DA Mayer

How do you determine what is your own quilt pattern? If you build on a pattern, how many changes or how different does it have to be so you can use it and not have to get permission? Can a person sell something to a friend without asking the creator of the quilt pattern? Hope this makes sense.

Lisa T

I have wondered this, too. Especially with the "traditional" patterns. How does someone say something is "theirs" when anyone can just make it?

I am making a quilt right now using a tattoo for inspiration, but the tattoo is sort of ripped off from a logo. By the time I have the applique worked out it's not exactly the same, but still similar. (I am not selling it or anything, but am a little nervous about putting the picture on my blog. I don't want to get in trouble.)

harleyquinn2323

this may help some:
http://www.lostquilt.com/Article2000-12.html

Lisa T

Thanks for the link! That was informative. I always wonder about this stuff, especially since I started a blog.

After reading that, I am sort of taken aback. It makes it difficult to make a quilt. When I make a quilt I usually just wing it, and say, make boxes around boxes, or what have you. A lot of times I later see another quilt that is very similar. Would it then be a matter of who made it first? Can you only get in trouble if you sell or display it?

Now I wonder about some of my quilts. When I made my Cherry Surprise quilt I used a cherry applique pattern out of a book and then just put strips around it. Well, other people have said they have that same quilt or one similar. Maybe I am not supposed to be putting pictures of it on the internet. I am sure someone else has made it first, plus I got the pattern for the applique from a Good Housekeeping book. I am going to have to do some googling on this! (Now I'm all worried.)

Lisa T

http://quiltinginharmony.blogspot.co...al-issues.html

I found this blog, too, which seemed to put into layman's terms pretty well.

DA Mayer

so a log cabin, irish chain are a couple of the patterns that have been around forever and would be ok to make and sell, if I understood the sites posted correctly.

pittsburgpam

From what I read on that last link it's like it is saying that if I use a designer fabric to make a quilt, I can't sell that quilt without running into the question of whether the designer of the fabric is entitled to money from the sale.

That could apply to anything! To any quilt or other product. I make teddy bears and I have sold them. Does that mean that the fur fabric I used, the material for the clothes I made, could be considered infringement on someone else's fabric copywrite? Can I not sell them because the original pattern for the bear body was a pattern that I bought?

What about someone who makes doilies from a pattern and sells them?

chairjogger

thanks harlyquinn. did you check out the labeling site with your link too? great site !! another learning day from here !!

Ell

Lisa T

I've been reading more and more about this topic. It's a hot one. Google it and see what comes up. It's crazy.

Check out this page, or the whole website:
http://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/...edFabric.shtml
I am not sure if I liked this website so much because it rings true to me, or just because I agree with it.

You just can't stop people from being inspired by your work, and if you don't let them sell stuff using your pattern/fabric, why would they buy it from you? If you want to make the money from the end product, then don't sell patterns, just make them up for yourself, then make and sell the quilt/sweater/whatever. People are going overboard with it it seems to me.

(I have not had anyoe accuse me of stealing their work, nor have I ever accused anyone. After I read what I wrote I realized it looked defensive, and I didn't mean it that way.)

I will post more links if I find them. I really enjoyed the link I posted on this post.

Lisa T

http://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/...Patterns.shtml

Here is the link for the patterns page on this website.
It's so hard to know what to believe. If it's on the Internet, it must be true, right? LOL!