Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Copyright Revisited

The American Quilter's Society has posted an excellent article on copyright as it pertains to quilts that are entered in contests or will be on public display. To protect yourself and the artists who inspire you, it is worth a read. It also provides a link to a chart of copyright expiry dates. Although this is a U.S. site, much of it applies to other jurisdictions.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

What Not to Wear Gets it Right

If you have followed this blog, you know I like to comment on this very popular show from time to time because, like many reality shows, it  doesn't always sit well with me. Fashion and creating fashion (i.e. sewing garments ) are so closely related subjects that I often treat them  as one. But I will admit when I think they have made a good point. And that point is: "Fleece is not your friend."

Fleece looks good on babies, dogs, athletes and teenagers. For the rest of us fleece is a fashion cop-out. It says to the world, "I've stopped caring about how I look." And if you attend sewing shows in North America, you will see a significant portion of the population in fleece suits. They sometimes spend lots of money on beautiful quilt fabrics, but they have given up on sewing for themselves. It is a shame really when there are so many resources available to these talented people to make themselves comfortable, flattering garments in which they will look and feel good.
Some designers have come up with lots of patterns on how to make a sweatshirt into a jacket and how to make quilted clothing, but with very few exceptions, they still look like what they are--sweatshirts and quilts. If Stacy and Clinton can convince women all over America to dress better, then maybe someone can convince those who can sew to give up their sweats and sew practical garments that flatter and fit.

What Not to Say on What Not to Wear

I caught the TLC's Royal Wedding coverage and was taken by the striking contrast between the elegance and simplicity of the ceremony and the over exuberance and at times outright silliness of the commentators. It was as if they all lost several IQ points in the excitement of the moment. Well, that can happen to anyone, especially on (inter)national television in front of millions of viewers. The pinnacle came with the announcement by Clinton Kelly of TLC's What Not to Wear of the titles of the newly wedded couple as the "Dutch and Duchess of Cambridge". Shutup!