Reader submissions: Fabric Designer Kristen Doran
Molly from Mommy Coddle wrote in to recommend a designer: Kristen Doran. Kristen makes bags, pounches and softies with fabric she designs herself. It’s gorgeous screen printed fabric, with natural images of plants, and some of my favorite colors from nature: brown, red, green and light blue.
It’s a great solution to a growing problem- fabric designers (like Amy Butler) are not allowing their fabrics to be used on objects to be sold. So while you can buy Amy Butler fabric, you can’t sell the bag you made from it. Thanks for the update from Kelly, who informs us that Amy Butler changed her policy in response from customers. That is great to hear! Best wishes to Amy and her company. :)
Kristen has a better solution: make your own fabric designs. Kristen shares photos of the process- screen printing, on her blog. It’s great to see work that looks so professional done on a small scale, makes it seem possible to do… I bet this will inspire others.
Looks like she’s a bit under the weather, I hope she feels better soon!
- Kristen Doran’s shop
- Kristen Doran’s blog
August 22nd, 2006 at 9:55 am
I am a fan! I have ordered twice and they are really lovely- the designs and the quality.
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:45 pm
I strongly recommend you take a look at this very clever and talented designer. Her textiles are simple yet very intricate whilst using calming delicious colours.
August 23rd, 2006 at 7:58 am
I love her beautiful screened designs, and would encourage anyone to try silk screening as a really fun way to personalize anything.
From a legal perspective though, any fabric you buy retail (not wholesale) you technically can turn into a project and sell. This includes Disney fabric (despite what their reps will tell you), and any fabric that says “For Non-Commercial Use Only”. This applies only to manufacturers; a crafter making one or two purses for a craft fair is not commercial use. Unless you sign a contract stating you will not use their fabric for something you will sell, you are not bound to their rules.
Amy Butler specifically addresses this on her website here: http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/faqs/
August 23rd, 2006 at 10:04 am
Didn’t AB and co finally declare that they actually could not legally prohibit individuals from selling things made from her patterns and fabrics? They can prohibit businesses from mass producing using her designs, but individual use including sale of produced items is considered fair use under trademark law.
August 24th, 2006 at 7:24 am
Yeah, it really irks me that designers claim you can’t sell things made from their fabrics. They’ve already profited from the design: a restriction like that would never hold up in court. It’s one thing if you’re buying leftover fabric from a designer’s clothing line (or such) with the agreement that you won’t sell things made from it, but the designs are made specifically to be printed on fabric which is then sold. Unless you’re reproducing their designs without permission, they can’t possibly prohibit you from buying the fabric and selling a product made from it. Anyway, sorry for the rant, but that just drives me crazy!
August 25th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
As sara and erin mention above, Amy Butler has changed her original policy. On that link that erin posted, it says, specifically:
———-
FOR INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE WHO BUY AMY’S FABRIC AT RETAIL COST (FROM A SHOP OR ONLINE):
You can make items for sale. Since you are buying the fabric at retail, the non-commercial use does not apply to you.
———-
I think that the original whip-up post should be edited/corrected to eliminate this misinformation. I am impressed with Amy Butler’s change to this policy, based on feedback from customers. On that FAQ page, her company graciously semi-apologizes for their former policy with the statement: “we appreciate your patience and understanding as Amy’s business grows.”
Rather than continue to berate the company for an initial mistake, I would like to see the crafting community support an organization willing to change its policy based on customer demand.
August 26th, 2006 at 12:29 am
I just wanted to add that many artists also have problems with using papers in their collage art. It’s a very tricky subject when it comes to using someone else’s designs, even though these patterns have been mass produced and sold commercially. I think it is best to make patterns on your own. This way you can avoid running into problems in the future. Most crafters run their businesses on small scales without knowing business skills extensively. And they can get really costly when having someone take care of it for you. It’s really important that crafters and artists are aware of their rights so they can watch out for themselves and avoid legal complications if they should arise.
August 26th, 2006 at 8:42 am
Thanks for the update, Kelly. I’m glad to know Amy Butler has revised her policy!