Thanks for your many answers. QB members. I will pin away then and mention who made the wonderful quilts I pin!

Anita

Two things I'm thinking.
1. Why wouldn't I want my work pinned and hopefully my blog to see more traffic?
2. My blog is not monetized but purely for me and whoever reads it. It is not a business nor for a business. Is that considered self-promotion? Is the rule a blanket rule because people don't have time to peruse every personal blog so putting a picture of a quilt and then directing people to my blog for more info is bad but I can give full instructions in a post? Somebody clarify please?

It seems that once info is on the internet, people think it's public property. Is there any legally proven facts here? The internet is still so new that the laws are still being developed. One of my goals is to develope a line of patterns or a book with designs. Even though I'd like to show them on QB, I'd then never be able to control it's publication. I've worked very hard to get to this point and I don't want to start over. I know many people who steal designs by taking pictures and then copying them. No, it's no compliment for me when people pin my work without asking me. I may never know that my work is out there publically for all to steal.

Petthefabric-- Do you feel the same way about having your quilts hanging in a shop or a gallery? Even before cell phone cameras were ubiquitous,people used to sketch or simply remember the designs and incorporate them into their own ideas-- that's been the history of quilting.

If you are planning to publish patterns or a book, then I can see where you might feel it was important to keep your work out of the public eye -- right up until that point where you want all the publicity you can possibly get to encourage people to buy your work.

What I am seeing more and more is that successful new authors/designers are promoting themselves multiple times daily on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, their own blogs). They get a following, and then when they do publish, they already have fans. Take a look at Angela Walters -- the woman dominated Quilt Market, the latest issue of a major magazine, two or three published books, a fabric line, ads -- she's everywhere. And she pretty much puts here work out there for all to see on her blog (from which it's pinned repeatedly). It seems to be working for her. Others who take a very similar approach are Julie of Jaybird patterns and Tula Pink, fabric designer I think that this is the model for marketing creativity which is going to continue and increase.

I think it's interesting, but I have no dog in the fight -- I have no aspirations to publish, teach, sell, whatever. I am flattered when people say they like my quilts -- I live in a house of all males, none of whom cares about fabric or quilting, so I like getting a little attention for my ideas every now and then.

For sure and that is something we need to all remember. If you care if someone else pins your quilt, then my advice...don't post it on the internet. Take a photo, print the picture and show it to your friends in person.

I'd be LIVID!

no, members may not put their blog on their photos. your pic is part of your post and links to your website, or an affiliated website, are not permitted.in your posts