Apparently I did a miserable job last night of getting my point across on the copyright post. This entire issue came about because someone misinterpreted a simple “thank you” that I posted to a list and got rude and huffy with me. It all began with credit not being given for a design, but there would never have been any hard feelings at all if that was where it had ended. It did not end there. Let me try to explain it all again in the unlikely event anyone gives a flip!
I was NOT upset that credit was not given; I was upset with the way I was treated and it all resulted from credit not having been given. What I was trying to say was that if credit had been given, I don’t think any of this would have ever occurred.
While I very much appreciate being given credit when my design is used, and I think it’s the right thing to do, I most likely will not raise a ruckus when I’m not given credit. The incident that started all this occurred when the person who posted the picture of a quilt made from a Quilt for an Hour project became irate and accused me of being selfish and lacking personal integrity when I thanked someone else for posting that the quilt had been made from my Quilt for an Hour project and she listed my website. The totality of my e-mail was “thank you (name)”. The person who had posted the picture, got from that “thank you” that I was accusing her of stealing my design. Therefore, she sent me a rude e-mail and posted a not so nice blog post, though she didn’t share my name. Her rudeness is what hurt my feelings and made me very angry.
1. I saw her original post as I’m on the same list and I didn’t say anything to her privately or on the list about that being my design. It wasn’t that important to me! She later acknowledged that it was my design and said she had forgotten to mention it and I’m fine with that! I would never have said anything to her about that.
2. A quilt made from one of my designs was shown in a magazine a year or so ago. The quilt was promoting a charity project. My name was never mentioned and I said not one word to anyone. It wasn’t that important to me.
I do NOT sweat the small stuff! I am so thrilled when you make quilts from my designs, whether it’s the free designs or patterns/books that you’ve purchased.
Credit for my designs is appreciated but rudeness and lack of respect will not be tolerated. I’m pretty forthright and I say what I mean and I mean what I say. If you think I’ve meant something other than what I’ve written, can you nicely ask me about it and not send me a rude e-mail, and make an ugly post on your blog about me and what you perceive my intentions to be? Generally, I’ve found quilters to be very understanding, accommodating and mannerly. For those who are not, I hope our paths do not cross.
To all who use my patterns, if you forget to give me credit or if you just plain old don’t want to give me credit, I can deal with that. But please do not be rude and accusatory of my actions.
No one should be afraid to quilt for fear of breaking a copyright rule. Please, Please, Please! Do not worry about whether you posted a picture on your blog or your webshots page and didn’t give me credit. I am not that kind of person! I do not know how else to say it!
Quilting is fun and when it is no longer fun, I will stop doing it. Worrying about doing the wrong thing would surely take the fun out of it real quickly for me. What on earth will I do with all this fabric if that ever happens?
Again, no comments but feel free to email me if you care to discuss anything I’ve written here.