What Quilters Need to Know About Copyright Law

Jen Wagner
Sep 25
5 min read

The information in this post is legal information (to the best of my knowledge in the United States) and is not legal advice.

What Is Copyright Law?

We all understand the idea of protecting physical property—like your home or car—by law. But ideas and creative works are also protected and that’s where copyright law comes in.

Copyright law protects intellectual property such as:

Written works (books, magazines, marketing materials, etc.)
Artistic works (music, film, photography, art, and yes—quilt patterns!)

It’s designed to ensure that creators are compensated for their work and can continue producing the art we all enjoy.

Why Copyright Matters in Quilting

Copyright infringement happens often in creative industries, including quilting. As makers, it’s important for us to understand these boundaries so that we can respect designers and keep new patterns coming.

Here’s a simple gut-check:👉 Ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing going to affect the profitability of the artist who created this pattern? If I were that artist, how would I feel?”

How Do You Get a Copyright?

It’s simpler than you might think:

Create something original
Write it down or record it
Keep dated documentation (digital files, sales records, or even the old-fashioned “mail it to yourself so the sealed envelope is dated” method)

A copyright can also be formally registered with the government, but even if it’s not, the work is protected by law the moment it’s created.

Important to note:

A pattern is protected whether or not it’s sold.
A copyright symbol is not required for protection.

The First Sale Doctrine

Here’s where things often get confusing.

Physical patterns: When you buy a printed quilt pattern, you own that physical copy—the paper in your hands. You can:

Use it to make a quilt
Write notes on it
Lend it to a friend
Donate it to a guild, the library, charity, etc
Even throw it away

But what you can’t do is make copies of it to distribute. That’s copyright infringement.

Digital patterns (PDFs): This is different. The “first sale doctrine” doesn’t apply to digital products. PDFs can be copied and shared instantly, which makes them far more vulnerable to misuse. That means a PDF pattern cannot legally be shared, lent, or donated. It’s for the purchaser’s use only.

Derivative Works

Derivative works are products made from an original work. In quilting, that might mean selling a quilt made from someone else’s pattern. The rights to those works belong to the original designer, unless they give you permission. Designers often specify terms on their patterns, such as “for personal use only” or “may be used to make items for resale.” Always check the fine print.

Everyday Examples

Here are a few scenarios to help clarify:

Allowed: Make a quilt from a pattern and give it to a friend or donate it.
Infringement: Sell that quilt without permission from the designer.
Infringement: Enter a quilt into a show without crediting the pattern designer.
Allowed: Enter a quilt into a show with proper credit (as long as it’s not being sold).
Infringement: Guilds or teachers making copies of a pattern to hand out. Each student should purchase their own copy.

Other Situations

Making a quilt from a design you saw in person or online—even with changes to color or block count—can still be copyright infringement. The safe route is to purchase the pattern or get permission from the designer, unless the block or layout is clearly in the public domain.
Sharing a photo of your fabric pull with the quilt pattern cover is not infringement—and most designers love it! It helps promote their work. What you shouldn’t share are the inside pages of the pattern (instructions, diagrams, or templates).
Getting permission makes all the difference. For example, Veruschka Zarate of Pride and Joy Quilting won Best of Show at QuiltCon 2025 with her quilt Dignity, inspired by Dale Lamphere’s statue of a Lakota woman. Before ever starting, she reached out to the artist, explained her idea, and received permission—an excellent model of respecting copyright while creating groundbreaking work.

Fair Use in Quilting

Fair Use is a narrow part of copyright law that allows limited use of someone else’s work for education, commentary, criticism, or parody.

Examples of Fair Use:

Teaching/Commentary: A quilt teacher shows a single diagram from a pattern on a slide during a guild lecture to explain a technique—that could be Fair Use, because it’s for education and commentary, not to replace the pattern.
Criticism/Review: A blogger writes a review of a quilt pattern and includes a small photo of the pattern cover—that’s Fair Use, because it’s commentary, not reproduction of the instructions.
Parody: Someone creates a satirical quilt design that pokes fun at or comments on another pattern (rare in quilting, but legally protected under parody).

What’s Not Fair Use (but often confused for it)

Printing a PDF pattern twice so a friend doesn’t have to buy it
Copying a paper pattern to give out at guild
Changing colors or block sizes and claiming it’s “different enough”

Rule of thumb: If your use could replace the original pattern or reduce the designer’s income, it’s probably not Fair Use. When in doubt, always ask the designer!

Tips for Designers and Makers

Many quilt blocks are in the public domain (like the rail fence block). You can freely use these as building blocks for your own original designs.
Resources like The Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns by Barbara Brackman are great for checking what’s public domain.
When working with a magazine or fabric company, check your contract—often the rights return to the designer 90 days after publication.

Real-Life Example

Earlier this year, I discovered that Kasey of, Kasey Sews, was selling quilts made from my Sunshine Puff pattern on Etsy. At first, I was surprised—especially because the photos in her shop were mine and I wasn’t credited. I politely reached out, explained the situation, and requested both credit and a royalty for the use of my images. She responded immediately, apologized, paid the royalty, and updated her listing with credit.

And then something wonderful happened: when she posted her finished quilt in the Young & Millennial Quilters Facebook group, it exploded with likes and comments. She not only gave me credit at the top of the post but also in the comments and the pattern orders started rolling in. It was a win-win.

Since then, we’ve continued collaborating! Kasey is now working on a Poppy Louise quilt and it’s been wonderful to see our creative partnership grow.

This is exactly how respecting copyright can work in everyone’s favor—designers are credited and compensated and makers are celebrated for their craft.

Conclusion

Respecting copyright protects creativity for everyone—when designers are supported, they keep creating new patterns. As quilters and creators, we can support one another by:

Always giving credit to the designer (online, at guilds, in shows)
Asking permission (and getting it in writing) if you’re unsure
Respecting digital patterns—no sharing or distributing
Asking yourself: “Am I cutting into the income of the designer by my actions?”

Together, we can create a quilting community where designers feel safe to keep innovating and makers feel confident to share and even sell their work.

From my heart to yours - a huge thank you for supporting my art - through giving credit where credit is due and purchasing my patterns and products - it means the world to me.