Wednesday, September 2, 2020

The Future of Craftsy and the Flirty Day Dress Class


 You may have heard that Craftsy/bluprint has been purchased by an entity called TN Marketing, and that they have resolved to bring back the "old" Craftsy that we once knew and loved. They aren't really set up like the youthful Craftsy I enjoyed comrade with (teachers are still wondering about contract royalties) but for sure, as of now, the promise to keep your account and "forever" class purchases still stand. Hurray!

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This image below is the landing page for my class, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that this leading "important" statement could be used in a Marketing 101 class as an example of what not to do. It doesn't encourage me to sign up, but rather does the opposite. Is it an attempt at transparency? Let me just be clear here and say that the statement isn't correct. Yes, Simplicity is still selling the pattern, and as soon as they stop, I will publish it again afresh! The design is only licensed to Simplicity. Thankfully I am still the copyright owner and all rights revert back to me.


Now that I've worked with two "for profit" enterprises in my field, Craftsy and Simplicity, I am much wiser about these "collaborations". We independents do it for the chance at exposure, and I did gain some valuable working experience, but there is yet a list to be made of the good and the bad. In the end, would I say it was entirely worth the benefit? Once you enter into a deal with a corporation,  it's like giving a gift to a stranger. You work so hard and give it all you can, but in the end you never know what they are going to do with the gift, so be prepared to just let it all go. Don't expect to be kept in the loop. It's not in the contract. You are the last person to discover it, yet it's your face or name on the front and held responsible by the public none the less.
So now you know. The future of this pattern remains in my keeping, and here's my promise:  I promise the Tia dress pattern will be "forever" available after it finally drops off the wheel with Simplicity. Will we be safe in the hands of TN Marketing? That I can't say, but there must always be hope for a bright future! 
 
Here's the links for the things I've been talking about in this post: 
 
Have a Great Sewing Day!  
Laura