if you make quilts/items to sell- a new developement
11-23-2011, 06:30 PM
#182
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Temple, TX (Transplanted from New York 2010)
Posts: 677
I have been following this thread with interest. I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that a designer designs a fabric the he/she feels will be marketable and sell well. They have it produced by the fabric manufacturer to...well...sell. So folks decide the fabric is awesome, buy it (sometimes at a premium price), take it home because it is perfect for a commissioned quilt, table topper...whatever. But wait! Can't do that because the same designer that was anxious to create a marketable fabric and have it produced for sale....wants...what??? A commission on anything crafted with that fabric and sold??? Phew.....it doesn't make sense. What do they expect to happen? That we would all pay to sit and stare at the fabric as one would in a museum? I can almost understand the sports logo type issue, but the rest is plain lunacy! If one makes a craft of their material that sells well at a flea market or specialty shop, then they will make more money because more fabric will be sold. Humph! I will definitely pay attention to the selvages on the fabric I buy from here on. I have yet to sell an item, but it just doesn't make sense. I respect the talent that goes into producing fabric designs, but when I part with my hard earned dollars to purchase said fabric, I feel that it then becomes mine to do with as I wish. By paying for the fabric, I am in essence paying the designer. Good Grief!
I agree. Times are very tough for more people than the "well off" people realize. It's not like when I sell an item that I made, that I am making a million dollars off of it. I am in NO WAY-GETTING RICH by any stretch of the imagination. You would think that companys would want they logos & products out in circulation. It's a very sad day, when a housewife/househusband can not make a little extra money to help support their family. I guess it means no electricity or food to eat. A sad, sad day.
Have a blessed & safe THANKSGIVING.
debra
11-23-2011, 08:46 PM
#183
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Madison Heights, MI
Posts: 1,069
I've never sold a quilt, yet. You could always have the customer sign a paper stating that they are paying you for your time to construct the quilt, but I'm not a lawyer. I will check for future purchases as I believe once I purchase material then I should be able to do with it as I please.
11-23-2011, 10:40 PM
#185
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 116
I remember years ago a crafter in Mt Gambier (Sth Australia) got into strife for using material with an indigenous theme, I had bought some lovely silky microfibre fabric at the time to make a top, it also had an indigenous theme. I made it up but never felt comfortable wearing it out after I heard about her. Everything is becoming so ridiculously libelous (sp). It really does make you feel like boycotting (sp-again).. sales of fabric by those designers, do they want to make money or what!!!
11-23-2011, 11:15 PM
#186
Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Ludlow, UK
Posts: 21
Amazing that in a recession there should be designers out there trying to restrict sales of their fabric. I would have thought that selling products made from a designer fabric would be regarded as free advertising!
11-24-2011, 02:04 AM
#188
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: VT
Posts: 165
I can understand if Amy Butler or other designers mentioned here don't want you selling a quilt labeled "Amy Butler". To me that would be a problem. The same goes for the teams. If you sell a fleece jacket labeled "New England Patriot's jacket" using their licensed fabric, that should not be allowed as they didn't license you to sell it. But if you just sell the item without saying that it's from the team (even though their fabric is there) there should be no problem. Especially if you're not mass-producing those items.
If you were to ever sell a quilt, purse, or other item that you made and these people came after you, except for the headache of it all, imagine the publicity you would generate! The community and probably national support that would be generated by this would be fantastic and most likely you would quickly sell anything you made.
So if anyone hears of one of these lawsuits, we should get the word out. At this time when the little guy is getting pounced upon by big corporations, this would surely gain a lot of sympathy from regular people everywhere!
That said, I will not be buying such products and will point it out to LQS owners when I see it. I think one of the women designers mentioned earlier on in the post sells to JoAnn's so be on the lookout there. Also for purchasing online: if online shops received enough inquiries about this they might go back to the manufacturers and ask that they not continue this practice. I know the next time I make an online purchase I will either call the shop or send them an email in advance to let them know I'm concerned about this issue, and not that I worry about being sued but just on the general principal of it.
If you were to ever sell a quilt, purse, or other item that you made and these people came after you, except for the headache of it all, imagine the publicity you would generate! The community and probably national support that would be generated by this would be fantastic and most likely you would quickly sell anything you made.
So if anyone hears of one of these lawsuits, we should get the word out. At this time when the little guy is getting pounced upon by big corporations, this would surely gain a lot of sympathy from regular people everywhere!
That said, I will not be buying such products and will point it out to LQS owners when I see it. I think one of the women designers mentioned earlier on in the post sells to JoAnn's so be on the lookout there. Also for purchasing online: if online shops received enough inquiries about this they might go back to the manufacturers and ask that they not continue this practice. I know the next time I make an online purchase I will either call the shop or send them an email in advance to let them know I'm concerned about this issue, and not that I worry about being sued but just on the general principal of it.
11-24-2011, 03:33 AM
#189
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Kingsland, tx
Posts: 233
Wow, saw that on a web page and never, until now, understood the big picture. I would love to hear the fabric designers view on this. I think if I wwas a designer seeing my fabric good enough to be sold for a quilt that would be a great sales point? Now I have another question, what about quilts that we make for donations? Where or if, does this fall in this copyright challenge?
11-24-2011, 03:58 AM
#190
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rosedale, Indiana
Posts: 2,003
Even if we don't sell what we make, we should boycott this fabric in support of our fellow quilters who do. This is pure
nonsense. There are too many fabrics out there that we should be able to find what we want without having to buy from
these designers. I think they may just get the message.
nonsense. There are too many fabrics out there that we should be able to find what we want without having to buy from
these designers. I think they may just get the message.
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