diff --git a/markdown/org/blog/open-for-business/en.md b/markdown/org/blog/open-for-business/en.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..7c8df9dd68c --- /dev/null +++ b/markdown/org/blog/open-for-business/en.md @@ -0,0 +1,210 @@ +--- +author: "joostdecock" +caption: "Open 24/7 from now onwards" +date: "2017-08-25" +image: "https://cdn.sanity.io/images/hl5bw8cj/site-content/444b63db2120d50eb52004b2017c992624bbb66e-2000x1333.jpg" +intro: "Freesewing.org is open for business. That is, the business of giving away free sewing patterns" +title: "Freesewing.org is open for business. That is, the business of giving away free sewing patterns" +--- + +When I released freesewing core back in March, +I did not expect it to take another 5 months to finally have a proper front-end for it, +but here we are. + +From today onwards, +[freesewing.org](https://freesewing.org/) +is the place to be for your made-to-measure sewing patterns. + +If you're new to freesewing, +I suggest you start reading [the about page](/about/), +which hopefully does a half-decent attempt at describing what this thing is. + +> As of today mmp will no longer allow new users to sign up and after a grace period of a few months, I will shut it down + +If you do know what I'm doing here, +or you saw *An open-source platform for made-to-measure sewing patterns* +at the top of this page and that was enough for you to figure it out, +this announcement comes after 18 months of work to reinvent my previous site, +[makemypattern.com](https://makemypattern.com/). + +Speaking of which, +makemypattern.com has so far generated more than 6500 sewing patterns, +so I think it's fair to say it's been a good run. + +![Graph of the number of patterns generated on makemypattern.com](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/mmp_patterns_82c2056938.png) + +But [every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGytDsqkQY8). +So as of today mmp will no longer allow new users to sign up +and after a grace period of a few months, I will shut it down. + +Update your bookmarks people, +because [freesewing.org](https://freesewing.org/) is where it's at. + +## Everything is new or different, and hopefully better + +The idea of generating made-to-measure sewing patterns based on your measurements is the same. +Apart from that, pretty much everything you see here is different. + +I've written before about the choices I've made when building this frontend. +The [matters of principle and ethics](/en/blog/privacy-choices/) +as wel as [the technical stuff](/en/blog/freesewing-goes-jamstack/). + +Today, I won't go into the details of how things work under the hood. +Instead, I'd like to briefly highlight some of the most significant changes for the users of the site. Hopefully, that includes you. + +### Patterns vs drafts + +I told you earlier that mmp generated over 6500 patterns. +I can also tell you that mmp has 10 patterns available. + +So which one is it, 10 or 6500? +Well, it depends on the context. Which is ambigious and confusing. + +Now, patterns are patterns, and drafts are drafts. +That is, a draft is what you generate from a pattern. It's a pattern drafted to your exact specifications. + +![An example of a draft from freesewing.org](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/draft_sample_7e92caf0d6.svg) + +I hope that in using both terms consistently, it will become self-explanatory. + +So, for freesewing that means there are 12 patterns available, +from which a number of drafts have been generated that you can track live on +[the status page](/status). + +### New patterns, and blocks + +Currently, 12 patterns are available on freesewing.org. +All 10 from mmp (note: some have had their name changed) +plus the new [Sven Sweatshirt](/patterns/sven) and the [Brian Body Block](/patterns/brian). + +![An example of the Sven sweatshirt](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/sven_b189ad1368.jpg) + +The block also existed in the mmp backend, but it wasn't available to you. +So that's another change, I am making all my blocks (slopers) available. + +And more is coming, I currently have 3 patterns and 1 block that I am working on. +They are not ready yet, and I didn't want to delay the release for them, +but I hope to have them all out before the end of the year. + +What I'm saying is, watch this space. +Or better, check the links at the bottom of this page for social media accounts to follow. + +### Better support for *les autres* + +I [tried](https://makemypattern.com/blog/imperial-units-have-been-spotted-and-they-might-break-things) +and [failed](https://makemypattern.com/blog/imperial-units-not-worth-it) to add support for imperial units to makemypattern.com. + +This time around, both metric and imperial are fully supported. You can set your preferred units in your account settings. +And in each model you can set the units seperately, just in case you happen to sew for people living in different parts of the world. + +Speaking of different parts of the world, freesewing core fully supports different languages. +You can get your pattern in a number of languages, and if yours is not listed you can help with the translation. + +![The yoke of Simon, in French](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/yoke_7555f8616c.svg) + +Arguably, that is a bit of a half-measure when this site is only in English, but baby steps, right? + +### Compare to catch issues early + +One of the common pitfalls is that people take measurements the wrong way. + +When they generate a pattern, those incorrect measurements can sometimes really mess up the pattern +in a way that can be hard to spot if you are not familiar with the pattern. + +One way to tackle that is with better measuring instructions, which I have added. +But what I really wanted was a way to make spot issues in an easy way. + +![These two are going to help you to take accurate measurements](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/standing_d66bef801a.jpg) + +Comparing yourself to others is the fastest way to be unhappy. +But in this case, there's value to a comparison. + +Putting your pattern side by side with a pattern that is known to be correct +can help you spot any issues that go beyond size differences. + +So, comparison is built-in. Every time you generate a draft, you get two things: + + - Your drafted pattern + - A comparison of your draft to a range of standard sizes + +![An example of a draft compared to standard sizes](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/compare_sample_171c3eaecd.svg) + +It's a way to quickly eyeball your draft for any glaring issues before you start working with it. + +### Paperless because trees are precious, and printers not a given + +Something that I am curious to see whether it will catch on are paperless drafts. + +Apart from the obvious upside of saving paper, I hope this will allow people who don't have access to +a printer to use freesewing. + +The idea is that you don't have to print your pattern. +Instead, you can transfer it directly onto fabric or another medium. + +To make that possible, the pattern comes with detailed dimensions and a metric grid (or imperial grid if you're into that) +that helps you transfer all the information. + +![An example of a draft using the paperless theme](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/paperless_sample_def717482e.svg) + +As I said, I'm curious to see whether this will be useful to people, but I felt it was worth a try. + +### I've got your back (up) + +Also new is that when you draft a pattern, I will keep that draft for you, and it will remain available. + +![All your drafts are kept and available in your account](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/draft_list_7950e1609a.png) + +You can come back at any time to re-download the pattern, or tweak it, redraft it, or fork it. +Yes [fork it](/docs/site/fork), which is kinda cool because you can also fork patterns from other people after they've shared their draft. + +You can also add your own notes to your drafts (and to your models for that matter). + +### Community-driven blog and showcase + +Your makes deserve better than a Flickr album somewhere, so I've added showcases to the site. +The idea is to have a grabbag of examples here on the site of things people have made. + +![Showcase of the Hugo hoodie by uneanneedecouture](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/hugo_b331b0c298.jpg) + +Obviously, I can't add your work if I don't know about it, +so either get in touch of make sure to use the #freesewing hashtag when posting about it. + +Speaking of posting, the freesewing blog is also open to your contributions if you feel you have something to share. + +### Badges baby + +This is a bit silly, but you can now unlock [badges](/docs/site/badges) on the site. +I added the feature initially because I wanted to find a way to +thank the people who took part in the early access program. + +A while ago, I opened up an early access version of the site to +those people who were interested, and I would like to thank all of +you who tried out the site, reported issues, or merely gave feedback or encouragements. + +Those of you who took part should all get that coveted early access badge. +If it's missing from [your profile](/profile), [get in touch](/contact). + +Other badges are available, including one for signing up on launch day. [The full list of badges is here](/docs/site/badges). + +## What happens now? + +![Darkness, realistically](https://posts.freesewing.org/uploads/darkness_a9b72d2537.svg) + +Maybe it's just me, but after every major project comes to completion, +I tend to slide into a black hole of *is this it?* disillusionment. + +I might need a few weeks to bounce back from that, but don't let that stop you from giving me +[your feedback and opinions](/contact) on the site. +And if you manage to break something, you can [create an issue](https://github.com/freesewing/site/issues/new). + +## One last thing +I've worked on this for about a year and a half, and especially the last 11 months or so rather intensively. + +Now that it's ready, would you help me spread the news a little? + +If you could tell somebody about this or perhaps tweet or write about it, you'd do me a real favour. + +Thank you + + +