Define an original design
 

I am curious as to what constitutes an ORIGINAL design. I see so many quilts that incorporate traditional or modern blocks just set in different configurations and is called an "original" or "my own" design. ​Is there anyone out there who can give me a definition of what needs to happen for a quilt to be considered an "original" design? Thanks for the input!

Well, here's my two cents worth. I don't think there really are many true original designs. Most are variations of what has been done before. From simple squares sewn together to intricate Baltimore Album designs. There is no true way of knowing that someone somewhere hasn't done it before. That being said, designers create their own patterns and market them as original designs. But it all incorporates some aspect that has been done before.

I have to agree with Toverly when it comes to most designs. But I do think that originality is more obvious in techniques. Of course, for every 'new' short cut or technique that is published or patented, I am sure there are many people who have done things that way for years--just did not advertise it.

How can one make a law protecting 'originality'? If you think about it, if Shakespeare had patented Romeo and Juliet, no one could have legally written another love story. I love the creativity and expression of quilting, but am becoming thoroughly frustrated with the legalese that has reared its ugly head.

As far as patchwork blocks go, I'm pretty sure in my mind that it's all been done. I think that's why so many have more than one name. However, some of the things I've done, would possibly qualify as my own. Here are two.

I have three+ that I have made that I would state empathically that are original (as I started thinking through them, I kept realizing more of mine are what I would call original)
(1) first is a king sized that has a wedding dress train down the middle of it along with hand designed appliques and free motion quilting. There will never be another like it I can promise. There was and is no pattern. Even if someone tried to replicate it, it wouldn't be the same. When I was looking for inspiration I found nothing like it in the 3+ years that I looked.
(2) I made a dance/sing/play music quilt from scratch. Again appliques and quilting that can't easily be replicated along with a hand drawn pattern. Now there are patterns for quilts for the background where it is a mish mosh of block sizes but to this day, I have not seen anyone replicate it or another like it.
(3) I made a third that's hard to describe....but in the end it's the FMquilting on it that makes it an original.

I've made lots of quilts that are not originals that are from a lot of inspiration or a pattern by someone else, but quite a few are my originals -- whether appliques or the whole quilt. So my definition of original is that I developed the pattern from scratch. Maybe some inspirations of others played into it, but the ones above are the ones others have seen and emailed me to ask about patterns. Because they didn't exist out there in the market.

Can't give you a legal description, but I'd say one that has not been been put on paper yet/ Simply using new fabrics with an old pattern will not cut it as "my own design" I'll go for "my own interpretation" but not design.

So many patterns have been redone over and over with tiny changes but I don't consider that an original designs. I see some patterns that are so simple that even a student in Jr High could have drawn out the pattern. And they want $10 for the pattern. YIKES !! :)

When I did my City & Guilds we had to create a quilt that was our own design which I have shown here.
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The centre panel was designed by me and created using hand dyed fabrics and the blocks around the edges were my own design, but I couldn't say that the blocks are totally original. I mean, I think I created them but I am sure that somebody out there will have seen these or something like these before.

But, the total quilt is has not been made by anybody else before, so it was classed as an original design.

Hugs

Caroline

I'd think it would be fairly simple to draw an original applique quilt. Not so with pieced quilts, IMO!