Quilt Design
#1
Quilt Design
I designed a quilt.
Every time I think that, I wonder if I'm being presumptuous. I used traditional blocks and put them together in a new (at least to me) way. I looked around online, and I haven't seen anything just like it.
What constitutes a quilt design, in your opinion? Is my quilt my design if I create it (even from traditional elements), or is there some other criteria to be met?
Thanks.
Every time I think that, I wonder if I'm being presumptuous. I used traditional blocks and put them together in a new (at least to me) way. I looked around online, and I haven't seen anything just like it.
What constitutes a quilt design, in your opinion? Is my quilt my design if I create it (even from traditional elements), or is there some other criteria to be met?
Thanks.
#2
It depends if you are planning on writing out your design and marketing it. Or I suppose, if you are planning on entering it in a show. If it is the latter, then I would think you could just say something like--made using traditional blocks and my own arrangement. I don't know what the criteria is for marketing a pattern.
Oops forgot to answer your question--in my opinion, unless a person follows a pattern to the letter it becomes that person's 'interpretation' of a design. So, you are not presumptuous or pretentious to say that you designed your quilt.
Oops forgot to answer your question--in my opinion, unless a person follows a pattern to the letter it becomes that person's 'interpretation' of a design. So, you are not presumptuous or pretentious to say that you designed your quilt.
Last edited by GingerK; 06-18-2016 at 06:10 AM.
#3
Super Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,256
I'm not sure what criteria have to be met to officially designate something a new design, for the purposes of copyright, for example. But in my opinion, if you didn't copy someone else's quilt or use a published pattern, then you designed your quilt.
#4
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,127
I am not sure either. I bought a pattern recently to make a dear friend a quilt I think she will enjoy. I thought the design was unique but my friend showed me the same leaf blocks in a F&P magazine.
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
Traditional blocks are in the public domain so if you are wanting to enter it in a show & need to say that it's not covered by someone else's copyright, you can do that.
If you're wanting to enter it into a show in a category for "original design", you'll need to read the criteria. Typically, simply turning the blocks in a different way or creating a sampler of different traditional blocks or even enlarging/reducing blocks is not sufficient to meet a show's criteria for original design. I've seen a few times where that's been allowed if the new layout creates an original secondary pattern, but even that's atypical. I would contact the show's coordinator if you're trying to decide which category your quilt goes into.
If you're seeking legal copyright protection, you'll want to contact a licensed attorney with focuses in Intellectual Property Law, but generally my first thought would be "no". You could create a set of instructions & get a copyright on those (probably), but the design itself separate from the instructions usually wouldn't be protect-able. The main legal question used to determine whether a design copyright/patent is enforceable is whether the average person would find it "the same or substantially the same" as other quilts either in the public domain, or with existing copyright or copyleft protection.
If you're wanting to enter it into a show in a category for "original design", you'll need to read the criteria. Typically, simply turning the blocks in a different way or creating a sampler of different traditional blocks or even enlarging/reducing blocks is not sufficient to meet a show's criteria for original design. I've seen a few times where that's been allowed if the new layout creates an original secondary pattern, but even that's atypical. I would contact the show's coordinator if you're trying to decide which category your quilt goes into.
If you're seeking legal copyright protection, you'll want to contact a licensed attorney with focuses in Intellectual Property Law, but generally my first thought would be "no". You could create a set of instructions & get a copyright on those (probably), but the design itself separate from the instructions usually wouldn't be protect-able. The main legal question used to determine whether a design copyright/patent is enforceable is whether the average person would find it "the same or substantially the same" as other quilts either in the public domain, or with existing copyright or copyleft protection.
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 495
I Think the word design constitutes a very broad area. Choosing fabrics is a part of the design process in my mind as well as setting the blocks, borders or no borders etc. if you feel the quilt is of your design then say so and be proud. I see quilts in many magazines designed by particular people that to me are designs I have seen many places. All quilters are designers and artists in their own right. Happy quilting
#10
Whether or not there are other quilts out there that may be somewhat similar, or use the same traditional blocks is irrelevant. If you didn't copy someone else's design, or use a pattern, then you designed it in my eyes.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
pastimesquiltdesign
Pictures
141
02-01-2012 01:57 PM
pastimesquiltdesign
Pictures
17
01-15-2012 03:04 PM
craftybear
Links and Resources
2
09-19-2011 06:23 PM
craftybear
Links and Resources
10
07-14-2011 08:28 PM
craftybear
Links and Resources
5
05-18-2011 07:04 AM