quiltlin

If you can figure it out...make it!!! 8-)

steelecg

I have asked about just buying patterns and have been able to - I think you will be fine as you are not profitting from the work - also there are so many blocks out there - have fun

bstanbro

If you can do it on your own, why bother with the kit? If you're not planning to sell it, I guess you have the freedom to do whatever you want with your own fabric and your own time.

LindaR

this I agree with....I don't think I have ever made a quilt ENTIRELY like any pattern....I can add, leave something out, or use one block in the whole quilt...Am I wrong in saying if a designer puts a pattern in a quilt magazine you can make it, sell it or do anything you want....?????

BellaBoo

Don't sell the pattern as your own design or claim it as your design. Give the designer full credit. Do what you want with the quilt you made from the pattern, purchased or not.

StitchinJoy

Many many patterns and kits are made from traditional block designs that have been handed down through centuries or decades. If you look at a quilt-- just look at it, not measure it-- and you can make it, I say go ahead.

You will need to determine the size of the block, how many pieces needed of each shape, which colors go where, the size of the quilt, how big and how many borders, the fabric requirements for top, backing and batting. If you do all that, in my opinion, it's your quilt.

Zoe

I get confused too. We had this issue of copying and copyright arise with our informal quilt group's annual quilt to be displayed in our local agricultural fair. We hold an in-house quilt raffle (not open to the public). To get a chance for the quilt, our members have to make a quilt square or help set the quilt and frame up or come out to the fair and hand quilt. There is no money involved. We invite the public to sit and quilt with us, hoping to get new members this way.

One year we chose a design featured in an issue of Fons&Porter's magazine--a quilt design that they also had purchased. We put the top together, set it up in the frame, displayed the issue of the Fons&Porter magazine, open to the page with the design on top of the quilt so that credit was given to the designer.

I e-mailed the magazine to make sure we were doing everything legally. Here is what they wrote back. "Each member of our group had to purchase the magazine or have a subscription to the magazine before we could use this design and display it." It turned out that several of us did have yearly subscriptions, but I pointed out that one can read this magazine at the local library, make a copy for one's own use, etc.

We went ahead as usual, but I can tell you we never quite understood this issue of everyone having to buy their magazine. Most of us canceled our subscriptions after this, deciding we would read the library's copy from then on. We never made copies for anyone else.

We felt that those who saw the quilt and then saw the magazine would buy the magazine if they were interested. It was as if "this was a case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face." We were advertising their magazine and the design within. We were engendering business. What else did the magazine want? :cry:

thismomquilts

After the last thread on this issue I thought of a question to go along with it... if we buy a magazine or pattern book and then sell them in a garage sale - or buy one in a garage sale - is that not defeating the purpose of lettin the designer/magazine profit? I have used patterns from magazines and given the quilts as gifts. I'm not a designer but if I were - I'd be honored that someone wanted to make my designed quilt - if they want to sell it -so be it -

BarbieQ

most magazines i've seen if they have a kit you can purchase the pattern only. Lok around you may find what you want

raptureready

If you wouldn't be using the kit why buy it? I don't feel the least bit bad about calculating my own fabric, drawing out patterns and making quilts. I'm going to be using that money to buy fabric anyway and that supports our LQS's too. I do buy patterns if it's one that's complicated enough that I don't want to spend the time or can't figure it out. Most kits don't come in the size that I'd like to make anyway. I saw some at Hancocks the other day that were marked 70%off but by the time I'd have bought what I needed for a kingsize quilt it would have still been $120.