Do any of you get About.com Quilting Tip of the Day by Janet Wickle? She shows us tips by other people. I must've signed up for it since it pops up on my email regularly.

Today I was dismayed to see Klue's tip that she discovered all by herself about putting a marble under the quilt to help with basting.
This is what was on my email....
Quilting Tip of the Day --- Turn a Marble into a Basting Tool
From Cheryl: If you pin baste your quilt on the floor or on a table, place a large marble under the quilt. Roll it under the area that is being pinned to hold it up a little. This makes basting easier and saves your rug from being caught in the basting pins -- or your table from being scratched.

But now, I'm wondering, Klue, if you are the Cheryl who shared it there. Did you do that yourself? What are the odds that somebody else also just happened to have a marble under her quilt and discovered it worked so well for basting?

So either Klue submitted it herself or somebody stole her idea which I think is wrong. Quilters should have ethics too.

While credit should certainly be given when the originator of an idea is known, ideas do get passed on by word of mouth, discovered or thought up by more than one person, etc.

I've often "discovered" things only to later find my ideas (communicated to no one) in print. Every one of us was given a brain, and sometimes GMTA (great minds think alike).

It's not like the woman is selling the information, and it's not like Klue will lose income or status because of it. Putting a marble (or superball, whatever) under a quilt is a helpful tip, but it's not the discovery of penicillin or the formula for KFC.

Not trying to get on you. You have only the best of intentions, and yes, ethics count for quilters, too.

Cathy, bless your heart for trying to protect one of our own :-) I wouldn't get too shook; I first heard that tip back in 2004 at my LQS here in the Midwest, and IIRC they said it was an 'old trick' at that time. This type of thing happens with tips sent in to places like Fons & Porter's too - I've seen multiple credits in their tip section a couple of times. It happens. Klue may have discovered it by herself; she just may have not been the first to do so.

Kudos to your eagle eyes, though - as quilters, we should always be conscience about where our patterns, ideas, etc. come from.

I totally agree that quilters should have ethics and be considerate of others work!!!

But I also have come up with an idea to discover someone else has thought of the idea also. I teach what I call Confusion quilting -which I discovered when I joined the board Izy calls crumb crazy quilting. I had not seen it anywhere before. So it is possible to have two people come up with the same idea.

Yeah, I can see what you are all saying. I guess I was overprotective. Interesting to hear that idea was already around 5 years ago. I learned something today.

Plus we all know how talented KLue is so we'd rush to her side to be protective!! She's the Queen!!!

If some one wanted to steal the idea they would say bouncy ball, walnut or a small block of wood.....hmmm I have a new idea...just kidding :wink: :roll: :wink: 8) :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:

I agree that the idea could have been around, but also love the way you have come to our great Klue's defense . Good for you!!!

Great minds do think alike. I've heard of this tip before, too!

Klue's was the first time I have heard it too. I tried it on carpet with a river rock. Didn't slide around so well. :oops: