Following up on our discussion of commercial sewing patterns last week I decided to contact the two major pattern companies, McCall's (Butterick, Vogue) and Simplicity (New Look, Burda Style) to see if I could hear about their patterns directly from one of their designers. Simplicity is clearly the more web savvy of the two, with a Facebook page and a presence on Twitter. They carry Oliver + S's Lisette line and have the community of BurdaStyle. I didn't get a response to my interview request from Simplicity, though. Maybe it didn't reach the right person. I was excited that I did hear back from McCall's. Carolyne Cafaro emailed me. She said she works with all of the in-house and outside designers and would find one who would be interested in answering my questions.
I emailed her the questions and requested a few images to use along with the post. Nothing too high resolution, just something to illustrate the text. She forwarded my request to Penny Reginio. Penny told me she would send me a CD. I reiterated that a few JPEGs in an email would be sufficient, but she said it was easier to send me a CD. The images you see here are from Penny's CD.
Carolyne got back to me saying that their resident soft craft designer, Virginia (Ginny) Maizenaski, would be doing the interview. Ginny's title is Non-Fashion Designer (Crafts, Accessories, Home Dec., Costumes). Here's the interview (the links are my doing):
How did you become a designer for McCall’s?
I've been involved in crafts since I was a girl. I made soft toys (and clothes) for my girls. I joined the Society of Craft Designers and began designing craft projects for various craft publications including ‘McCall’s Creates’. Margaret Chapman was Creative Director and asked me to come work for her. A while later I became part of the McCall’s Patterns’ Team.
How much do you follow trends?
We continually watch trends. Read blogs, attend Toy Fair, various magazines, catalogs, TV, stores, people watch. Merchandising watches what the consumer is buying from us. If the consumer responds positively we follow their lead.
Take us through the process of designing a new pattern from inception to publication.
There are many people involved in the process of a design from inception to publication. Designers are given direction from Merchandising. The line is presented and picked for the Issue. After a design and it’s fabrics are approved fabrics and notions are ordered. I work with a patternmaker to discuss size, fabrics, construction, feel. I’ll enlarge my illustrations to get appliques and/or a rudimentary pattern. We go over the muslin making any corrections. Dressmaking/Craft Dept. makes the approved pattern photo model. I make sure the photo model is correct and I may do some of the approved details. Photography does their magic. The Writing Dept. writes instructions and illustrations. The Technical Artist does a detailed sketch. The designer needs to be available to answer questions any department may have concerning the design. The Art Dept. does page layout.
What misconceptions do people commonly hold about what you do?
There is a lot of technical work that is involved in the creative craft process. All the little pieces have to be created and accounted for. The initial creative idea gives way to precise engineering.
What do you think the future holds for the sewing pattern industry?
Crafts is an area in our industry that is on the upswing. We see designs that previously only sold during holiday, selling all year round. Consumers who might be afraid of making their own clothes seem more apt to try an item from the craft area. We have to give the consumer what she wants. My hope is we'll be creating new and exciting designs for the consumer for years to come.
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After I received the interview responses and read them over, I asked Ginny if she would take a look at my blog post about commercial sewing patterns, read your comments, and share her thoughts about our discussion. Ginny forwarded this request back to Carolyne who responded this way:
"Both Ginny and I read the postings. I, too, am a home sewer and personally prefer looking at the illustrations rather than reading the instructions. We do try our best to create clear instructions. It is an evolving process and our staff continually tries to produce the best product. We receive comments and read blogs so we are aware of our shortcomings and try to overcome them."
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I have a few reactions to the interview. First, I know people are very busy and I am appreciative that Carolyne, Ginny, and Penny took the time to interact with a blogger with a random interview request. Frankly, I was surprised that I wasn't immediately handed off to someone in public relations.
I will say it was a bit hard to assess who I was talking to because, besides Ginny, none of the people I emailed back and forth with have their title as part of their email signature.
I would have thought that a few JPEGS in an email would be easier than mailing a CD. (The CD came in a folder along with a printout of my emailed request). But hey, images are images.
Ginny specifically mentions that the soft craft design team at McCall's is reading blogs and staying current. I'd love to see McCall's interact more with the online craft community, maybe set up an interactive web presence of some kind and start actively engaging. There are so many easy ways to do this now, and it does make a huge difference in the public's perception of a company.
Most of all I'd like to hear your thoughts on this interview, on the toys shown here, on what questions I might have asked, or on anything else that strikes you about my effort to reach out and hear an inside perspective and the response I got.
Mccalls has a facebook page – though it is mostly clothes sewing related. I just assumed the designer would write the instructions, maybe following some guidelines that everyone used, but I am surprised so many different people are invloved in one pattern, maybe that is where some of the not so friendly instructions develop.
Thank you for finding their Facebook page. Here it is:
http://www.facebook.com/mccallspatterns?sk=wall
Wow…I love that you did this. I’m not necessarily a sewer though I do on occasion tackle a project and I have experienced and felt exactly what you do. I love that you took this forward and are letting us follow along as you think this out and figure it out…I love an academic approach and sometimes that is just as important as simply providing inspiration.
I grew up in a family business that was a wholesale/retail fabric outlet with a storefront. As vendors we didn’t make a great deal of profit on selling commercial patterns but we needed to have them in order to sell our fabric. My mum and I would spend a great deal of time showing customers how to read the patterns in order to make them. I do believe that the directions and explanations have gotton better over time though. However, I don’t really think the pattern companies are current with the crafting trends. Anyone who is in anyway competent with a computer can find so much more out there that is way more interesting to make….and there are so many freebies and tutorials too. Just my humble opinion:)
Thank you for another interesting post!
What springs to my mind is the growing number of independent pattern designers selling their softie patterns on Etsy, Patternspot etc, or in books (like yourself, Abby!). I get the impression that many of them are very detailed and comprehensive, with lots of photos for illustration. Some of these designers seem to be very successful, and I would think they cover a fair portion of the craft-pattern-buying market.
I think that the large pattern companies are probably stuck with a format, well they’d have to be with so many people involved. But the independent designers have a better understanding of the whole process from start to finish and in my opinion make a better pattern. This goes for clothing as well, my favourite company is independent Colette Patterns. So well put together, lovely designs and great instructions.
My mother was a journalist. I can’t help myself! I’m glad you think it is interesting, Danee. I certainly do!
I wholeheartedly agree with you, Mary Ann. It is interesting to realize that the patterns are what drove the fabric sales in your parents’ brick-and-mortar store. I wonder about that interaction in today’s market at places like Jo-Ann’s. If it isn’t commercial patterns driving fabric and notions sales (and there certainly isn’t someone at Jo-Ann’s taking the time to show customers how to read the pattern instructions!), what is driving fabric sales?
Thank you so much for your thoughts, Elisa. I think it is interesting to think about being “stuck” with a format. Although they may feel stuck, there is no reason why a company has to keep doing something the way they’ve always done it. The world is changing, has already changed, and products need to keep pace to stay relevant or they will die away. I’ve heard wonderful things about Colette patterns and will recommend them to my sewing students who would like to sew clothing. Thank you!
For whatever reason, it never occurred to me to buy a paper pattern for softies. All of the patterns I have are either from softie-sewing books or free from websites or ones I’ve drawn myself.
Design by committee always takes a long time, so if they’re trying to capitalize on trends (like the Angry Birds softies), they’re going to be far behind the creative bloggers who can figure it out, post it, and monetize it quicker.
I am also wary of what kind of inspiration they take from the blogs they say they are reading.
I second the recommendation of Colette patterns; they’re phenomenal! I’m sewing my way through the Colette Sewing Handbook and learning so much!
i get the impression you had higher hopes for this interview! the answers to your questions sounded so familiar to me having come from the industry. an in-house design job sounds at first to be a dream job, getting paid to design what you enjoy. but in reality, it isn’t quite like that. most of the time is spent designing what you are told to design, it’s all fed by marketing.
i can only speak from my own experiences here in the uk, textiles is notoriously undervalued and underpaid. as we were part of a factory, we had to clock in and out. designs were churned out so quickly, and you work a season ahead. plus a lot is licensed designs (eg disney, i see an angry birds image supplied by mccalls, which means you are not really designing, just translating an image into 3d). yes we did get to go out looking for new ideas occasionally, but it was frowned upon and classed as skiving by others in the company. it would be very difficult to keep up to date with the customer base in a blogging format as everything had to be kept under wraps from competitors. after a while, everything in the range looks formulaic and bland. if i hadn’t left as we were re-locating, i was ready to go anyway as instead of it being a dream job, it was just a job.
I guess I was wondering where McCall’s saw themselves fitting into the current soft toy craft scene. I think in many ways the interview speaks for itself as far as the future of their craft patterns as they stand now.
To me, this is a do or die moment for them – either think big by signing some big name designers and jumping into today’s hip sewing community with both feet, or suffer from atrophy and dwindle away.
The brand still has cache and I think they could do an awesome turnaround and get some great toy patterns out there, but I’m not getting the sense that this is what’s happening. I wish them well.
I love how you hunt out the big brands and ask them whats on your/our minds. I feel that the responses from the companies is not always so clear cut but the simple fact they give you the time is a good thing.
I find a lot of commercial soft toys (mass produced) really dissapointing and for me there is nothing nicer than something that someone has spent time making. Blood sweat and tears!!
It is surprising that the patterns are so badly done. They really are! I think the larger companies need to really take note of the bloggers who are now leading the sewing industry with easy to follow steps and good illustrations. In a way I feel sorry for the pattern companies as to follow that with paper patterns mass produced would be horribly expensive.
But I think the good thing is that recently there is a huge revival on home made and with enough gentle nudging I am sure the pattern companies can only improve! (as can the humble sewer!!!)
Quilting seems to be a major driving force for fabric sales at the moment. Everywhere I turn lately in the blogosphere I see quilting of some sort:)Grassroots crafts seem to have come back in full force again or maybe it’s just in my little part of the universe:)
Great interview – i really like your approach.
I realise I don’t actually own a paper pattern and I’m not sure if its that i don’t use them because they don’t inspire me, or they don’t inspire me because i don’t use them…
A great interview Abby and a bit of an eye-opener. I have often thought, “oh wouldn’t it be nice if my real job involved toy making”… but maybe not. I had no idea that so many people were involved and that is was so prescriptive. I agree that they are in dire need of a turn around, but can’t really see it coming.
After your post last week about commercial patterns, I went and bought a commercial softie pattern. The instructions were convoluted to say the least. There was no common sense involved. certainly if I had picked up that pattern as more of a beginner, I would have been totally frustrated and given up.
I wonder who is buying their “craft” patterns because I think there is far superior stuff out there from small companies and independent designers, and of course a plethora of freebies and tutorials.
This is fascinating stuff.
I'm so glad you found the interview interesting and that's awesome that you went and gave one of these patterns a go. I worry that I am shooting myself in the foot by speaking critically. I hope that my interview will be interpreted as simply curiosity and a real search for answers from those in charge. I am keenly interested in the future of the sewing industry.
Abby, I don’t read any of this as critical, in fact your post and the comments are a goldmine of information for the industry.
Thanks so much for posting and doing the interview! I’ve never bought commercial toy patterns, but have looked at them frequently at the store. I’m not very comfortable following patterns yet, although I’d like to spend more time learning. I usually just try to wing my plush designs which can end up taking either mere hours to finish or many months!
I agree with a previous comment about all the great free tutorials online. Often, the directions for these included step by step pictures and are very clear to follow. I’ve found wonderful help with designs through tutorials.
Thanks again!
As somebody else said above, if anyone had asked me whether I’d like to be a soft toy designer for a big company, I’d have said yes (yes, yes, yes)! But it all sounds a bit limiting, in that you don’t actually get to make at least the prototype yourself. When I’m trying to come up with new patterns,they often change/develop dramatically after the first practice run. And, I’d say you learn a lot about what’s possible by actually developing the toy yourself. Still, it’s a very interesting interview. Any chance of a conversation with a McCall’s patternmaker?
I purchased pattern no.M7460 (childs poncho) I didn’t find the instructions for view C adequate. Can you please advise?
Hi Mary, This is not the McCalls pattern site. To get specific information about a pattern you’ll need to visit their site directly.