IPM2017: The Contests

Hello Monthly Stitchers!

First of all we’d like to thank you for your patience while we lined all our ducks up in a row for IMP2017…did I say ducks? Oh wait, I meant possums…at a rave…but, we’re so close now, just eight more sleeps to go!

Today we’re announcing the four contest themes and the general rules of Indie Pattern Month. If you’ve participated before you’ll be pretty familiar with these.

How does this all work?

Each contest runs over the course of one week during July. During that week, anyone who wants to enter can by writing a post about their entry on The Monthly Stitch and selecting the contest category for that week.

Your post must follow the General and Contest Specific Rules set out below.

At the end of the week for each contest, the judges (Kat and Mel) will choose 14 entries to go into the final. Finalists will be chosen based on four key factors:

• garment quality
• creativity
• blog post quality, and
• photography

The 14 finalists will be posted on the Monthly Stitch three days after the contest closes. The final winners will be chosen through a community vote.

Voting will begin for each category once the finalists are announced. Voting is open for three days and you can vote for up to four entries per contest.

There are multiple prizes per contest (six or more!) so there’s lots of chances to take away some fabulous indie prizes. These include patterns (of course), vouchers (for more patterns), fabric (to sew your patterns) and more!

Want to join in with Indie Pattern Month but not enter any of the contests? Indie Patterns are still the overall challenge theme for July so you can also just sew along with any indie pattern but not enter any of the above competitions. Categorise your post “Indie Pattern Month 2017”.

Submit any questions regarding the rules in the comments of this post or by emailing themonthlystitch[at]gmail.com

Ok let’s get serious!

General Rules:

• Any Indie pattern brand is eligible – Need an idea of what counts? Check out our own amazing resource page of Indie Pattern Designers. Do you want to use a pattern brand that isn’t listed but you think it counts? Use the contact form at the bottom of that page and we’ll check it out.
• Patterns may be pdf or envelope patterns and must be available for purchase and/or download by the general public.
• Magazine or book patterns are not permitted unless the specific pattern is also available for purchase as a separate pattern in it’s entirety (i.e. pattern + instructions).
• Unreleased patterns sewn for pattern testing are not eligible.
• You can enter each challenge as many times as you like as long as each entry follows these rules.
• Items must be sewn specifically for Indie Pattern Month 2017. No earlier makes to be submitted. Items must not have been blogged about, either on TMS or on another blog, prior to the week the contest they are being entered into is running.
• Each make can be entered into only one category.
  • Exception: A previously entered item from one of the first three IPM 2017 contests may be re-entered into Contest Four. A minimum of one other garment must be made to complete the entry. This additional item must be made specifically for IMP2017 (no earlier makes to be submitted).
• Each entry post must go up on the TMS blog during the week for that category and must be correctly categorised and follow ALL the posting rules. You might find is useful to read Kat’s post about Creating a Great Monthly Stitch Post.
• Posts that do not meet these rules will not be eligible. Your post will be placed in the ‘drafts’ folder and you will receive an email. You may edit and repost within the competition time frames to re-enter the competition.
• The judges (TMS Editors Mel & Kat) will choose 14 finalists for each contest. The finalists will be chosen based on the following:
  • garment quality
  • creativity
  • blog post quality, and
  • photography
• The finalists for each category will be posted on The Monthly Stitch three days after the contest closes.
• Winners will be chosen from the finalists through community vote. Voting will begin for each category when the finalists are announced. Each person can vote for up to four entries with their vote. Voting is open for three days.
• Want to join in with Indie Pattern Month but not enter any of the contests? You can also just sew along with any indie pattern but not enter any of the above competitions. Categorise you post “Indie Pattern Month 2017”
• Submit any questions regarding the rules in the comments of this post or to themonthlystitch[at]gmail.com

Ok, got it? Great, let’s learn about the four Contests!

Dresses

Week One: Long time TMS Collective rejoice, Dresses has returned for IMP2017!

Dresses Contest Specific Rules:

• Competition runs from July 1st (00:00 UTC) until July 7th (24:00 UTC)
• Must be a dress pattern

New To Me

Week Two: It wouldn’t be Indie Pattern Month without discovering new Indie Pattern Designers!

New To Me Contest Specific Rules:

• Competition runs from July 8th (00:00 UTC) until July 14th (24:00 UTC)
• Must be a company that you have never sewn from before, including muslining, pattern testing, or any fails/UFOs (UnFinished Objects)

Hack It!

Week Three: Take it up a notch and wow us with your mad hacking skills!

Hack It! Contest Specific Rules:

• Competition runs from July 15th (00:00 UTC) until July 21st (24:00 UTC)
• Must meet at least one of the following criteria:
  • Modify a single pattern to create a new style
  • Combine two or more patterns into one garment

Indie Royalty

Week Four: It’s time to show us what you’re made of! Proclaim your Indie Pattern Queen (or King) status by dressing ALL INDIE and take your place among Indie Royalty.

Indie Royalty Contest Specific Rules:

• Competition runs from July 21st (00:00 UTC) until July 31st (24:00 UTC)
• Only open to The Monthly Stitch contributors who meet the following:
  • Have posted on TMS before 1 July 2017
  • Have posted something that wasn’t for any previous Indie Pattern Month
• Must be at least two garments, which work together in an outfit.
• May include a previously entered item from one of the first three contests.
• A minimum of one other garment must be made to complete the entry. This additional item must be made specifically for IMP2017 (no earlier makes to be submitted).
• Garments in addition to the minimum of two will carry more weighting and increase your score.
• Your entire outfit must be made specifically for IPM2017. No RTW or earlier makes may be used to complete your outfit.

Phew!

We’ve got a handy calendar to help you keep track of everything.

Let’s take breather and thank our fabulous sponsors who make Indie Pattern Month possible. We’ll be learning more about each of them during July as well as announcing discount codes so you can stock up on all you new favourite patterns.

                                                                     

That’s all for now Monthly Stitches. We’ll announce at the beginning of each contest week the contest, remind you of the rules, reveal the sponsors for that contest and, of course, the fabulous prizes!

Which contests are you most excited to enter? Which Indie brand have you discovered recently?

Happy Indie Sewing! xx

#TheMonthlyStitch

#TMSindiepatternmonth

#IPM2017