A little background here. I'm a quilter, but I'm also a *real*, as in glass and solder, stained glass artisan. Once or twice a year I and my partner are vendors at a national quilt show where we sell quilt related pieces. Being on a budget, I often hang a fabric quilt top or two to cover the less than beautiful pipe and drape backgrounds. Last time, I hung a lap size top that I had made from fabric I had picked up at JoAnns and had been an experiment in kaleidoscope blocks. It looked really spiff, mainly because I decided I didn't like making the blocks and so I used up the bits and pieces making them into triangles and found a length of black that I turned into some sashing etc, etc. It was sort of an accretion quilt. I decided to eventually quilt it up and let my son's school auction it off. I had in fact told them I would give them this particular quilt when it was done.

Anyway, a shopper came up and basically importuned me to sell her the top, right there and then for whatever price I would name. This statement I took with a grain of salt. Anyway, a) I liked the final result myself, b) I had promised it to the school as a fundraiser and c) the fabrics were still readily available.

My answer was to a) offer to send her information on the raffle when it became available and she could buy tickets and b) offered to deconstruct the pattern and email it to her, which I did, only asking that it only be used for her personal use and that if exhibited I get mentioned as the designer. Never did get even a thank you for backwards drafting the pattern even though it took me half a day.

One of my non-quilting friends said I should have sold the top and donated the cash to the school.

I've attached a photo of the top.

What would you have done?

I would have done exactly what you did. You kept all your promises.

If I promised someone something, nothing anyone else could offer or do, would change my mind.

I think you handled it just right. The customer who wanted to buy it should have understood that it already had a purpose. Since it was displayed without a price she should not have assumed she could buy it, but inquiring was fine. She should have been grateful that you shared your pattern and hard work.

You did the right thing by not selling it to the lady.
But, I wouldn't have given her the instructions for it. I would have told her that it was something that was "made as I stitched" and there was no rhyme or reason to the pattern.

You handled it perfectly. You kept your word to donate it to the school, and gave her the information to either purchase raffle tickets or make one for herself. You did the right thing.

Hear Hear!! I am of the same mind set, Kathy.

Thanks. I've always felt honoring commitments was more important but I still wonder whether the woman would have plopped down $500 on the spot if I had asked it, which is more than it would make as a raffle item. I've seen people do stranger things. My guess is that she thought I'd ask $50 or something. Considering my quilt output is about 2 a year and none are simple squares, I value my time.

Diana

I love your quilt. Keeping your word is a life lesson that many other could learn from you.

Ditto
Lanny

its lovely.

congratulations,you did the right thing. pab

I also think you did the right thing, and long may we find people who keep their word. And while she may have gotten a fantastic pattern free with no thank you, we can only hope that karmic justice hits her where it hurts, in the final product.
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't show up at the next show bitching about how the pattern didn't live up to it's name!!! And don't you just wish she would!!

I respect you for honoring your commitment. We need more of that in today's world.

Since you didn't even get a thanks, that alone should be answer enough. Be happy that your creation will do wonders for a school in need and don't give it another thought.

You showed integrity and kept your promise.....good for you! You did the right thing. That customer has a serious lack of manners in not thanking you for your hard work and pattern you sent her and she should have well understood that you had already made a commitment with that quilt top. and by the way, the quilt is gorgeous. Great job.

have you ever thought of selling designs--love the quilt i hope she was gratefull for your effot

I think you did the right thing. You made promises you kept, plus you helped out someone who was really interested in what you did. Which you should be really proud of! As far as she promising not to make a profit off your design, people will do what they will-you didn't get a thank you-speaks volumes as to what she might do with it. Perhaps she wasn't happy you didn't do what she wanted you to do right then and there. Tuff-school benefited and that was the plan so all is well. Beautiful pattern!

Glad you like it :D! That's what my business partner keeps telling me, but I'm still finding my quilting direction and right now I don't want to get bogged down to any one style. My favorite thing to do is take the scraps from a planned quilt and just using those and maybe something from stash creating a lap or couch size. I just start putting things together and seeing where it goes, like this one. If I were actually to publish then I'd have to get into figuring out exact cutting sizes and directions and that isn't where I'm at right now.

Now if someone from AQS or something stopped by my booth at the next show and said "gotta have it for our next edition" then I'd seriously consider it. But for this pattern, I'd have to do a lot of resizing. Some of the sashing is something like 1 13/16 and peculiar numbers like that because I added it to a triangle and then cut it to fit the space.

Diana

I think you went beyond "the right thing." Because you made her the pattern so either she could make it or hire someone to make it for her. Inafterthought I think the right thing would be to charge her for the pattern as much as the most expensive published patterns cost, and then also try to sell other copies of it.

Good for you. A promise is a promise. Oh and never mind the "no thank you"... you cant out do God... when you give good, you get good somewhere else down the line... Always.

Diana, you are a very classy lady. I think you know my answer :D:D

You were more gracious than I would have been. You did the right thing. Your quilt is absolutely beautiful! I looks like a garden of beautiful flowers growing all about that you could just step into and walk all around them! It's like "eye candy" to me because I love flowers !

I think you did exactly what you should have done, and it says a lot about your character. By the way, the quilt is beautiful !

You were morally correct. You kept your promise. You went above and beyond when you gave her the pattern. You are too kind. What goes around - comes around. Your kindness will come back to you.

P.S. That is one beautiful quilt. I love the pattern and colors; especially the black. The black gives it the uniqueness that is yours.

You did the right thing. In fact you are an honourable person. Your quilt is beautiful and I wish you the best of everything.

Beautiful Quilt!

You did the right thing. Its beautiful!!!!!!!!

I probably would have quoted an outrageous price and if she bought it, would have donated the cash to the school -then made another for the raffle.

Exactly :)

You did the right thing. It would be a good lesson for the children at school. Teach them while their young.

You did the right thing. The quilt had already been spoken for.

That is a SUPER quilt! I have been "used" and will not do anything for anyone but my family. (immediate family)

I would have given her info on the raffle and left it at that.

yup me too

IMHO you did exactly right. How would you have explained to the school why you no longer had it to donate to them? But I'm not sure that I would have sent her the pattern though.

Beautiful quilt! Love your colors.
D inTX

Thanks :D

I might have offered to make another for her at the price you name and with a deposit ahead of time. But could you make one just like it? Would you have time? The school will be grateful you honored your word, and you are, too. What a beautiful quilt!