QNM Request

I got a totally unexpected request in the mail today. I got a package from Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, requesting a quilt that I made be mailed to them to be photographed for their magazine. No, not my Day of the Dead quilt. I doubt that is their style. They want me to send my Baltimore Treasures quilt... the quilt I sold. Actually, Marcia Hohn of www.quilterscache.com designed the pattern and I tested it for her. She really deserved to own the quilt, and I'm happy she has it. I am so excited that a quilt that she designed and I made was requested by one of my favorite magazines. They saw it at the Vermont Quilt Festival where it got a third place for appliqued bed quilts. It's funny, I had a thing about this quilt. Being a die hard hand appliquer, I took on this project and thought I could finish it by hand in less than a year. It can't be done. Not by me anyway ( you understand the reason behind my Flight of Ideas piece now don't ya?). When time was running out, I decided to start over and make it all by machine. Even that took several months. Marcia asked me to enter it in the VQF, and I asked her if she wanted to buy it. So they mailed it to her from there. I am working on the 12th block of a hand applique version. Eleven of the blocks are blocks that I started with. The 12th is my own block with a fabric version of my own hand, appliqued on holding some of Marcia's flowers. It will only be a wallhanging size. But a sweet remembrance of this quilt. I took the picture to.. and Marcia uses it for her pattern cover. Cool huh?

Rian got me thinking about copyright issues. She was talking about this on her blog http://rianammermanstudio.blogspot.com/2005/07/now-i-feel-bad.html

I have a hard time with the copyright thing. I have tried to get away from using commercial patterns as much as possible. There are too many strings attached. Now that I am having fun entering quilts, I don't want to jump through hoops asking permission to put a quilt into a show. I have had contact with a fairly famous designer about making a miniature of one of her full size quilts. I will be drafting it, but I will use her ideas for color placement. She has been very gracious and helpful to me and has given me her permission. She made a replica of an antique quilt and won ribbons for it in a large show. I noticed that a miniature version of it was in the AQS show this year. When I sent a picture of the quilt to this designer, she was thrilled.
I must say, it is so refreshing to come across someone that is helpful, knowing that she doesn't have the market cornered on this traditional style of quilt.
That's why I am sticking with art quilts, or traditional design quilts with my creative stamp. You can only make a New York Beauty, or log cabin block so many ways. I would think a traditional pattern would have to be totally out of the norm to be able to lay claim to those designs, although, I'm sure that wouldn't stop some designers from trying to say a block is only theirs.
On the other hand, I will admit to worrying about posting photos of on going projects, or projects I plan to enter in shows. There might be people out there that would see them, copy them and enter them before I get a chance. But what fun is that? I can't imagine copying a quilt. I made Moonglow by Jinny Beyer. I loved the quilt, but it looks just like every other quilt like that one. I did learn a lot making it. I got really good at making Y seams. But, I know it can never be anything more than a couch quilt. I can't put it in a show. Wouldn't want to.

Anyway.. this Day of the Dead stuff is taking over my brain. I never heard of the holiday until I started making my Skeleton piece. I have ideas for 2 more pieces. Just had inspiration hit me about a second one today. I guess they say artists should make a series of quilts.. I guess Dia de Los Muertos will be my series of quilts.