I've had discussions with several of my quilting buddies about exactly how original a quilt based on a well known and traditional pattern can be. One person is hell bent on accusing me of stealing her pattern. I still denounce these claims. My quilt is my own personal creation. I'm not getting into name giving here, and have no intention of making my blog anything but a dignified place of education.
While my quilt reflects my sense of design and color, you can see how very many interpretations have been made by scrolling through some photos. This is a mere small sampling of thousands of photos available too. My apologies to the makers for not placing any credits. I found these on pinterest for the simple task of showing that a mariner's compass quilt can be executed in many ways.
Like most of my quilts, the mariner's compass is often seen in a medallion setting, with a series of spiked corners and borders. The center star may have many spikes, or it may be of a simpler compass design. Placement of the New York Beauty blocks around the border is well, not immensely uncommon.
I never found a quilt with my particular center star because this was my design. The colors of my quilt were of my unique choosing too. If it appeared to have been stolen, well, the judges that saw it last week would certainly have been the ones to have called it out. They would have known.
So really, when working with traditional patterns that have been made for over a hundred years by quilters around the globe, there really is no purely original quilt. They are all adaptations, with small details that make them unique to the maker.
made 2010
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13 comments:
I've admired many Mariner's Compass/Star quilts. One of these days I will make one mine!
I have to admit that I did not notice it as a Mariner's Compass. I just looked at the quilt and drooled. I have been quilting for a long time and could not tell you what a certain block is unless it has the name on it. The names of blocks just don't matter to me, shameful I know. I would rather marvel at the quilt and all of the blocks and colors.
They are all so beautiful!!! What a treat to look at these today!!!
I love your quilts and I'm a great admirer of your work. I do believe however that you may be mistaken about the judges and what their responsibilities are. It's not up to the judges to declare anything about the possibility of an infringement of copyright while judging. They merely judge the merits of the piece as it is presented in front of them. It would be up to the show chairperson to decide if a quilt is what the maker says it is. I totally agree that it's very hard to say what is "original" and what is not.
I have often said is there a copyright on squares triangles and circles. I have seen posts from well know quilters that take an older block and turn it into a copyrighted block. How many ways can the square triangle and circle used?? I do think the EQ software allows more questions. You think it is original and yet someone else has come up with the same design. In your case you have tweaked it to another level. Proving you copied this person is next to impossible. She didn't see you do it... Chris
Mariner's Compass will probably be the Holy Grail for me. I managed to do 8-point stars and they were hard enough!
It's all original in my book. I'd like to see side by side comparisons, otherwise. It's all out there to make it your own and you did. Done.
Love them all and I'm sorry you've had that experience. Your work is truly amazing and you are obviously creative and artistic and don't need to copy anyone else's work. It seems like this has really hurt you and that takes some of the joy out of a quilt you put your heart and soul into. I hope you can get past that and know that we appreciate YOUR work. I know you inspire me!
And many of those you featured are memorable as award winners I recall in several shows! All, truly are "original" in my book!
Is your quilt the first photo in the listing above? If not, is there a place where we could view it?
Did you have an opportunity to compare yours with hers? I'm sure that with only so few ways to make one of these quilts, it wouldn't be uncommon for several of them to have very similar designs.
Your work is always so beautiful --- certainly no need on your part to copy someone else's quilt. Hope she backs off this claim. Good luck!
The Mariner's Compass is also the symbol used by those of us who work(ed) in the intelligence community. There is a huge one set into the floor at the CIA. It is one of my favorite patterns.
I'm currently working on a mariners compass medallion style quilt, at the coloring and setting stage. I try not to look at yours but yesterday I accidently stumbled across it. I've made an error in the drafting of the compass (??) but I'm not planning on changing it, I like it as it is. I'm using the colors that I've been staring at for over a year now. I've taken the colors from paint advert and a yard of Rowan fabric, similar to yours but not the same and it will never be as well executed as your quilts are. Your show quilts are truly amazing and inspiring. Thank you for sharing your work.
Nancy
Oh my goodness. It’s truly amazing!
People just want to feel important. At this time, I cannot believe that someone is so self centered to think they have an original design when it comes to the Mariners Compass. I have drafted my own in the past. They all look basically the same. Fabric choices make the major difference.
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