Cross-Stitch

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Stitchers Share Snarky Reactions to Design Contest

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artist compensation design contest

I don’t know what thread maker DMC was thinking when it proposed a design contest in which the winner’s design would be made into a pattern without compensating the designer, but the design community definitely didn’t like the idea.

Because entry into the contest was to be done through a hashtag, stitchers took to social media to protest the contest, with stitched obscenities and designs related to not being able to pay bills with exposure.

The good news is that DMC relented, and as of May 1 have been promoting the contest as having a $500 cash prize.

It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on the #dmcxstitchcontest hashtag on Instagram (warning: lots of salty language) to see how this all turns out.

Do you think designers should be compensated for work used by a big company? (Or even a small one?) I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: stephxstitch via Instagram]

Looking for more Snarky or Subversive Cross stitch charts and designs? Check these out on Etsy. 

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Comments

  1. Absolutely, a designer should be compensated for their work. It takes a lot of time and effort to create something. At least a small gift would be appropriate.

  2. Good Grief, YES we should be compensated! The time we crafters spend honing our craft and designing for the enjoyment of others is every bit as valuable and anyone else’s!

  3. I absolutely agree that artists need to be paid for their creativity – regardless of the size of the company/organisation. There would need to be a very good reason for why the artist ins’t paid – e.g. terms in the contract/agreement that state that the artist will be compensated in other ways. It’s disappointing that it took such a public reaction for DMC to update the competition to have a $500 prize for the winning design, as they will still make a significant amount of money from the sales of their floss via their website and global stockists.

    I hope that DMC are able to learn from this experience and that in the future, there are similar competitions and ways in which artists are able to get the exposure they want, need and deserve.

  5. Well, of course they should! Even if the company had a good reason for not awarding a cash prize, they could at least have offered supplies in return for the design.

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Bookmark Cross Stitch Patterns

It seems like there’s no end to the available options when it comes to cross stitch bookmarks, which is a good thing because they’re perennially popular to stitch as well. This time I thought I’d share some colorful cross stitch bookmarks to get you ready for the new school year or to make meeting your reading goals a little more fun. 

I love these retro floral designs from The Stitch Patterns. This set of four patterns is rated as very easy, and each bookmark measures 2.5 by 6 inches (or 6.35 by 15.25 cm) on 14 count fabric. 

These cute ones that look like mosaic tile would also be fun to stitch. This set includes five designs from EmbroSTyle Designs, and they call them folk art but they mostly look like old mosaics to me. Either way, the bookmarks are 25 by 101 stitches, and to stitch the full set uses 12 colors. 

If you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can stitch up a work of art with this set of 16 bookmarks designed to look like famous paintings. Stitch some sunflowers or a great wave or a starry night. Most of these are between 14 and 20 colors (the great wave is only 8) and the bookmarks are totally covered with stitching at a count of 35 by 100 stitches. Grab this set from Sunset and Sea Design.

Or how about some bookmarks inspired by books (or by movies inspired by books)? This set of Lord of the Rings bookmarks includes four landmarks from the books/movies. Each one is 35 by 115 stitches and uses between 8 and 17 colors. You can find them at byCountryMagicStitch.

These don’t quite all fit the description of being colorful bookmarks to cross stitch, but a few of them do, and speaking of book-themed bookmarks I had to share this set from Mama Geek inspired by Heartstopper. There are seven designs in all that should be quite familiar to readers (or viewers of the series). 

25 Christmas Bookmark Cross-stitch Patterns [Cross-Stitch]

25 Floral Bookmark Cross Stitch Patterns