Copyright vs Courtesy

We have had a week of record breaking extremes but even the lilies have survived. On December 1st we had our coldest December day and night on record - just 14C (57F) during the day and 7.9C (46F) overnight……and yesterday we experienced the hottest December day and night for 118 years! It reached 41.5 (almost 107F) during the day and it only went down to 30.7C (87F) overnight……and that was all within a week and it is only the first week of Summer! That does make one 'hot under the collar'!!

The other thing that makes me 'hot under the collar' is this……...I am not one to normally go on about copyright as I know it is an area that makes people uncomfortable, but there are legitimate reasons for it. I am the first to share patterns freely but sometimes I am saddened when others do not do the right thing…..well at least acknowledge where their designs come from. Recently I have had some lovely messages all the way from Russia…one from Gulnara who thanked me for my books and designs. I was so touched by her email as it had taken her many days to translate what I had written after our first contact. This is her wonderful quilt - a whole cloth version of the 'Bird' quilt……..

Then there is Gulnara who visits my blog and has her own blog HERE too. I have such wonderful memories of our trip to Russia five years ago and hundreds of photos to enjoy…..

 Yes I was really there!!………..

And such wonderful accommodation too…….

 Then there are all the photos archived for future quilt inspiration - in my spare time!!……..

There is another Russian quilting blog that I have followed for several years HERE. Her work is outstanding especially her intricate machine quilting but she sells classes and quilts using my designs without any acknowledgement as to the source of the blocks………(yep - they are mine!)

I never followed it up but I did see her selling this quilt - another of my designs and now available via her site as a masterclass HERE………..

I am not really sure where she is going to get the provided patterns as the book is now out of print…..but wouldn't it be nice if she had only asked me or at least acknowledged the source of the design? Of course I would have said yes…….just a simple gesture and I think common courtesy. But a few days ago I did receive an email from Christi of Christi Friesen's Creative Neighbourhood telling me that she had come across my blog after searching for 'William Morris Embroidery'. It took her to my post from over five years ago HERE where I had shared photos of some amazing antique embroidered tablecloths that I had just purchased…………. 

 Christi was asking my permission to use my photo as inspiration for some of her art work……from that photo she created this………

So very clever and made from polymer…….this was part of her message…….thank you so much Michele! here's a pic of the polymer project... you can see why your image of the texture of the threads is so perfect as an inspirational shot!  And thank you so much for your generosity and promptness! And yeah, i do always try to ask - we artists are all in this together, we have to support each other and not just grab, thanks again!  Pretty much sums it all up I think - thanks Christi! Christi shared all this on her Facebook page so have a peek. So that is the end of my rant…..I don't do it often but if you know that Russian quilter do tell her I don't bite!