What Does Copyright Mean in the Quilting World?

I attended a very interesting seminar last week where representatives from the United States Patent and Trademark Office  spoke about Intellectual Property. There is real property (ie, your home, your car, your jewels) and then that which originates from your intellect. This covers Trademark, Patents and Copyright. Copyright is what matters to me because I own the rights to thousands of quilting patterns and files.

Boomer in the Garden

The above quilt was made 30 years ago and published in one of our Quilt Magazine issues. I did not invent that block called "Boomer." It is a vintage block in the public domain called Oklahoma Boomer. That is where 90% of my inspiration comes from. No one knows who thought this up in the first place. No one knows the original size or proportions to the pieces. My block is enhanced by ruched roses, yo-yos, ribbons and lace!

If you want to make your own Boomer Block, go for it. But you CAN'T photocopy my pattern and distribute to all your friends and quilting buddies. That's where copyright comes in. It protects my created and published UNIQUE interpretation of the block.

Yes, Boomer is hand quilted!

I converted it to foundation paper piecing in 2001. Then I used it for my 2014 Calendar of Quilts. ALL are covered by the US Copyright Office. 

The hundreds of quilts, articles and patterns published in my 14 years with Quilt Magazine and the thousands of patterns published in my 18 calendars and 3 books are ALL covered by copyright.

Pickup Sticks published in McCall's Quilt Magazine

Yes, the Log Cabin block is in the public domain and anyone can make one. Even like this.  You can loan or give the magazine away. But you can't take the magazine pages and print them and share with others. The next quilt was created in a partnership with Windham Fabrics and Keepsake Catalog. The use of log cabin blocks and popular, vintage appliqué Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Sam. It's my interpretation of these. This was photographed in my front yard.

Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Sam

Well, so what? you may say. I'm not going to steal your work, photocopy it and pass out to my quilt guild for our Block of the Month! Oh, maybe not you but I have seen it often. You may think you're being nice, but you're asking me to be nice and give away what is mine so you look good!  This is how I make a living. I don't teach school anymore.

One last thing today on copyright. Several months ago a quilting friend alerted me to someone using the photo you see above to promote her own renditions of Sue and Sam! She made her YouTube visitors think that she was offering MY quilt, but it was hers. I had to threaten her with a "cease and desist" order from my lawyer. Here is what she was doing WITHOUT MY PERMISSION:

She swore she wasn't doing anything wrong. Oh, really?

I'll be back next time with some more intriguing items about copyright. You can't believe what some contracts were trying to get away with regarding my work. Think: BIG NAME magazines!