Question on pictures of one's show quilts

[Betty J.]

I recently saw an interesting discussion that has led me to question my practice of freely sharing pictures in my blogs of my show quilts while I make them and when they are done BEFORE they debut in a show. I do read the rules first, and if there is nothing saying you can't I like to share pictures of my quilts along the way. The feedback is helpful to me...sometimes even helping me fix something before I enter it into a show, and sometimes just to encourage me to either finish a quilt or enter a quilt or, if need be, not enter a quilt. I don't worry about copyright on my quilts because I figure they are unique enough they would be hard to copy from a few pictures. The judges can surely recognize the leader's quilts and since the name is sort of unknown, even if the names were on the front of the quilts, it probably wouldn't make any difference to my quilt's chances. What do you think, am I wrong? Should I withhold pictures of my show quilts before their debut at a show?

[Hannelore N.]

Another one of those 'hot pototoes', Betty Jo. Personally I would keep any quilt 'under wraps' until it has gone to its first show.

I like it when I go to a quilt show (often not cheap and involving a fair amount of travelling) and then see quilts that are fresh and that I haven't seen on the internet or in magazines before.

[Betty J.]

Thanks Lorchen. I'll have to think about this a lot. I have been using my designing and development of my show quilts on my personal blog as a kind of quilt journal and even to invite others to give me some feedback and share in the fun. Here's the link, if you're interested and haven't seen it: http://blog.bjfabricartist.com/
I think I have to reassess this. :shock:

[Pamela O.]

Sorry I don't remember her name, but she won at Paducah a couple of years ago and was from Australia. She posted on her website the two year process of making the quilt.
Sounds like it up to you as long as you follow the entry rules.

[Hannelore N.]

You have to be every so careful here. Some shows have different categories that have different sponsors, and so the rules can be different, even within the same show.

Betty Jo, one way around it would be to either have a 'private' blog, so that only invited people can access it, or to start your own Yahoo Group (pick the non-listed, and private options) and only share with those you can trust not to copy pictures and spread across cyber space.

Personally, I think it's a shame that we have to be so careful these days, because various types of copying are so easy, and spreading something world-wide can be done in minutes. I remember talking to a quilter who produces commercial patterns. She thinks that she loses 70% or more of potential sales because of copying and illegal sharing via the internet, and her designs (very distinctive appliqué) have also turned up with minor changes commercially for sale. It's always such a shame that a handful of 'crooks' can spoil it for the rest of us.

[Hannelore N.]

Also note that many of us have posted photos of our TQS quilts in progress and many have since won awards after they were posted here - I suppose we are a "private" source on the web?
Jeanine

[Betty J.]

This is a very interesting discussion to me as I work on developing my new full time fabric arts business. As far as copying my work from my photos...I think my particular type of quilting would be difficult to do that way, though perhaps not impossible, though I think I would even have a hard time reproducing exact or even near copies of my own work like my knight quilt, for instance. I do see some fabulous and beautiful quilts, however, that nevertheless could be copied from good photos if one were skilled in the techniques (rather like "good" forgers of paintings can copy them to the point it takes an expert to tell the difference). But if the quilter is so skilled, why copy someone else's?!!!

In the future, though, I am planning to develop some quilts with patterns and even printable digitized items and in-the-hoop applique/embroidery to go with the patterns. That might be a little less difficult to copy from pictures. It's a good thing to think about in advance of this.

I still rather think I'll share my struggles with crafting my art quilts with photos. One of the things I want to do, with my website and blog is develop interest in my quilts as art--perhaps for eventual sale--and in my techniques to share with others.

I really agree that it is a shame we have to be so careful about this. It's a lot more fun to share and I love to see other people's work too here at home in front of my computer with my shoes off. To me, it doesn't spoil it to see it on the Internet or in a magazine if I at last see it in person. There's so much more to see in person.

[Betty J.]

Sorry I don't remember her name, but she won at Paducah a couple of years ago and was from Australia. She posted on her website the two year process of making the quilt.
Sounds like it up to you as long as you follow the entry rules.

Gee, I'd like to know who that was so I could go look at her website.

[Betty J.]

You have to be every so careful here. Some shows have different categories that have different sponsors, and so the rules can be different, even within the same show.

Betty Jo, one way around it would be to either have a 'private' blog, so that only invited people can access it, or to start your own Yahoo Group (pick the non-listed, and private options) and only share with those you can trust not to copy pictures and spread across cyber space.

Personally, I think it's a shame that we have to be so careful these days, because various types of copying are so easy, and spreading something world-wide can be done in minutes. I remember talking to a quilter who produces commercial patterns. She thinks that she loses 70% or more of potential sales because of copying and illegal sharing via the internet, and her designs (very distinctive appliqué) have also turned up with minor changes commercially for sale. It's always such a shame that a handful of 'crooks' can spoil it for the rest of us.

Lorchen, in my humble opinion, if it's on the Internet it is never even approaching "private"...one might as well stand on the roof with a megaphone and lights.But I see your point. I am sorry about the quilter who loses potential sales. That is just plain frustrating.

[Betty J.]

Also note that many of us have posted photos of our TQS quilts in progress and many have since won awards after they were posted here - I suppose we are a "private" source on the web?
Jeanine

A nice point. Still, see my comment above about being private on the web. It just isn't. But we are a wonderful community of like minded interests.

[Judy B.]

Can't remember who the instructor was, but she said that members of her home guild did not even bring their in-progress works to small group meetings so as
to be able to say the work was entirely their own. It sounded like there had been problems with accusations of copying ideas.

[Betty J.]

Can't remember who the instructor was, but she said that members of her home guild did not even bring their in-progress works to small group meetings so as
to be able to say the work was entirely their own. It sounded like there had been problems with accusations of copying ideas.

Yikes! I think that takes a lot of fun out of the creation of quilts...not sharing along the way.

[Judy B.]

Being able to share and have the input from others makes my quilts a good deal better -- besides being lots of fun!

[Rita C.]

Sorry I don't remember her name, but she won at Paducah a couple of years ago and was from Australia. She posted on her website the two year process of making the quilt.
Sounds like it up to you as long as you follow the entry rules.

Gee, I'd like to know who that was so I could go look at her website.

Would that have been Mariya Waters? She did a quilt called Renaissance Revival and posted a blog as she went. Here's a link.

http://www.mariyawaters.com/MakingRR5.htm

Betty Jo I can't give you advice as I know nothing about exhibiting but I have enjoyed reading your blogs and seeing your work in progress. I guess as a rule of thumb anybody who is worried about copyright should keep their work under wraps until the official viewing.

[Rita C.]

One way of reducing the usefulness of your photos to others who want to 'nick' them from the web, is to reduce the number of pixels in the picture, then they look fine on the screen but are dreadful once you start trying to blow them up for detail. Just another suggestion. But yes, if it is on the web, it is in public.