I've just finished reading a book about knitting (Sweater Quest by Adrienne Martini) in which the issue of copywriting and ownership of patterns is discussed at length. The following paragraph will help the OP assuage her guilt and let her think of herself as an artist: "Is knitting art or is knitting crafts? ..... If you buy a pattern and buy the yarn the pattern suggests and knit it in the color suggested, you're executing someone else's directions, no matter how much joy you do it with; that's craft. That's execution. The definition of art for human beings is that it is self-expression. So the minute that you say, "I think the sleeves should be a little bit shorter," "I think this should be green", the minute that who you are begins to influence what that thing is, now it's art."

[QUOTE=Elise1;5597993]I use the library a great deal for quilting books.

My library also has an inter-library loan program that allows me to get virtually any book, (my library borrows from other libraries), with no charge to me.

I always check the library to see if they have a book I am interested in. If I Really like it I will go to AddALL book search and let them find it for me for the cheapest price. For the most part though I end up not buying the book. Simply because there will be only one pattern in it that I like. I just freecycled a bunch of quilt books a few months ago worth hundreds of dollars retail simply because I need to get rid of things and I just didn't have the energy to take pictures post and mail. That's when I decided no more buying books unless I can check them out first.

Like none of us have done the same thing .. Or from a magazine or even a quilt show .. So no worries just acknowledge that its not your design but blah blah blah .. there ya go .. and I think as long as you don't sell it; just make sure you acknowledge the design but blah blah who did it, etc... Then once you make it big; be sure to shop at that LQS and secretly know you are doing good. Pay it forward with a quilt to a homeless shelter or a woman's shelter once you get the pattern down. When I lived on the other side of the mtn, I made small quilts for the local woman's shelter for the kids.

No Sierra, you took and idea and made it into something a little different. As said above, I see things and then go home and make my own from memory or a few notes I took. It is the same, not usually, but we see things around us all the the time and get ideas. Have fun and enjoy the creative side.

You go girl!!

Aileen, I have made a few quilts after looking at pictures in magazines for inspiration. What I find happens is that I use the idea as inspiration, then 'make it my own'. In the end it doesn't look anything like the picture that inspired it.

My guess is that if you hunted long enough on the internet, you would find a very similar quilt with directions you can download, sometimes for free!

I agree with the others - as long as you don't plan to sell it to anyone, use it.

My suggestion - remember this incident and pay it forward someday. When you have your Phd and are rolling in the bucks, buy this book or something else from this author and give it someone who is just starting out and is quilting. I'm sure you will find lots of folks who think it is just fine to hijack a pattern, but I have to give you so many kudos for not having a "too bad for you" attitude! Good luck to you, and keep your fine 'compass'!

I have to disagree with the quote. Do you think if anyone who plays Mozart or Beethoven exactly as the composer intended is not an artist? Of course they are! Anyone who completes a pattern and it ends up like its supposed to, is an artist. If you change it - it's creative interpretation.

When our children were small, we had NO money. I spent a lot of time at the local Library getting free patterns for toys and dolls. The children were happy with them, they were made from scrap fabric and free pattens and all was well. Things changed later, but you do what you have to do for your family. People are in a bind and have to cut back and save money in this economy. Nothing to feel quilty about. Enjoy. Hope your phd goes well also.

Quilters have been inspired by each other's work since the beginning. That's how this art/craft began. I don't see how one can truly copy a quilt unless it comes from a kit which has all the fabrics pre-cut.
I have a large library of quilt books. I frequently refer to them for inspiration. While I may use a block that I find in one, I have never made a copy of a quilt.
I have taught a number of people to quilt. While we have referred to quilts or blocks in a book, no one has ever made an exact copy.
Even if someone were to make an exact copy of one of my quilts, I would be flattered and amazed at her ability to find all those fabrics.
As even the book referenced had no pattern, the quilt was obviously included for inspiration. Other than looking at the photo, what more is there to do? Anything that arises from viewing the photo would have to come from the maker.
Let's say, for example, that the photo is of a quilt which features a tree with falling leaves. There will be a sky background, some ground cover in the foreground, and perhaps some rolling hills fading into the sky. Based on just this description, there are many ways to construct this image. I'm sure that in reading it, you have constructed a mind's eye view of your colors, layout, and maybe even fabrics. Yet each of us will have seen a different image, and in the making of it, may come out with something different from our original concept. Is any of this cheating or stealing? I say no. I have merely given you an idea, and ideas cannot be copyrighted. So, if any of you wish to make a quilt based on my idea, I say, "Go for it!" I'll even start a new thread where we can post photos of our results. Who's up for it?