R.I.P. Craftsy, Now Bluprint Closes Doors Forever

RIP BluprintWell, it's finally happened.  First, it was Craftsy, now Bluprint.  Formally known as Craftsy, Bluprint has closed its doors forever.

My husband told me this would likely happen and he's often right about these sorts of things.  Back in 2017, our beloved Craftsy was bought by media behemoth, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, which is in turn owned by media goliath, Comcast –one of the five groups that control pretty much everything you see, hear, and read in the US.  According to my husband, giant corporate cultures don't often mix with and support small, early-stage creative companies like Craftsy had been.  Unfortunately, he was right..

Prior to the acquisition, Craftsy had been a terrific platform that allowed independent creators such as ourselves to distribute patterns both paid and free.  The focus of the site was purely crafts and mainly sewing which was terrific.  They produced high-quality instructional videos and classes and these often complimented and even supported patterns posted by independent creators.  There was a great sense of community, everyone knew everyone, and Craftsy grew from nothing to a pretty large platform.

After the NBCUniversal acquisition, Craftsy quickly began to change.  They started to add non-craft-related content such as gardening and woodworking –which are great pastimes too but the focus went away from sewing in this attempt to appeal to this broader audience.  Because of this new, wider focus, the color scheme for the site changed from a lively pink and pastel format to something obviously conceived by a corporate committee.. dark blue and black.. if you can believe it, presumably to be more neutral.  At the same time, staff numbers at Bluprint climbed to something like 130 which is hard to sustain from a website.

Again to support this move away from solely a “craft” focus, they changed the name from the catchy “Craftsy” to a misspelled Blueprint or Bluprint which didn't' help much with name recognition among loyal Craftsy readers and viewers.

RIP Bluprint

However, the real death of the platform started in 2018 when they tried to force everyone onto monthly subscriptions.  Prior to that, the site had been extremely popular since, users could buy individual classes on a topic or project that interested them and supposedly own that class forever with nothing else to pay.  The new Bluprint model was to try to get users to pay each and every month for access to the service.  You can obviously see why they would prefer this, but users absolutely hated it and traffic to the site dropped rapidly.

Bluprint eventually saw the light and relented in this push to subscriptions only by again allowing the “buy and own forever” model but the damage was done.

The decline of the service was further accelerated when for some reason, they stopped independent creators such as ourselves from being able to post new patterns on the site.  Prior to that, we had been sending 10s of thousands of potential users to the site on a monthly basis and this all went to pretty much zero.

In any case, going forward we will be moving the few patterns we were still hosting on Bluprint over to our page on Payhip.  One of the nice things about the Payhip platform is it allows us to distribute free sewing patterns, which we always love to do, while offering the option to contribute something for the pattern.  Basically, you can choose your own price, which we think is great.

I'd ask for our readers patience as we do this.  It will take us a couple of days and we will keep everyone informed of our progress.

If You'd Like To Support Our Site

If you want to help us continue to bring you a wide selection of free sewing patterns and projects, please consider buying us a coffee.  We'd really, really appreciate it.

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Sandy
Sandy

I noticed a significant change in the platform when Craftsy moved to Bluprint. I noticed, for example, that many of the designers and developers of quilting and sewing classes were put out to pasture and only a couple of people continued to contribute (like Angela Waters). I also noticed that Bluprint no longer carried fabric from other well known and liked manufacturers. Hence about the only fabric you could buy was their own Boundless or Lily and Loom brands. That’s when I lost interest. I am a yearly subscriber and have purchased several classes as well as the “own for life” classes related to my subscription. I am sorely disappointed that Craftsy ever became Bluprint. I, too, saw the writing on the wall when it became a monopoly of NBC. It became too commercialized and, unfortunately, they rode that horse right off the cliff.

Angela
Angela

Great I wonder if they are going to lay me back my yearly fee that I paid at the begging of the year lol I don’t know why I kept paying as I have bought the ones I wanted but now I am going to have to fire up my laptop to download my bought projects and there are a lot of them too (sigh) I have been so busy with life I have not had time to go back to Bluprint to even watch the ones that I have bought. Thank you for letting us all know as I have not seen any emails from them in a while now I know why. Okay better clean off me desk and unbury me laptop to download the 50 plus lessons that I have bought a few years back.

Patricia Regul
Patricia Regul
Reply to  Angela

Is there a way to download the classes? I didn’t see any link to do this. Can someone help?

Steve Swiontkowski
Steve Swiontkowski

Maybe the sewing machine companies will ride to the rescue? Even if they advertise on the site, it would be better than losing the whole thing.

shoshana
shoshana

can anyone tell me how to download my forever classes? i can’t seem to figure it out at all. thanks for any help!

Sandra
Sandra
Reply to  shoshana

They have a download option for each lesson when you open it. (The down arrow on the right side.) it takes awhile to download all the lessons in a class. Make sure your Bluprint app is updated to get this option. And that you have a lot of space because they take up a lot of Storage.

Cindy
Cindy
Reply to  Sandra

I just really don’t see that download option.
I emailed them and just got a vague reply. Just that they are figuring out a way on how to download

SherryG
SherryG
Reply to  shoshana

Right now that isn’t possible. They have never allowed us to download our classes to our PCs. The emails we received said they were working on a solution so we could receive our purchased classes but I haven’t heard anything from them in a few days. Check you email each day for a message from them with instructions.

megan
megan

Classes that you own can be downloaded, episode by episode, using a video downloader add-on to your browser. There are ones for Firefox, Chrome, etc. Google how to get a downloader add on and you will find info on it. I am in the process of downloading my 63 classes. It is taking days. But at least I will get to keep them. All the patterns I bought — I don`t know if I will be able to keep them. I will try.

Kathryn Chitwood
Kathryn Chitwood
Reply to  megan

Thank you I will try that Any tips? Do I just need the downloader or anything else?

Cindy
Cindy
Reply to  megan

I really don’t know how to download. On my laptop I cannot install googleplay. On my ipad I don’t have enough memory, but even if I did, still don’t see anywhere how to download. ????

JJ
JJ
Reply to  megan

Thanks for the Video downloader idea! I’ve been saving my patterns to Evernote and it’s been quick and easy.

Sandy
Sandy
Reply to  megan

Thank you Megan for your response with info about video downloader! I’ll definitely be checking out how to do that! I think I’ve managed to save my bluprint patterns in pdf format, but I really didn’t have a tremendous amount. I did go through my classes & saved as pdf the class materials/patterns too.
Thanks again!

Denise
Denise
Reply to  megan

I can do that on my iPad but not on my computer. The difference is that on my computer it automatically puts me in Bluprint but my iPad is still the Craftsy app. Are you sure you are saving to a hard drive and not just the app? Will they still be viewable? I have not had a chance to try on my computer but am concerned that this is happening much quicker than they originally suggested (not a surprise). Being a big Corp they don’t care who is affected so I’m guessing they will provide nothing. Lifetime is the lifetime of the company providing.

Stefanie
Stefanie
Reply to  megan

Hallo Megan, I’m from Germany and I tried to download my lessons, but it doesn’t work. I’ve tried it with video downloader . Could you please help me, because I don’t know what’s wrong.
Please can you send me the url from your video downloading program, that would be very helpful,
Thank you
Stefanie

Kathy Perkins
Kathy Perkins

Can their site even be accessed at this point?

hallowmac
hallowmac
Reply to  Kathy Perkins

I can’t get into my account at all. This started happening at least a month before they sent out the notice. I’ve written to them, but no reply.

Angela
Angela
Reply to  Kathy Perkins

Yes I just logged onto their website from a saved link https://shop.mybluprint.com
I have only removed the part that took it to my account but the link goes to their main home page.

marian green
marian green
Reply to  Kathy Perkins

I got an email from blueprint telling me they will try to help us copy our classes we bought. I hope so
right now they won’t let us in

Ellie
Ellie
Reply to  Kathy Perkins

Yes, as of June 6,2020 anyway. I was able to download all my patterns to my laptop. I don’t know what to do about my classes.

Kathy Perkins
Kathy Perkins

So, there seems to be many of us with forever classes that we fear are gone forever. But, didn’t we in effect enter into a contractual agreement when we purchased our classes? We pay, you deliver and we own forever. A big corp ought to understand that. What if they say we will return your money but we don’t want money, we want the classes. Wish I were an attorney, but logic says they owe us. If I were an attorney I would be checking out class action.

hallowmac
hallowmac
Reply to  Kathy Perkins

I absolutely agree! I said the exact same words to my husband and wondered about a class action suit. I am hoping that the company will go the easier route and just allow us access to our classes in some fashion that will allow us to either download or send us DVDs of our classes, rather than go through the litigation headache.

Barbara Ballard
Barbara Ballard
Reply to  Kathy Perkins

Yes, Kathy! What about a crafty wife or other family member of a class action attorney? Anyone out there?

Barbara
Barbara

First of all, Bluprint was a terrible name for a craft website. I have a number of classes that I’ve paid for and not had a chance to view. They were advertised as ‘lifetime access classes’ when I purchased them. They should have a way to continue access to the classes or allow us to download them to our computers.

Patricia Regul
Patricia Regul
Reply to  Barbara

I just happened to this discussion, am I understanding right that we can’t access our Forever Classes anymore? I’m sure I read a couple weeks ago that they will be getting back to us to let us know how we will be able to access our Forever Classes. Was this a lie? I don’t believe they are doing this to us. All the money they got from me over time from the subscription. Grrrr. Wow, sorry. I wasn’t expecting this.

Carmen Lucero
Carmen Lucero

Thanks for posting this information for us. I just want to download all my classes and have them on my computer. I cannot believe that a giant corporation can’t figure out how to make our classes available for download. We are all in this together; maybe if we all write to Blueprint it will happen.

Sue
Sue
Reply to  Carmen Lucero

I did Again today! Maybe if we all wrote to them daily, they would find a way Quickly! I’m hoping the crafters/quilters/sewers/bakers, etc….will step forward & possibly find a way to take this over somehow.

Angela O.
Angela O.

I’ve been using CreativeBug since Craftsy went away and have been really happy with them. Very good price and great selection of topics and teachers. I’m hoping some of the Craftsy/Bluprint teachers move over here. I don’t know if they have the ability now for selling patterns, but maybe they’ll add it if enough people ask for it.

Cindy
Cindy

I am really nervous. I own close to 80 classes. I don’t know if my computer will have enough storage space for the downloads.
Maybe they should work with Annie’s or Iquilt.

Margaret
Margaret
Reply to  Cindy

You should get an external hard drive to store them on!

michelleahocking
Reply to  Margaret

Margaret, I have an external hard drive, I’m just trying to find a way to transfer them. I have 155 classes and I want to be able to access them all. I paid for them. I’ve emailed them and they say they’re trying to sort it out. The thing is that if there’s a legal challenge, it’ll probably be only of benefit to people in the US and not any of us around the world (I’m in Australia)

Debbie Barton
Debbie Barton

I really hate seeing this shutdown. Like many others, I have a lot of “own forever” classes and am concerned about how I will get to keep them. But with that being said, I will say that I disagree with only one thing you’ve said…” woodworking not being a craft”. I loved that they included some woodworking classes because I enjoy that as much as sewing, quilting, cooking, etc. At either rate, it’s all going to be gone now and I’m really sad about it. I’m hoping something else is created by another group and it will be as enjoyable. (I suspected also when Craftsy was ‘bought out’ by NBCU, it would be the beginning of the end…it usually happens that way)

Angela
Angela
Reply to  Debbie Barton

I am with you there I have a passion for woodworking since I did woodworking at school back in the 70’s lol I have many hobbies and funny enough some of them require that I make frames for them once I have finished sewing them as they are a one off piece and not for a quilt or pillowcase or blanket lol so woodworking is part of my normal other crafts as well as for building my own furniture cabinets for storing my hobbies bits and bobs into lol.

Eileen R
Eileen R

I work in the same office building where Craftsy/Bluprint is located. I loved Craftsy even before they moved into the building. Promoted it to friends and made friends with some of the folks who work there. The whole tone of the place changed with the buyout. Discussions overheard in the common area of the building focused less on how to make the class better to how to “monetize” content. The casual friends I had made were constantly stressed. Growth and easy layoffs were constant topics. The community of the place was gone. I have been very sad watching it happen and how it is affecting sites like yours.

Loretta Lynn Rodger
Loretta Lynn Rodger

Don’t panic!! There are many website/YouTube video download and YouTube applications. Many are free. Download and save your favorites!! Hugs from Alabama

Charlotte
Charlotte

That is helpful but Bluprint members are concerned about the classes they already paid for and how/if they will still be available to them. They paid good money for a class they were told they’d have forever.

Lindy Lou
Lindy Lou

I have been a needleworker all of my life. My interests have been dressmaking, quilting, embroidery, bag making and anything else to do with needle and thread. My favourite go to is So Sew Easy which introduced me to Craftsy/Bluprint which became my next go to if I wanted to see how it is done on video. So disappointed to see Bluprint closing and maybe lose all of my classes which have cost a fortune over the years. But at least you’re still there. I’m 72 years old and just retired so I was thinking I could finally make sewing my full time job. Please So Sew Easy do not give up or go away and if you can take on ANY of the things which Bluprint did I know the worldwide community would so appreciate it. I’m from England but there are people all over the world wishing this hadn’t happened : (

Mayra Cecilia
Admin
Noble Member
Reply to  Lindy Lou

I am still here…since late 2015 happily sharing with you want I know for free…thank you for your loyalty, I would hug you if I could.

Jennifer Wright
Jennifer Wright

Unless I have missed it I didn’t see anything about the items I already own on Craftsy. I have at the moment 105 items either purchased or free. It is impossible for me to print these off so I can only assume that I have lost them. Sad day

Denise
Denise

They were trying to stop making classes and switch to entertainment. Very stupid move. We did not want entertainment. We wanted top-quality instruction. They are not the same, no matter what the big companies think.

Cindy
Cindy

Crafty was an awesome website. Hope Bluprint allows Me to download my purchased classes.

Kayla
Kayla

I am glad you posted this. I tried to buy some before their time cut off and it wouldn’t work! I tried so many times and in different browsers too.

Marie
Marie

Thanks for the detailed explanation… I’ve been wondering how it happened and now I know! My hope is that the Craftsy crew will start a non-profit to continue the site!

Vicki Maiorano
Vicki Maiorano

I lost interest as there didn’t seem to be any new sewing classes of interest. I had 12 credits sitting there for classes and being slow I hadn’t made up my mind what to buy. Now it is too late. They really should have given more warning about the sudden shutdown. Last I read was it was closing over next few months.

Robyn
Robyn
Reply to  Vicki Maiorano

Hi Bluprint is still operating at the moment so I would recommend that you chose your soon possible. They have not given an end date yet and they are trying to find way we can keep classes.

Christine
Christine
Reply to  Robyn

The last day to purchase individual classes was May 31, 2020. For now, if you have a subscription or own classes, you can still access that content.

Cathee
Cathee
Reply to  Vicki Maiorano

I agree with you. I follow one of the instructors on a different website. She mentioned it. Well their email went into my junk email. I never have stuff from them go to junk, but this important message did. I lost 9 classes. I had over 100 classes so it was hard to choose a new one.

Marion Cardenas
Marion Cardenas

You are a fantastic team. Thank you for the link to your Payhip page. I’ll absolutely be purchasing a few patterns from you there. I loved Craftsy and had purchased classes and patterns there and then when it switched to Bluprint, I paid for a yearly subscription. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to download our paid for classes!

Jacqueline Taylor
Jacqueline Taylor

I was with Craftsy for several years & then, Now, Bluprint! I had been paying monthly so I could choose from all of them offered. Some of the classes were so darn expensive too! So Now that they are giving us some time, how would I transfer what I have, & its many quilting & embroidery classes, to be able to save what I have purchased? Any ideas? If not, I’m out a boatload of monies. Thanks for your help!
Jacqueline in Fl.

Angela
Angela

In the letter to customers on Bluprint’s front page, they said they are looking at ways for us to download our classes.

Yolande Bergeron
Yolande Bergeron

I am so sad the requiescat in pace for Blueprint. When someone at a desk has no idea what was Craftsy and Blueprint, well, it annonce the death for all of us.
Requiem in pace

robbie

My heart ached when I saw that Craftsy/Bluprint was no more. I’ve invested MUCH money and time into their classes. All gone. I often refer back tfor a refresher in my classes. How I longed to be able to save them on my computer. When they shifted from Craftsy to Bluprint I could see the handwriting on the wall. It would be great if they would put all of their classes on youtube–imagine the money they’ve made and the money we’ve paid–so we could still have access to them. We entered into a contract with these companies and they were legally binding. I went from shock to heartache to anger. That’s where I currently stand with this conspiratorial decision. Sounds like a class action suit is in order.

Patti P
Patti P

I knew the end was near when a corporation took over, too. Changing the name to Bluprint made no sense. That word brings up ideas of building buildings, not crafting. I’m so sad this has happened and I truly hope that I do get my own forever classes before all is done.

Barbara
Barbara

Question for Blue Print, will we still have forever access to the classes we have already purchased?

Mary Ann
Mary Ann

Personally, I think this stinks. Our so-called “own forever classes” are in limbo and we don’t know how they are going to let us keep our classes that we paid for. At this moment in time, I cannot even open my account and see any of the classes that I have paid for. I just paid for a one year subscription in May and now they say that will be prorated. As a customer, I really feel cheated.

But, thanks to your site, we can still find wonderful patterns and instructions. Thank goodness for sites like yours. You always offer great information. I will definitely stick with your excellent website.

julie rathburn
julie rathburn

So sorry to hear this but the world is getting so greedy and don’t feel it getting better anytime soon…so sad and sorry for you guys also…

Ruby
Ruby

Loved Craftsy, Hated Bluprint, they never seemed to get it right, something was always going wrong. Fraid I don’t know where that leaves all you lovely
designers.

Julia
Julia

Craftsy was the best website! It’s so sad what happened to it, for both crafters and designers. I hadn’t been on it in a long time because it was changing, and not for the better. Anyhow, it’s very sad. Thank You for this post.

Gabriela Schwender
Gabriela Schwender

that sucks big time- I learned sooo much from Blueprint

mhormils

Bluprint is supposed to be making arrangements for us to save our own forever classes. I hope this is true.

Ed
Ed

I think it’s great. I am one who left craftsy when the change came. Anxiously waiting.

Dj
Dj

Sad. Large corporations destroy the good

Marilyn Ackerman
Marilyn Ackerman

Chnges throighoiu everythng. Not always for the good. I hope this works out as we love you and your site.

Angela Leon
Angela Leon

I remember when it changed to blueprint, I new it won’t work, but did t expect it to be downfall so fast I wander how they going to organise the own forever classes for us to carry on using it. I own 258 classes, I am a bit nervous about it.

Debbie Croal
Debbie Croal

I think this is a good idea

Pamela Dale
Pamela Dale

They have not given us a lot of time to retrieve our classes etc gutted. Didn’t want to pay monthly loved Craftsy hated Blueprint.

Niki
Niki

That is a great pity. Thank you for the helpful explanation as to what has happened. Will be supporting you on the new platform.

Barb
Barb
Reply to  Niki

I wonder if there is some way to figure out how to get the cached downloads for offline viewing of my classes from Bluprint on my iPad to an external drive. I know they are in Bluprint’s app cache on my iPad. I first need a 3rd party file viewer and go from there. Does anyone know if this can work or how?

Adloona
Adloona
Reply to  Barb

I do not know but OS A Daily might help you find a solution.

Tiffany
Tiffany
Reply to  Barb

I could never find a way on my iPhone, but someone in another similar article comment mentioned Internet Download Manager, and I’ve had great success downloading class videos with my computer… (conveniently I had an external hard drive laying around…)

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