What a week it's been at Luna Wolf HQ!
As you may know from my previous blog posts, I have been having problems with the ongoing theft of my patterns/tutorial set by an Etsy seller going by the name of Happy Moon Pads. She bought the pattern/tutorial set on 19 April 2014, and shortly afterwards started selling it on Etsy and on her own site, with her business details inserted in place of mine. She claimed full credit for the 15 page PDF file, even selling a $25 licence for people to sell pads made from the patterns, as long as credit was given to her shop. (You do not need a licence to sell items made from a sewing pattern - this is bogus.)
I reported this brazen theft of intellectual property to Etsy, as did several other people, but Etsy weren't interested. Happy Moon Pads altered the listing photo to make it slightly less identical, but a year later the original listing is back on Etsy, and people are still unwittingly buying it.
Meanwhile, I had been having terrible problems with my website after attempting to migrate it, and could not get my shopping cart set up correctly to sell the tutorial anymore. Happy Moon Pads was profiting from my work, and my site was too broken to sell it myself. Even if I did manage to fix the shopping cart, or broke my Etsy boycott and listed the pattern/tutorial on Etsy myself, I knew that whatever I priced it, she would undercut it and continue to rip me off - and frankly I don't have the time or energy to continue pursuing her.
After much deliberation, I decided the best way forward would be to
offer the pattern/tutorial set for free, or for a small optional
donation. This is the best way I can think of to stop her from
profiting from my work. You can't undercut free. I have done a complete revamp of my website (the broken shopping cart is gone!), and you can now download both the A4 and US letter versions of the tutorial, plus templates for wider versions of the pantiliner and 8.5 inch pad. There is a donation button on the website if you like the patterns and want to say thanks. (A massive thank you from me to the people who have already donated!)
Here are the free patterns!
A4 version
US letter version
Wider versions of the pantiliner and 8.5 inch pad
You can help by sharing the pattern/tutorial set with its Luna Wolf branding far
and wide, and speaking up if you see it being sold on and/or claimed as
somebody else’s. I am happy to provide the original high resolution
photographs from the tutorial photoshoot (including the many that didnt
make it in!), photographs of the original patterns drafted on cardboard,
screenshots of the original tutorial files on my PC date stamped 2009, a
screenshot of the Paypal transcation from 19 April 2014 when Samantha
Hughes (AKA Happy Moon Pads) purchased the pattern from Luna Wolf, or
whatever else it takes to prove this is my work.
If you have previously bought this pattern from Happy Moon Pads
without realising it was stolen property, I suggest opening a dispute
with Etsy and/or Paypal, although I have little faith in the former.
I have been overwhelmed by the support I have had from the cloth pad community. I wasn't sure how people would react to seeing a pattern they had previously paid for become available for free, but generally people have completely understood and supported my decision, and I am so grateful for that.
Showing posts with label PSA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PSA. Show all posts
Thursday, 23 July 2015
Monday, 6 February 2012
Taking an indefinite break
Hi folks! I hope you're all doing well.
The title of this post says it all, really. As of today, I will no longer be making Luna Wolf cloth pads. The pads that have just been uploaded will be the last Luna Wolf pads available for sale. (I won't say "EVER!", because that sounds a bit melodramatic, but at least for the forseeable future.)
Why am I winding down Luna Wolf? A few reasons, but first and foremost because I've been doing this for almost five years now, and I'm ready for a change. I've made about 2000 pads during the time Luna Wolf has been open. That's a lot of hours cutting, sewing, photographing and uploading. I've introduced new designs, written a tutorial, sold fabric/menstrual cups/pouches, hosted giveaways, and written articles. I've loved every minute of it, but I'm starting to burn out. After fighting it for a while, I finally came to the conclusion that it's time to close this door and open a new one.
The secondary reason for closing Luna Wolf is that my supplies have gone up in price significantly the last couple of years. Not just fabric, but electricity, sewing machine needles, thread, etc. I can't make a living from pad-making anymore unless I hike my prices way up, and I wouldn't feel right asking £8 for a day pad. (Of course the other option is to become a pad-making superwoman and churn out 30 pads a day, but the reality is that on a good day, I average five pads.)
A few weeks ago I started working as a freelance audio transcriber, and I'm really enjoying the work. The files I transcribe are often very intresting, and I also get to use two of my favourite skills: touch-typing, and correcting people's grammar. ;) I'd like to get certified in medical terminology, and maybe eventually get an administrative position in a hospital.
I have really enjoyed creating and building up Luna Wolf. It's been a fantastic learning experience, and it's allowed me to meet some wonderful people - customers, suppliers, bloggers, and fellow crafters alike. Luna Wolf is also responsible for putting me on a Prince's Trust training course, and meeting one of my very favourite people - my good friend Gemma. I wouldn't change a minute of it.
So how will this work? As stock dwindles, I will condense all the Luna Wolf pads into one category so they're easier to find. I will also continue to offer the Karmic Cloth pads on sale until they're all gone. (I have a bunch of those still to sew up.) The bamboo fleece will stay up until it's all gone; ditto the pouches and cups. I intend to keep the site live so that I can continue selling the patterns/tutorial, and will add some links to other pad sellers that I recommend. I may sell off some of my quilter's cotton and poly fleece - it depends whether or not I can bear to part with it. I certainly do have a lot of it! As always, I will keep you posted.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Luna Wolf over the years. Whether you've spent your hard-earned money on pads, "liked" me on Facebook, been a reliable supplier, or just read my ramblings on this blog, it means more to me than you will ever know.
- Vicky
The title of this post says it all, really. As of today, I will no longer be making Luna Wolf cloth pads. The pads that have just been uploaded will be the last Luna Wolf pads available for sale. (I won't say "EVER!", because that sounds a bit melodramatic, but at least for the forseeable future.)
Why am I winding down Luna Wolf? A few reasons, but first and foremost because I've been doing this for almost five years now, and I'm ready for a change. I've made about 2000 pads during the time Luna Wolf has been open. That's a lot of hours cutting, sewing, photographing and uploading. I've introduced new designs, written a tutorial, sold fabric/menstrual cups/pouches, hosted giveaways, and written articles. I've loved every minute of it, but I'm starting to burn out. After fighting it for a while, I finally came to the conclusion that it's time to close this door and open a new one.
The secondary reason for closing Luna Wolf is that my supplies have gone up in price significantly the last couple of years. Not just fabric, but electricity, sewing machine needles, thread, etc. I can't make a living from pad-making anymore unless I hike my prices way up, and I wouldn't feel right asking £8 for a day pad. (Of course the other option is to become a pad-making superwoman and churn out 30 pads a day, but the reality is that on a good day, I average five pads.)
A few weeks ago I started working as a freelance audio transcriber, and I'm really enjoying the work. The files I transcribe are often very intresting, and I also get to use two of my favourite skills: touch-typing, and correcting people's grammar. ;) I'd like to get certified in medical terminology, and maybe eventually get an administrative position in a hospital.
I have really enjoyed creating and building up Luna Wolf. It's been a fantastic learning experience, and it's allowed me to meet some wonderful people - customers, suppliers, bloggers, and fellow crafters alike. Luna Wolf is also responsible for putting me on a Prince's Trust training course, and meeting one of my very favourite people - my good friend Gemma. I wouldn't change a minute of it.
So how will this work? As stock dwindles, I will condense all the Luna Wolf pads into one category so they're easier to find. I will also continue to offer the Karmic Cloth pads on sale until they're all gone. (I have a bunch of those still to sew up.) The bamboo fleece will stay up until it's all gone; ditto the pouches and cups. I intend to keep the site live so that I can continue selling the patterns/tutorial, and will add some links to other pad sellers that I recommend. I may sell off some of my quilter's cotton and poly fleece - it depends whether or not I can bear to part with it. I certainly do have a lot of it! As always, I will keep you posted.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Luna Wolf over the years. Whether you've spent your hard-earned money on pads, "liked" me on Facebook, been a reliable supplier, or just read my ramblings on this blog, it means more to me than you will ever know.
- Vicky
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Closing my custom order service
During the almost four years that Luna Wolf has been going, I've made many changes. I think it's really important for businesses to evolve and adapt as circumstances change. It keeps things fresh, and ensures that you don't become stuck in a way of doing something that doesn't work anymore.
I've been having a bit of a re-think, and have come to a decision: I will no longer be taking on custom orders.
While I enjoy the challenge of coming up with a creation that is just right for an individual, it has become out of control lately. Custom orders often involve many hours of designing and prototype-making, which I do not charge for. This eats into the time I would normally spend stocking the shop. Less time spent on the shop means less choice, and more people wanting custom orders because they can't find what they want. It's a self-perpetuating cycle.
Custom orders also come with a certain amount of time pressure and stress. I usually do them on weekends, to minimise the lost time on the shop. Now that my partner has started working away during the week, the weekend is the only time I get to see her. I've realised that I'm no longer prepared to give up the precious time we have together, for the sake of working a seven day week. Life's too short!
Of course I am grateful and honoured that people want custom orders from me - in a way, the service has become a victim of its own success. But for my own sanity, I need to step back and make my workload more manageable. If I don't, I will burn out. I know you'll understand, and I thank you for it.
I've also made another change, which is small but will hopefully make a big difference. I've changed the channel stitching on all pantiliners to a single wavy line. My signature pointed shape on that small a scale is very difficult to get right, and - you know me - if it isn't perfectly symmetrical, it drives me to despair. The wavy channel stitching seems much more appropriate to the scale of the pantiliners. I've been using it on my own liners for a few months now, and I love how quirky and comfortable it is. More importantly, less time spent unpicking/re-sewing equals more time making pads! Hopefully this will stop me from running out of pantiliners so quickly, and will mean more choice in that section - which is good news all round!
I've been having a bit of a re-think, and have come to a decision: I will no longer be taking on custom orders.
While I enjoy the challenge of coming up with a creation that is just right for an individual, it has become out of control lately. Custom orders often involve many hours of designing and prototype-making, which I do not charge for. This eats into the time I would normally spend stocking the shop. Less time spent on the shop means less choice, and more people wanting custom orders because they can't find what they want. It's a self-perpetuating cycle.
Custom orders also come with a certain amount of time pressure and stress. I usually do them on weekends, to minimise the lost time on the shop. Now that my partner has started working away during the week, the weekend is the only time I get to see her. I've realised that I'm no longer prepared to give up the precious time we have together, for the sake of working a seven day week. Life's too short!
Of course I am grateful and honoured that people want custom orders from me - in a way, the service has become a victim of its own success. But for my own sanity, I need to step back and make my workload more manageable. If I don't, I will burn out. I know you'll understand, and I thank you for it.
I've also made another change, which is small but will hopefully make a big difference. I've changed the channel stitching on all pantiliners to a single wavy line. My signature pointed shape on that small a scale is very difficult to get right, and - you know me - if it isn't perfectly symmetrical, it drives me to despair. The wavy channel stitching seems much more appropriate to the scale of the pantiliners. I've been using it on my own liners for a few months now, and I love how quirky and comfortable it is. More importantly, less time spent unpicking/re-sewing equals more time making pads! Hopefully this will stop me from running out of pantiliners so quickly, and will mean more choice in that section - which is good news all round!
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