Readers, in these busy times my sewing hours seem to be relegated to the block of time from 11:00PM until midnight (err, or sometimes a wee bit later at the expense of sleep), and you can imagine that this is just enough time for me to pull out my materials and equipment, do a tiny bit a of sewing, make some show-stopping screwup that I wouldn’t have made had I not been so tired, and then give up in disgust. Naturally this has made your typically-grumpy Selfish Seamstress even grumpier than typical. So although I have no new sewing worth showing here, I will engage you with a funny anecdote followed by a rant regarding some recent Etsy explorations.
First the anecdote. It was brought to my attention that an Etsy seller was offering up dresses that look remarkably similar to the Coffee Date Dress, the pattern for which I make available for free download. Upon inspection, the similarity was indeed quite uncanny. The Coffee Date Dress, being quite simple, is by no means an innovation of design, and plenty of other designs also have a neck ruffle without being similar enough to make me wonder. But this dress was really *really* similar in those details that you notice when you’ve made or designed something- similar in the not-quite-scooped-but-not-quite-jewel neckline which is fairly unique, in the particular amount of flair of the a-line skirt, in the exact placement, proportion, and folding of the ruffle. The dress was rendered in a knit with no back darts and no zipper, unlike the Coffee Date Dress, and topstitched around the arm openings, but otherwise looked in shape and line pretty much like my own design and quite different from the store’s other drapier, ruched offerings. Realizing this could have been a coincidence but finding the similarity of the design to my own really startling, I sent an neutrally worded message to the store inquiring whether they had perhaps used my design, and if so I did not mind and do not charge, but would they be so kind as to credit me for it?
Anyway, a couple of days later, I received an email back from the store that was, let’s say… humorously defensive :) I mean, I can completely understand if the similarity was a coincidence. Free pattern production and Etsy clothing shops aren’t exactly high stakes games anyway so it’s not like I was getting my lawyer on the phone. The store basically pointed out that their dress is made of a knit and that their ruffle is hemmed rather than cut on the fold so it they clearly didn’t use my pattern or design, but their own. I don’t know if I follow that logic, but if they say it’s their own pattern and design, I can take them at their word for that. So what’s the funny part? The funny part was the last line of their message:
“I also removed the dress from my shop as nobody liked it and nobody wanted to purchase it.”
I love it! The Selfish Seamstress is a huuuuuge fan of passive-aggression (if you can’t tell, check out THIS VERY POST), and feels it is a tremendously underrated behavioral pattern. It’s fun to listen to, and it’s fun to do! Anyway, too bad for the Etsy store that nobody liked their dress; more than 100,000 people have downloaded mine. (Yes! I just totally out-passive-aggressived them!)
Okay, but after that little humorous incident, onto the actual rant. A couple of days ago I was poking around Etsy, and I found a listing for this blue taffeta dress on a different store:
Whoa. Hold up there a sec. Does that look familiar? Surely none of you have ever run into this pattern before, or perhaps even made it up yourselves? UNCANNY. The dress is available in size medium, but the seller says she’ll also make it for you custom in the size and color of your choice.*
I realize that some people may not realize that manufacturing garments from copyrighted patterns for sale is illegal**, and I have no objections when someone who doesn’t sew pays someone who does to make a garment for them from a pattern, nor do I fail to realize that we take inspiration from other people’s work as part of the creative process. But this is ballsy. Here’s a snippet from the Etsy seller’s description of the garment:
“I gave it a beautiful cut with gathered bodice and gathered skirt. There is a hand gathered ruffle around the low scoop neckline that gradually grows bigger around the back of the neck. It frames the face perfectly.”
No. NO. No. YOU did not give it a beautiful cut with a gathered bodice and gathered skirt. A nice lady named CYNTHIA ROWLEY gave it a beautiful cut with a gathered bodice and gathered skirt, and then a nice little company called Simplicity made that cut available to you so you could make a dress for yourself, NOT so you could take credit for it and resell it as your own.
I’m not interested in policing Etsy or playing Big 4 anonymous tipster, and I realize that Simplicity probably isn’t losing any business from this person. But it peeves me as I see more and more Etsy stores hawking renditions of commercial patterns (and it happens A LOT) and claiming them as their own designs because I just don’t understand what they get out of it. Unless you’re the next Vivienne Westwood-type innovator who can command big bucks for gorgeous, unique pieces, or you’re selling basic tubes of stretchy fabric that can be whipped up in 10 minutes, there’s probably not much money to be made in one-person operations sewing dresses to sell on Etsy. We know how much time it takes to make a dress and how much money you’d have to charge for it to make it a decent source of income as an Etsy store. So why else would you do it unless you want to scratch that creative itch and share YOUR OWN ideas and creations? And if you just love sewing that much but don’t want to design your own stuff, then why wouldn’t you say it was “inspired by” or an “homage to” the design you’re knocking off? Why would you claim creative credit for Cynthia Rowley’s ideas and put yourself at risk for a lawsuit from a pattern giant for what probably ends up being pocket change after you factor in labor and materials costs? You’re not even making a quick buck off contraband design.
Maybe it’s just me who gets annoyed at such things. Maybe it’s because I’m a science professor at a research university and in my line of work we call that “plagiarism” and people lose their jobs and get kicked out of school for claiming credit for others’ work. Or maybe I just need to find more sewing time to calm my nerves, stop me from writing pointless, bitchtastic posts, and keep me from wanting to punch everyone I encounter. I guess I could lose my job for that last one too.
*Haha! I didn’t ask permission to use your image on my blog, nor did I give you credit for it! See how that feels? You wanna sue me over it? Do you??
** Ok, it seems that experts who know more than I are suggesting that this practice is not technically illegal (though I suspect there’d still be a lawsuit if a big clothing manufacturer started producing from copyrighted patterns en masse). I appreciate that informed people have taken time to share their expertise – thanks! And I apologize for putting potentially inaccurate information on the internet and acknowledge my potential misinterpretation of pattern copyright. But the whole issue of legal vs. illegal was not the point of this post, and people who feel the need to write incredibly rudely worded comments (now deleted) complaining that I dedicated a “whole post” to the illegality of someone else’s actions should read before they write “whole comments” making inaccurate accusations themselves. The point of this post was not law (though I appreciate the constructive comments on that topic), but creativity and claiming credit for the work of others. And for the record, I make no claims in this post about my own pattern having actually been used by Etsy sellers, being under copyright, or legally requiring credit or compensation. I put my work out there so others can use it and benefit from it, and I request acknowledgment as a matter of courtesy and ego, not law.
91 comments
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August 31, 2011 at 9:10 am
Laura
So good to have you back, dear Selfish, even if you aren’t sewing much. You have been missed…I look forward to more. Just don’t punch anyone.
August 31, 2011 at 9:39 am
selfishseamstress
No worries- I’m only punching people emotionally today. Not physically.
August 31, 2011 at 9:13 am
Rosie
OMG, people have chutzpah! It’s great to have you back.
August 31, 2011 at 9:19 am
oonaballoona
i love you.
August 31, 2011 at 9:40 am
selfishseamstress
Ooooh! I don’t know what I did to deserve that, but I’ll take it! I’d love you too Oona B, if I only had the capacity to love anything or anyone other than myself…
August 31, 2011 at 9:27 am
girdtmom
No, you’re not the only one. That kind of behavior pisses me off as well. It’s theft, dammit. I also waste a lot of energy screaming at other cars who displease me. On the up side, my first grader’s sarcasm detectors are developing nicely. “Mommy, you were being sarcastic when you said ‘Nice turn signal,’ right?”
August 31, 2011 at 9:41 am
selfishseamstress
Wow. PRODIGIOUS. I kinda of want to hang out with your kid now. Actually with both of you. In a car. While we rip on people who drive like idiots together. You’re raising a superior specimen there!
August 31, 2011 at 9:39 am
woolcat
Ah, but she put a bow on it. Obviously it is totally original now.
August 31, 2011 at 9:47 am
Emily Guerra
And that is precisely why I don’t have my stuff up on Etsy even though I would love to create and sell if nothing else than to finance my hobby. Thieves!
August 31, 2011 at 9:53 am
Jennifer
You are NOT the only one that gets bent out of shape because of this crap. I have been blogging at my personal blog for quite some time. 90% of my followers are not sewing blogs, nor are they people who sew. Although I am not technically writing a sewing blog, I blog about what I sew on a regular basis. Everytime I show something I made, I get a bunch of comments that I need to start an etsy shop. Fair enough…I know they don’t realize the time and money that goes into my creation and also don’t know that you can get in legal trouble for doing that.
HOWEVER, a personal (not sewing) blog that I have followed for a while started talking about how she sews and posting her items. Well, she got the same comments I suppose and started an etsy shop. The items were straight up Big 4 patterns and she didn’t give them credit. As she had more sales, she started a facebook page and all this stuff. And she named the styles things like “The Hannah” and made descriptions for them. It got to the point where she was selling these items on facebook/etsy and also in boutiques around the south under a name she created for her company. And she was doing trunk shoes at Sorority houses and stuff all over the South. She was showcased in papers in her town and all kinds of stuff. She eventually quite her job, created her own website dedicated to the sale of her items (I guess she isn’t on etsy anymore). I imagine she is still doing all this and I know for a fact that she is using Big 4 patterns and taking the credit for it. It boiled me up so bad. How can people get away with this. Anyone with a sewing machine could do what she was doing, yet she is going all out with it. Many personal blogs that I read will showcase new designers they find and I have found a number of designers that are using Big 4 and selling them in boutiques,. Sometimes they look identical and sometimes like they have been changed a little bit. These people who don’t sew have no idea, but to those who do…it’s just appalling!
August 31, 2011 at 10:04 am
Deborah
While I am totally on the same page as you, I do feel obligated to point out that as far as copyright law is concerned, changing an original design by 20% constitutes a new entity and is not subject to copyright protection. I don’t think the differences in the Selfish Seamstresses examples above are equal to 20% from the originals, but if someone were to vary a pattern by even that small a margin, as far as the USTPO is concerned, it would not be a copycat. For the record, picking out the fabric does NOT constitute 20% variation.
August 31, 2011 at 10:06 am
Deborah
Um, I did mean “Selfish Seamstress’ ” in the possessive, BTW. My bad.
August 31, 2011 at 10:16 am
Jennifer
It outraged me so much that I actually looked into if it was illegal or not. I really shouldn’t have cared that much, but it just made me so mad! Haha! Anyway, I did find that out through some research. It becomes such a sticky situation with is it 20% or not, but in the case of the situation I was describing…it definitely was not 20%. It was simply an item made with a big 4 pattern with various fabrics. There were a couple like that taffeta number with a ruffle or bow slapped on it, but that’s it! However, the designers I have been “introduced” to through blogging that look suspiciously like Big 4 could possibly be in that 20% range. I am not here to be a Big 4 tipster, so I don’t waste my time trying to contact someone…but it just annoys me. I really shouldn’t care that much, but it just feels ridiculous to me.
August 31, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Sarah
I’m really curious what you found that supported the 20% rule with regard to sewing patterns (no snarkiness intended whatsoever, this is something I’m interested in.) I did some research into the copyright regulations for sewing patterns for an Intellectual Property class, and I couldn’t actually find legal precedent for clothing or patterns being copyrightable at all. All the applicable cases seemed to rule quite the opposite, actually.
Obviously, no home seamstress is going to go up against the Big 4’s legal team, but it bothers me on principle.
August 31, 2011 at 9:58 am
amberelayne
My question is, did they know the differences between your pattern and theirs because they had changed a couple details or was that research conducted post-email? I mean the difference between hemming a ruffle and cutting it on the fold is astronomical……
For the second dress, you are clearly mistaken because of the bow detail…. However, I may add a bow to the version I made last week and claim originality myself.
I’m glad you’re back
August 31, 2011 at 10:00 am
Kathy Crawford
It is very upsettling when others blatantly steal others’ designs in order to make a profit. I suspect that some of them are out there on the road cutting me off in traffic or turning right from the left lane without signaling when I am also in the right lane. I often make sarcastic comments and other rude gestures (underneath my steering wheel) while I am driving. My 31 year old son has unfortunately learned or inherited my snarky sarcasm.
I am so glad that you are back. You were sorely missed. I told all of my friends who do not read entertaining sewing blogs as I do that you were back.
We all loved your FWA i.e. fat waist adjustment.
August 31, 2011 at 10:00 am
Deborah
I have had this same rant, over and over. I actually used to teach a class, both in person and online, about how to build a successful creative business and talked at LENGTH about copyright and theft, emphasizing that taking a commercial pattern and picking out the fabric for it does not a designer make. I had to stop teaching the class because folks who took it either wanted to have a business just like mine and were looking to mine ideas from classroom examples, or they were taking the content of the class and turning around and selling it as their own. How’s that for irony?
August 31, 2011 at 10:18 am
Jennifer
Oh my goodness! That is just not right. I can’t believe that people want to build businesses based on other people’s work and ideas. I just couldn’t hold my head up and be proud of my business if I did things like that. Wow!
August 31, 2011 at 10:35 am
Kathi G
You will love this story. About 4 years ago I worked at a small boutique. When my boss found out that I sewed she asked me to sew a few items for the store and she’d sell them for me. I started making small make-up bags, change purses and check book covers. When it was my best friends birthday I made her one of each of the items in matching fabrics. Fast forward to last year. My best friend decided to give the craft fair circuit a try. She asked me to help her work her booth at her very first show. You can imagine my shock when I saw that she was selling similar items to the same 3 items that I had gifted her. I asked where she got the patterns from, very well knowing she couldn’t make a pattern to save her life. She pulled out of her purse the exact 3 items I made for her and told me how she copied them and couldn’t for the life of her remember when she got them from. I quickly reminded her where she got them from. FROM ME! She then had the nerve to laugh it off thinking it was the funniest thing ever. It was the last craft fair I helped her at. For a friend to take lightly her act of plagiarism made me very mad. I didn’t want a percentage of her sales but a simple apology for stealing the designs that I created.
August 31, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Crystal
And how rude to not remember these items were a gift from you. I don’t always remember who every gift I have received is from, but if it is handmade, you can be SURE I would not forget that!
August 31, 2011 at 10:53 am
Maureen cunningham
The pattern itself may have a copyright but the design does not. Most dresses have the same basic silhouette. The details such a necklines, pockets and treatments get moved around but they are basically reused over and over again. I can look at a picture of a dress and make my own pattern. I haven’t violated any copyright. I have not done this for mass production as of yet, but you never know.
August 31, 2011 at 1:24 pm
ms. modiste
I’ve done a lot of reading on this subject, and this is how I understand the issue as well. Copyright applies to the pattern. It would be illegal to plagiarize and publish the pattern itself, but not the finished garment. That’s whythe knockoff industy is alive and thriving in RTW. It only becomes illegal if you put another company’s logo on it (which then I believe is trademark infringement, not copyright.) My understanding is that it’s also misleading of these companies to write conditions such as ‘items produced from this pattern may not be sold’ as that would only hold up as a term in a contract, but the user isn’t aware of it until the pattern has already been purchased. Which means it can’t be enforced.
In other words: it may leave a bad taste, for some, and it may not be terribly creative, but it’s not illegal.
There’s a lot of good links and information in the giant ‘copyright’ thread on Ravelry.
August 31, 2011 at 2:08 pm
ms. modiste
(Hmm, it seems “the” copyright thread I was referring to has been archived. It was 3-years running and huge. I’m now looking to see if I can find it again.)
September 2, 2011 at 12:00 am
Kristen
Ms. Modiste – that is my understanding as well! The companies only have copyright over the pattern itself, not what you make with it.
A lot of people think it’s kind of a grey area, though, especially with all the conditions put on the packaging and such. I totally agree with your interpretation, though. That being said, it’s in extremely poor taste to claim that you DESIGNED it YOURSELF. Some people. How difficult is it to give credit, really?
September 2, 2011 at 9:58 am
Karin
I totally agree. Both in that judging from my research it’s legal to use commercial patterns and sell the product, and that it’s not very admirable to do so.
But I can’t be very upset by the fact that people are putting effort and work into merely making copies of other people’s designs and selling it. As long as they don’t claim it’s their own design, that is!
I’ve found people who’ve been sharing other people’s patterns through their own web-sites, without giving credit. In ignorance.
Wonder why copy-right is so hard to grasp (I probably use pictures I shouldn’t sometimes, even though I think I shouldn’t…)!
August 31, 2011 at 11:04 am
Rachel
Being creative in this way is a talent and a skill. It hurts when someone not as talented or skillful actually profits (real dollars) from creations that are not theirs. I’m trying to be grateful that I’m someone with talent and skill who doesn’t have to sink so low. In between my raging hateful moments.
August 31, 2011 at 11:10 am
SH
That is just a part of Etsy now. Some sellers are even selling pdf files of copyrighted materials. Just scan and sell with no repercussion whatsoever. I emailed Etsy and they said the publishers/owners of said materials have to contact them for actions to be taken. I hate to see Etsy turning into a big plagiarism and copy right infringement playground.
August 31, 2011 at 11:12 am
Kristin
You really ought to report these people. This is why pattern prices are going up and up. There are A LOT of people who are doing this. And some fabric designers won’t let you use their fabrics for items you sell.
August 31, 2011 at 11:21 am
Kate in England
I think if people are stupid enough to buy this crap, more fool them! Most big 4 patterns are pretty basic and don’t fit that well unless you alter them a lot, so these unaltered straight-out-of-the-envelope dresses aren’t going to look that great.
As for people ripping off other people’s designs, I’ve always kind of thought that by the time a designer’s product is actually on the market, they’re well on the way to the next thing and probably don’t give a monkey’s about stuff they designed way back in the past. I understand if people are miffed because they’re actually losing money to others copying their stuff, but in the case of the designers of these patterns, it won’t make any difference to them financially.
I am feeling unusually un-indignant today, though. Weird.
Great to have to back, Selfish!
August 31, 2011 at 11:57 am
magdamagda
wonderful spies you’ve got!
August 31, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Stacy
Love that gal’s passive-agressiveness at being caught!
It is really hard to find any orginality these days with sewing and designing. Look at the return of the 80’s styles that designers are churning out these days. *shudder*
I mostly sew for my kids with a little on the side for me, and I draft most of the patterns for them. I also get people telling me to start an Etsy shop. Uh, no. I would be working for peanuts, and then people would copy my stuff. Doesn’t sound like fun to me! I’ll keep my awesomeness in my own little family, thankyouverymuch.
Adult clothing has a lot more options than children’s clothing, though. What gets my funny going is when “pattern designers” on Etsy are selling the same basic peasant blouse that has been around for centuries and telling people that they can’t make and sell from their pattern. Really?? How would they know?
August 31, 2011 at 12:47 pm
byneedleandthread
Also glad to see you back.
I agree with you completely. So many people are clueless about copyright, but more so have zero morals when it comes to copying someone’s stuff and just changing it a tad to call it their own.
Drives me nuts! You can change it a tad and say you were inspired by ___, but to act like you came up with the idea! Infuriating!
People bug me.
August 31, 2011 at 12:55 pm
TanitIsis
I’ve actually been surprised at how LITTLE discussion of this stuff there is on the sewing blogs. It was a major hot topic in the bellydance costuming world. Copyright protection for fashion design seems to be much weaker than in most other areas of intellectual property… No way you’d get away with re-publishing someone’s book and only changing 20% of the words.
It is worth remembering that all the Burdastyle patterns are explicitly open-source. We give up the right to any kind of copyright when we post something up there.
Still, a little bit of credit would’ve been nice. And that response was absolutely hilarious.
August 31, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Anonymous
This is a reminder to all to read the terms of service before uploading your work to any kind of social media site, including Burdastyle. In many cases you give up many specific rights to your work by submitting it. It might have helped that Etsy seller to be more of a grownup about it, though, which would have spared some hilarity.
It’s worth noting that, with the exception of the designer label patterns, the big 4 pattern companies themselves knock off designer patterns all the time. Personally, I wish that their licensing was a little more flexible – I think they’re losing potential business because people aren’t sure where the “noncommercial” line is. For example, if I go to Joann’s $1.99 sale and buy that Cynthia Rowley pattern and then pay a seamstress to sew it for me because I can’t set a zipper to save my soul, are we violating copyright? So if she buys the pattern at the $1.99 sale and sews it for me, we’re definitely violating copyright, right? What if she buys fourteen patterns and sews up 14 garments for a raffle? Am I allowed to wear a garment made from this pattern until I get sick of it and then sell it at a garage sale? If I donate the resulting garment to a thrift shop and they sell it, are we violating copyright? (Am I required to burn all Simplicity-derived garments once I’m done with them? If you read their copyright statement you might start to think this is the case.) I require so many fitting alterations that I’ve almost definitely replaced 20% of the original lines on the pattern; is it now my pattern? I don’t think that we should approach these issues uncritically.
September 6, 2011 at 3:35 am
Catharina
Hi Anonymous!
I think there is a huge difference in making stuff for your own (or paying a seamstress to do it for you) then doing it commercially. Also, as someone with a master in IP law (though European IP law), I too am leaning towards the conclusion that selling a copy of a pattern is illegal, but not selling a garment made from the copy. (I have also seen this copied vintage patterns made into pdf-files or pattern books on etsy. That, if anything is infringement if the copyright hasn’t lapsed.)
Despite this, I think the whole thing is wrong and you should give credit (at least to designs that are more than just a simple shift dress or pencil skirt) or make up your own designs. That said, I also agree that many designs look very similar and it can be tricky to make a unique design that is still wearable and commercial.
Super topic! I look forward to many more rants from the Selfish Seamstress in the future. It truly made my day when I discovered you were back!!!
August 31, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Purpleshoes is a PITA about these things
This is a reminder to all to read the terms of service before uploading your work to any kind of social media site, including Burdastyle. In many cases you give up many specific rights to your work by submitting it. It might have helped that Etsy seller to be more of a grownup about it, though, which would have spared some hilarity.
It’s worth noting that, with the exception of the designer label patterns, the big 4 pattern companies themselves knock off designer patterns all the time. Personally, I wish that their licensing was a little more flexible – I think they’re losing potential business because people aren’t sure where the “noncommercial” line is. For example, if I go to Joann’s $1.99 sale and buy that Cynthia Rowley pattern and then pay a seamstress to sew it for me because I can’t set a zipper to save my soul, are we violating copyright? So if she buys the pattern at the $1.99 sale and sews it for me, we’re definitely violating copyright, right? What if she buys fourteen patterns and sews up 14 garments for a raffle? Am I allowed to wear a garment made from this pattern until I get sick of it and then sell it at a garage sale? If I donate the resulting garment to a thrift shop and they sell it, are we violating copyright? (Am I required to burn all Simplicity-derived garments once I’m done with them? If you read their copyright statement you might start to think this is the case.) I require so many fitting alterations that I’ve almost definitely replaced 20% of the original lines on the pattern; is it now my pattern? I don’t think that we should approach these issues uncritically.
August 31, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Hannah
I agree, but then I’m an Intellectual Property lawyer. Also, while you probably should try to avoid punching, I don’t think there’s a need to cut down on bitchtastic posts. In fact, many people would probably be disappointed if you did!
August 31, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Katrina
I can’t believe no one has mentioned regretsy.com yet. They regularly expose some Etsy seller’s complete lack of morals. See the “Compare and Save!” category especially.
(Warning: that site has a unique sense of humor that offends certain people, and some images are Not Safe For Work so keep that in mind if you visit it.)
August 31, 2011 at 2:36 pm
Kathy
I love your comments here, and agree with them. The examples you gave seem like obvious cases of a seller using someone else’s exact design and taking credit for it. I would be scared to ever post any of my creations for sale, because I just assume that every idea I have is based on something I’ve already seen.
There is a similar trend going on in the digital art community, where some generous artists post images for free, with the caveat that they can be used for personal, non-sales purposes only. A few people take the images and either feature them in their own art for sale, or even more blatantly, repackage the images themselves and sell them to other artists!
I don’t know that there’s an answer for this, since plagiarism and outright theft has always been a problem and is only getting worse. I don’t want to sound all grumpy-old-lady, but I do feel that the sense of compassion, decency and individual responsibility that used to exist in smaller, more localized business and artistic communities has almost disappeared from the anonymous global interconnected universe we operate in today.
However, making an example of a few individuals is a helpful reminder to everyone – and very therapeutic! Thanks for bringing us this issue.
August 31, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Susannah
BRING ON THE BITCH…
August 31, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Noile
It’s stealing, and it’s wrong. Make your own designs, period. What’s so hard to understand?
September 1, 2011 at 11:38 am
LinB
Yep. End of discussion, imo.
August 31, 2011 at 4:13 pm
Crystal
I love your thoughts on passive-agression. I think passing off a stolen idea as your own is completely wrong, but on the topic of ripping off the Big 4 brought up in the comments – isn’t that what they are doing from the next rung up the ladder?
August 31, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Melody
This kind of stuff makes me want to piss boiling oil. I am a photographer and I would honestly go ape if I caught someone stealing my work…and it’s an inevitable consequence of the internet so it’s just a matter of time. I know tons of photographers who’ve had their work ripped off. I am very sensitive to this issue and even more so since my sister is an intellectual property lawyer.
August 31, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Melody
Furthermore – since my hackles are up now – I can’t imagine being so creatively and morally vacuous that one would want to steal someone else’s work and claim it as their own. I would never want someone else representing me. Louts.
August 31, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Jacqui
Isn’t that ‘change 10%/20%’ thing just an urban myth? I flunked a first year in my class at Uni last year who handed in an essay that was 20% from Wikipedia. Just because it was 80% original doesn’t make it all theirs! However, many students these days don’t seem to be able to get their heads around the concept of plagiarism, as far as they’re concerned if it’s on the Internet it’s fair game, and they’re genuinely puzzled and surprised when they get in trouble, no matter how often they are warned about it. I think it’s a genuine cultural shift.
There have been some excellent post on various blogs that address this, but it never seems to get resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. I seem to remember that the laws as they apply to clothing vary from country to country, with the States having less protection than say Europe. But it’s not treated the same as art, in that the design is not copyrightable, but the pattern itself is, as are the instructions. Having said that I think it’s damned tacky to copy and claim it is your own work and talent – which is what I suspect these people are after, recognition of their own personal worth, even if it is fake. They like the praise and warm fuzzies, because as you say, they won’t be making money off it! Its pretty pathetic really.
August 31, 2011 at 5:03 pm
quitereasonable
Clearly, you chanced upon Cynthia Rowley’s Etsy page and she is trying to make a little money on the side.
August 31, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Sunni
This is HUGE! Having been an Etsy seller, and having sold there for a few years, I finally ended up quitting the Etsy scene in huge part because another lovely seller had completely copied my entire shop idea. Now I’m not saying that I’m the only one that’s ever come up with the idea of selling hard to find sewing notions, but seriously when they rip off even the verbage in your listings, take the same type of photo shots and price their items just $1 lower than yours, it’s DISGRACEFUL! After talking to a few friends who were in the same business, I decided to scrap Etsy altogether and get a website, where at least it looked more like I could do something to you if something like that ever happened again. It’s truly appauling what some sellers will do for a buck.
August 31, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Heather Mac
I remember the early days of Etsy, when things weren’t overpriced and the talent was original. I wish I had purchased more then.
I definitely understand what you’re saying about plagiarism in university getting you kicked out. I remember spending hours stressing whether or not a particular idea was original enough to not warrant a citation (as a result I’m sure I credited most of my ideas to other people :P)
Ripping off sewing pattern companies is bad enough, but what’s really concerning to me is the boom of makeup products being sold on etsy and other places. There are people who are either repackaging private label cosmetics and selling them at a big profit..or those who just totally disregard FDA regulations and mixing their own stuff with chemicals that can cause serious problems like blindness. (Just google ‘glittersniffer’ for one heinous example). Of course, in amongst these are fantastic, safe indie companies..but who’s to know which is which?
I think definitely think this a conversation worth having.
August 31, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Hillary
Ah, missed you! Have had all the same thoughts, just less well put together and cleverly worded.
August 31, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Corinne
so glad you are back! a bit of snark, a bit of bitch, you have all the finer attributes. now, the subject at hand. this is new territory because the exposure internet sites provide. I don’t know if there is an answer, but I do know how painful it is to be robbed. I know that there was a situation on Etsy not long ago that was extremely contentious and painful for all involved and those of us who witnessed it. Very sad. What can be done?
August 31, 2011 at 8:17 pm
thayer
Another IP lawyer chiming in here. I basically agree with what the other lawyers have said–copyright protection for fashion design is actually very weak in the United States, largely because no one can claim a copyright in common design features like a boatneck or an a-line skirt shape, etc. I’m also not really convinced that selling a garment made from a copyrighted pattern constitutes infringement (though I’d be interested if anyone had seen cases saying otherwise). And the copyright licenses included in most patterns are not necessarily enforceable contracts.
That being said, it’s certainly a dick move to sell garments made from someone else’s patterns and call them your own designs.
September 1, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Sarah
I’m not a lawyer, but I did some research into patterns for an IP class in my master’s program (I’m a librarian), and everything I found indicated that patterns aren’t actually copyrightable because they’re useful articles. All the restrictions would come from the EULAs or printed license agreements, which seem to be dubiously enforceable.
Some of the cases I found (and sorry if they’re not cited properly, I’m writing from my work computer) were:
Baker v. Selden, 101 US 99 (1879)
Excella Pattern Co. v. McCall Co., 5 F. 2d 61 (1925)
The Beverly Hills Design Studio (N.Y.) Inc. and Stevi Brooks v. James Morris, 88 Civ. 5886 (1989) specifically ruled that apparel patterns were not copyrightable and that a competitor using those patterns to create their own garments was not guilty of infringement: “Such a useful article is not eligible for copyright protection unless it has artistic features which are independent of its utilitarian aspects, and here there were none.”
Yankee Candle Co. v. Bridgewater Candle Co, 259 F.3d 25 (1st Cir. 2001) says, “When there is essentially only one way to express an idea, the idea and its expression are inseparable and copyright is no bar to copying that expression.” I would argue that there aren’t multiple ways to express the shapes needed to cover the human body, barring something novel enough to merit a patent, and thus copyright shouldn’t apply.
I agree 100% that it’s a dick move, especially to refuse to credit and get defensive, but it really doesn’t seem to be illegal.
August 31, 2011 at 9:23 pm
CANDICE LOUISE
Selfish, I agree wholeheartedly – it’s good to have you back!
In regards to this post, I agree that it was not only plagerism but an act of cowardness to not give you the nods for your design, as well as for any sellers anywhere to not do so when they are using someone else’s design. I’m not completely up on all the copywriting laws either, but as an Etsy seller myself, I know that I would be extremely upset if I saw another seller using my designs. Which by the way are my designs, unless otherwise specified.
Which brings me to another point. I see so many other sellers (In bridal which is my specialty) who are using pictures of known designer gowns as their item’s for sale photos. I thought Etsy was supposed to be for indie designers and crafters to sell their own work, not work done in a factory somewhere. I have spoken to several ladies who purchased these ‘designer’ gowns for unbelievably cheap prices (on Etsy) and upon receiveing them, found they had purchased exactly what they had paid for – cheap dresses made in Chinese factories.
So, when I spend hours and hours on a design, and creating the pattern, searching for just the right materials, and finally stitching it together, I take great pride in the work I have created and I charge accordingly. I don’t sell a lot on Etsy, because It’s those cheaper dresses that go first. But I refuse to undersell myself. You get what you pay for.
August 31, 2011 at 9:52 pm
Summer
I think what chaps everyone’s hide is that mediocre people can cheat and look very talented. Often they achieve a degree of success which is even worse.
If someone’s sewing and selling dresses from a Big 4 pattern it’s not hard to do it right. Put a tiny notice with the origin of the pattern (Simplicity 1234) and hit the 99¢ sale at JoAnn’s to buy as many copies as you need. Then you’ve covered your ass legally and morally.
September 1, 2011 at 12:03 am
Sherry
Jeepers, you’d think if they were trying to pass these designs off as their own they would try and change a few things, like the shape of the ruffle, do it in lace, add some pintucks, or something! They must have zero imagination to begin with!
Welcome back to blogland – I better put you back on my blogroll, funnily enough I deleted you a just few days before you started posting again!
September 1, 2011 at 12:08 am
Joyce
Love it !! — I can understand how you feel I too would be upset and you are saying it just right. — Shame on them I for one say YEA !!! Joyce
September 1, 2011 at 10:32 am
Steph
I haven’t read all the comments, I just want to say thank you for writing this.
September 1, 2011 at 2:41 pm
elise
I have another perspective to add to this discussion. I’ve seen on Etsy not only reproduced clothing from commercial sewing patterns, but the actual photo lifted straight from the pattern book/website. My two best friends, Laura and Corrie (as well as myself) have all at some point of our modeling careers worked for McCalls/Vogue Patterns. Imagine my surprise when I was searching through Etsy and saw Laura’s face staring back at me from a shop display. A few more clicks, and there was Corrie’s face. And the seller had made a note that while the designs were available in a variety of fabrics, the ones pictured had (conveniently) “sold out.” Yes, it is illegal to commercially reproduce clothing from those patterns, but it is also illegal to use our pictures without compensating us. You might not think it so, but we find out images being used all the time in the most unexpected places (Billboard in India? check. Knitting book in South Africa? check. Hair color box in Dubai? check.) and it’s just plain wrong. It’s super frustrating to not get paid for your work AND for it to appear without your permission.
September 3, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Kristen
Elise – I would never have thought of that side of it! I know it’s illegal for them to use the photos, because those are copyrighted, but I think of it in terms of the company who sold the pattern holding that copyright. But since YOU are part of what’s being copied, there’s a whole other degree of what they’re stealing. Boo – why can’t people just do the right thing?
September 1, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Elaine (nobody you know)
Oh, dear Selfish Seamstress, take comfort in the fact that they live in fear of you. This, I know, is true, because I have had many a sleepless night wondering whether Yoko Ono would bust into my son’s bedroom and splash red paint over the wall upon which someone lovingly (loving to get paid by me, that is) drew many happy animals that look strikingly similar to John Lennon’s “Real Love” nursery collection characters.
“Imagine no posessions. I wonder if you can.” Just kidding!
September 1, 2011 at 10:36 pm
quitereasonable
So I was watching “Megamind” today with my 3-year-old and I noticed that the heroine was also wearing Cynthia Rowley’s dress today. I didn’t read through the credits, but now that they are crediting everyone down to the janitors in movies, I wonder who took the credit for the dress design.
September 1, 2011 at 11:19 pm
Sandra
Oh yes, this is outrageous. I totally agree on the one-woman-Etsy-sewing-business being not a money spinner but a creative outlet. That is exactly my reason for being on there. A blogger once went out of her way to recreate one of my creations for herself because she couldn’t afford one from me. But she credited me and directed her readers to my shop to get the real thing. That was gorgeous and I really appreciated it. I understand that the patterns on BurdaStyle are meant to be copyright free and you can sell them, but still, nice to give credit if you use someone else’s design, hard-work, and effort. Good on you for this post. I am sure many designers who have had their work plagiarized feel exactly the same.
September 2, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Edris
Thanks for writing this post. It was good to read others perspectives on this topic. I have personally had many questions regarding this topic.
September 3, 2011 at 9:13 pm
A.J.A.
Did you happen to see the new Butterick wedding patterns that look coincidentally just like three dresses from the royal wedding? Screw the big pattern companies- they are thieves too. I do think it is dick to steal designs from us little people though. Ever think of selling the right to reproduce like some others do?
September 21, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Emily
OH, I KNOW! Butterick “Wedding Fit for a Princess” patterns not only knocked off the bride’s, bridesmaid’s, and flower girl’s dresses, but they also got models that look just like them. Even the bouquets look the same.
September 4, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Jessica
Claiming that was her original design is the illegal part since it doesn’t appear to be her intellectual property. But remaking that dress and selling it isn’t illegal.
The copyright is on the actual physical pattern. That is the intellectual property of the seller/designer. Once they sell or give away that pattern the items made from it are not illegal to resell. Reproducing parts or whole of the actual pattern itself and taking claim to it is illegal. Starting in 1908 the supreme court has only upheld the copyright on the actual pattern and it cannot be licensed. Hence, the people giving away free patterns that say you can’t make items to be sold from it or that you have to buy a license from them if you are going to reproduce, is in effect committing extortion and exaction. It’s very easy to interpret a law to make it seem like it applies to what you want it to so you need to look up statute cases surrounding those laws to see how the courts dealt with them.
It’s the law, not astrology and its not up for interpretation. There are precedents in place to show you how these “interpretations” were handled.
September 5, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Kathleen Gillies (@Rowsella315)
From time imemorial, dressmakers have been sewing up dresses from published patterns for their clients. I have attended many a dressmaker’s yard sale with boxes of patterns (vintage), fabrics and notions. My grandmother used to frankensew Vogue patterns taking a sleeve from one, a bodice from another, add a ruffle here or change a collar. So long as the venders are not selling the pattern as their own, they are not infringing. It takes a bit of hubris to claim to design the item. The only reason I can imagine they don’t credit is perhaps If they do call the dress they are making Simplicity 1234, then they may expose themselves to a lawsuit, specious as it may be. But the choice of fabric, the fitting and skill in creating the actual garment is theirs and their right to be compensated. ** I do not sell on Etsy.
I don’t know that there is any rule that says they MUST credit, so long as they do not take credit for the design itself. I would expect a “From one of my favorite dress patterns I purchased this past season”
Regardless, your bitchtastic rants are appreciated.
September 7, 2011 at 2:19 am
MariaSewing
I love your style! I just love you!
September 9, 2011 at 2:16 pm
joanmm
Here’s a story about an Etsy seller with some brass balls.
I design and sell my original knitwear patterns. I received an email a few days ago tipping me off to an Etsy seller who was knitting up and selling my designs. I know there is nothing I can do about that, but I went over to look anyway.
There on her Etsy site were nineteen of my photos snatched directly off my website along with their descriptions. The only thing changed was the name of my business!
Copyright protects exactly that, the artistic presentation of a design; the photo, the diagrams, the wording of the instructions , the overall presentation.
I email the seller and tell her in no uncertain terms to remove my items immediately and she complies with all manner of apologies.
I’m still smelling a stink, so just for kicks I go over to Facebook and find she has a page there too where another fourteen photos of my items are displayed. I post directly on the page (no private messages for theives, sorry) to remove my items immediately or face legal action. Within minutes my post is deleted and I am blocked from the group.
Here is the kicker: A few hours later I receive an email from her asking permission to post three of my photos for just a few hours for buyers who were in the middle of making a decision as to which sweaters to buy from her.
Seriously?
Fortunately I have prepaid legal services, so I just turned the whole mess over to the law firm. Today all photos are down from Facebook, but I am still just flummoxed by the sense of entitlement this woman possesses.
September 9, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Stacie
Not surprising, really. A truly creative individual is an extinct animal. Particularly in light of global effects of the Internet. Very few original ideas ever occur these days. Rock on, sewing sista’. Rant on. You have my full support and readership. Pathetic copiers. Get your own idea. And for Pete’s sake, don’t be so stupid as to call another’s work your own. We all know each other these days. The Internet is a very small place, and it takes a LOT OF WORK to be an individual. Clowns. All of them.
September 10, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Anna
I’ve actually talked to the Big 4 about using their sewing patterns commercially (on a very tiny home scale) because I wanted to know their policy. It seemed like copyright violation to me when I see all these custom items that are clearly from a Big 4 pattern.
According to the people I talked to, If they catch you using their designs they will nicely ask you to stop. You can use their patterns for custom orders from customers who ask you to use the pattern to make something for them. I think the etsy/ebay users who make Big 4 patterns and sell them without credit are in violation of copyright.
Also, from what I understand about copyright law (having worked in law for a while and exploring copyright law since I am a budding costume designer), copyright is violated when you substatially COPY something in part or in full.
I guess I am guilty of violating copyright law from time to time when I use pieces of Big 4 patterns to make my custom costumes. *frown*
September 13, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Coco
So annoying to find etsy and other vendors selling items from patterns taken straight from a book/website/commercial pattern company and selling them as though they are their own originals. AND THEN denying it when you call them out. DUH, like there are no other seamstresses that just might have seen/used/MADE (MADE! MADE!) that pattern! Was recently at a craft show and saw this same sort of thing.
Good on you for at least trying to out a weasel or two!
September 21, 2011 at 11:58 am
Alexis Lantz
With the introduction of the newest version of the IDPPPA (HR 2511) in the House, it is looking like the US is about to finally get copyright protection for fashion design. (I’m an IP attorney in the US)
October 1, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Jeanette Hargrove
So, is this the reason that I can not down load the Coffee House dress?
October 13, 2011 at 8:26 pm
Susan
Ha! That was some great reading right there, girl. Love it!
October 17, 2011 at 11:00 am
Karen
Actually, you’re right — it is technically illegal, to my understanding.
There is such a thing as the “fair use” doctrine, which is a long-standing exception to Copyright law, but it has traditionally been limited to 10 copies of a given work (meaning, teachers can’t photocopy a book chapter for an entire class, although it might be okay to do so to help a single student).
Fair use never applies to the use of other people’s work for sale, or where there is a profit motive involved.
The other major exception to Copyright is for use in critique, so, within my understanding, you are not only justified in busting these creeps, but also in posting pictures (with the attributions you used) to hold them up as examples of what NOT to do.
Just IMHO, and IMNAL, but I, too, care about intellectual honesty!
October 26, 2011 at 11:21 am
earthanddust
I love this post! I also love that when I come across such things, I can refrain from giving them my business and I can let them know why they are not receiving my business. If everyone took a couple minutes to do this, I think it would make a difference.
October 30, 2011 at 4:33 am
debbycollier
I’ve had a shop on etsy since ’06. I used to spend time on the forums, and someone was always complaining about people stealing their design ideas. Some people left etsy because of it. Then there would be lengthy discussions about ethics, copyrights, etc. So sorry you ran afoul of those who aren’t creative enough to come up with their own designs. I’m so glad to read here that you confront the problem in detail. I’m sure all the etsy-ans who’ve been in your place would like to read this.
December 17, 2011 at 10:43 pm
Maggiedoll
I’ve been under the impression that a decent part of the reasoning behind claiming copyrights on patterns even though they can’t copyright the patterns is the desire not to be associating with something that they have no control over.
If somebody puts up a hideous version of some pattern on Etsy and credits it to the designer, that doesn’t look so good for the designer.
And since home sewing patterns aren’t made for production sewing (especially on things like the seam allowance size– industrial patterns would be using smaller seam allowances. That’s more accurate for sewing a whole lot of exactly the same garment. But it would make minor alterations more difficult.) it just makes sense to say “no, don’t use this for commercial purposes” even though they can’t technically enforce it legally.
Until new legislation is passed (which most of the fashion industry seems to be against– I’m sure IP lawyers would love it. Unless they’re bothered by the idea of the fashion industry collapsing, which is more or less what would happen. You might noted that the designers at the forefront of the copyright for fashion designers campaign are the ones most known for copying smaller designers work.) clothing is still considered “useful” items that don’t fall under copyright law.
Truly unique designs with new functionality can technically be patented. But coming up with clothing so unique that it could be patented doesn’t happen much anymore. Google’s patent search has some great old corset patents listed.
Kathleen Fasanella has some entries on the topic.
(Now taking somebody else’s images for commercial purposes is illegal. But using them for purposes of comment or criticism generally falls under fair use. So you’re pretty safe on posting the comparison image.)
December 17, 2011 at 10:45 pm
Maggiedoll
*ahem* Might notice even…
Why don’t you have a “preview comment” option? If I can’t preview, the typos go through!
December 19, 2011 at 12:01 am
Maggiedoll
Another thing to consider on the association topic: trademarks.
A the design of a sewing pattern can’t currently be copyrighted, so however anybody feels about it morally, selling a garment made from a pattern is legal.
Designer names, however, are protected trademarks. You’re more likely to run into legitimate IP infringement issues by saying “this Cynthia Rowley dress that I sewed” than “this dress that I made.” The former takes advantage of somebody else’s trademark and somebody else’s marketing efforts.
Several people have also pointed out that most big 4 patterns are essentially ripped off anyway. Another thing to consider is that they’re probably not drafting from scratch on a drawing board. To what extent can you consider a computer-generated pattern to be the designer’s own original work? There are only so many ways to put together any given article of clothing. Even fewer if you’re trying to create something on-trend. It’s entirely probable that multiple people using the same software to create some particular type of on-trend garment will come up with nearly identical patterns.
And where’s the line? Say you’re a skilled pattern drafter. Would you have to cloister yourself away from the world to be sure that nothing you drafted was actually somebody else’s idea? Or is it the number-crunching that makes the pattern yours? If it’s the number crunching, would you then credit the authors of every math textbook you’ve ever used?
January 31, 2012 at 3:32 pm
El
I think the point you were making has been somehow lost in technical issues. I am taking Eng 264 right now, and the fact is, if you want to discredit yourself, the quickest way to do that is commit plagiarism. Its just embarrassing to sew something using somebody else’s patterns, and not credit them. And for the record, there are quite a few pattern company’s who have their patterns copyrighted, and its illegal to make the item with the specific intent to sell.But look, here I am getting all technical. :)
February 11, 2012 at 6:49 pm
kimmyL
Ah. How delightful. This post was spot on, and I’m glad you wrote it so that I didn’t have to…
March 4, 2012 at 1:16 pm
trista
Here is my question: Is it illegal to use parts of other garments to upcycle into my own original design and then sell? Or to use parts of a pattern, for example a sleeve to add to my garment (upcycled) for sale? I was planning to open an etsy store and also sell my stuff locally…I am a self taught seamstress so I don’t have experience first hand with proper etiquette. Thanks muchly, love your blog!
March 7, 2012 at 10:58 am
christina
For whatever it means I did email Simplicity directly to ask about using their patterns for sellings items. This was the response.
Thank you for your recent inquiry about using our patterns and/or
graphics for sewing and then selling them garments and/or crafts.
Patterns and graphics are all subject to copyright laws. On
most envelope backs we mention “To be used for individual private home
use only and not for commercial or manufacturing purposes”. Treat them
just like you would books or videos—you can share them with anyone but
once you start making copies, and especially if you are selling those
copies, you are clearly violating the rights of the author/designer.
If you are sewing as a seamstress, the legal interpretation is
that the customer requesting the garment owns the pattern and you are
only selling your work or skills as a seamstress.
If you are sewing clothes in mass production, for the retail or
wholesale market, no matter how small the volume, you are selling the
design-which in this case belongs to Simplicity. You would therefore be
in violation of the copyright laws, so it would be illegal.
The reproduction and/or use of all graphics fall under the
copyright protection as well.
We hope this explains our standing in this situation. Thank you for
taking the time to contact us, and we appreciate your inquiry.
Sincerely,
Marjorie J Smith
Consumer Service Associate
Simplicity Creative Group
261 Madison Ave. 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
March 7, 2012 at 12:39 pm
trista
Thanks that was a really helpful post:)
March 8, 2012 at 11:09 pm
El
Wow Christina! That put the hammer to the nail. That was very informative, I guess that answers all the questions on here.
March 22, 2012 at 1:43 am
Anne Huang
what do you teach? :)
April 11, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Laurel
I’ve seen this over and over on Etsy. One time, I actually emailed Vogue Knitting because an Etsy seller was selling VOGUE’S patterns using VOGUE’S photos as their own! Seriously, people, in a creative forum like Etsy, do you think nobody would recognize a Vogue pattern?! It’s nuts. Good for you for at least having a sense of humor and standing up for yourself!
April 27, 2013 at 2:26 pm
Frightened
Ok. So, I’m nowhere near the level of you, Selfish (in wit and sarcasm, nor sewing and creating), but I’ve cracked out a couple of tote bags and a kind of tote-cum-handbag-cum nappy bag with dividers and zips and some bells and whistles. I’m proud of the result because I worked it out by myself (apart from looking at a couple of zippered pouch tutorials and having the ‘aha’ moment that zips go in before any other construction – may sound obvious but to someone who hasn’t sewn before…) the thing is that someone out there is bound to have created something similar and I don’t want to give any truly creative people out there heartburn when my humble offerings turn up on Etsy. Wadya reckon? Am I protected from the sharpness of your tongues by my newbiness to sewing and this being the first stage towards getting REALLY creative (I’m talking about everyone’s aversion to sameiness rather than theft – I’m satisfied that I’ve sussed all this pattern out myself without help and if anyone else has had the same ideas it’s only because they are so basic and uncreative – um, I mean classic and longstanding, ahem.
The comments about people claiming ownership of classic garments is interesting too. I knocked up a couple of sundresses for myself while preggers (desperation and limited budget) after my mum showed me how to use shearing elastic and I just sewed a tube out of an old duvet and ran lines of elastic through. I was so pleased with the result that I started looking for other duvet dresses online and found many a tutorial for just what I had managed to create by myself with warnings about using the instructions for commercial use. I think some people would try claiming ownership of a basic hankie pattern! It really didn’t take a lot of imagination and i definately had an identical dress as a small child. I did find another dress idea but then my charity shop sewing machine started making a dreadful noise and waking my darling son so I gave up till I could afford a less abused one.
By the way, I think you have a cheek calling yourself ‘selfish’ when you go around sharing hilarity and sewing know-how. I’ve just stumbled on you and love love love your cake feeding comments in your wedding post (not to mention the dress and that stunning cake).