According to this fabric designer's blog -- anyhow:

http://tulapink.com/2010/09/19/outraged/

RST

I read that. I just heard last week from Moda rep that they sell to walmart too but under names like Cranston. I was surprised too. ALso Quilting treasures sells them fabrisc under a psedonym. That would explain the mix up. I would like to see how this ends.

That is interesting!

To think Walmart is actually copying a fabric line and having it manufactured to sell is ridiculous. WalMart is many things but being stupid is not one of them. If Moda owns the copyrights to the fabric line and sells fabric to Walmart then why is the designer blaming Walmart for selling it? Sounds like the fabric designer needs to get more facts before acting the fool.

Good grief. I like the Tula Pink lines but she is basically saying everyone who buys fabric from walmart is buying crappy fabric that isn't even fit to line a birdcage? THAT, to me, is rude. And I agree with BellaBoo. I'm curious to see how it all pans out.

If it is anything like what my friend went through then this might have happened with the fabric too. My friend designed signs for your home. She and her hsuband owned a factory too that made the designs. Once a year they would go to a show to try and sell to store chains their products. The show is supposed to put producers of products like them together with buyers for store chains. At the show would also be businessman from certain very large thrid world country pretenting to be store buyers but they would really copy the designs to make in their factory in their home country. She was very frustrated with this.

It's funny to see all the lemming posts jumping in agreeing with her about how horrible Walmart is.

:roll: I think Moda has some 'splaining to do!

I'm curious. What kind of sign do you buy for your home and why?

Interesting, don't seeing that as purposeful with WM, not that it couldn't happen, I agree no need to be rude, and has already let opinion be known.
For something like this not suprising or new that it happens, 15-20 years ago spoke to someone who was designing for a product for a company, and said when is sent off, it is then changed for the CR reason, this product was sold thru a very large co. so they didn't always look as good as the original all were old patterns.
Hope it gets worked out for all involved. Her's are prettier.

No wonder Walmart is getting out of the fabric business.
To many lawsuits. This is horrible.

Just like with appliances and other things. Sears kenmore appliances used to be whirlpool, kenmore sewing machines were singers, etc. (might be different manufacturers now...not sure) And there are generic foods and medicines. Manufacturers supply the brand name products as well as the generic or specific store brands.

We used to sell carpeting in my mom's drapery store. There were 2 grades available. Looked identical but the quality was much different and of course the price. They try to make something available in many price ranges. Sadly when we bought the carpet for our house now the store showed me the high quality and installed the lower quality. I raised a stink but got nowhere with them. But, I do tell everyone I know how they screwed us! That'll teach em ;)

I get tired of Walmart being blamed for all the world's woes.

Not only do they sell using a psuedomn(spelling?), they also sell their mistakes to the chainstores, Northcott was famous for that and maybe still is. I was told by a fabric rep that they can and do sell inferior fabric to chain stores, who in turn sell it for less than cost... any wonder the little LQS has such a hard time staying in business. We can't blame Walmart for everything, after all, someone is selling it to them first!

Interesting.....hope we learn the final decision.

Honestly, it is not Walmart's fault... it is the manufacturer of the knock-off fabric that is to be faulted. Walmart cannot check each piece of fabric to ensure that it is copyright infringement free. That is the job of the manufacturer that sells it to Walmart.

I cannot imagine, unless it is some scary place in China, that someone did not get permission to mass produce a fabric that looks so similar to Tula Pink's fabric. I do agree that someone didn't tell her because she SOLD her design to Moda and it became property of Moda.

Her tirade does make quilters who use Walmart fabric look pretty pathetic though. Birdcage lining, indeed. I rarely use Walmart fabric (unless I am making a bag or pillowcase), but when I first started quilting I did... because I didn't know better and because I couldn't afford better.

speaking of walmart fabric - some really good stuff has been sneaking in there! and at a dollar a yard it's a 'steal'... especially for quilt backs...

I love getting RJR, Red Rooster, Moda, Windham, etc at the markdown places online and in person, but I also buy the GOOD dollar stuff at wm.....

paying 10 to 13 a yard doesn't guarantee a great quilt - it just means you had to have "the best" at the highest price going...

Huh? Moda and Cranston are completely different companies. No relationship to each other at all. It doesn't make any sense that one company would put a different company's brand on their own fabric.

Quilting Treasures and VIP are both brands made by Cranston, though, so those two names *do* go together.

Count me in as baffled...

If people didn't shop WM, they too would go out of business. Ever been in one that was empty. When I taught some quilt classes, I always started out saying: Buy the best you can afford. Not everyone can affor $10+/yd for cotton. I don't shop LQS anymore b/c I refuse and can't afford to pay that much for fabric. I also don't shop WM or Joann's. I buy sales on line and yard sales.

I guess this is why we have a choice as to where we purchase our fabric. If I like it I am going to buy it where-ever...

I found this: Discount Quilting Fabric by Cranston VIP

Cranston Fabrics has a special place in the textile industry. Founded in 1824, Cranston has been at the forefront of fabric design and printing ever since.

J & O is interested in bringing our customers the finest discount quilting fabrics available. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that we've brought in more and more Cranston fabrics. Although produced under names such as Quilting Treasures and VIP, Cranston's fabrics immediately distinguish themselves.

I found this interesting that a Co. this old would take chances with their reputation. I think it is some Co.in china doing it as they don't recognize our patents and copyrights.

just about everything is being copied in China and there is not much US companies can do about it.
I read a blog by an artist who paints very distinctive paintings, found the same ones selling on Ebay by a chinese artist.

Which leads us right back to the discussions on copyright - it's not grandma making a quilt out of the magazine that's the problem - it's a huge factory overseas, but grandma is convenient and catches the flack..

My "befuddlement" is that Tula Pink is connected with Moda. And Moda is not connected with Cranston. So I just don't understand how a Tula Pink "knockoff" would wind up with Cranston printed on the selvedges.

I've seen all of Moda's lines, and also all of Cranston's (both VIP and Quilting Treasures) and honestly they are both quite distinctive; you really would not be likely to confuse one with the other.

That's why this is puzzling.

I don't know what her exact relationship is with Moda, but it is very likely she hasn't "sold" her designs to Moda, but gets a % of sales. So, any knock-offs would be stealing directly from her pocket.

True enough, Walmart wouldn't do this on purpose. It's the manufacturer of the fabric that will be in big trouble here. Anyone know if it's Cranston or?? The designer and her lawyers are going to make some money off of this, to be sure. Which she deserves.

I know the folks at Cranston (I've met them and toured their facility). I don't think they would get involved in something like this. They already sell their own designs to Wal-Mart (VIP brand only, not Quilting Treasures). Moda does not sell to Wal-Mart as far as I know.

I thought Walmart was geting out of the fabric business. In Arkansas there are very few stores left with fabric. That could be why the dollar fabric

Since the design is so similar could it be from the first printing of the fabric? I know fabric manufacturers will print test runs on cheaper griege goods before doing the final printing on the "good" stuff. Maybe the designer needs to contact her manufacturer before making accusations that could land her in hot water. :-D

I was also a Walmart fabric buyer as it was the only fabric seller in town.
Makes me wonder how it works in reverse? I've seen $10 yd fabrics in LQSs that I wouldn't buy for $2 yd.As far as that goes, have seen lines by so called big name designers that was junk.You just never know till you look & feel the fabric.



"Her tirade does make quilters who use Walmart fabric look pretty pathetic though. Birdcage lining, indeed. I rarely use Walmart fabric (unless I am making a bag or pillowcase), but when I first started quilting I did... because I didn't know better and because I couldn't afford better."

I don't believe that Walmart is the culprit. It's the manufacturer, in my opinion that is to blame.
Like someone already said...How is Walmart to know it's a "stolen" design? It should be up to the company selling the fabric, meaning the BIG company (Moda, Cranston, Northcott, etc) to be the ones to get the flack of selling the knockoffs and not Walmart or any other store.

I bet Walmart knows its not buying "hot" stolen televisions and iPods. It's their responsibility as a corporation to follow the rules of business.

I'm sure heads will roll and the manufacturer will lose Walmart as a customer. That'll teach them for stealing. Until then, let's hope Walmart does the right thing and takes this stuff off the shelves.

Now let's go buy a $5 Gucci bag at the flea market! LOL! I'm kidding, that's wrong too. At least the manufacturer didn't put Tula Pink's name on the selvage.

Anyone remember a similar thing happened a while ago, I can't remember who and the exact wheres of it....the designer sued and the fabric was taken off the shelves and donated to make quilts for a homeless shelter. The designer was awarded damages.

I agree.

If this really did happen-and I have my doubts- this person should be dicussing it with her lawyer, NOT on a message board.

There is a difference in thread count in fabrics that look the same. I am lucky we have a fabric warehouse about one hour away with bolt after bolt of different wonderful fabric

I think the designer is justified in discussing it on her blog. I've not seen that line in Walmart, but if I did, I would want to know that it's not her authorized work, as I would not want to support illegal copies.

I'm interested to see how it plays out. I can't see Moda being the supplier on that knock off fabric, but if they are, I'd like to hear the story on that.

I don't pay more than I have to for fabric, but I do like to support manufacturers and stores that offer good quality and legal materials, and the more information I have to help me do that, the better.

RST

I don't think it's appropriate to speculate on who is to blame - Walmart, the manufacturer, China, or Tula Pink, when we obviously don't know even a fraction of the story.

I don't have a problem with Tula Pink using her blog to sound off - it's her forum to discuss her designing, and I don't see that she made any unfounded accusations, particularly as she has pictures of the fabric in question.

As for her opinions on Walmart, I understand buying the best you can afford, but I don't see it as a problem that she has a poor opinion of Walmart fabric. I also have a horrible opinion of it in general, and have always had a hard time finding a quality product there.

According to the designer's blog there is nothing printed on the selvage. I've seen a lot of blank selvage on fabric at Walmmart and the bolt usually has Clothworks as the brand. It is a fabric line I will not use in a quilt but if the colors are pretty I'll buy it for potholders, etc.

I get a kick out of people saying they Do Not shop at Walmart like it's a sign of I'm so above that. I have some very wealthy friends who buy their designer $1400 purses and $800 shoes at boutiques but they buy their toliet paper at Walmart . :lol: :lol:

I don't think that Walmart is interested in going into the fabric business. Therefore I don't think they realize the fabric that they are getting is a knock off, if this is really happening.
I have not seen any of her line in my Walmart. We have mostly Cranston fabric.
I agree with bakermom. If she is being infringed she should be consulting her lawyer
I would like to see what happens with this

If it is a knock off, could it be Tula's patent may have ran out. Alot of things associated with name brands such as some of the tools my husband uses are knock offs from Craftsman and Bosch etc.

Either way, we shall see how this all plays out. I know alot of people hate Wal Mart, and like to find any little thing to bad mouth their name.

The bottom line is, if we keep buying them (carpeting, appliances, fabric imitations), they will keep producing them. Caveat emptor: buyer beware.

That's a pretty new line, and I am pretty sure that Tula herself would know good and well if she'd given up rights to it.

RST