Originally Posted by
dunster
It sounds to me like the parts of the design that you wish to "copy" (or incorporate into your design) are not original elements. IMHO, using this quilt as inspiration is not unethical. We all use other quilts for inspiration. It would be a different matter if you were going to copy an original design.
Ditto for me. If I want to use someone's original design element, I'll buy the pattern, but if I'm just using a layout of traditional shapes or blocks and adding my own original elements, then I consider it "my" design. If it's close to someone else's design that I have seen, I'll state "inspired by..."