Sunday 13 May 2012

Sunday playing...

I’m playing with Terrain and the 60 degree ruler and having a grand time. There are so many options with theese 60 degree triangles. For some great options see Jaybirds hexalong

They are really easy to make. I just cut 3” stripes wof and sewed together two and two. 
Then I cut the strips and ended up with 12 triangles.


 And faster than you know you will have a huge pile to play with.



Twelve triangles will make one star or two hexagons.
  


I think I’m set on the stars. Almost ;)



I will use white as sashing. Because of my limited y-seam skills I will make the white as two triangles rather than a diamond. I hope this will make piecing easier.



Now to the moral… Cause there always is a moral aspect isn’t there?

I saw the hexastars on a book cover a long time ago.I didn’t bookmark the book at the time but the stars were printed in my mind.
I haven’t bought the book yet but feel I will have too even if I’m not going to use or follow the actual pattern for this quilt. I had to do a bit of searching to find the book but here’s the link. Unfortunately it's not on Amazon.co.uk.

You could ask, can someone copyright a hexastar and the answer is of course no.  So is a quilt pattern the design or the guidelines provided? If you make the quilt but don't actually use the instructions. I think there is no clear answer to that. So it all comes down to my own moral. Am I copying the quilt on the book cover? If yes, I should buy the book.  Am I just playing with 60 degree triangles and coming up with this design myself? If so, I don’t think I should buy the book.

I'm not trying to be über-moralist here... Just my thoughts on copyright issues.

4 comments:

  1. I don't think you have to buy the book! Certainly lots of patterns are inspired by photos of other blocks or quilts. Libraries have quilt books to lend and people share books with their quilty friends. As long as you don't sell the exact same PATTERN for money then you are fine. Besides, hexy stars are often found on vintage quilts! Marti Michell has some excellent books and templates and freely discusses the importance of vintage and antique quilts as her source of inspiration. Just something to think about!

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  2. I agree with Penny.
    You see a picture: it inspires you. You'd like to make something like it, with fabric of your choice and you think of Jaybird's qal; she gives lots of options!
    So where does the copying start?
    I honestly don't know.
    There are so many quilt blocks that have been used over and over again without anyone asking any money for them.
    By the by: It's great just to have fun with fabric and different layouts!
    Happy Sunday, Cille

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  3. I agree with Penny and Betty: the only illegal thing would be if you sold the pattern as your own.

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  4. No guilt for me on that one. I remember when I was doing all that research on copyright, Pinterest, the Emily Cier stuff (and Kate Spain!) I found a site that said that the instructions and the pattern directions/pieces can be copyrighted, but ideas and designs that are out there in the world. . . not so much. I saw my Scrappy Stars on someone's blog, figured out my own way to do it, published that on my blog, and much later found out that it was a version of what was in Sarah Fielke's book, only I liked the way I did it more (she had a strange piecing thing going on, plus didn't use paper piecing, which I did). I did eventually buy the book, but by that time, my quilt was pretty much underway.

    I think your way--of piecing strips together then cutting them with a 60-degree ruler, is a really great idea. Carry on! (With NO guilt).

    Just my .02 worth.

    Elizabeth

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