. I would do a bargello quilt if I won the rainbow fabric and thread. Thanks for the chance to win.

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    1. Hi Vicki - This isn't the contest blog post. You'll need to enter on the Aurifil blog. Here's a link back to that :)

      https://auribuzz.wordpress.com/2017/01/29/basically-patrick-by-patrick-lose/

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  7. The brand ambassador program sounds interesting. I look forward to seeing more about it!

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