Copywrite!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes - it was ANOTHER crazy day which is just par for me during the year.

I went to my Sew Buddies group and since everyone in the group is NOW RETIRED, we have switched from evenings to day time - which is nice!!!!   However I could only go for an hour and in that hour - I think I did FIVE stitches on my Winter Wonderland (embroidery quilt by Crabapple Hill - pattern #408). Oh well - I got to catch up on the gossip of the summer, check out some new books and a catalogue. It was nice and relaxing!!!!

Then off to a completely different city (OK - here - all the cities blend into one another, but totally opposite direction from where I was). Meeting a couple of friends for lunch and I got a parking spot right outside the restaurant!!!!!  We all own the same long-arm machine - Kathy has moved to Calgary a while back (OK - seven years ago!!!) And I do manage to see her about once a year. Anyway Kathy, Robin and I had a great lunch - gossiped about the quilt world and our lives - oh yes - a real gossipy day!!!!  

Well since I was in Oakville - I might as well stop at Oakville Sewing Center. They had moved (a while back) and I had never been to the new location. Hmmmm - had a peek around and yes there are some interesting stuff here. I did pick up a couple of neat things. I couldn't help myself, but it wasn't much.

The old me would have just posted this picture BUT

The NEW COPYRIGHT informed me will post this picture so you can see who MADE the fabric. And you can see that as a CUSTOMER - I got SHORT CHANGED. Yes - you see how there is at least ONE inch on BOTH selvedges where there is NO laminate!!!!!!   And I do have to say the thread count is quite low!!!!!  I never complain about stuff (well rarely) but HEY - if people are going to be picky about how we display/use their products - as a customer/consumer - I have a RIGHT to complain about the quality. Of course - I could have spoken louder by NOT buying the product!!!!

A quick stop at Fabricland on the way home to get grommets (that is for an upcoming project) - hope to get started on that soon.

Grommets - notice that I have displayed the entire package so you can see whose grommets they are!!!!!

Off to physio (the back is feeling better, but I NEED to keep up with the exercises). A quick dinner and then off to the guild meeting. See what I mean - it was an insane day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


This was the first meeting of the season for the Mississauga Quilters Guild. The topic was copywrite - the speaker was Karen. I have heard Karen speak before and so I wasn't sure I wanted to go. But since I am a member of the guild - I will support the guild - so I went. After all the business stuff (boy people are VERY chatty in that guild) and the snacks (do people really need a snack at that time of night????) - then it was Karen's turn to chat.


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - this is an explosive topic. It is in everyone's mind these days and it all boils down to MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I am not going to get into a discussion about this topic, but there are a couple of points that I want to talk about.

(Please note that all my copywrite comments are made tongue in cheek - so don't complain to me if I sound callous!!!!)   (And Karen did NOT say the following - it is MY OWN)

How not to get in trouble with copyright

1. Never sell any product you have made
2. Never photocopy ANYTHING
3. Never look at anyone else's quilts (DO NOT attend quilt shows!!!)  (don't want to be accused of using someone else's idea)
4. Make your own fabric (DO NOT buy the stuff in the stores)
5. Do NOT buy books or patterns - save money and make your own
6. Never take pictures of any quilts
7. Never give anything away in case someone tries to sell it
8. Never donate anything in case the recipient wants to sell it
9. If you do buy a pattern - do not share it
10. Get a different hobby - maybe reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!



OK - so that is extreme, but honestly - if you were to really follow the law - the above wouldn't be too far off. And then there is all that muddy ground - inspired by, and derivative of an idea - oh boy. I'm just going to revert to the 10 rules above!!!!!  


OH OH - I got on a soap box!!!!!!   Just ran around the studio collecting a few things to go with this topic!!!


There are a couple of things that I don't get - why should I ask the designer if I can TEACH from one of their patterns?????   Heck as long as everyone buys their own pattern/book - shouldn't be a problem. But I guess there are people that will buy ONE pattern and teach from that one pattern - I AGREE - that is WRONG. I guess it is all the PERMISSION stuff that bugs me. The designers should get more specific and mention in the pattern what I can and cannot do with their pattern. Although a lot of it is common sense. And then you get people who go into Ruti's and ask if she can copy a pattern to give them. So much so that they have had to post a sign. I will get a picture of it today!!!!!   Seriously?????????

And then copyright a technique?????   I don't think so - there was a LOT of kerfuffle about that in this area a number of years ago - and holy smokes - that was just stupid. Have a look at the magazines - do you not find that most of the stuff is the SAME!!!!!!   The patterns are the same - the colours are the same - there is NOTHING NEW out there. So are those designers infringing on copyright??????   Just how different do they have to be??????    And those magazines that republish a pattern and do not say that it is a reprint - I can't remember the exact instance, but I remember writing about it on the blog. I double checked because I had the original magazine that the quilt had been published in. And what about someone who takes a ruler/technique and builds on that.

Are you familiar with Stack n Whack????   Have a look at this................

This is a leaflet that talks about cutting up pillow panels to make kaleidoscope quilts - 

Look at the year - look at the author!!!

Then we have Bethany and her Stack n Whack quilts - what was the year of publication??????

Why that would be 1998 - FIVE years AFTER Brenda published the technique

And then in 2002 - Linda Causee published TWO books with the same technique

Bethany went on to publish quite a few books about Stack n Whack - and there is also another designer (HD Designs - Four Patch Posie).   I have the pattern - just can't find it now, but search for four patch posie if you want to see it. And I am sure there are many others - those are the ones that come to mind.

These are ALL based on the same technique. Some of the above - I think would infringe on copywrite - A LOT of similarities - how do you separate the above??????

And then you have the L'il Twister ruler. That is even worse. The original design was made by Martha Thompson. Her first book called - Square Dance, Fancy Quilts from Plain Squares was originally published in 1995. She came out with a revised edition in 2005.

The revised edition of Square Dance quilts by Martha Thompson

THEN the Twister ruler came out. On the creators web site - it states:   "You’ll have the same good time creating fabulous pinwheel projects with our Twister tool. Twister’s are new tools that have simplified an old technique with easy to follow instructions. "   Home of the Twister ruler


WAIT A MINUTE - simplified an old technique???????  How old do you have to be to be old?????  And then you have Primitive Gatherings who made their own Twister ruler, but TEENY TINY!!!!!!!            

And now you search for patterns for L'il Twister and there are TONS. So are they infringing on the copywrite?????   The technique is the same - just a matter of laying the squares in a different order to get a different design???????

I mean the waters are so muddy - it is crazy. If I were a pattern designer - I would be flattered if people wanted to teach my pattern - (just have everyone buy the pattern). Then there are the pattern designers who make a quilt of SQUARES and sell a pattern. OK - do I really need a pattern for that - is that really a design that can be copyrighted?????   I mean - squares - come one - people - not rocket science!!!!   But there are very very very simple patterns out there. And people are buying them.

Well like I said - I won't get into a detailed discussion, but it is food for thought. And then what about all the FREE stuff on the internet - be careful with that. BTW - on one of the lists that I belong to - there is a volunteer who trolls other web sites and then posts links (up dates to free blocks of the months or interesting new free quilts - stuff like that).  I mean how much FREE stuff can one possibly take in. I sure hope people aren't printing all this stuff. I did that at the beginning and then ended up recycling all that paper because my tastes had changed and I never got around to making ANY of that stuff.  I am only printing one little pattern (a Halloween block of the month) - it is ONE page per month. The rest - I do NOT even look at. Too much!!!!

Karen - I did enjoy your discussion and yes while I do respect copyright (and give credit where credit is due), the permission thing drives me crazy. And in my mind - as long as I have given credit - I will continue to do what I do.

The other thing she talked about is blogs and web sites. Oh dear - I do try to mention the name or maker of any pattern that I am working on. Even putting a picture of the original pattern. Again - I feel that I have given credit where credit is due. While I might not be abiding by the true letter of the law????   I think I am well within my rights.

It does drive me absolutely crazy to sit in a meeting while people ramble on about "nothing". I get agitated and feel like it is wasting my time. Last night - I took KNITTING to the guild meeting. I know - me - KNITTING!!!!!    Anyway - I was working on that log cabin knitted (blanket, afghan) that I started way back in July. And I got a lot done - and I wasn't agitated at all!!!!!!  

My current square

My knitting needles!!!

The yarn

And my portable knitting bag!  Just so you know what products I am using!!!!!

Already been to the gym this morning. We had a FABULOUS class - when you get to laugh that much while exercising - you want to go back. And it was a TOUGH work out. Reminded me of my bike ride - 15% incline on the tread mill!!!!!   But hard for me to get my heart rate above 130!!!!   I was so afraid of sleeping through the alarm that I couldn't sleep. It was after 1 AM when I finally drifted off - let's say that 5 AM came a TAD too early!!!!!


OK - that's it for today. Well - I am off my soapbox now. I won't be changing a thing!!!!   Remember - I am being tongue in cheek about some of the above, but the waters - they are MUDDY!!!!!!    When in doubt - DON'T DO IT!!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!