"Pssssst!"

Libby sent me this image, a pattern she bought at Funkoma Vintage just for the illustration. I would have done the same. What on earth is going on in this picture? Nothing good. What was the illustrator thinking? "I know what will make women want this dress! Let's show them how catty and backstabby they can be while wearing it!"

I would like to know what YOU think these women are saying to each other ... leave your dialogue in the comments if you are so inspired.

This also reminds me of An Idea that I've had for a while. Why isn't anyone selling large poster-size prints of great pattern images? If you scan them at a high-enough dpi you can send the images to any number of online photo-processing places and get a poster-sized print (which costs about $20, I think). And wouldn't you want a huge blowup of a great pattern as a sewing-room picture? (Heck, I'd put them all over the house!) Someone should be doing this on Etsy, frankly, and if nobody IS doing this, I present this idea to anyone who wants to start this as their home-based business, free of charge. Go right on ahead. I bet you could charge $35-40 for it, and more if you framed 'em or had them put on foamcore backing.

(Of course since most of these images are probably still copyright there might be SOME difficulty but I think that a good case could be made for these being a derivative work. And the pattern companies sure aren't doing anything with their images ...)

If you do start doing this, let me know and I'll post about this here.

Comments

[lfs]

Ha. Have thought the same thing about using pattern pics as wall posters, etc. for quite a while. I think I'll check into it. I work with attorneys so will check on the legal aspects of it also.lfs

[SewPaula]

Turquoise: Did you see how much she bought at that last fabric sale? I wonder if her hubby knows? Didn't that polka dot come from the last sale?Purple Stripes: What sale? Where? Why didn't you tell me about it?

[Ashe Mischief]

PSST: Sue Ann only wears that dress on Mondays, when Brad is her milk man. SEE how she wears no gloves? Just wait til her husband finds out.

[Lisa Simeone]

"Do you think the women who buy this pattern will believe that our waists are really this small, and that if they make these dresses, theirs will be, too?"

[Pink]

Turquoise: Can you believe she wore that to this party?Stripy Pink: Can you believe she's talking to him after what happened to her sister?

[melissa joy]

i do have a vintage pattern framed on my wall, as well as a vintage bathing suit.

[Lee]

Turquoise: No, no, don't turn around- but Polka Dot is talking to that smudge on the wall again! She thinks she's sighted a saint or something. Oh no, don't look...She's even brought flowers to start a weird little shrine. Stripy: Hmm. Do you think we can cash in on this in some way?

[tea]

I've been thinking the same thing! I just have to get my lazy arse around to going to the poster-making place. Of course, I don't think I could go so far as to be entrepreneurial about it.

[Anonymous]

What a coincidence. I have been printing out pattern pics for a while now, many from your site, with the intention of framing them for display in my sewing room. They are perfect and fun. Diane

[Kuri]

Turquoise: "That hussy flirts with all the ghostly, barely-visible men!"Stripy-Pink: "Don't tell her, but I think she's just talking to a black and white portrait on the wall anyway."

[Elaray]

Turquoise: I don't know why he pays so much attention to her!. We're all wearing the same dress after all!

[Netter]

I told you he had no taste, what with being barely visible and all, but to be talking to that hussy in polka dots. That's beyond the pale.

[Shannon]

Pattern pics as wall posters - what a great idea!!

[julia]

Turquoise: Doesnt it warm your heart that shes getting out a bit?Stripes: Yes, it does. Its been 10 months now. She used to have so much fun going out. It makes me sad that shes been keeping to herself so much since....Turquoise: I know. You are a genius for suggesting a M3430 sew-along. I think shes been sewing a lot you must have known that she might step out a bit for us all to get together now that our dresses are done. And to schedule our tea during your brothers visit... I didnt know you had it in you!Stripes: Thank-you. I dont know about genius, but I will confess that I knew he loves a woman in a polka dotted dress....

[Allison]

I've scanned in some pics from old pattern catalogs at pretty high resolution, and I gave a framed 8x10 print to my mom as a gift last year. She loved it.

[Margo]

Turquoise: Her dress is SO ugly!Stripes (with gracious smile - this has obviously happened before): Lord, honey, we're all wearing the same thing!

[Jen]

Turquoise: I love this little get-together! What a great idea, all of us wearing the same thing to a guild luncheon. Don't look now, but behind you is the cutest polka-dot!Stripe: I love all this diversity. Who knew you could do this one dress so many ways? Whoever thought of this was genius!

[Kristen]

what a fun and awesome idea! worth looking in to! I'd love to have patterns on my wall. :)

[ak]

A poster would be cool. I have some photos I made using photoshop with just the pattern girls, but they are no bigger than 5" x 7".

[Katxena]

turquoise: don't look now, but that woman there, in the polka dots, she's not flying.purple stripes: really? but she's wearing a magic dress like ours, isn't she?turquoise: yes, yes, she is. why do you think her feet are on the ground, when ours aren't?purple stripes: maybe it's that mysterious man. he's grounding her too much. who is he?turquoise: sister, we've got to get the coven organized to help her. he could be dangerous.purple stripes: or fun.

[Lady Miss Alicia]

I have to go for the obvious....Turquoise:Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt. It is so big.Purple:*scoff* She looks like, one of those rap guys' girlfriends...

[Sharon]

Bonnie: Hey Tammy,check out what's behind us! Platinum bottle blonde, spectator pumps with 4 inch cuban heels, no gloves, and she's practically got her legs wrapped around that guy ... oh and give me a break, flowers.Tammy: Divorcees.....they're all alike. No lady would ever wear cuban heels!

[Karen]

I love the idea of framing and displaying patterns (its on my to-do list, after I print and frame pictures from my trip to Africa 7 years ago, and our wedding pictures...). My husband has a collection of magazines from the 1950's, and we'd frame some of the ads for the collection also (there's one ad for the zipper that's really cool!). The issue though is if you blow them up to posters, you can't fit as many on the wall!

[Michelle deMoose]

Just pointing out for your readers that there is an auction on eBay for the Walkaway dress and so far, no one has bid on it! It would never fit me, but some lucky lady might be thrilled to snap it up.It's listed as "BUTTERICK PATTERN # 6015 size 16" and ends in three days.

[Thoughts on Life and Millinery.]

Posters: Great idea.Wall paper: Even betterFabric: Best of allSomebody with know-how: Get cracking NOW!