Comments on: Make it your quilt

By: Gale

Gale — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:33:22 +0000

Hmmm…I have to disagree with your comparison to literature:

“Think about it like this. If we were talking about literature instead of craft, and you started with someone else’s form and added your embellishments or pieced it together, it would be considered plagiarism.”

Hmm…I think the comparison doesn’t work. To me, when someone prints their artwork on a t-shirt, that’s like when an author publishes their manuscript. That they don’t bind and print the book themselves doesn’t take away from their craft…because their craft isn’t bookbinding, it’s writing.

Likewise, when I have my work printed on t-shirts and ornaments and such I don’t feel like that takes away from my craft because I’m not a seamstress or an ornament maker. I’m a graphic designer and an artist. And that’s what I would call the artist who puts their rocking design on a t-shirt. They’re not a clothing designer, they’re a graphic designer. Why should they have to sew anything to be that?

By: The Wrong Message

The Wrong Message — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:01:24 +0000

[...] This is not a bad thing in itself as long as you’re owning your process. [...]

By: If you’re a quilter quilt — handmade in PA

If you’re a quilter quilt — handmade in PA — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:04:00 +0000

[...] out my second guest post on Scoutie Girl called ‘Make it your quilt‘ about striving to control all parts of your creative process. Be sure to get in on the [...]

By: business buzz 3-20-10 « craftMBA.com – business thinking for designers & makers

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:08:03 +0000

[...] make it your quilt – Own your process, from start to finish. [...]

By: Angela Flicker

Angela Flicker — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:06:26 +0000

Absolutely Nick. I actually agree very much with you and Tara. Sometimes the best advise hurts a little. Does that make sense? And this discussion has helped me to evaluate some of the work I’ve done in the past and reconsider it, learn from it, be intentional about it, etc.

This has all been very helpful for me. This conversation and Tara’s post has been eye-opening in a way and has helped me to clarify what direction I want to go. I’ve been pondering for a while now and this morning things like a little more clear. Thank you.

By: pam

pam — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:57:57 +0000

i think/feel the biggest challenge for many is to accept the idea that they are creative. So many come into my booth at shows and say how they admire how creative i am and that they are not creative.
i ask if they have decorated a house or dressed themselves and point out that these are all creative decisions and they simply have to take the chance and play with ideas.
i also think we forget our own learning curves through school and when we tackle a new project, expect perfection right off. when the project may not turn out as we had projected, we can become disillusioned and frustrated.

By: nick

nick — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:06:17 +0000

absolutely, if you make the old materials your own! It would be the same idea as transforming purchased items. make it your own and you’re golden. depends on how far you want to take it.

By: nick

nick — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:05:24 +0000

tara’s right. i’m not saying you have to make and design from start to finish to be considered ‘craft’. the post is about process and mainly about thinking through your steps.

if you’re using purchased items, make sure you’re using them in a transforming way. alter them and make it yours. you want your work to be distinctive. i also believe once you try to define what craft is there’s someone going to prove you wrong.

By: nick

nick — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:56:09 +0000

Angela, this is not a one-size-fits-all statement. The premise is about how far you make the purchased work yours. Is it distinctly transformed? Is there a way to set it apart from the original?

You’ll need to be the one who arrives with the answers. That allows you to decide the creative side about what you want the work to be. Every maker has a distinct path.

By: Lara

Lara — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:41:54 +0000

what a great article and great comments. For myself I am trying to be very conscious of all the choices I make when I’m crafting things. I re-love all my textiles and I only stuff with clean new wool, I try to keep everything as local as possible and give preference to predator-friendly ranches when sourcing my wool. I agree that it’s important to take this conscientiousness through to all the things we do…eating, travelling, shipping, buying, selling, making, teaching…it’s a big change to make, but every step forward counts. I have found with each new choice I make that I go on to the next level of decision making…