Sew Karen-ly Created...

S'now Fun

2012-02-01T18:28:00.002-04:00

Polly has decided going for a ride in the big snow scoop is the best fun. We went all over the yard at high speed, and each time I dumped her out, she came running back to jump in again.

Hard to get the shovelling done with a scoop full of cat...and there was lots to shovel!

Around Lori's Table

2012-01-31T07:42:00.009-04:00

I guess technically the title of the post should read, "Around Lori's Daughter's Table", but that's a bit awkward to say. This beautiful set was made by Lori-Lynn Slack of Alberta as a gift for her daughter.
I had a chuckle when Lori told me she stood on a step-ladder to take the picture, as I have done the same thing myself. Great minds think alike, Lori!

The deep, rich colours will look spectacular on the table. If you would like to make your own version of Around The Table, the pattern is available on my website. Please leave your comments below; thanks for sharing your beautiful work, Lori!

Sprott Sprouting

2012-01-25T09:12:00.012-04:00

There are strange new things sprouting up on the Tantramar Marsh, which separates Nova Scotia from New Brunswick. Where normally we would see traditional farming...
we now see wind farming too.
It's been fascinating to watch these giant structures being hoisted into place by Sprott Power, melding an old tradition with a new technology.

It gives a progressive look to our windy marsh.

Winter Star Mug Mat

2012-01-22T11:27:00.032-04:00

Polly and I decided to try out the Brooklyn Revolver on an actual project. We decided on a small mug mat, in icy colours to match our winter weather. I drew out a really simple compass in EQ7 and gave it a colourful border. It measures 8" around.
If you'd like to make one, you will need:
Small amounts of 7 colours in gradations from light to dark. I used the following colours in these sections of the foundations: white (A2, B2), silver (A3,C6), grey/blue (C5,B1), light blue (C4), medium blue (C3,A1), dark blue print (C2, B Centre Circle), and dark blue solid (B3, C1).
9" square of batting
9" square of backing
30" bias binding
Quilting and sewing thread to match
Here are my fabrics laid out with a full-sized sketch of the mug mat.The white has iridescent snowflakes in the fabric which shine as the light hits.
The block is easy to foundation piece; you just follow the numbered sequence on the foundations. In the interest of brevity I have decided not to show all the foundation-piecing steps but if you need help with this part, I'd be pleased to supply it. There are 3 foundations supplied. You piece A, B and C separately. The A and B star sections are joined together first (which forms the wide point on the star) and then those foundation papers are removed. The previously-pieced outer band C also has the foundation paper removed and then it is added to the top of the star. It's a very gradual curve and not a bit scary to sew, but it is much, much easier to do if the papers are removed first. Otherwise it's difficult to get a smooth seam.
You make 4 blocks and join them in pairs as shown below. The pairs are then joined together across the centre seam to form the star.
The centre circle is appliquéd. To do this, cut the circle from cardstock and trace around it on the back of the fabric. With scissors, cut approximately 1/4" outside the traced line.
Sew a line of hand stitches around the outside edge and place the cardstock template in the centre. Pull up the stitches, give a spritz of starch and iron the circle before removing the template.
Pin the circle on top of the star and blind-stitch with matching thread. I used very fine Invisifil so the thread would not show.
Layer the pieced top on the batting and backing and pin baste to hold it secure. I machine quilted pebbles in the white background, continuous loops around the outer sections and outlined the star points and centre. I also did a little feathered wreath in the centre, which you can see here from the back.
Trim the outside edges even with the patchwork.
It came out looking very much like my original sketch!
As the piece is round, it requires bias binding. I cut my strips 2" wide on a 45 degree angle. I had to join 2 strips to get the required 30" length. And yes, that is a very narrow binding once it is folded in half, but it it proportional to the size of the mat.
And that's all there is to it!
It's just the perfect size to hold my two favourite mugs.
If you would like to make your own, simply email and I will send the foundations to you in pdf format.
The Brooklyn Revolver works great and Polly is happy to be back at the sewing machine.

Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork

2012-01-21T04:10:00.002-04:00

This has been an exciting week with all kinds of good things happening. The big news is that Log Canada will be part of the Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork exhibit in Alsace, France!Sandra Reford will curate a show of textile art and quilts entitled Tradition In Transition that represents quilting in Canada. The show will be September 13 to 16, 2012, in the Alsace area near Strasbourg. C'est Magnifique!

The Brooklyn Revolver

2012-01-20T13:03:00.009-04:00

As my hubby would so eloquently opine, "this is one slick rig." Imagine a cutting mat that rotates in a perfect circle so you don't have to stand on your head, run around the table, or move your fabric to make trims. I had heard about The Brooklyn Revolver many years back, but didn't realize it was no longer available. It was reintroduced at Quilt Market this fall and it's a gem.
I watched this video on You Tube before I got it.
It is marked in 1" grids with 45° angle lines. The rubber feet hold it firm on the table and it spins lazy-susan style. To trim this rectangle into a 2" square, I make the first cut along one side...
...and then rotate the cutting mat to make the final cut. I didn't need to disturb my fabric, or try to cut backwards which I previously would have done. These now less-than-nimble fingers aren't as cooperative as they once were so this will make rotary cutting easier for me.
The Brooklyn Revolver will be great to take to class for demos, or to have beside the machine for trimming blocks. I just wish my whole cutting table would turn like this!

Copyright Bibliography and Further Reading

2012-01-16T11:19:00.022-04:00

Ahhh...those long-awaited words, "and in conclusion..." :) This has been a lot of writing and a tremendous amount of reading - for me and you. If you would like to view my posts on copyright in order, begin here and read forward by clicking "newer post" at the bottom of each page. Now...close your eyes and think back to that Fabergé shampoo commercial which began with a small picture of a woman in the corner of the TV screen. The narrative goes, "I told 2 friends, and THEY told 2 friends, and THEY told 2 friends, and so on, and so on, and so on..." as the picture splits and replicates in a mitosis-like fashion across the screen. I encourage YOU to tell 2 friends what you've learned about respecting copyright, and perhaps they will tell 2 friends, and those 2 friends will take it up at their guild meeting, and so on, and so on, and so on...
If you would like more information on copyright, here are some worthwhile links to follow:

WIPO: The World Intellectual Property Office
The full text of The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
Kathleen Bissett's excellent and concise article: How Copyright Affects The Quilter.
A wonderful string of Copyright Copper articles from Virtual Quilter (thanks for this, Jennifer!)
Copyright Laws And The Quilter on Red Dawn
Demystifying Copyright by Kellie Cullihall & Brian Perry

Copyright-Or Copywriter?

2012-01-15T07:20:00.010-04:00

At risk of sounding pedantic, yes, it does need to be said...because many folks have these homonyms confused. Often we see the word "copyWRITE used when speaking of "copyRIGHT". The word "copy" in addition to meaning to duplicate or reproduce, has a different connotation in the publishing world. Here "copy" refers to written material such as an article in a magazine. Anyone familiar with TV shows set in newsrooms will have heard the term; often a harried reporter is hurrying to meet the deadline for his assigned copy, which the editor then uses for the published article, adding pictures, headlines and captions. Ergo, someone who is hired to "write copy" is a "copywriter" and has no connection to registering intellectual property. In advertising, "copywriters" are hired to write catchy text to help sell their product. Even though these long posts I have been writing on copyright in no way, shape, or form could be described as "catchy", promoting the proper use of copyright does in fact make me a copyright copywriter. :)

Continued thanks for all the comments and emails. Maria from Quilts For Sale has kindly suggested I add a button to allow folks to easily subscribe to this blog via email. If you are interested in receiving updates this way, you can find the button in the left side bar of this blog marked Follow By Email. Simply type in your email address. Thank you Maria for noticing that I did not offer that service.

The Value Of Good Credit

2012-01-12T18:51:00.021-04:00

We’ve all chuckled over the quote, “my only purpose in life is to serve as a bad example to others” Well, some wonderful folks on this earth also serve as good examples. This post will be a “catch them doing something right” and showcase the correct way to assign design credit.

We’ll start with some bloggers. Here’s a link to a post on Ouvrages d'une Acadienne blog, where author Joan properly displays and credits a quilt made from one of my patterns. Note that she has listed the designer name, the original name of the quilt, and provided a link back to my site. Well done, Joan J On this post Scrapmaster Linda shows a picture of a Maritime Beauty she made, along with the name of the quilt, the designer, and contact info. Thank you, Linda; it’s always a pleasure to see your beautiful work. Way over on the other side of the world in Australia, this recent Christmas post includes credit and contact information on the book in which this small apron was patterned. Jennifer from Bronze Wombat did all the leg work for you, and linked the exact page pertaining to the book on my site, not just the general website address. (Perhaps it is no coincidence that Jennifer ends her posts each time with a quote from a book on etiquette! She has good manners.) There are lots more examples I could share, but in the interest of brevity we’ll leave it there. Thank you to all the bloggers who respectfully and creatively present material for our enjoyment. Here is a gold star for you!

There are also a couple of commercial quilt sites which stand out as deserving mention. One is the Quilts For Sale site; this message greets you as you arrive, and is posted as a reminder on the bottom of each page: “The designers hold all copyrights to their work. Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the designer's permission.” From first-hand experience of being contacted, I know that the quilters selling their work on this site DO indeed ask the designer for permission to sell a quilt made from their design. Business owner Maria Hrabovsky tells me that it’s the responsibility of each quilter to secure permission and send her a copy of the letter before the quilts are shown on her website. With Maria’s permission, here is a sample of how she lists a quilt for sale. If you click this link, you will see a picture and name of the quilt – in this case, the 12 days of Christmas. The quilter’s name, June Messenger, is there with a link to more information about June. Next is quilt designer Michele Crawford’s name and website address, and affirmation that the quilt is being sold with the designer’s permission. On The Quilter’s Net site you will see the same thing. Clicking this link shows a quilt made and offered for sale by Deanna B. Owner Bev Crouse ensures that the original name of the quilt is kept intact, and design credit is properly assigned. “Weaver Fever quilt made is made from a pattern designed by Jackie Robinson of Animas Designs. Permission to sell this has kindly been granted by the designer.”

Maria and Bev both get a gold Feathered Star for showing us how professionals assign credit correctly.

One last example is of a pattern appearing in publication with credit to another for “design inspiration.” This isn't to blow my own horn, but I have my own permission to share this. Frost Bite appeared in an issue of Quilter’s Newsletter. It was shortly after Karen Stone had set the quilt world on end with her spectacular New York Beauty quilt featuring a wild, undulating border of spikes.

You can see that even though my border is vastly different than Karen’s, hers did inspire my uniform icicles and she was contacted for permission to print the design for the border in the magazine, which she granted. Her name was credited in Quilter’s Newsletter as designer of the border, mine as designer of the quilt... and we were both very happy with the arrangement.

Giving credit where it’s due is more than good manners, it’s part of the copyright law. We can all use a good credit rating. How’s yours? :)

Publication Replication ©

2012-01-07T13:38:00.062-04:00

It always seems to me that quilt magazines are the least understood and most abused form of pattern publication. Folks seem to feel when they buy one, they own what's in it and can copy at will without hurting anyone. After all, the magazine gets tossed out at the end of the month and a new issue replaces it, right? Wrong. I've often wondered if it's because a magazine is a collection of projects from various designers compiled by a big anonymous publishing house...and thus distanced a bit from the individual creator...that sparks this attitude. I've even heard people say that anything published in a magazine is free for using as it puts it out in the public domain. As Judge Judy emphatically declares, "riDICulous!". Publishing a piece does not put it into the public domain; it is still governed by copyright. And even though that magazine may be viewed as disposable, the copyrighted material within it is not.The rules for copying what you find in a magazine are no different really than when you purchase an individual pattern, and are clearly spelled out in the front of each issue. Here's the notice found in the front of Quiltmaker magazine: Copyright ©2011 by Creative Crafts Group. Reproduction in whole or in part in any language without written permission from Quiltmaker is prohibited. No one may copy, reprint or distribute any of the patterns or material in this magazine for commercial use without written permission of Quiltmaker. Templates and patterns may be photocopied as necessary to make quilts for personal use only. Quilts made from any element of a Quiltmaker pattern may be publicly displayed at quilt shows or donated to charity with credit given appropriately in the following form: "Pattern Name, designed by Designer Name. Pattern appears in Quiltermaker month/year. quiltermaker.com" Sounds clear to me. Notice that provision is made to preserve the moral link (discussed 2 blogposts back) between the creator and the work.

So how did the magazine get permission to share the designer's instructions in the first place? Speaking from the perspective of designer (and thus copyright owner) I would like to explain the various ways books and magazines are given permission to publish patterns. In previous posts, we discussed RIGHTS and began by saying that the creator of the original design (and all derivatives) holds the copyright to the design. He or she can decide how to assign those rights. It's different than selling a pattern to an individual; in that case, the individual purchases the pattern for their own personal use and is not allowed to copy or share the pattern. Books and magazines are different because the publisher needs permission to copy and distribute the pattern. To do this, they purchase the RIGHT to do that. There are various standard agreements an author can make with a publisher; one can sell ALL RIGHTS, FIRST RIGHTS, ONE TIME RIGHTS, or SIMULTANEOUS RIGHTS. When I began publishing in magazines in 1989 my very optimistic goal was to be in every quilting magazine on the market. I soon learned that some magazines offer contracts which did not appeal to me and for that reason I have not worked with them. In a nutshell, if a designer sells ALL RIGHTS to a magazine it's just what it says - ALL Rights. The designer no longer owns the copyright to the design and would have to then abide by the terms of use set by the publisher, the same as everyone else - including not offering the pattern for sale. I object to selling ALL RIGHTS because it feels like selling a piece of my soul, and even though I have done it a couple of times to get my work in books (or on covers) it isn't anything I favour. I usually sell FIRST RIGHTS OF PUBLICATION. This means that the magazine purchases the Right to publish the pattern before anyone else, including me. When the magazine goes off sale - usually 3 months is the term on the contract - then the Rights revert back to me, and I can print and sell the pattern myself. There are several patterns for sale on my website which have previously appeared in magazines. If the issue sells out and is not available as a back issue, then this allows someone to legally purchase the pattern without photocopying the magazine (which is illegal). My Selvedge Tote, published first in McCall's Quilting, is a good example of this. The pattern has been hugely popular, and the magazine quickly sold out so no back issues are available. After the Rights reverted back to me, I had the patterns printed, adding a selvedge gadget bag, and offer them for sale on my website. If I had not done this, one of 2 things would have happened: either the pattern would not be available at all, or folks would illegally photocopy and share the instructions from McCall's Quilting (in other words, I've saved you from a life of crime! :) If a magazine (or book) wants to offer a design which has previously appeared in print obviously they can no longer buy First Rights. This time they purchase One Time Rights. It allows them one printing of the pattern, and then the Rights go back to the creator. Simultaneous Rights is a trickier deal, this means that both a publication and the individual copyright holder are sharing the Rights to print the pattern...and both can have it for sale at the same time. Confusing? Here are some examples from my own experience (please overlook the weird colours in these shots, they were done late at night under artificial lights): this is Starry Night. I designed this quilt to enter in a contest run by The Nova Scotia Museum in 2000. It won me tickets to the Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro.
It's a pretty quilt, unusual in that it is sewn using all solid fabrics. I decided to submit the design to a magazine, and Quilt World purchased First Rights of Publication (First Rights, because I had not yet published the pattern). They featured the quilt on the cover of their July 2000 issue.
About a year after this, I decided to offer the pattern for sale myself, and had it printed and packaged for sale. It is available in stores and on my website.
In 2003, Leisure Arts contacted me to ask if they could include Starry Night in a book they were doing, entitled Through The Year Quilts. They wanted to purchase All Rights, but I didn't want to do that, so we agreed on One Time Rights Of Publication. This meant I could continue to sell the pattern on my own, and if their book went into a second printing, we would need to sign another contract for One Time Rights. I am glad I did this, as they featured the quilt on the book cover.
Here's another example of how things work. House of White Birches published Scrap Quilting Made Easy and included 3 of my designs in this hardcover book. (Two of them are pictured on the back cover) I sold ALL RIGHTS to these designs. Several years later, they decided to do a "best of" soft cover version (shown on the right) which included all three of my patterns. Because they owned ALL RIGHTS they didn't need my permission to do this, but they were kind enough to offer a royalty payment for use of the material. A royalty is a payment made by one party (the "licensee") to another (the "licensor") for the right to ongoing use of an asset. They determined that using the designs a second time constituted ongoing use. We mostly hear about royalty payments made to actors for TV shows which go into reruns, and it's the same idea - ongoing use.
In addition to selling off various aspects of a copyright, one can also sell a license to use a design. The Disney characters you see printed on fabric are an example of a license. Disney has not sold the copyrights to the character to the fabric company, they have awarded them a licence which permits the characters to be used without penalty. On the other side of the table, I had to purchase a licence to pattern my Anticipation quilt. The Anne Of Green Gables Licensing Authority keeps tight control (rightly!) over the usage of Anne and one needs approval and a licence.
There is a cost involved in all of this; I paid a flat fee upfront for the license and am required to submit royalty payments on the sale of each pattern (an ongoing activity). This is why the pattern retails higher than the others...and why that fabric with Disney characters costs more. The licence fee is reflected in the price.
Book publishers do not always obtain control of Rights; sometimes they seek permission to print the material on your behalf without purchasing the copyright. Diane Shink and I continue to hold the copyright to the material in our book Canadian Heritage Quilting. Like most book authors, we receive royalty payments from the publisher.
Because of so many options available for the correct publication of copyrighted material, you are probably asking yourself how you would know who owns what or how you are supposed to proceed. Easy. Look in the front of the book or magazine. Read the terms of use. If you cannot find the answer to your question, find an email address or a phone number and contact the publisher to ask. You can also find contact information quickly through a Google search. The publisher can tell you who owns the copyright and who to contact for permission to use the design for commercial purposes, or for display in a show. If you are unable to make contact with the publisher, then get in touch with the designer. He/she knows what the agreement with the publisher is. It really doesn't matter to you who owns the copyright - all you need to remember is that if it isn't you, it's someone else...and you need permission to use their work.

Derivative Is Not Derisive ©

2012-01-04T07:37:00.051-04:00

This third (of what may well turn out to be 400!) posts on copyright will be on derivative designs. Derivative, by definition, means something that is based on (i.e. derived from) another source. In the case of copyright, it refers to a design which is inspired by, resembles, or emulates an original copyrighted piece.
Studying piano in my younger years, I often encountered “theme and variation”. The main musical motif (tune) is laid down in the first few bars followed by numerous ways to vary that theme – changing the rhythm, the harmony, the key, etc. It is a popular technique employed by major composers such as Bach, Handel and Haydn. Note that I am not suggesting the composers copied and varied each other`s work - each did his own. Those who began sewing with Simplicity or McCalls clothing patterns will remember that often there were several options given from which you could choose. View A, View B, View C might present different sleeves or necklines but still use the same main pattern pieces. The variations are derived from the original and because of that, these derivatives are covered under the same copyright that protects the original design. Quilters do the same thing. Often a pattern will have a couple of choices of how your finished piece may look, perhaps as a bed quilt or a wallhanging or with different borders. Let’s use my Maritime Beauty pattern as an example of derivative designs. Here is the original Maritime Beauty – the first version which I made, and copyrighted.
I liked it a lot, so for fun I sewed it in miniature. These blocks are only 2" finished, which is vastly different from the original but not enough to make it a new piece. For the photograph, I also gave it a quarter turn clockwise...but again, that's not enough to make the piece new :)
Christmas came, and I sewed it in my favourite red and green fabrics. Although it gives a different look, changing the colour does not change the quilt in any significant way.

Then it was my niece Christina's birthday and I wanted to make her something splashy for her table. She has bee dishes. I changed the centre and alternated the colours from black to white under the spikes to give it a dramatic effect...but it's still my Maritime Beauty.
As the copyright holder of Maritime Beauty, I have the exclusive right to create derivative copies of my design. Making minor changes does not qualify the work as new under copyright law.

Here`s another example from my own experience, and I will be referring back to this quilt in a subsequent post on licensing. Because Anne of Green Gables is a copyrighted entity, anything which uses the Anne name or an image which evokes Anne requires special permission from the Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority (AGGLA)- which I secured when I designed this quilt. Had I not done that, I would be infringing on the copyright held by the heirs of Lucy Maud Montgomery. I entitled my quilt Anticipation. It features the signature straw hat and red braids we have come to associate with Anne.
Shortly after I made this quilt, there was a call to entry by the Kindred Spaces Textile Show in Charlottetown looking for quilts to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Anne. I decided to enter the show, but my Anticipation quilt was too large. I took the main elements used in my original quilt - namely the hat and braids - and incorporated them into a wallhanging which was meant to resemble a portrait of Anne in a gilt frame. This derivative quilt was chosen to tour Japan the following year.

As I held the copyright on the original design, I was fully within my rights to do this. So...does this mean that no one can ever improve upon a design that's already out there? Nope. But you need to obtain permission to do so. Look back to this post; I was asked and gave permission for my New York Roundabout design to be translated into a hooked rug. It's beautiful, and I can't wait to see it finished. I am delighted that Kate shared her work and had the good manners - and even better sense! - to ask. A copyright holder can grant permission (usually as a license or assignment) for you to use their original idea in your work. If you do not get permission, you are infringing on the author's copyright. It gets tricky deciding what's a derivative and what's a brand new design. I've often heard it said that something must be 10% new to qualify as copyrightable...but in the stacks of articles I've read in the past few weeks, I have not come across anything that says that at all. I expect that's unsubstantiated rumour, so don't trust that thinking. Often guilds making raffle quilts as fundraisers will take part of a quilt design that they've seen in a magazine and change the border, claiming it's their own design and not needing to be credited. This is untrue. That constitutes a minor change and credit for the original designer's work must be given. Frankly, I never understand why that's an issue; is it so hard to say "inspired by..."? Inspiration is wonderful - it bespeaks creativity and thinking outside the box - so embrace it, and run with it...just as soon as you are given the ok to do so. In my mind, stating the source of your inspiration shows good manners if nothing else and certainly creates goodwill within the quilt community. Giving credit where it is due is a good thing.

In order for your derivative work to receive its own copyright, it must be different enough from the original to qualify as a new piece of work. Simply making minor changes to an original, copyrighted work does not constitute a new derivative work under copyright law. In February, I discovered a quilter in Australia had made my Oriental Beauty in a different colourway and changed the name to "It's Not Christmas". She claimed design credit for the piece, sold the patterns, and taught it at workshops around her country. If you look back to the examples of Maritime Beauty above, you will see that changing the colour does not change the piece. As for changing the name, this is also an area of concern for designers and something quilters need to be aware of. Many designers will write in their terms that the name of the quilt cannot be changed - it has to stay as published. Why is that? It goes back to the Moral Rights discussed in yesterday's post. Moral rights allow the author to take certain actions to preserve the personal link between himself and the work. I encounter this issue often when someone makes one of my patterns and renames it to give personal significance; let's say they made Farrago and renamed it Aunt Jane's Biscuits. They (correctly) post a link to my site but when the person arrives looking for the pattern for Aunt Jane's Biscuits they don't find it because I have no quilt named that. Renaming a quilt does not allow the designer to preserve the personal link between him/herself and the design. More and more I am seeing designers add a note to their copyright rules insisting that the name be kept intact. For myself, I would be fine if the quilt made from the pattern was give a by line such as..."Farrago: Aunt Jane's Biscuits." I think that would satisfy both the need for the link and yet allow the maker to add a personal and meaningful stamp to the quilt.

For the variation of my New York Roundabout quilt which I found on the website of Fabric Stash in Mass. before Christmas, the maker had changed the block slightly using 5 spikes instead of 6. She told me on the phone that was how she was making it her own design (nah ah - you were making a derivative design, Lois...) She also confessed that she had photocopied the New York Beauty block she used from a book and was distributing that photocopy with her pattern. Eeek...double no-no. That's where tomorrow's post will start: using what is published in books and magazines.

This was a very long read; if you've made it this far you've done great, and I thank you. Each of these posts takes more than a day to write so sadly there is no quilting happening here. Polly isn't very happy about this.

Have My Rights Left? Are My Rights Wrong? ©

2012-01-03T05:25:00.020-04:00

Have My Rights Left? Are My Rights Wrong?©

It’s easy to protect ideas in our heads, but once they are born it often feels like a free-for-all. It shouldn’t. Ideas are not free for all to use without permission, or consequence. That’s what a copyright is all about. The word copyright means the expression of the registered work is controlled by the creator. The creator has the right to determine if the work may be copied and reproduced, and is the only one able to give permission to others to do so. Wikipedia has this to say about rights: Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.
There are two types of rights under copyright law. Economic rights allow the copyright owner to derive financial reward from the use of his work by others. Moral rights allow the author to take action to preserve the personal link between himself and the work.
Since I publish and sell the patterns for my designs, I get to say what rights buyers have to my work when purchasing a pattern. It’s important to realize that the Intellectual Property you are purchasing is not the paper pattern itself, it’s the information or knowledge contained within the pattern. To quote James Thurber from “Here Lies Miss Groby”, the paper pattern is simply the “container for the thing contained”. Some folks object to paying $10.00 for a 6 page pattern using the ridiculous argument that it could be photocopied for a dollar. The value of the pattern goes far beyond the actual cost of ink on paper – the worth is in the knowledge communicated by the words.
Essentially when you purchase a pattern you are entering into a contract with the seller and are agreeing to adhere to the terms and conditions of that sale contract. We need to be very clear on this next part: Each designer decides for themselves what Rights they are selling to their design. It’s a “because I said so…” deal, so do not assume there is one correct answer. Each has his/her own set of rules and you need to read your pattern to see what Rights you have purchased. Some designers do not allow you to make more than one quilt from each pattern. If you want to make the quilt again, you need to repurchase the pattern. Check your pattern covers and see what’s written. If you are unable to find the information, contact the designer and ask. Always ask. Here's a link to a book cover where the information is clearly stated. Note they spell out the permission for copy shops to photocopy the pull-out sheets of templates in the centre of the book. Interestingly the author of this book, Patrick Lose, dealt with copyright infringement in 2010 when a piece he had designed appeared in a magazine. Speaking for myself only…my rules are printed on the back cover of each pattern and read thus: This pattern is for your own personal use. Photocopying, digitizing, and all other forms of copying to share or distribute the pattern, whether for profit or not, is prohibited by copyright law. A key phrase in that sentence is “personal use.” When you purchase my pattern, you are given permission to do anything you want with it, if it’s for your own use. You can make it as many times as you like, for yourself or to give as gifts. You can photocopy the templates to use in your studio, thus keeping your master intact. You can line your bird cage with it (I hope you don’t.) What you cannot do is photocopy it to hand out free at guild meetings (because that’s no longer just you using it), nor can you scan and email it to all your friends. It’s for you to use yourself. After you are finished with the pattern, can you sell it? Again, ANSWERING ONLY FOR MYSELF…of course you can – it’s yours. Note that when I say you can sell it, I mean the pattern you purchased – not a photocopy of it, not a scanned or duplicate copy, nor can you retype the instructions and sell those. You can resell that ORIGINAL pattern with my blessing. Quilt shops that purchase patterns wholesale are given permission to resell the patterns for profit. Quilt designers need quilt shops, and quilt shops need quilt designers - it's a symbiotic relationship. Quilt shops are NOT given permission to copy the design in any way – they cannot photocopy them to hand out free with a fabric purchase, teach a class, nor can they rewrite the instructions and distribute them without my name on them. This is why when you take a workshop each person is required to purchase an original copy of the pattern. More on this in a later post.
How about the quilt you made from the pattern - can you sell it? Yes, but…this is a different ball of wax now because there is financial gain involved. Refer back to the types of Rights noted above: economic and moral. Economic rights allow the rights owner to derive financial reward from the use of his works by others. Presumably when you sell a quilt you do so to make a profit. You are profiting from my work in your work, and my copyright allows me to derive some sort of financial reward from this. What I ask back from you is advertising, to include my Sew Karen-ly Created…name and website address (http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/sewkaren) on the tag. It doesn’t cost you anything to do that, but it satisfies my right to economic benefit. I think that’s a small thing to ask. As for the Moral Right ( Moral rights allow the author to take certain actions to preserve the personal link between himself and the work),it’s imperative that the designer’s name stays with the design. Paraphrasing Kathleen Bissett, in her article she writes: "If there is no reference to another, the implication is that the artist is the designer." To illustrate this point, during our Fibre Arts Festival I visited a shop in town with handmade items for sale. I was carrying my selvedge tote bag.
When I entered the store, the shop owner said, “oh – you made Jane Doe’s bag!” and pointed to a bag for sale in her shop identical to the one on my shoulder. I laughingly responded, “no, Jane Doe made MY bag.” When I looked at the tag, it had the maker’s name only so naturally it was assumed that she was also the designer. A quick phone call to the maker cleared the matter up easily, and the bags are now properly labelled and credited - no hard feelings on either side. Small point, but an important one as it (morally and legally) preserves my link to the design. Would I be upset if you show a quilt made from my pattern to your friends in your livingroom without assigning designer credit? Nope. But if you put it on the Internet on a blog or Flicker page or your Etsy shop where your audience is the world, I would be then. It’s not just a courtesy, it’s part of what’s required by law.
I thank everyone for the kind comments and emails of support I am receiving. I do realize this is a lot of reading; I know that it's certainly a lot of writing :)

Intellectual Property Does Not Mean You Have A Wiseacre

2012-01-01T09:56:00.020-04:00

What is Intellectual Property?

As promised, the next few posts will focus on copyright. Certainly I am no lawyer and do not claim to be an expert, but I do have a vested interest in the subject and would like to share my thoughts. The material here is presented in good faith. Even though it is a complex topic, like most of our laws a lot of it is simply common sense and the application of The Golden Rule which we learned in Sunday School: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Please bear with me through long, wordy posts.

Intellectual property (which we will hereafter abbreviate to IP) refers to creations of the mind – inventions, literary, musical or artistic works, names, symbols and images…and that very clever title of this blogpost :) Your thoughts are unique to you; you own what goes on in your mind. Logic dictates you cannot and do not need to protect the idea while it’s in your brain because (thankfully) no one knows what’s going on inside there. But once your idea leaves your head and becomes a painting, a distinctive way to write the name Coca Cola® so that it’s easily recognizable, a cotton gin, or a quilt, you are able to protect the expression of your vision. We are given protection over our tangible property and “real” estate through laws and courts which address trespassing and theft, and our wiseacre property is no different: we own it and have the right to protect it.

Once an idea leaves the brain and is translated into something tangible the IP protection takes different routes depending on the route the idea has taken: inventions (such as the cotton gin)are protected by patents and assigned a number. Names (like Coca Cola®),symbols (such as the red swooshy Coca Cola® name) used in commerce to identify products (i.e. logos) are registered as trademarks and have these symbols after their name: ® ™. You can get in a lot of trouble if you use a company’s logo as your own. Artistic works such as books, poems, films, music, paintings, photographs, sculptures and fibre art (such as my New York Roundabout © quilt ) are protected by copyright and use this symbol: ©. You can get in a lot of trouble if you pass off another person’s quilt design as your own.

When you have an idea that has come into being through expression, you may then apply for the copyright on this work. Intellectual Property Offices are federal institutions; in Canada, the office is part of Industry Canada and operates out of Gatineau, Quebec. Your application form contains details of the work and once submitted, an investigation is begun on your behalf to make sure your work is original and not a copy of something already out there. If it is deemed to be so, you receive this very large official looking envelope in the mail. At 10" x 16", even the envelope looks important.

It's a big moment when you receive that document - second only perhaps to getting your child's birth certificate. It validates your creative vision.
The appearance of the document has changed somewhat over the years, as has the method of registration. The application can now be done online. When I first began applying for copyrights in 1993, they cost $65. Over the years that increased gradually, but now has dropped back to $50.00. As mentioned in a previous post, quilts fall into the "artistic" category.
IP protection for artists is not new; the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works took place in 1886. This international treaty is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It doesn’t matter whether a copyright is held in Canada and infringed upon in the U.S. as political borders are not recognized. The point of IP protection is to encourage creativity and expression of ideas for the benefit of all. If we keep everything bottled up in our heads for fear of someone else stealing our ideas, that would be a very sad world. I don’t want to live in that world and I am determined to speak up when someone breaks the rules. The next post will (hopefully) address some of the "can and cannot do" rules of copyright. As always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated.

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T09:53:00.001-04:00

As we turn the page into the new year, I wish you and yours every happiness for 2012.

The Dr.'s Advice

2011-12-31T08:17:00.004-04:00

Selected passages from the brilliant Dr. Seuss:

"Don't give up! I believe in you all.
A person's a person, no matter how small!
And you very small persons will not have to die
If you make yourselves heard! So come on, now, and TRY!"

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It's not.

"We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts!
So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!"

Happy New Year's Eve to all.

More Copy-Wrongs

2011-12-29T08:15:00.021-04:00

In my December 20th post entitled Copy Cats, I included a link to an article on copyright as it applies to quilters written by Kathleen Bissett. You can read the article in its entirety here. With Ms. Bissett's permission, I will be quoting passages from this article in upcoming posts to illustrate some of the issues which hound me as a designer. Continuing on with the issue currently at hand, check out this page from a comequiltwithme.com workshop retreat where Kathy Edwards taught my New York Roundabout design. You'll notice "Kathy's" beautiful quilt is given a position of prominence in the brochure; not only is it dead centre, it's the only workshop project pictured. And why is that? Because that quilt design is not only visually appealing, it is UNIQUE and sure to attract a good crowd of participants to the retreat who are tired of quilting the same old thing. I invite you to read the blurb on Kathy Edwards, and look at the picture of the quilt. In her article, Ms. Bissett writes: "Since there was no reference to me or my pattern, the implication is that the artist is the designer." That's certainly the case here: everyone reading this brochure or attending the retreat believes that Kathy Edwards designed this quilt herself including the retreat organizer. Come Quilt With Me is a highly respected business and the retreats they offer are top drawer. The owner was shocked when I contacted her about this quilt.
Back home, Kathy Edwards has also presented the class at her shop: http://siterepository.s3.amazonaws.com/00979201109021018480368.pdf Again, with no reference to my original design, she assumes all credit. Financial gain aside, frankly one of the more rewarding aspects of what I do is the feedback I receive from quilters. Whose ego can't stand a little buoying from words like, "I never thought I could make something like this myself - thank you for your hard work." Sadly, those words all went to someone else...someone who did not deserve to hear them.
Sincerest thanks for all the comments, phone calls and emails of support...one of which contained this quote: "Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes."

Copyright Woes

2011-12-28T12:51:00.011-04:00

2011 has been an unusual year for Sew Karen-ly Created…and for me personally. In my quilting, it spanned the reach from the best-of-the-best to the worst-of-the-worst experiences ever. Paducah, Houston, Quilt Canada and the highly successful Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival rank as highlights. On the down side, my cotton allergy has become quite severe and all cotton batting is now banned from the studio; a Honeywell air purifier has been installed to enable me to continue to sew cotton fabrics. This solution is not 100% successful, but it helps. Slowly I am coming to recognize the brands of fabric which have more lint and bother me most; those stay in the store, no matter how much those gorgeous prints beckon me to take them home. This reaction to fibre is not unusual and builds up over time; certainly over almost 25 years of 10 hour days, I have been exposed to a great deal of cotton fibre. Quilting has also taken a toll on my hands, which are swollen and painful from repetitive movements. These are things one can expect from the business, and accept. What I find I cannot and will not accept is my work being copied and sold; it is an unbelievable kick in the heart and one perhaps you can’t imagine until it happens to you. But trust me – it hurts.

As quilters, you well know that creating something from scratch is a labour of love. You pour your heart and soul – as well as many long hours – tweaking the design to suit your eye, removing a seam here and there to bring it to its simplest form. It’s exhilarating when you come up with something unique; there is excitement in the sharing. Since 1989, I have been sharing my designs through publication in books and magazines as well as individual pattern sales. The instructions are written with the utmost care to make recreating the design as simple and straightforward as possible. My patterned designs are intended to be sewn and duplicated – that’s the point of selling patterns after all. I want quilters to make them. But you CANNOT copy the design and pattern it as your own to sell. Not only is it rude and underhanded, it’s illegal. It’s theft. It’s the school yard bully knocking you down to steal the assignment on which you worked so hard and passing it in with his name on the top of the page. I never understand when people think you are making a big deal over nothing when copyright infringement is mentioned. It *IS* a big deal, and one governed by international laws.

If you own one of my patterns (thank you) turn it over; on the back you will see these words:

This pattern is for your own personal use. Photocopying, digitizing, and all other forms of copying to share or distribute the pattern, whether for profit or not, is prohibited by copyright law.

That does not say you cannot photocopy the pattern to use as you sew (in fact, many of my patterns are written for foundation piecing so photocopying the masters is pretty much assumed) – it means you can’t photocopy it to hand out free at guild meetings, nor can you scan and email it to all your friends. It’s for you to use yourself. You bought it.

This notice is followed by statement of copyright with that funny little © to indicate this is an original work, and the year in which the copyright was registered. That statement looks like this:

“All Rights Reserved” means Karen A. Neary reserves (holds) ALL the rights to copy this design. No one else has the right to copy it without permission. This includes derivative (similar) copies of the original.

Although not operating from a brick and mortar store-front, Sew Karen-ly Created…has been in business officially since 1989, registered with the Joint Stock Companies of Nova Scotia. I operate as a sole proprietorship, and collect and remit all taxes, including GST, quarterly. An accountant audits my books. I am not just a quilter who does this for a hobby, I operate a retail business the same as any shop. My patterns are sold wholesale to quilt shops across North America and retail from the checkout page of my website. If you stole a printed pattern from a quilt shop, that’s theft and I expect the owner would call the police. If a pattern has been stolen from me and copied, it’s really no different. It’s wrong, immoral and unlawful behaviour.

Over the years, I have discovered copying of my work 7 times - 3 this past year-and I am always left wondering how many I haven’t discovered. These copy cats have always been confronted and each time, without fail, they admit what they have done, apologize, make restitution of sorts and we move on. The ones this year have been different. Last February, by accident, I found a well-known quilter in Australia who was blatantly claiming my Oriental Beauty as her own, selling patterns and conducting workshops all over her country. The rub on this one is that she herself publishes in quilting magazines and knew full well what she was doing was wrong. She made a very nice profit from my work. It was dreadfully upsetting and the new design I was working on in my studio in February got set aside. I felt I didn’t want to finish it and risk having her – or someone else – copy it. It sat unfinished all summer as I pondered what to do, working on string quilts and workshop samples in the meantime. On December 17^th, I decided I was over it and resumed quilting on the piece. I posted a picture of Polly and I happily at the machine working on this quilt. The very next day, I discovered a copy of my New York Roundabout quilt on the website of a Massachusetts quilt shop, Fabric Stash. http://fabricstashinc.com I contacted the shop at once and left a message, but did not hear back from them until after my blog post on the subject prompted numerous emails from my readers to the shop owner expressing displeasure with the copying. (My sincerest thanks for the outpouring of support). The woman responsible telephoned and she was LIVID with me – how bizarre!! She lit into me with unbridled fury, telling me she could copy any darned thing she saw. I have never encountered such violent anger, and it rattled me. I waited while she ranted; she did not hesitate to tell me yes, she had copied my quilt and that she was within her right to do so as there was “nothing new out there, it was all the same.” When she quieted down enough for me to get a word in, I calmly asked “so why did you choose this quilt to copy?” to which she replied, “Because it’s so different, I’d never seen anything like it before.” (Now put those two statements together and see if they make any sense: everything is the same but this one was different). She is right that my New York Roundabout quilt is different, and so is my Farrago, and Oriental Beauty, and Yuletide Jewel and…I’d like to think all the others. That’s why my work is copyrighted at the Intellectual Property Office in Ottawa. It’s an expensive and time consuming process but one I feel necessary to protect my work. I registered my first copyright in 1993 and have done so fairly regularly since then. Mind you, not every piece is registered in Ottawa; it would be unrealistic seeing as how I have published over 300 original patterns and most magazine deadlines do not allow time to wait for a copyright registration to come in. Thankfully, New York Roundabout is a design which I registered in Ottawa and I hold full, legal rights to this design. Two days after discovering the knock-off on the Fabric Stash website, I found another (again by accident) on the Quilts Plus website, a shop in Kalamazoo Michigan. http://www.quiltspluskazoo.com/ The description reads, “this table runner has a new flair with an interesting shape.” “New flair”...as in unique. Get that? It is different for a New York Beauty quilt. Different is the reason I was able to obtain the copyright. I anonymously emailed to ask about the kit and pattern and Kathy Edwards, the owner, wrote back saying it was her own kit, done in her quilt shop. I telephoned her immediately and told her I was the designer of the New York Roundabout quilt she had copied. She knew she had been caught with her hand in someone else’s cookie jar and as a quilt shop owner, she knows better. This particular quilt was designed to be kitted by Benartex using their pre-printed foundations and Fossil Fern Fabric. Kathy decided she could make more profit and move some of her slower lines of fabric by kitting the Benartex foundations with non-Benartex fabrics from her shop. She printed up her own directions to include in her kits. My directions reference Fossil Fern colours. Kathy has even taken the design and taught it at workshops; you can see that listing here. She admitted what she had done and told me she would stop selling the kits. I suggested she needed to make restitution and one solution would be for her to sell my patterns in her quilt shop…since she obviously liked my work. Frankly, I think that was a generous offer on my part as she had stolen sales from me. That’s all I was asking. She hesitated, so I suggested that we take some time and both think of a fair solution that would benefit each of us as business owners. She was to email me in two days’ time (Dec 22nd). That day passed and I never heard from her…nor did I have any response from the numerous messages and emails sent since then...until I posted this article which originally included her email address. She answered then. Her promise to contact me was no good, so how do I trust that she has removed these kits from sale in her shop? I don’t. She has removed the page from her website but through the magic of web archiving you can still see it - things never disappear. Once they are posted they are there for eternity... Go to Google.com and in the search bar put this: http://www.quiltspluskazoo.com/shop/Kits/Quilt-Projects/p/New-York-Beauty-Table-Runner-sku-NYBT.htm When the text comes up, put your cursor over the arrows on the right and you will see the page.

So…what comes next? Certainly these official pieces of paper from our nations’ capital can do more than fan one’s face on a warm day. They will stand up in court to establish my claim…but why do we have to go to all this upset? No offense to the legal profession but we know there will be significant cost if a lawyer is involved. What a waste of time and resources…unless of course making a big fuss this time will bring a bit of awareness to the issue. I am not a happy camper to have to deal with something stressful and unnecessary like this; I just like to quilt :( This issue dogged my year and totally ruined my Christmas.

I will be doing a series of posts over the next little while to talk about the copyright issue some more. In a previous post (scroll down) I posted a link to Kathleen Bissett’s excellent article on the topic, and I have Kathleen’s permission to use excerpts. To say this is discouraging and disheartening states it mildly. This needs to stop...

Christmas Friends

2011-12-24T15:03:00.010-04:00

We had snow again this morning and it finally looks like Christmas. This Red-bellied Woodpecker caused some excitement at our feeders as these birds are not common in our area.

What a treat to have a new friend visit for Christmas!
From our house to yours, we wish you all a wonderful Christmas. One more sleep and we're there!

Christmas Diamonds Tutorial

2011-12-21T17:04:00.006-04:00

Recently the link to this tutorial was included in the Christmas newsletter from Quilt Bug (thanks, Kris!) so I've been getting all kinds of new visitors to the blog. Gloria Charlton is one of these newcomers, and she wasted no time getting this sewn:She chose light, medium and dark shades of green that worked perfectly together to create the 3D illusion. Gloria writes that it was a very easy project and took her less than an hour. Thanks for sharing Gloria!
The Quilt Bug site is a familiar one to most quilters for their very popular Mystery Quilt weekends. Kris emailed that she has another coming up soon, and invites interested readers to her Scrapdash.com blog for the details.
Welcome to all the new readers; I hope you will return and become regulars to the blog. If you type "tutorial" in the search box in the left column of this site you will come up with instructions for a couple of other small projects. Enjoy!

Strings and Santa

2011-12-21T07:36:00.009-04:00

The cheery emails and comments the past few days have been wonderful, I can't thank you all enough. There are so many good and kind-hearted quilters out there...and Joanne Colleaux of Armstrong, B.C. is one of them. I will remind you that earlier this year Joanne had an impressive win at the Pacific Northwest Quilter's Association Show in Tacoma, WA. She has shared another photo with us, and writes this: A few weeks ago you blogged about your blue/neutral string blocks, and that pushed a string project of mine up to the top of my to-do list. I added several more blocks to the dozen I'd made for a guild demo in the spring, and then had a fine time playing with the results on the design wall. The first photo (with a star in the centre) is the runner-up, and the third photo (with borders) is the one that won out. Somehow the centre makes the quilt look rectangular to me, despite the fact that it is square.
I enjoyed seeing the layouts; this one she chose is an unusual set for sure.
Joanne also sent along a picture taken at a recent Christmas Show and Tell at the Shuswap Quilters Guild in Salmon Arm, B.C. Madeleine Welch did a very pretty version of Santa's Trip Around The World. I like the thread she used for the reins - it shows up nicely on the red. Nice work, Madeleine!
My thanks to you for sharing the photos, Joanne. I hope you will check back tomorrow, there are more to see!

Copy Cats

2011-12-20T11:46:00.005-04:00

Not two days later, I find another kit for sale at a shop in the U.S., copied from my original New York Roundabout but with no credit to me. I am beyond discouraged...Do you suppose if I took my Harry Potter books, replaced the covers with new ones, and sold them as my own work that j.k. rowling would mind?
Imitation is NOT the sincerest form of flattery; it's illegal. And very disheartening to have happen... :(
Edit: I'd like to thank Heather for her comment below, directing folks to the website of Canadian quilter Kathleen Bissett. Kathleen has written an excellent article on copyright infringement, posted on the Canadian Quilter's Association website, (http://www.canadianquilter.com/pdf/Copyright.pdf) and I encourage you to read all the way through to the bottom.

Christmas Fun

2011-12-19T11:07:00.005-04:00

Yesterday the tree went up...as did Polly shortly there afterwards.
She loves it!
I'm sure she is wondering why it took her parents so long to figure out that we needed a tree in our livingroom. It's going to be a fun Christmas...

And as for my angry post yesterday on the copyright infringement, I am happy to say that every thing has been happily and easily resolved for both sides. The post has been removed. I can't thank you enough for your strong support which was instrumental in sorting this so quickly. One kind reader urged me not to let it drop and even offered to pay legal fees (wow!!) if they became necessary - which thankfully, they were not. I truly appreciate your overwhelming support. In the new year I will post on the topic again. It is a contentious one and from some of the comments I received yesterday, it's obvious there is a lack of understanding on the whole issue. It isn't about the block, it's about the overall design. If you haven't realized, quilts fall under the Visual Arts section of Intellectual Property. So as quilters, if you begin to think of yourselves as artists, that may help with your understanding of the whole picture.

Our New Beauty

2011-12-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

Polly and I started this quilt back in the spring and decided it was time to get it quilted. We toyed with a few stitching ideas before sandwiching, but didn't really come up with anything which wowed us. We will wait for inspiration to come to us while it's under the needle.
The backing fabric is one from Dayle's which I have had my eye on for a bit. It's from "The Empire Collection" by Rose Studios for Blue Hill Fabrics and seemed a good companion for the Kaufman oriental prints used for the top.
As always, Polly keeps a watchful eye on proceedings.
We are using a double layer of wool batting, which is one of Polly's favourites.
She tests out the warmth factor and finds it very much to her liking...so much so in fact that she doesn't want to leave the quilt alone.

Loose Threads

2011-12-17T11:14:00.008-04:00

With today's mail and the return of With Glowing Hearts from International Quilt Festival, my quilt adventures of 2011 are now complete.
The final stop for the traveling "O Canada" exhibit was at Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. Cyber friend Linda Jordan sent a wonderful array of pictures, for which I am very grateful.
Packed securely and documented properly, the package passed through Canadian Customs without issue.Included inside were show books from Cincinnati, Long Beach and Houston - nice keepsakes for my old age.

Oriental Beauties

2011-12-15T17:16:00.006-04:00

Wilma Jenkins and Anne Mattie wowed the members at the Thistle Guild Christmas party when they showed up with these beauties:
Working together, they completed two gorgeous Oriental Beauties. I love the placement of the swirl in the centre of Anne's. The alternating yellow background in Wilma's makes it pulse with warmth. You may remember seeing Wilma and Anne previously when they sent pictures of their Maritime Beauties. I understand they have a couple more up their sleeves, so we will watch and see what comes next. Thanks for sharing. If you'd like to make your own Oriental Beauty, the pattern is available on my website. Please leave a comment below for Wilma and Anne to let them know we appreciate their lovely work.

Victoria's Quilts Raffle Winner

2011-12-15T07:26:00.009-04:00

Yesterday I had the honour of being asked to draw the winning ticket for the quilt being raffled by Victoria's Quilts Canada. You may recall seeing this beautiful quilt entitled "Stars Galore" on a previous post. The quilt was made and donated by Grace Chapman, and the lucky winner is Ruth Landry of Amherst. Here Gayle Janes and Marry Farrow Sinclair hold the quilt for Amherst Daily News reporter Darrell Cole.
Darrell plays an important role in our community as he vigilantly and accurately keeps us informed of what's going on. He made sure Victoria's Quilters made the paper today to help spread the word on the good work they do, providing quilts of comfort to cancer patients.
Here are some of the quilters involved with the Tantramar Branch of Victoria's Quilts Canada:

From left to right: Mary Dickinson, Dorothy Fitzgerald, Blanche McEachern, Shirley Young, Gayle Janes, Marilyn Farrow, Shirley Cormier, Darlene Harris,Chris McCarthy,Margo Gould, Anne Hatfield, Marilyn LeBlanc, Judy Milner, Mary Farrow Sinclair.

The number of quilts these ladies made and provided last year is astounding...as is the comfort they have provided to the recipients in a very stressful time. For more information on Victoria's Quilters, you can contact Mary.

My Grandmother Always Wore One

2011-12-13T11:24:00.007-04:00

- an apron, that is! This is the title of a beautiful new daily planner by Diane Shink. Diane has shared pictures and a bit of background of some of her favourite aprons from her extensive collection. Taking her cue, I photographed her journal on two favourites in my own apron drawer: one tie-dyed and autographed with fabric paints, the other featuring Sponge Bob Square Pants. Both were Grade 7 Home Ec. creations by my sons. Even though they aren't exactly the caliber shown in Diane's book, they occupy a place of honour in my kitchen. :)
Diane's planner is gorgeous and I know how hard she worked to get this in print. Congratulations, Diane! You can find more information on Diane's site. This makes a great gift...especially if you have a home-made apron to tuck in with it.

Pattern Winner

2011-12-08T07:48:00.003-04:00

From the 30 comments left on the pattern contest post, # 27 came up the winner. Congratulations to Wendy from North Bay, Ontario. Wendy has already made the Santa's Trip (you can see it here: http://sewkaren-lycreated.blogspot.com/2011/08/santas-trip-around-world-by-wendy.html) so she has chosen Farrago for her prize (the pattern, not my quilt!). Congrats Wendy, and thanks to all for playing along.

Santa's Big Trip

2011-12-02T07:32:00.006-04:00

Once we hit December, the focus switches to thoughts of Christmas. Santa will be making his trip in 22 short days - are you ready? I'm not! To offer a little incentive and to help get you in the Christmas mood, here's a chance to win a copy of the pattern shown above, Santa's Trip Around The World. Just leave a comment on this post saying what quilty thing you'd like to find under your tree this year. Anyone can enter; like Santa, the pattern can go around the world, whether it be to Toowoomba, Eekum Seekum or Musquodoboit. Draw will be made on Wednesday, Dec. 7. If you already own this pattern (as many of you do, thanks very much!) I'd be pleased to substitute any other of your choice from my website.
Edit: Please make sure I have your email address to contact you. The first comment left below has no profile enabled, so I have no way of knowing how to get in touch. Josie, if you are reading this kindly email me asap.

Tent Makers of Cairo

2011-12-01T08:49:00.002-04:00

Worth a watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=39zkCcQqWp0

Lord Of The Strings

2011-11-30T06:01:00.008-04:00

Each year when we wrap the beehives for winter, part of the process is to tie twine around the hives to secure the tar paper. Hubby likes the string anchored with a bow line knot and two half-hitches for quick untying in the spring. Tying that bowline has always eluded me...especially since we are usually working in freezing weather with cold clumsy fingers. This year was mild and the light bulb finally came on over my head. Eureka! Here's my bowline knot:
And here's how it goes around the hive.
We got them all done in jig time.
When we got home, I got out the Ashley Book of Knots - a veritable enclyclopedia of knot tying which I've had since my macramé phase long ago. We won't say how long ago, but the $9.98 price tag on the front of this 620 page book is a bit of a clue.
Next year I plan to surprise hubby by asking if he'd like a Bowline Bend, Bridle, Cringle or one tied on the Bight. Surely that will impress him more than my twisted version of Tolkien: One String to rule them all, One String to find them,One String to bring them all and in the darkness bind them...
Safe wintering, bees; we hope those knots hold!

And The Winner Is...

2011-11-29T07:58:00.009-04:00

There were 35 qualifying comments left on the post to win a Sew Slip II. Using a Random Number Generator, we came up with # 4 for the winner.

Elaine M said...Hi Karen, I was one of those absolutely terrified stippling quilters who took your workshop in Amherst. Since then, I'm still nervous about stippling but I've done 2 projects using stippling. One was a Christmas apron for myself to wear at La Guilde Acadienne de Clare Christmas Tea event and now I'm working on a Christmas table cloth and stippling the middle of the cloth and free motion for the borders. I would be very excited to win your sheet for I need all the help I can get in order to do a beautiful job stippling. Wish me luck! Elaine: The Sew Slip II is now on it's way to Elaine in Clare and I hope she enjoys hers as much as I do mine. Don't forget, The Covered Bridge Quiltery in Riverview, N.B. will be carrying these very soon! They are always happy to do mail orders if you are unable to visit in person. Congrats, Elaine!

Polly's First Snow

2011-11-25T08:50:00.011-04:00

As usual, Polly was at the door at first light yesterday waiting to be let outside. She loves to chase the leaves - and other cats! - out of the yard. She was ready to bound when I opened the door but stopped short when she saw this. She didn't know quite what to make of it and sat motionless deciding. "In or out, Polly - we are not heating the outdoors."
She very gingerly put one paw down to test. She was not one bit impressed.

Where did all the leaves go? There's nothing to chase.

Wait, these things weren't here before.

After sliding down the shovel handle, she became a bit indignant about it all.

She went back inside after only a few minutes out, and stayed in all day.

It's going to be a long winter, Polly; you'd better get used to it!

Win- Win, Win-Win... Win!

2011-11-22T06:28:00.042-04:00

I must be one of the least gadget-y people on the face of this earth. Honestly. I didn't even own a seam ripper until one came with my Bernina two years ago. Quilters are shocked to learn I use the same ruler for everything: 6-1/2" x 24" with 30°, 45° and 60° markings. (What else do you need?! :) There is one thing in my sewing studio which I swear by however, and would not want to be without: a teflon slider sheet for quilting. This sheet is placed on the bed of the machine to help reduce friction in free motion quilting. Being able to move the quilt sandwich freely helps greatly in achieving smooth stitches, and I want my stitching to be the best it can. For several years I have used a Supreme Slider which now is looking pretty ratty; I decided to treat myself to a new one. In the course of Googling the product, I stumbled across something called The Sew Slip II. It is similar to the Supreme Slider in what it does, but it does it oh so much better! For starters, you can see the Sew Slip II sheet is larger, 12" x 18" compared to 8 " x 11" for the Supreme Slider. That allows more of your quilt to easily slide around.
There are larger sizes of the Supreme Slider available...but at a correspondingly larger price (significantly more than the Sew Slip II.) One of the issues I have had with the Supreme Slider is that even though it is supposed to stay in place on its own, it doesn't. I have sewn through the sheet several times as you can see in the picture below. To hold it in place, I have had to tape it securely around all edges.
The Sew Slip II clings to the bed of the machine, no tape required. It isn't glue on the back of the sheet, but it feels tacky. This is the shiny back of the sheet.
The absolutely best thing about this Sew Slip II is the centre opening for the needle. My previous sheet had a small opening which covered the feed dogs but allowed the thread to pass through for stitching. This meant that when I switched back and forth between free motion and guided quilting (i.e. walking foot) - which I do often - I had to take my quilt off the machine, untape the sheet, remove it, pop the feed dogs up for stitching, take the quilt off the machine, and then tape the S. Slider back in place again to continue the free motion. The opening on the Sew Slip II was designed to accommodate the feed dogs, which means you can put this sheet in place and leave it there for all your stitching. BRILLIANT!!
It's a perfect fit. My feed dogs can move up and down as required.
Me being me, I went to the Sew Slip website for more information, and then emailed the company with even more questions. (I ask a lot of questions.) Nancy Hepp, the owner of Sew Slip, responded promptly and over the course of several emails very kindly and enthusiastically answered all my queries. I learned the sheet is extremely durable and may be cut with scissors (not your good ones!) to any size. It rolls up for storage and may be ironed if you like (it is Teflon, afterall). Nancy recommends occasionally rinsing it under running water to clear any loose threads...(or stray cat hairs... Polly!!) She also mentions you can pop it in your dishwasher for a thorough cleaning (now that's the easy kind of cleaning I'm into :)
In Canada, the Sew Slip II will be available very soon at the Covered Bridge Quiltery in Riverview, New Brunswick. If you email the shop, I'm sure they will be pleased to let you know when the order is expected.
As noted in the heading, everything about the Sew Slip II is win-win: it is larger, cheaper, stickier and more convenient to use. That takes care of 4 of the heading "wins" but there were 5...hmmm. Sounds like we need to add another win, so here's your chance to win a Sew Slip II! The rules are...

Leave a comment at the bottom of this post by clicking on the word "comments", telling us what you are working on right now. Anyone can comment, you can choose "name" from the drop-down choices, or "anonymous". You do not need to register for anything EVER to comment on this blog.
Your comments will be numbered in the order they arrive, and a number will be selected randomly to choose the winner (it isn't based on your sewing project; I was just being curious as to what everyone is making for Christmas gifts.)
Make sure I know who you are and how to contact you afterwards; your email address does not show up in your comments so it's up to you to ensure I can reach you if you win. If you are not certain, please email.
Contest closes at midnight (Eastern Time) on November 28, 2011.
You must be in Canada to win. My apologies to readers outside our country, I promise to have another give-away just for you when this ends.
One entry per person.

Wow - that's a lot of rules!!! :) Good luck!!

Putting The Bees To Bed

2011-11-21T07:39:00.006-04:00

We have begun the work of readying the bees for winter. This weekend the hive-top feeders of sugar syrup were removed and entrance reducers fitted into place.
An "entrance reducer" is just what the name implies; it is a piece of wood with slots carved which will allow the bees in and out, but also help block the wind and snow from blowing into the hive. During the cold winter, the bees do not venture out much so do not need the full opening across the width of the hive which they enjoy during the summer.The honey is selling well at Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium in Amherst and many new customers have been in touch to say how much more they like the taste of the natural honey compared to what they are used to from the grocery store shelf. I expect it's the same difference in taste between packaged cookies and homemade - no comparison! The honey is just as it comes from the hives - it is not heated or treated in any way. Because of that, it will "cream" naturally on it's own as it sits. Gillian H. tells me that her husband likes his liquid, so he keeps the jar on top of the refrigerator. It is just warm enough up there to keep it runny, but not hot enough to destroy the natural enzymes in the honey. It also doesn't use up any extra energy, or create more work. What a great tip!
Next weekend we will begin wrapping and insulating the hives with Styrofoam and tar paper. Then these beekeepers get a break from bee-duty until early spring!