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On to today’s business, everyone — I need your help!
I have a problem, a challenge, an ethical conundrum! I have a sewing dilemma! (DRAHMAH!) I would really like your advice on how to proceed because I am flip flopping big time…
My dilemma relates to a pattern release I recently stumbled across. I love this pattern and, having never come across the company before, was very excited to find a new source of patterns that spark something in me.
I rushed to their site, to purchase same and live my best life in a new, uber-chic dress in our coming Sydney summer.
I would be like this, but with a much nicer dress on….
I got to their site and… they don’t go up to my size. Catastrophe! Alarm! Earth-shaking confidence blow! (Not really, am so beyond that…).
I am used to being on the edge of sizing ranges, but in this case, I am nowhere near their size (they go to a EUR46 only). I would have to “adjust” by between 5 and 10 inches depending on which measurement. The word adjust is in quotes there, because at that point it feels like I would be basically drafting a whole new pattern.
The pattern is also around $25 AUD (not including shipping) and is in another language. It’s a language I speak a bit, but I am nowhere near fluency.
What do I do, people? Do I make my own version of their dress, copying the style without buying the pattern? I searched my soul and was interested in the following internal discussion that resulted:
- PRO: I should just make my own version — if they don’t go up to my size, I can make that happen (yay me)!
- CON: I don’t like that they produced this design and I won’t be crediting/paying them for it…
- PRO: But they didn’t include you! This is what sewing is and why it’s awesome — you can make something even when they didn’t make it go to your size. Also, why do you not mind copying RTW but you do mind copying a pattern?
- CON: It’s not like they are a big four company though. I wouldn’t copy clothes from a smaller clothing designer as readily as I would a big multi-national clothing company.
- PRO: Sure, but this dress is simple. Like super super super simple. It’s basically a v-neck tank dress with two other details. At what point is there anything new under the sun anyway?
And so on…
I was like this, but again, wearing nicer clothes…
I went on like this for a while, then decided to ask my friends! What would you do?
I have (poorly) sketched the dress below, so you can see how super simple it is.
It’s a pretty simple dress!
I think the options are:
a) I should go ahead and just make my own version — I am totally overthinking this!
b) Make my own, but call out the inspiration when I blog/IG post the dress to give credit (and maybe apply a little encouragement to expand the size range).
c) Buy the pattern and use it as help when making my own — then I have paid them for their time and design.
d) Something else?
Help me out, people. What do you think I should do? Let me know in the comments, and thanks for your advice!
Chloe is a Sewcialists Editor, who lives and sews in Australia. She blogs at deadlycraft.blogspot.com.