My question is, how do I know if something I decided to do because I liked the look when I tried it is copyright out there somewhere by somebody else who had the same idea?
For instance I took strips, stitched them together, cut into triangles and restitched with one of each color set to make a square,dozens if not hundreds of other people have done the same thing. It may even have a "name", but I'm neither claiming it as an original nor planning to look at every book, magazine and website to see who else did it. I'll most likely give it away anyhow, but this discussion is telling me I'd have to do all that research if I did want to sell it???
Even if I buy a pattern for something, I rarely do it just like the original pattern. For me a pattern is a starting point, not a play by play description of what I'm going to make.
And if I had to give credit for my inspiration for a given quilt, you most likely would say how on earth did that quilt come out of that picture of something with a totally different design and colors. (At this point in time that's the only one likely to be worthy of entering in a show once it's quilted) I'm thinking of my Around the World in shades of green that was inspired by a magazine cover that was shades of hot pinks, oranges and purples and the only similarity is the shading from one to the next.
I just don't see how a copyright can cover anything other than the pattern itself, especially with quilt blocks!