The Afton Skirt September 1, 2011 – Posted in: Sewing, Tutorials
I very rarely enjoy making clothes for other adults. Women come in every shape and size and I’m no tailor! So it’s really hard to make things for other people that fit them correctly. But recently an old and very dear friend of mine asked me if I could make a skirt she’d seen.
So she came over one afternoon, we poured over the picture and came up with a game plan. Then we packed up the girls and headed out to get our materials. She stayed with me while I took some measurements, drafted the pattern, and got all the pieces cut out. It only took me a few hours that night to sew most of it together. She came back the next day and I did some finishing details and we had a little final photoshoot. I’m absolutely in LOVE with the way it came out, and I’m excited that in my non-pregnant state we wear the same size so I don’t even have to make new pattern pieces to make myself this amazing skirt!
19 Comments
Anne (I should be sleeping) September 01, 2011 - 22:50
It is such a beautiful skirt! Thankyou so much for taking the time to post the tutorial- I’m seeing one for me in red! 🙂
Alison September 02, 2011 - 11:35
This is a gorgeous skirt, I think I might have to attempt one!
Alison
x
carol September 04, 2011 - 18:07
Very cute! Very retro chic…love it!
Bohemian Hijabi September 06, 2011 - 16:37
That is amazing that you were able to duplicate that skirt from a picture! You did a really nice job with it. By the way, it looks like we have the same serger! You appear to have mastered yours already. 🙂
Carrie September 10, 2011 - 11:56
I love this tutorial. I found it on Pintrest. I totally need to make this! Thanks!
Lacey September 10, 2011 - 12:08
I purchased this skirt from the designer on Etsy, her shop name is Simone’s Rose. It’s my absolute favorite skirt and so comfortable! If I was a seamstress (on my list of things to do) I’d be inspired to create one myself. It looks like you did a great job replicating it.
Cassy September 13, 2011 - 10:29
This is ADORABLE! I don’t sew, but my bf keeps telling me he’ll make me a skirt. I sent him the link to this post. Thank you for the tutorial!!!
Michelle - Simone's Rose September 13, 2011 - 17:15
Hey – guess what.. I know where she saw that skirt.. IT’S MY DESIGN. The fact that you would use my design and write a tutorial about it is not only disrespectful but rude. If you’re going to write tutorials about something it should be your own design and not something an independent designer spent hours developing.
Not impressed.. if you have any respect for other artists and their work you would take this tutorial down – you could of at least altered it to be somewhat different.
Lisa September 13, 2011 - 17:47
I would be flattered if someone loved my work so much that they took it to another tailor to duplicate. If you notice in her blog post, she stated that the person who brought it over to her didn’t know where she found the picture. She was 100% honest, she didn’t say “hey, I came up with this great idea and it’s MINE”. She said this was someone else’s design and I’m trying to duplicate it at the request of a friend.
I think there was a better way for you to go about this than to attack another artist. What was that you were saying about respect?
Jodie September 13, 2011 - 17:51
She did say she didn’t know where the picture came from. You should have emailed her rather than blasting her on her blog.
Joy September 13, 2011 - 18:03
I think it is a really cute skirt no matter whose version it is.
But if you read what she wrote, she says, “It’s not exactly like the one she’d seen, but it was close enough to make her happy.”
And I think it says volumes of the raw talent Sew Like My Mom has by looking at the picture and coming up with her own design.
If you were professional, you’d have found an alternate outlet to discuss your concerns. This isn’t high school.
AngieMontreal September 13, 2011 - 18:05
She said she didn’t know where it came from, but that doesn’t make it right…ignorance is not a good excuse for anything! It’s obvious that it’s from an independent designer…maybe it would have been a better choice to indeed make it for her friend, but then opt to NOT use this as a tutorial project for your site…it seems very inappropriate. OR try to up your professionalism as a blogger and properly source your resources! Posting an image that is copyright is illegal and Michelle has the legal right to ask you to remove it. She has worked long and hard to create this design, and to use her image without her permission is wrong. It’s your job as a writer/blogger to figure out your sources…and if you can’t DON’T post about it!
Melissa September 13, 2011 - 18:07 – In reply to: Michelle - Simone's Rose
Michelle, if you’d taken a few minutes to look through my blog before attacking me, you’d see I always give credit when I make things that aren’t my designs. I openly showed the picture my friend had brought me and admitted we didn’t know where it had come from. I never pretended that I came up with the design on my own, and I would have happily included information about how to purchase one from you–I DIDN’T KNOW YOU SOLD THEM. I also would have appreciated you emailing me about this instead of trying to accuse me of copyright infringement and attempting to destroy my good name. I’m an adult and will happily act like one in these situations. I’ll gladly take down the tutorial, but I will not remove my images.
Laura September 13, 2011 - 18:11
Now that she knows where the picture came from she should either credit it or remove the photo. However, this is not the tutorial for the exact same skirt…that is obvious, they are not the same. No one has any right to ask sew like my mom to pull down a tutorial that she came up with herself, the best solution would have been to ask her to credit the original designer with the picture and then post a link to the designer’s page, or, otherwise, ask her to remove the photo. I am not impressed. I am a designer as well, and would have never thrown this kind of tantrum. I don’t see anything being sold here, there is no issue. It could have been free advertising. The only legitimate beef is with the picture. Perhaps in the future you should watermark your photographs so that there is always a way to find you as the designer. I have made many sales that way.
AngieMontreal September 13, 2011 - 18:16
Also:
If you made your living from your work, you would NOT “be flattered if someone loved your work so much that they took it to another tailor to duplicate.”
And if someone then made a tutorial showing people how to copy your design…which directly affected your livelihood and your ability to feed and clothe yourself….I think you would be the opposite of flattered. Try to put yourself in the same position.
Michelle - Simone's Rose September 13, 2011 - 18:30
Melissa – I did email you.. and you should have done some research if you didn’t know where the photo came from. The photo was obviously downloaded so there is a link to it. I’m not trying to cause a problem here and I’m sure you didn’t mean any harm but artist to artist – please think twice about copying another designer’s work in the future or at least get permission before doing so. My initial comment may have been off the cuff but I was and am sincerely disappointed to see this kind of thing happen – not only in this situation but to all designers and artists out there.
ShannonWinnipeg September 13, 2011 - 18:31
I have to agree with the latter. I’m sure the designer of the skirt is more upset that now anyone can just redo at a whim something that took her precious time and HER creativity. This is not just a hobby for her its her bread and butter as well. You keep saying that she should have had more respect and settled this by emailing you but maybe you should have emailed her to ask her how she felt about you dissecting her skirt and giving up her her trade secrets for all to see. Had you emailed her i’m sure you could have come to a mutual understanding.
Lisa September 13, 2011 - 18:36
You have no idea whether or not I I make my living from my work. Nor can you pretend to know how I would handle a situation like this.
In this day and age of blogging, there are tuts about everything. EVERYthing! That’s something you have to realize and accept if you do make your living selling your own ideas. If I want to make dish soap there are a zillion blogs out there with tuts on how to make it yourself. Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce? Yep, that’s out there too! Juicy Couture bags? Check! Name something and I’m sure there is a tut out there waiting for someone to watch it.
Now, that being said I agree it must be frustrating. However, trashing someone online, accusing them of stealing and trying to ruin someone’s reputation is very unprofessional and isn’t a good idea if you want to uphold a professional image of yourself.
Melissa September 13, 2011 - 18:42 – In reply to: Michelle - Simone's Rose
You did email me–after you left your comment on this post. I removed the tutorial, I’m sorry if you feel you’ve been done wrong, but it’s finished. Can we all move on now?