This is from another Board regarding Copyright. I think it would also apply to quilting patterns. Hope this helps.
Question via email to the U.S. Copyright Office:
I want to sell a knitting pattern I wrote complete with step-by-step instructions and a photo of the finished project. I understand that my written work and photo cannot be reproduced or distributed without my consent. My question regards the finished product produced by the individual who made it using my pattern: Do I have any claim to what is done with that finished product such as how it can be used or if it can be sold for profit?
Response via email from the U.S. Copyright Office:
Copyright in a pattern normally pertains to the pattern itself, not to the object that you construct from the pattern. If the pattern, however, includes original artwork that would be incorporated into the work you make, then you may need permission to use it commercially. An example of that would be a needlework pattern depicting original artwork. An example of the opposite would be a dress pattern: the dress you make from the pattern is not subject to copyright protection.
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U.S. Copyright Office
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave SE
Washington DC 20559
(202) 707-3000
www.copyright.gov