| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Yaya |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 11:16:59 AM
I might be mistaken, but do some of the patterns available for sale require a mechanical enlargement? I believe that the apron patterns indicate that. I hope I'm wrong, because the patterns are not cheap, and to have to pay for enlargements on top of that would make me hesitate to purchase them. I understand the free patterns requiring it, although it would be nice if the patterns were just included in the magazine the way that "Sew Beautiful" magazine provides their free patterns in the center of their magazine.
Just an idea tossed out there to you wonderful people who put together this amazing magazine, which just happens to be my favorite. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| City_Chick |
Posted - Aug 02 2008 : 06:43:38 AM
Thanks for the information Carol. It really makes feel proud to be a supporter of MaryJane and all the hard working folks in the farm family that do so much to help facilitate all of the great products and the support that you all offer. You are all living proof of what being a steward of not only the land but also the community is about.
Greatfully yours~
Christina
Farmgirl Sister #195
http://justacitychick.blogspot.com/
Although no one can go back and make a brand new start; anyone can start from now
and make a brand new end.
|
| Huckelberrywine |
Posted - Jul 29 2008 : 12:32:57 PM
Wow. Thanks Carol for the information on the behind-the-scenes work that goes into pattern making. It really helps put it into perspective, and as I enlarge my pattern with grids, I can think of everyone else (the few, instead of a crowd) who had a hand it making it possible for me to get to this step. :) Pretty cool.
We make a difference. |
| electricdunce |
Posted - Jul 29 2008 : 07:33:33 AM
An easier, cheaper way to make an enlargement is to just make a graph over the pattern in the magazine, make the enlarged graph on newspaper and fill it in, this is the sort of stuff we did when I was at art school a hundred or so years ago. Is this making any sense? (I'm notoriously bad at making directions for anything) It really is easy to do, and the cost is NOT much. Just a thought...
Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Jul 29 2008 : 07:01:50 AM
When the Heck did Keizer get a Kinkos??????????? Thanks Alee!!!
Lillian |
| Alee |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 5:39:43 PM
Lillian- If you have a scanner you might even be able to call a Kinko's, email them the pattern, and have them mail you back the finished product. Also I did a quick search for Kinko's close to you:
It looks like there is one in Keizer, and one in Oregon City. I hope that helps!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 4:06:45 PM
Carol- Thank You for taking the time to respond on the issue. I will indeed read things through better and I know that there is someplace out there that will enlarge my patterns and I will eventually find them. Or (gasp) even enlarge the grid pattern and draw it out. Garden and Harvest season are just so busy I was looking for the easy way out. Once again this place is great and everyone at Maryjanes is doing and excellente job! Keep up the great work.
Lillian |
| Jami |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 3:53:21 PM
Carol, not to toss a fly in the ointment, but here's some food for thought. I recently found in an Amy Butler book her patterns printed on regular (not tissue) paper (11 x 17 size)that she printed "poster style" where it is cut up into sections that are all there, but on different sheets of paper. The purchaser then cuts and tapes them together to make the entire full-sized pattern and cuts it out. This might just work for you! You could charge a little bit more for the additional paper. Just an idea for the back burner.
Jami in WA
Okay, so now I have a blog. http://woolyinwashington.wordpress.com/ |
| yarnmamma |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 3:34:15 PM
Thanks Carol for all the info. Very informative!
Makes me feel like I'm right there with you. The personal touch is priceless in my opinion. :-)
****************
Jesus was a feminist!
****************
farmgirl #71 Linda in PA |
| Carol |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 3:28:31 PM
Hello girls.
Here's a little background about our patterns (and our operation) that will help you see what we're up against to try and provide some of the patterns we love to our readers and forum members and to help you understand why we charge for our patterns. Keep in mind that we're a very small company (if you read the masthead on our magazine, for example, you'll see that MaryJane and I produce our whole magazine with very little help, then contrast that with the legions of people on the "normal" magazine masthead).
Our patterns are usually inspired from vintage pieces that MaryJane has in her collections. These pieces date anywhere from the turn of the century to the fifties. Or sometimes we start from scratch, making a design that fulfills some practical need.
We start by having one of our Project F.A.R.M. seamstresses make a similar-style prototype out of muslin. (If you've read about our Project F.A.R.M., you'll know that one of the things we're trying to do is provide jobs to rural women at a living wage for projects like this.) From that, the seamstress will then make a full-size pattern on butcher paper. She'll then take that pattern and make a finished garment out of one of the cute fabrics you see in our magazine or on our finished patterns for sale. Next, she'll write detailed instructions for the pattern and turn the whole thing over to us at the farm.
From the large pattern that she's provided, Gabe then scans it in pieces (our scanner bed is 9x12, so a typical pattern takes about 12 scans). He then takes those 12 scans and pieces them back together on the computer and converts all the drawn lines to computer-generated lines. This usually takes a few hours.
He then sends the pattern graphic to me, and I do the pattern layout that you see in our finished patterns for sale or create the page in the magazine for the pattern. I also get the draft text of the pattern instructions from the seamstress. I take her draft text, edit it into our style format, and go over each instruction with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things that don't make sense or aren't clear. I then spend time on the phone with the seamstress going over the instructions and fine-tuning them.
The pattern is then tested three times and further adjustments are made to the instructions, and possibly to the pattern pieces themselves, whereas the whole scanning and tracing process starts over again.
Once we get a finished pattern and piece (for example, an apron), we then stage a photograph or two to illustrate the pattern. This involves one of us as a model, the photographer (usually MaryJane), and photo processing time.
I think by detailing all the different people, skills, steps, and processes that are involved in one of our patterns, you can see that it takes an incredible amount of time and effort to publish one of our patterns. And since we are a small outfit and don't have a large market for these patterns, it's not possible for us to publish patterns on that large-size tissue paper that a "standard" pattern comes on - the minimum order for one of those "standard" patterns would far exceed our market and our budget.
We do make every effort to put in our magazine and on our website that our patterns will require a mechanical enlargement. Anyone ordering our patterns is able to see that statement before ordering, so it should never come as a surprise. And for all of the aprons patterns we sell, we have included a grid pattern in the background so that you can enlarge the pattern without a copier by using the grid and brief instructions by others who have enlarged their patterns this way.
So, bottom line, girls, we're doing the best we can on our pattern projects. You've told us that you love to find patterns reminiscent of the patterns of yesteryear, and we've provided those for you in a format that works. If that format happens to be a little "out of the box," well, that's really a signature part of our company. If producing a national bi-monthly magazine, three Random House books, a line of 60+ instant organic foods, a chatroom boasting over 5,000 members, and countless other endeavors from a tiny farm at the end of a dirt road in Idaho isn't "out of the box," I don't know what is! And that's -- hopefully! -- what you love about us!
Farmgirls plowin' through!
Carol
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, red wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO, what a ride!'"
|
| KarenP |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 3:17:08 PM
Lillian,
just take some freezer paper and draw yourself a grid, if the pattern needs to be increased. 1" squares work great and are easy. Draw a 1/4" grid on the pattern
that needs to be increased and you have a 400 percent enlargement.
Hope this helps.
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 1:16:37 PM
Yes, they need to be enlarged. I was very dissapointed about this. The very reason that I had ordered the pattern was I thought it would be an actual size pattern, because I don't have a Kinko's in the area and have not located a place nearby that makes copies that large. So now I have a pattern that I am unable to use until I can locate a place to make copies. On a lighter note this place is really great and I can live with 1 flaw. |
| Alee |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 1:01:30 PM
I end up having to copy any pattern I love anyway because that horrible tissue paper stuff never lasts long with a toddler around, so I guess it doesn't bother me much at all. Much like Linda said, I appreciate all the free things that MaryJane supplies. I think what might make it be necessary for MaryJanesFarm to not send the patterns out full size is the fact that they don't specialize in Patterns. I know those big printers that do the patterns cost $$$$ and she already has to pay several people to make/perfect/create the pattern many times to make it right. Then publishing costs. I have always loved my MJF patterns and since I would have to get them copied anyways- I love the fact that they last longer because they are on durable paper, not tissue paper. Just my two cents worth :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Yaya |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 11:39:12 AM
Oh, believe me, I am VERY grateful for this forum. It is a huge blessing and a wonderful resource for ideas and networking.
But just to put it in perspective a little bit....SewBeautiful also has a forum, also a wonderful source of ideas for machine sewing, embroidery, heirloom sewing, etc. Even sources of free embroidery designs! And it's also free to anyone who wishes to visit.
I do hope I am not sounding ungrateful or trying to say one magazine or forum is better than the other. On the contrary! I love MJF!! I do think if you're going to pay for something, you shouldn't have to incur any additional costs with your purchase. |
| yarnmamma |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 11:27:35 AM
Hi YaYa,
One way to look at paying for patterns from MJ is that she doesn't charge for us to belong to this forum. We have so many topics, contact with each other and sharing of many free things that it is priceless. Join the topics, check the whole Farmgirl forum and see what all there is for us! I love it and makes such a happy, positive part of my daily life.  I think many of us would pay to participate but it is free!
****************
Jesus was a feminist!
****************
farmgirl #71 Linda in PA |
| yarnmamma |
Posted - Jul 28 2008 : 11:21:00 AM
I agree...and I have seen the the MJ patterns do require enlargement.
I think I'll check out the "Sew Beautiful" mag.
****************
Jesus was a feminist!
****************
farmgirl #71 Linda in PA |
|
|
