How to make useful items cannot be copyrighted. Now what is considered a useful item is the key word. Usually it's something needed for purpose like an apron, a shirt, gloves. A quilt for show isn't the same as a quilt to keep a body warm but still a quilt and listed as a useful item from when quilt had a useful purpose. That's why the how to make a design of the quilt can not be copyrighted. Actually the picture of the design on the pattern is the actual thing that is copyrighted, like the Simplicity or McCalls patterns. It's amazing what is buried in a copyright law. I don't care anymore. Someone else will have to buy the pretty pattern packages. EQ7 has 5000 copyright free block patterns.