This issue of McCalls Quilting Magazine has a statement regarding the use and public display of quilts made from patterns in the magazine.
They state that if you make a quilt from the pattern in the book and want to show it at a public place that you must give credit to the designer and the magazine and then it is OK, but if there are any more questions to e-mail themat [email protected]

Thanks for the info.

Just about every published quilt pattern has that same statement.

There is much disscussion about being able to even show quilts in quilt shows without author and publisher permission.

Every time we show pics of our quilts made from a purchased pattern to a large group we are disobeying copyright laws

What should we do? Stop showing our quilts or change the laws? IMHO: I think it is absolutely ludicrous to think that we cannot share our creations. I think that once we buy the pattern we should be able to use it and show it as our own work while naming the pattern and author or magazine. Asking permission doesn't make sense.

Selling it might be another matter and one I am not interested in because I don't sell my quilts. However, if/when my hubby makes a birdhouse or step stool or anything using a commercial pattern, he does not have to ask permission to show it or to sell it. Why should quilts be any different?

I do agree that if we copy a quilt, we should give credit to the person who inspired the quilt, and ask permission, but if we bought a commercially presented pattern and make it ourselves, I believe that the seller has profited from their work and will always be the author of that pattern and so they have reaped the rewards. No further 'permission' should be required.

If we need to continue to ask permission from the author of the pattern and the publisher of the magazine, then what is the point of purchasing it?

Interesting issue and one that many quilters are not aware of.

I don't know where you got this info but it's totally wrong. Copyright laws do not extend to the actual items made from patterns, any patterns, sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, etc.

The pattern is what is copyrighted. Think of "right to copy" instead of the word copyright and that might help. You do not have the "right to copy" the pattern and give it away or sell it. Making the item from the pattern is not copying the pattern.

I agree with Corky...and some of the patterns are very simple...who's to say we did not some up with that ourselves....can you image trying to search to see if anyone else in the world quilted the same as you did...

If your going to make the quilt they show in their magazines and hang it at a quilt show who is going to know the pattern came from their magazine. Do you honestly believe they have people going all over the world to view quilt events to see if one of their quilt patterns is being displayed. I have yet to hear someone say at a quilt show "Oh yes I saw that in a magazine and they are not giving them credit for it! Pleez!

The voice of reason....THANK YOU!

At the cost of a magazine these days. if I make a quilt from that magazine I am ging to show it if I want and yes I will give the magazine it's mention but I am sure the designer got paid before the magazine ever hit the stands. I don't think they let a magazine puplish their quilt patterns for free.

If you use just the basics from a pattern, and change everything else A LOT, does it remain that pattern? This is something I have wondered about a couple of times. I usually include a statement that says this quilt is rendition of "such and such" a quilt by whoever the designer is, but they are never even close. What happens in that situation. Isn't that like seeing a quilt that you made that inspired me to do something else?

The response from Scissor Queen is the same given to me from my LQS. Some sites that have free quilt patterns say they can be copied as long as they are not sold.