UPDATE: Due to shipping issues, the deadline is extended to 15 JULY 2007 Items should be at our office either before or on that date.
Dearest BurdaStyle members,
We are thrilled to announce our first BurdaStyle Design Competition. As an open source website, we are hoping to facilitate more creative opportunities for the sewing community all over the world. Now we’ve come up with the perfect way for you to contribute to the site as well as to your own trophy case, or in this case, pattern library. Send us your designs and we will choose two winners to have their patterns professionally created, shot in a photo shoot, featured on BurdaStyle.com, and downloaded by other BurdaStyle users! Also, did we mention that this competition can make a contribution to your wallet!?!
There are two categories to which you can submit. If you are great at designing, but not patternmaking, submit an illustration and tech drawing along with specifications, and we’ll do all of the pattern work. If you feel confident in your patternmaking skills, show them off! Send us a pattern you made along with a muslin of the design and technical drawing.
Design-based competitionPRIZE $300
Design a garment or outfit (if you choose to illustrate an outfit, make clear which piece you are submitting as we will only choose 1 garment to produce)
Submit an illustration of your design (front and back), a technical drawing (front and back) and specifications. Also send a document telling a little bit about yourself, the inspiration for your design, and a description of the fabrics you envision your design in.
Send everything as low-res jpeg [indicate size] and contact information including a picture of yourself in an e-mail to
answers@burdastyle.com. All contestants must have a filled-out user profile on BurdaStyle.com, which will be used to introduce you as a participant.
PRIZE $500
Design a garment.
Submit a self-made paper pattern, muslin, and technical drawing. Also send a document telling a little bit about yourself, the inspiration for your design, and a description of the fabrics you envision your design in. All contestants must have a filled-out user profile on
BurdaStyle.com, which will be used to introduce you as a participant.
Send through the good old Postal Service to
BurdaStyle
Attn: Benedikta Karaisl,
325 Gold Street,
6th Floor,
Brooklyn, NY 11201
USA
All submissions are due in our inbox (e-mail and post) by July 15 (formerly June), 2007. We will choose one winner from each category and notify him/her by the end of June.
Please note, by entering and winning this competition you are giving us the permission to make your design and pattern open-source, and for the pattern produced from your design to be posted on our website.
Please note: Some people where confused if they were allowed to enter altough they didn’t live in the US, yes, they are! For more information check the official rules!
By the way: Interesting and creative submissions that didn’t win will still be featured on the site!
Jun 18, 2007, 04.12 AMby nora
Kaite Burley: Yesm it can also include hats.
Shirley Atoche Alarez: Thank you for your sweet words – we are excited to have you on board!
Lehcram: Yes, you can send your original constructed design and pattern.
Oxanna: You can use any size you like.
We can’t wait to see all your creations!
Jun 2, 2007, 01.56 AMby nora
Dear Pinkiejane: Yes, children’s designs are eligible, we are very curious to see what you have in mind! And, thanks for the compliment:)
Dear Malissa: We are actually just decided to extend the deadline – the shipping issues seem to be bigger than we though! So, everyone, please have your pattern send in by July 15th, that means, it should arrive either before on on July 15th, but not after.
May 30, 2007, 04.57 PMby pinkiejane
Dear Burda Style, I’m interested to know if children’s designs are eligible for the contest. I have been designing children’s clothing for years and always wondered how to submit my designs to a pattern company. I will never get around to sewing them all in my lifetime (lol). I have designed for teens and adults, myself included on occasion. By the way, you are my absolute favorite company. Thank you.
May 26, 2007, 01.11 AMby nora
Yes! Actually we didn’t expect people to grade the pattern.
May 25, 2007, 12.38 PMby mirela
Oh, can the pattern be created for one size only?
May 24, 2007, 12.11 PMby nora
Yes, we can send things back to you, we can FedEx i to you. You can pay with your credit card or a check.
May 24, 2007, 05.47 AMby squirrellypoo
For the pattern competition, are you able to return muslins sent to you if we include a checque or Paypal for return postage (being international, I can’t just include a SASE since I can’t get US stamps)? Obviously the pattern pieces I can just trace off and keep a copy here, but the muslin I’m making I’d like to wear this summer if it’s possible to get it back. ;)
May 23, 2007, 05.32 PMby nora
Here are the answers:
1. Yes, you can participate in both contests 2. Yes, you can hand in anything, freehand, in any design program, you can scan it, photograph the illustration etc. 3. The electronic files should be no larger than 2 – 3 Megabytes 4. The muslin should be assembled, the pattern should be send along with it 5. You only need to give instructions, if something needs further explanation. We don’t need instructions.
We are excited to see what you come up with!
May 23, 2007, 03.00 PMby mirela
I have a some questions, here they are:
Can I participate in both contests?
Can the illustrations be drawn freehanded and then scanned or photographed to an electronic format?
How low should the resolution of the electronic files be?
For the pattern competition, do we need to submit by mail both the paper pattern and the muslin?
Does the muslin need to be assembled or flat?
Should the instructions contain also illustrations of the important construction steps?
Looking forward to seeing everyone’s creativity!
Thanks, Mirela
May 21, 2007, 10.43 AMby benedikta
Hi Lauriana,
The official rules do allow you to participate in the contest. Feel free to get back to us with anymore questions or concerns you may have. We are very much looking forward to your entry.
Good Luck
May 17, 2007, 09.50 AMby benedikta
Hi Red Swirl,
Thanks so much for your message, we are looking into making the contest accessible to anyone. Unfortunately there are so many rules and regulations that it sometimes isn’t as easy as one hopes. However we would love to have you be part of the competition and we will do anything possible. We will keep you posted!
May 17, 2007, 03.17 AMby redswirl
Dear BurdaStyle,
I think a competition is a great way to encourage reader participation, and I love the whole open source sewing idea.
I might have entered, but I read the official rules … I’m not a USA resident. Burda (parent of BurdaStyle?) is a very international organisation, originating in Germany … is the USA-only rule strictly necessary? The people who have introduced themselves so far in the forum also seem to come from many countries, not just USA.
Thanks for thinking this over!