Spoonflower Delisting FAQ

 The choices are fairly random.

Took down Power Tool

Left up the joke tea towel of 2020

I can go on.

I hope I can still find the designs I love that might have been delisted.

Spoonflower Solids ?

 I'm not sure what to make of this, so I have questions for you, dear reader.

My first thought is: so I buy pre-dyed solids from Spoonflower on Petal Signature,

for how much a yard? Petal isn't cheap, digital printing on fabric isn't cheap, but I figure the extra cost is worth getting the custom prints.

Granted, they are Spoony hex colors, so you could guarantee a match, but if you're only 50 colors, that's not going to cover the #### other colors in their color family.

It goes on

(their txt)

Our Research & Development team worked hard to identify RGB hex codes that offer a close match to each of our Petal Signature Cotton Solids colors so that you can create designs that coordinate. From the warmth of Desert Sun to the oceanic depths of Caribbean, we’ve included a color chart for you to reference as a design tool that (we hope!) will inspire your next fabric collection.

There’s more: Our September Weekly Design Challenges have just been released and we have two special prompts that are inspired by color palettes from our new solids range. 

Get a jump start on designing using the new Petal Signature Cotton® Solids Swatch Book. Each book contains a 2"x2" (5 cm x 5 cm) swatch of all 50 solid color options—get free shipping and save 50% off* your first book with promo code SB9463AU5. 

Once our solids range goes live later this year, we'll recommend that makers order digitally printed designs first and then use the Swatch Book to select the perfect coordinating solid.

More to come soon. Until then, please visit our FAQ page for details or reach out to us at any time. We hope you'll love this new product as much as we do and can’t wait to help shoppers discover your new designs!

Warmly,
Your friends at Spoonflower

their link to the $18.50 book:

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/petal-solids-swatch-book

My solution to this has always been sampling a color and creating a matching solid/coordinating print, but I am doing that for myself (which is dead easy thanks) and I am guaranteed the exact color I want, without really thinking about it. Also printed in the same method so it will fade at the same rate.

At the moment, I need a coordinating solid or print for a fabric I purchased from a major manufacturer. I am operating on the 'one for me' thinking I am so fond of, and am not using the design but sampling the color for a checkerboard pattern. AND ITS NOT FOR SALE.

If you were doing heirloom quilting, I don't know that you'd use Spoony, but if you did, wouldn't you use the same greige goods all the way through, with the same ink application?

And does this mean customers are going to be able to identify the hex colors in the primary design they are considering? Or will these be linked on the customer facing design page? Or are we being primed to buy the sampler?

I'm no quilter, but you quilty kids out there, is this something you were hoping for?

Back Off, Interwebs

 

I get at least one, if not two, emails from Spoonflower every damn day.

(this is going to be a rant, you can tell, because the very first sentence has 'Spoonflower' and a profanity already)

BACK OFF.

The more a company emails me, the less I care. My own company is so guilty of this, they ALREADY are marked as a spammer in my WORK emails (and I didn't set that).

Spoonflower is the ad I see on every webpage as well.

Yes, I design on SF, and I spend time on their website, but I honestly feel stalked by them.  And this email is just taking it one step too far. 

I have not been browsing the site; I have been logged in and managing my account. I am getting mails from them as a designer reminding me that I get a discount and that they are having another sale for bulk purchases. Not to be confused with the fat quarter sale they just had. I have lost count of those sales this year. The minute I need one, I know they won't have one, and that's okay.

It just all sounds desperate. And I hope it's not, because they provide a useful service. I know from their videos that they scaled up to meet increased demand over the pandemic, and maybe that demand has dropped but the payments on the new machines have not.

The more I hear a message, the less I hear it. The public service announcments on the bus reminding me to wear a mask. The death toll on the radio. The emails from Burda.

I do open the emails from Burda.

Courtesy of the Uniqlo deluge, I spent some quality time at work on this

Because not all chores happen in a barn

And then there's this

https://link.spoonflower.com/u/gm.php?prm=9NpFQnqOJC_760824686_257417_630&_esuh=_7_e6c9e3da3d0f53b45f8f8efbfc2dd79499b5e627c9d6f0c13ba3877bac09d7de

Spoonflower 50% Off Fat Quarters Mean Lots of Cool Projects YOU can do

 I do all this in Paint.

I don't have Adobe. I haven't learned Inkscape or Gimp, I don't have an Ipad so I don't use Procreate.

I have many many more. Most I don't have on public settings.

Paint. Boring old Paint. I did size up the text and clean it up, but it took maybe 30 minutes start to finish.

So the tech wall to step over is pretty damn low.

And as the designer, your price is even lower (about 6.50 ish)

https://blog.spoonflower.com/2019/07/diy-family-recipe-tea-towel/?

Your Mom wants one. Or your kids.

Or you just want a reminder every day that this pandemic will eventually end.

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/fabric/10719254-i-am-going-survive-by-erniekocats

As the email says

Promotion of 50% off fat quarters of fabric is valid from 12:00 a.m. EST Monday, March 1, 2021 through 11:59 p.m. EST Friday, March 5, 2021.

One Last Sprout Dress

It's a little weird to be writing about this project after it's ended.

It started out with great ambitions, and

I've been participating for awhile now

January 2015 email

Check out all that white space! I used a dalek robot  pattern for a cosplay I was cooking up.

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/08/rusty-dalek-culottes-culotta-playola.html

Eventually, Sprout Patterns was born, and they added patterns from independent pattern companies such as

Betz White and the SideKick bag.

October 2015 email

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/11/side-kick-sprout-patterns.html

This bag remains mostly sewn together and unfinished. The ecocanvas was too heavy to be used for the exterior and the lining of the bag, and the grommets were a mess. Nobody's at fault, sometimes things just don't work out. Self-lined bags are not my jam.

You've seen a few posts from me about how Sprout stuff doesn't work. 

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/05/sprout-grows-appleton.html

Theoretically, using a combination of layout software, pattern software and digital art should produce the future of sewing. Or a direction it can go in (nothing replaces me, the fabric, altering the pattern on the fly to fit the fabric, adjusting the layout). With enough coding savvy and bandwidth, it should be possible to match fabric pattern and design so that the plaid or the design matches across seam lines.

Another example is 'Bags of Love' products.

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2017/04/online-digital-printing-contrado-bags.html

They couldn't do it (you have to line them up yourself as well)

And I think Spoonflower is closer than they think, given the amount of offset repeats and variations on DPI they can handle now.

There are, however, too many variables at play at one time. Pattern repeats, pattern pieces, different sizes of pattern pieces and repeats - it's a ton of data to manipulate and code for.

It will happen. Just not today.

So, with the discount they tossed onto the pile, I finally ordered one of the projects in my queue.

That's three yards kids. And the design is flipped sideways for the skirt panels.

This is where the design areas around the pieces turns.

Pieces are labeled in the margins. The seam allowance is baked into the piece, so you'd trim at the edge of the print (cutting off the words 'front bodice' in this illustration). I wanted a wider seam allowance for a little manipulation ability and size flexibility.

Yeah, I put clear elastic in the waistband for stretch recovery. I probably sewed over the pins, too.

The Turner dress has a complete front and back set of bodices, plus duplicates for a fully self-lined bodice. In a light fabric like the Modern Jersey shown here, it's genius. Cashmerette, you're a smarty!

In a heavier fabric, it would be insanity!

I cannot remember if I had an option for a princess neckline, or just the v-neck. I was trying to do two things at the same time AGAIN. 

I didn't want the v-neck, and IF I HAD BEEN THINKING I could have cut the bodice pieces differently to make my own neckline choice (could have used the v-neck printed pieces as the interior facing pieces).

But.... I cut one of the v-necks before I thought about this, and then it was too late.

One of the goals for 2019 is to create a selfie set-up for photos.

And yes, I am wearing a v neck t-shirt under this. The dress fits very nicely without modifications, but I am just not comfortable with a v-neck dress.

This is where being able to make small modifications in the pattern is key: my ideal neckline is a little narrower than this (my bra straps are always going to show with this). The fabric is very smooth around my hips, so adding pockets at the side seams is going to be .... lumpy. Lumperiffic? 

As my middle expands, maybe I do want to add saddlebags at the sides now, to create the illusion of a waist.

I could wear it backwards.....

I'm not in the habit of doing end of the year round-ups, as the end of the year is always a scramble of family fun and bookkeeping and work. I'm editing this from work right now.

Shhhhhh!

I wish all of you the best. I really do appreciate the conversations I've had with you, and hope to have many more.

And at least one will be posted remotely from Disneyland this year.

Spoonflower Ends Sprout

Well, damn.

https://blog.spoonflower.com/2018/11/a-sweet-farewell-to-our-friends-at-sprout-patterns/

I mean, I've clearly had my issues with the service, but strictly from the performance on the website.

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2016/05/sprout-grows-appleton.html

(that pesky 3D preview that was never quite correct)

It would never line up the designs from one piece to another.

But it had it's virtues and only needed a little more coding love.

More about this when I find out (got more hems to hem right now).

For the moment, this is what we have to go on.

FAQ from Spoonflower webpage:

 Frequently Asked Questions  

• When is the last day that I can order a Sprout Patterns project?
  • Sunday, December 16, 2018, 11:59 pm EST

• When is the last day I can order a Sprout Patterns project with White Glove Service?
  • Sunday, December 16, 2018, 11:59 pm EST

• I have a gift certificate for Sprout Patterns. Will I be able to use it after December 16?
  • If you would like to use your gift certificate balance on a Sprout Patterns purchase, please order by December 16. On December 17, all remaining Sprout Patterns gift certificate balances will be transferred into your Spoonflower account via Spoondollars. Please click here to see how to apply Spoondollars. 

• How will I access the PDF sewing patterns and instructions that came with my Sprout Pattern project?
  • Customers will be able to download all PDF patterns and instructions from past order confirmation emails or through their Sprout Patterns account until January 1, 2019. If you have trouble locating an existing Sprout Patterns PDF pattern or instructions, please send us an email at help@spoonflower.com for further assistance.

• I was so excited to sew up one of the patterns I saw on Sprout’s website. Can I still make it?
  • The patternmaker partners on Sprout are all established patternmakers. The majority of Sprout’s partners sell the sewing patterns offered through Sprout on their own websites. Please visit the specific patternmaker’s website (linked above) to browse their sewing pattern offerings! 

• What are the best fabrics on Spoonflower to sew garments with?
  • Our favorite woven fabrics are Cotton Poplin Ultra for shirting and Poly Crepe de Chine for a lightweight fabric with great drape. For knit fabrics, we love Cotton Spandex Jersey, Sport Lycra, and Performance Pique. We recommend purchasing a Spoonflower Sample Pack if you would like to see each fabric before ordering. Learn more about Spoonflower fabrics here. 

For additional assistance, please contact Spoonflower at help@spoonflower.com

Any SP employee want to spill deets, find me and PM me on Instagram. Girl reporter promises not to spill your beans.

Adding:

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2018/11/02/durham-company-invests-in-employees-sends-them-to-local-code-school/

12/3/2018: Also adding:

I bought a 3/4 sleeve Turner dress from my own print. Usually the spoondollar payout is per yard, and is one line. 
This was in my account today, before I spent it.

Okay, now I get why they're closing it down.

Preview mode for Spoonflower

In case you were wondering how to see what a big repeat looks like on wider yardage

You choose a fabric (to give you the width, you choose 'yard' rather than swatch, and three yards should give you the bigger picture you're looking for. Also note the rulers on the top and sides

Also wallpaper mode. 

But you and I would make that match up along the seam.

PAOM digital fabric printing

Vogue Patterns Magazine, June July 2017 ran a story on digital fabric printing.

They mentioned a company I had not known about, PAOM (Print All Over Me)

So I went online.

SJ, Gal Reporter, at your service.

Like Zazzle and friends, you can print your designs on preselected physical items, 

tshirts and backpacks and such.

But Vogue mentions yardage and gave prices.

So let's go.

It looks a lot like the other sites' pages. They do let you rotate and scale up, which is pretty rocking. Spoony don't do that.

In the name of reducing the "long posts with too many screen shots" I'm guilty of, 

I'm skipping all the front pages. I want to make yardage, and their Basic and Current Editions do not contain fabric 

I gotta go to the PAOM plan editions

This looks like what I want

I'm saving

And I'm redirected to a membership page. That's cool. There's a free standard option.

And that standard use option won't open. 

But the pay options are open

So i write an email

I get an auto response with helpful links and I go to wholesale, because that might be interesting.

and i get a funny 404 page. Love that collection!

So more email. And this is what you need to know about yardage printing with PAOM.

This is the actual link you need:

 https://paom.com/wholesale

You fill out a form, and they will respond. Response time was good. 

So that's your door in. It seems better suited for printing on objects, and the selection is interesting. If you're looking for big yardage, this might be your source; they print in Shanghai and the US, and this is great news for someone. 

At this point, I'm already so far into Spoonflower, I need to have someone drive a parade float into my house and let me play on it to dig me out.

And they just made their deal a little sweeter: I had it confirmed from Spoonflower:  you can proof your designs for sale using the quilt cheating function. They count! 42 samples at one blow for $17.50 on basic cotton! 

(click on pics for bigness if you wish)

This is where I just get giddy. You have 42 squares, and they can be filled in with 42 different things from one collection. Or you can fill in adjacent squares and it continues the entire image, not just the corner of the basic image you uploaded (see the red on light orange or the odd white dots on brown).

Damn!

Big a** prints - dealing with large print repeats

Big pattern repeats can hurt you.

My best practice is to trace another pattern piece, open out the fabric on the largest surface possible (that's not the floor, too old for that shit)

and start playing.

Good to have a marker to start at (see that red marker? That's where the pieces line up, on a lateral red line on the bust point level);

may I recommend the bust point, to keep any headlight effects away?

And it's friend, the butt point?
(sorry, no successful photos but you get the idea)
Tracing paper is great for auditioning this problem.

Some examples from the archives:

Getting the tassle to line up on that panel on this Miyake shirt required running the print crossways, and ate up yardage. Lucking I could use the spaces inbetween for the collar and the facings, things that don't need a motif or you can't see.

upper right corner is the back piece on the fold

I was running really short on Preciousssss yardage, so my biggest concern was cramming it all onto the fabric. But the big palm would work well on the back.

Upper back piece with motif centered mostly.

For the Dalek 5th  Avenue in 2016, I  sized the design on Spoonflower to fit my skirt pattern piece. I believe is this one of the great uses for Spoonflower printing; once I get the design honed, I can resize to fit my needs.

BTW, this process has gotten better since I did this

The world of upholstery has this one figured out

from http://carrscorner.com/repeatadjustment.php

This is kind of a blunt instrument. Upholstery doesn't use the bits inbetween to fill in pieces (those useful facings) and they don't piece stuff to fudge it, so there is definitely room for improvement in this chart. But you get the general idea. I'm geek enough to want to spend more time figuring out an estimator for yardage more complex than "Buy too damn much".

But so far on this coat, twice the amount is just going to squeak through. It's an 8 inch grid. 

And it's not on grain. The grid's not even entirely square.
(wails a heartbroken and pathetic wail)

And did I mention it was translucent?

I used that red line to try to match up the pieces that would need lining up. A big grid pattern is going to scream YOU SCREWED UP if I don't try to line them up. So I laid out all the fabric (the big piece on the floor is folded lengthwise as it has the larger pieces on it) and walked back and forth and back and forth, adjusting and measuring. The piece on the table is laid out single layer, and this isn't the final layout. I traced more pieces, because it became apparent that I was going to need almost every inch of this yardage (I had about a square foot leftover). And paper is still cheaper than fabric, and easier to mend with tape.

But I did cut.

aiiiiiiieeeeeeeee

and there's been sewing too. For terrifying real time updates, I'm instagram'ing. See that link tab up there?

Next week: glue sealing seams.

(which are drying as I type this)