Is this illegal?

Yes, copyright infringement is illegal. However, if the copyright owners don't care, nobody else does either.

If their designs are copyrighted printing them is illegal.

I am a seamstress. There are often fashion designers who produce garment patterns to be sold through major pattern manufacturers such as McCalls, Butterick, Simplicity and Vogue, to name a few. I can go ahead and make as many garments as I choose, using those patterns. But, my lawyer says I cannot use a designer's pattern to create and sell a garment made from that pattern to another person; to respect copy right laws.

So, based upon that knowledge, I am going to assume that if you copy something for yourself for your own personal use, you are permitted to do so. However, there is usually expressed permission to be granted first. It is implied permission for the patterns I spoke of because they are for sale to anyone. Even still, I have no permission to make them and sell the clothing made from designer patterns.

EDIT: FYI to the thumb downers: This is an excerpt my attorney relied on when I asked him about copyright laws for sewing patterns;

The view commonly held by designers is relatively simple: follow the restrictions set in the pattern’s disclaimer. For example, if a knitting pattern you downloaded was accompanied by a disclaimer that read “personal, non-commercial use only” you could make as many items as you wanted using that pattern, but you could not sell any of them because that would constitute a non-personal, commercial use. However, when designers place notices on their patterns, they may be exaggerating copyright protections and licenses. But it is important to remember that even if copyright protection is not available, a user may be agreeing to a license that restricts the way he may use the pattern when he consents to the terms and conditions set by the designer.

Pattern users should be aware of what they are agreeing to when purchasing or downloading a pattern. By clicking a box that reads, “I agree to the terms & conditions”, a user may be entering into a legally binding agreement that can restrict what she may do with the pattern. Under US law, terms that parties consent to in a contract can trump copyright law, leaving designers with possible legal recourse for misuse of a pattern.

Seeking clear legislative guidance and wanting protection for their work, the fashion industry lobbied Congress to create legislation that would protect unique designs. First introduced in 2007, the Innovate Design Protection and Piracy Prohibition Act (IDPPPA) sought to protect designs for a period of three years if registered with the US Copyright Office within three months of being made available to the public. While similar legislation to limit design piracy has been enacted in Europe, India and Japan, legislative progress of the IDPPPA has stalled as of 2014, and patterns are still generally not copyrightable in the United States.

Unless and until moves are made in Congress, answers about copyright protection and designs still lie in a gray area. Whether you are a designer or a user of patterns, it is important to remain informed about your legal rights and understand the possible ramifications that can come along with something as simple as a pattern

SOMEONE owns copyright to the works. ANY use of the work legally requires permission from the copyright owner. There is a difference between getting permission and merely acknowledging they have copyright.

There is a difference between 'illegal' and 'unlawful'. Copying someone else's original creative work without their permission is breach of copyright. If they wanted to, the owner of the copyright could use the law to stop you copying their work and to seek compensation from you. They would probably not bother to do that unless you were commercially exploiting their creative work. They are more likely to simply tell you to stop infringing their copyright. If you don't, then they might take you to court. In most cases, the copyright owner would never even KNOW if we copy their work for our own enjoyment. That doesn't make it right but it would remain a secret so nothing would happen.

ruyapckk

if you use them in any money making way, yes

It should be illegal to ask this question...learn some English. BTW, want to see my Frasier Crane/Sonic the Hedgehog wedding night fan art?