Kindness in Light of Theft

Theft. Stealing. Transgressors. Swipe. Ugly words.

After my post of this morning, I have received help in numerous ways. I am really gratified, because I thought I would get bombarded with messages about how I wasn’t in compliance with the sharing spirit of the quilting world. I really have received nothing but support.

Image used for group stolen from my FB page
Image used for group stolen from my FB page

One person contacted the admin of an FB group using my image for me when she did not reply to my FB Messenger message. It appears that the original image was taken from my FB page and annotated with the words. Because FB has a limit to the size of cover page images, the copyright notice was cut off. That was my fault. I have added the copyright notice front and center and replaced the non-compliant image. Of course, it means there is a &^%$# copyright notice right in the middle of the image. C’est la vie. I suppose I will get lazy again in a few years and trust people again.

FB Stealing Apology
FB Stealing Apology

The admin of the FB group wanted to continue to use my image, but I said no. While I could get some publicity, I don’t want it. I don’t want people thinking they can use my image and I will be ok with it. My standard response is “please remove the image; you do not have permission to use it.” She posted an apology in the group, which was nice. One commenter pointed out that she should change the project, which I appreciated. I have a spy in the group, so I hope will know if the image is used again.

FB Stealing -2016 Time Capsule
FB Stealing -2016 Time Capsule

The admin said she had seen the time capsule post in a 2016 version. My watermark is still there (see that arrow?), but I can’t imagine why someone would assume they could use it for a 2017 project. I haven’t been able to track down the originator of the above post, so let me know if you know who it is.

I am part of some secret groups and I have posted the link to my post there. One person said I should report any transgressions to FB and IG, that they are pretty militant about taking posts, profiles and groups down when something is reported. I will do that as a last resort.

Pinterest Sharing of FOTY
Pinterest Sharing of FOTY

KR mentioned a couple of shares and a Pinterest pin to me. I found out that you can tell how many times an image has been shared and where it has been shared. The share shown above is actually FOTY 2012 and has been shared 1500 times. It is from Flickr, so I went and posted a link to the FOTY Page on all of the FOTY images on Flickr.

KO sent me a new IG post where the person blatantly admitted to ‘swiping’ the photo from another feed. Was her comment meant to be funny? Am I the only one who doesn’t think this is funny?

I am taking screenshots of all the posts, so I can post here and have evidence, if I need it. I have also talked to a friend who is looking into an IP lawyer who will work pro bono.

In some ways, I feel like I should feel flattered at the attention and should support these projects. On the other hand, my deepest heart of hearts thinks I should do what I am doing and continue on. I am not sure there is a right answer.

While I may feel *itchy and cranky about this, I am gratified that people have taken my side and are helping me to track down these images. I am also happy that the transgressors have removed my image with little to no fuss. I know this morning’s post was not as well written as it could have been, though it has done its job. The word is out; the *itch is back and looking out for her image.

Stealing and Posting

Stealing is a distasteful subject. I suppose we all do it to some degree or another. Pens and Post-it notes which are accidentally tossed in bags at the office and left at home, for example. I am shocked by the premise often espoused in the quilt world that every quiltmaker is nice. Quiltmakers are people who are part of the world just like sanitation engineers, app developers, salespeople and receptionists. We all like to think that our little subculture is different. I have found out recently that quiltmakers can be just as mean and just as likely to appropriate what is not theirs as shoplifters.

Fortunately, there was no meanness or malice intended as far as I can tell.

FB Stealing
FB Stealing

You might think stealing is a harsh word, but that is immediately what I thought when I saw the image above. Someone took my image of FOTY 2015 and created this project on FB. I only saw it because TFQ pointed it out to me from a post she saw on Instagram.

I have a small brand, but the goodwill and brand identity I have built I would like to keep.

When I contacted the person via Instagram, she apologized profusely and immediately removed the post. I would have loved that to be the end, but she said she was just sharing it from a post she saw on Facebook. Sigh. She kindly sent me the link and I tracked down the image above. [Nota bene: I have removed the name and image so the person can remain anonymous.]

This all took place on Christmas Day. I didn’t have to deal with it then, of course. However, with the ease of sharing on social media, I felt that I needed to get to the heart of it as soon as possible. I contacted the second person, knowing that she did not want to hear from me on Christmas. I received an answer yesterday. She, though I don’t know why she thought she had the right, gave me three options: attribute, add the copyright or remove the post. I suppose she wanted to keep the project in play. Mean as I felt, I chose remove. It is my image and while I might like the attention, I didn’t like the tone of the email. She removed it and sent the following response to my comment about removing the copyright “I added the text to the top of the image. Not sure where I found the image, but I don’t remove watermarks or links unless they go to a scraper site, so I assume it was a direct upload to Pinterest or Facebook by someone.” While not out of the realm of possibility I find this hard to believe. As far as I know I only posted the piece once without a copyright and that image is angled differently than the one above. What I don’t find hard to believe is that someone else took the image and this is just a digital reprint of part of the quilt.

I found it shocking that someone would take a random image and create a project like this out of it. I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked and should blame how easy it is to do without thinking.

Awhile ago someone posted my image on Instagram as “time capsule” quilt. I am looking for that image and will tell them to remove it, if I haven’t already. I haven’t been able to find it thus far, so I hope I already did. I have started to search Pinterest to find the origin, if the origin is there. I have searched Google Images to see if it posted anywhere I didn’t authorize and I have done some searching on FB. It is a genie out of the bottle situation, however, and I don’t expect to be able to contain it. I am not sure how I would feel if the image had had the copyright attached and my name had been mentioned. I suppose if I had been contacted in advance, I might have collaborated with the person. To discover that my image was being used out of the blue, however, was a shock. I was in no way inclined to allow the project to continue. Of course, again, the genie is out of the bottle (see Instagram photo), so there isn’t much more I can do other than pointing people to my link to the FOTY quilts.

Screw you, Mercury in Retrograde! You will not defeat me.

Be kind. We need kindness in the world and you can be a part of that.

 

The Stitch TV Show Pattern Launch Accessory Post

Lynn Rinehart's Winning Challenge Quilt
Lynn Rinehart’s Winning Challenge Quilt

This post is like a matching handbag and shoes when you get dressed. It adds a final polish. This post adds a final polish to the StitchTV Pattern Launch Extravaganza being held at the Red Hen in Georgia.

It is a little too far for me to pop in in person, so I interviewed Pam and Lynn the brains and brawn behind the StitchTV Show and am bringing that interview to you. Check out their new patterns on their site.

1.       How did you meet?

  • Lynn: We met at the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild.  I attended a couple of meetings and the board tackled me and asked me to be on the board.  I said yes because I am still learning how to say “no” to people.  The only ones I am good at saying no to are my dogs and only because they don’t have reasonable arguments.
  • Pam: We met through the Atlanta Modern Quilters Guild. My first memory of Lynn is when she won one of the prizes in a quilt challenge, an I thought, “Who is this new person that swept in and won a prize and I’ve never met her?” I was a little taken aback, frankly, and then as we got to know each other through sew-ins and other events, I remember thinking that she was so nice that I would probably be a bad influence on her and I should watch my language more. And then we started carpooling to meetings and we’ve been buddies every since (despite my occasional bad language)!

2.       If you won a $500 million lottery, what would you do that would surprise people?

  • Lynn: I would go to Art School or, for that matter, buy an Art School.  I was kicked out of Art Class in High School because they needed people in the Band.  So apparently playing the flute was more important in my later life than drawing.  Who knew?
  • Pam: I am very boring (ed. note: nobody thinks this except Pam herself, IMO) and would do things like pay off my house and get a car that’s less than 3 years old. To no one’s surprise, I would also donate a chunk to the cat shelter I regularly volunteer for. Then I’d put together a business plan to open a quilt retreat center so I could teach without traveling, but talk to Lynn first and make sure I wasn’t talking crazy. 

3.       What strength(s) do you bring to your business?

  • Lynn: None.  Pam does everything well!  I just mostly laugh with her, not at her. I would never do that.  🙂  Oh and I am married to the tech department so that helps.  Honestly I think that I bring creativity to the partnership that complements her creativity.  We are so opposite in so many ways but it works.  I couldn’t ask for a greater friend or partner in this adventure.
  • Pam: I’m a giant nerd and don’t mind doing business “stuff”, although I still have a lot to learn.  As a trained engineer, I’m very process focused, so I’m all about streamlining things and making them run smooth and nailing down details. As a trained marketing person, I like to think I’m pretty good at creative promotion and stringing words together.  As a quilter who’s been sewing since she was 5, I know how to put fabric together, quickly, so I’m good at making samples.

4.       If you woke up tomorrow with a superpower, what would it be?

  • Lynn: Time travel.  It totally fascinates me!  The thought of traveling to historical events or experiences would be so cool.  My “fly on the wall” dream would be to be “in the room where it happens” on so much history that affected the world and our culture.  Which is why both my obsessions right now are “Outlander” and “Hamilton” 🙂
  • Pam: In an ideal world, it would be the ability to spot cat vomit in the dark before stepping on it. (ed. note: gross, but useful)

5.       What is your dream for the business?

  • Lynn: Pinky: What are we going to do today?Brain: The same thing we do everyday, Pinky. Try and take over the world.That pretty much sums it up.
  • Pam: I’d love to grow our business to a point where we can set a teaching schedule to travel once a month, and invite groups in to our own retreat center to teach there.  I’m eagerly anticipating the time when Lynn and I collaborate on show quilts, too, which may happen sooner than that whole capital-investment-in-real-estate thing that a retreat center requires.

6.       Describe your perfect home. Number of bedrooms? Chef managing the kitchen? Separate pet apartments?

  • Lynn: OH! I am a home body.  Huge house on the waterfront.  Beach or secluded lake, I love the water.  At least 5 bedrooms.  Not that we need 5 bedrooms but people will want to come visit and I would love to have the space.  Also large entertainment areas for people  and an amazing chef’s kitchen.  I do love to cook and enjoy cooking for big parties.  Pam makes fun of me but I do make new table cloths and napkins for parties to go with the theme.  I have been known to do that the night before the party.  🙂  Cloth napkins are important to me,  I love them.  Especially if they are embroidered.  🙂 Oh and I need a pool with a swim lane to do laps. 
  • Pam: Ranch style with 4 bedrooms (so I’ve actually got a guest room) and a daylight basement for a sewing room. I actually like cooking, so no chef for me, but definitely want a maid! We’d also need a shop out back for my husband and son so they can tinker on go-karts, airplanes, and whatever else their little hearts desire.

7.       Describe your perfect studio and let readers know if your perfect home would be attached to your perfect studio.

  • Lynn: Studio will be in the house, that way I don’t have to leave.  🙂  I currently have most of our basement as the studio but I would like a much bigger space.  I would like all the sewing machines in one room and would love to have additional space to setup our filming studio where it isn’t so crammed. I also need a chill space where I can curl up and read or watch a good movie.  
  • Pam:I would absolutely want my studio attached to my perfect home since I hate driving. Too many years of horrible Atlanta commuting traffic ruined car travel for me, so I’d love to live in a place where I could walk or bike most places I need to go.In terms of equipment, I’d go for a regular domestic machine and a sit-down mid/long-arm. I’d like to have my fabric storage be behind glass to cut down on the cat hair, a 4’x8′ cutting table I could walk all the way around, and actually room for a design wall.

8.       If you could photograph a quilt you made anywhere in the world, where would it be and what quilt would it be?

Lynn's First Saluki Quilt
Lynn’s First Saluki Quilt

The photo above depicts Lynn’s first two Salukis, Bailey and Boaz. It is a mosaic raw edge fused technique.

Lynn's Salukis: Josie on left and Giacomo on right
Lynn’s Salukis: Josie on left and Giacomo on right
  • Lynn: I have done several of quilts that represent my dogs.  Salukis they [sic] are the royal dog of Egypt.  I would love to have them displayed around relics of ancient Egypt.  It would be amazing to see my love for this breed and the passion of quilts to be together in one photo.
  • Droid Quilt by Pam
    Droid Quilt by Pam

    Pam: I would take my Droid quilt to Skywalker Ranch with the 501st Stormtrooper legion and have a field day.

9.       What is your dream project? Are you working towards it now?

  • Lynn: One of our dream projects is to work full time in the quilting industry and get to work with fabrics, quilts and the quilting people that we love.  We both enjoy teaching and giving lectures at guilds.  As we release the new pattern line for The Stitch TV Show, I think that we share our love for this art form as well as a love for the community of quilters.  I think that The Stitch TV Show is really designed to share community with other quilters.  
  • Pam: I’m not sure; there are “some day” quilts I’m planning in my head, but not sure I’d call them “dream projects”. I’d love to explore wholecloth quilting more, and have the patience to do more with intricate applique. I’d also love it if my applique circles didn’t have corners.

10.   Tell us about your favorite quilt? Did you make it? Do you still have it?

Lynn's Open Doors Quilt
Lynn’s Open Doors Quilt
  • Lynn: I don’t know that I have a favorite.  I love so many.  I have the same issue with what is my favorite movie question.  My favorite, quilt that I have made is Open Doors.  I still own it and it hangs in my house.
  • Pam: Hmm. That’s a bit like choosing your favorite child.  Not to say I haven’t picked a favorite (quilt or child) but it feels disloyal to call it out.  My favorite types of quilts are controlled scrappy ones.

11.   Anything else you want to tell my readers?

  • Lynn: My husband is flippin’ awesome.  (he wanted everyone to know)
  • Pam: The hole in a wooden spoon in the kitchen is supposed to measure one serving of spaghetti, but I’ll be darned if I can ever make spaghetti where I don’t have either three times more than I need, or one serving short. Maybe it’s a character flaw, or maybe I need to rethink that personal chef in the dream house!

Open Letter to Longarmers

Dear Longarm Quilter,

Thank you for taking the time to quilt my quilt. I really appreciate your assistance, your artistry and your attention to detail.

I want to support your small business, which is one reason I come to you. I want you to be successful and I want to be able to recommend you to my friends. I was a small business owner in the not-too-distant-past, so I know it is hard work and can be thankless at times.

I have very high standards, which I will warn you about in advance. I have even higher standards for charity quilts. I do my best work on these quilts, so the recipients know I care. I expect the same from you. If you feel anxious about meeting those standards, please send me away with my quilt. I want my quilt done well and I don’t want to increase your anxiety level.  I will respect you for being honest.

Please remember that this is a collaborative effort and what I say to you in our initial meeting is pertinent to how I want my quilt quilted. I have worked hard on the piecing and want your quilting to fit well with my piecing design. Please do not overshadow my piecing with inappropriate quilting. Please do not try to sell me on your designs. Listen to what I want and tell me if you can’t, or don’t want, to do what I want. My quilt is not your playground to show off the quilting that would be much better suited for a whole cloth quilt.

I will tell you that my backs are always pieced and I don’t always press the seams open, that my quilts are almost never square (though not terribly off), and that I use fusible and raw edge applique’. If you can’t, or don’t want to, deal with any of these peculiarities, please tell me upfront. I’d rather know and find someone else.  I will respect you for being honest.

Please act professionally. Do not whine, after the fact, about my unsquare quilts, pieced backs or fusible applique’.  If you whine afterwards, I will suspect you are blaming me for your own poor longarming skills and I am not interested in excuses. If you have, or think you might have, a problem with my quilt, please don’t take it on in the first place.   I will respect you for being honest.

Please be generous about your competitors. Making snide comments about them does not endear me to you or make me loyal.

Please make sure your machine is in good working order. Please make sure you know how to load the back tightly so there are no pleats. Please clean the oil up so it doesn’t stain my quilt. If you do get a pleat or have a problem, I expect you to rip out the quilting and do it over AND not charge me for the time. Your mistake = your problem.

Please have the quilt done when you say it will be done. If it isn’t done, please call me and we can work out a new time to get the quilt. If I arrive and the quilt is not done and you are not working on it, I won’t be happy. Please be realistic about your commitments. Can you really finish my 5 quilts this week? REALLY?

Finally, if someone else picks up my quilts for me, don’t tell them that you screwed up and are glad they picked up the quilts instead of me since you knew I would be angry. If you think I will be mad, fix the problem. I have a phone and can call you. I can be angry over the phone.

Thank you, Love, J

Various & Sundry 2011 #13

Quilt World News
Ardis James died on July 7, 2011. She was a pioneer in the quilt collecting realm, at least in my opinion. She, and her husband, Robert, were pioneers in antique and contemporary quilt preservation as well as quiltmaking traditions. Ardis and her husband helped establish the International Quilt Study Center in Nebraska. Thank you, Ardis, for your generosity. Rest in Peace.

Quilter’s Home will also die. It is being killed, actually. I am a subscriber and received an email on Friday saying subscriptions will be replaced with Quilters’ Newsletter. Sigh. I wonder if the change from Mark was just too much for people?

Out and About
A librarian friend sent me a link to an online lace museum called the Virtual Museum of Textile Arts. I am not that interested in lace, but I am interested in the history of the work of women’s hands. This is an Italian museum or related to an Italian entity, so there are some unique spellings on the site. There are multiple ways to search – by date, period, technique. I found some records and each of the records seems to have a photograph associated with it. There are videos and tutorials, which I didn’t look at.

Projects
I have a lot of projects going on, but I also have ideas swirling around in my head and supplies that suggest projects. I bought a couple of fun and cheerful charm packs recently and am mulling over making another 1-2 Chubby Charmers. My hesitation has a couple of stems:

  • how many Chubby Charmers does one person need?
  • are there quilts or other projects that would interest me enough to use for the charm packs? If so, what are they?

I posted FOTY 2010 to the “Linda M. Poole I made a quilt for me page on FB” and got a lot of nice comments about it, including one from Michele Foster of Quilt Gallery fame. She pointed me to a page on her site showing the designs for the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi, Russia that look similar to my just finished FOTY. Trendsetting, again?

C&T Publishing had an interesting bag project posted on their site (I actually saw it on Creating the Hive). I like the shape of the bag.

I have started to listen to Katie’s Quilting Corner Podcast. I like her confidence and it is fun to hear what other people are doing. Katie has a good way of organizing her show notes with her podcasts. This comment could be down int he Media section, but one project that I really liked was Katie’s Mondo Bag. It is a postage stamp sort of design and I really liked the shape.

Fresh Lemons Summer Sampler Series
Fresh Lemons Summer Sampler Series

And, if the Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt-a-Long and the various other quilt-a-longs going on in the summer weren’t enough, Fresh lemons and two friends are doing a Summer Sampler Series.

Media
Frances has been suggesting the Crafty Garden Mom podcast for months and I have been resisting. Before I left, I thought I would need some extra listening so I downloaded an episode and listened to it. As I said in a previous post: Love it! I just listened to a few more episodes and they are equally as good. Tanesha is a good storyteller.

Did you sign up for the Giveaway from Lark Crafts? It is still going on, but you do have to follow the rules.

I was desperate for some podcasts, so I downloaded a few from the Pioneer Quilter. One was an interview with Leah Day. I really learned a nice amount about her work and her site as well as the products she offers. I was interested to hear about how she works. There was a lot of background noise and a pretty big disparity in the loudness of Kelley’s voice and Leah’s voice, which meant I had to have the sound very loud to hear Leah and then I would get my ears blasted when Kelley asked a question. There was also some repetitive thumping int he background and occasionally some jangling that distracted me. I know next to nothing about podcasting. I greatly admire podcasters who take time away from their quilting to podcast. I love hearing about people’s projects. I do find that the sound is important, though and hope that Kelley will go back and see if she can edit this podcast a bit. I the information is excellent and the sound problems distract from that.

Fabric

Intrepid Thread fabric
Intrepid Thread fabric

I didn’t realize (well, I probably did, somewhere in the back of my mind, know it was a possibility and just didn’t think about it) that I could get myself into trouble with fabric just by attending a BAMQG meeting. Well, now I know. 😉 Angela bought a healthy stack of fabrics from the Intrepid Thread. Since Julie attends the meetings, she brought the stack to the meeting. You know how I am attracted to bright colors and shiny objects (magpie principle), so I had to take a look. I really prefer to see the fabrics than to buy them sight unseen online. Above are the fabrics that I bought. The conversationals were little treats that Julie included with my package. Have you seen how Julie wraps up her sales? It is like receiving a gift. I don’t need to receive my fabric that way, but it does make me feel special. 😉

Intrepid Thread Packaging
Intrepid Thread Packaging

Business
I really did update my Cafe’ Press store. I enlarged the selection of products and changed the image on the Jacket, cards, and tote bags to the FOTY 2010 image. Yes, a jacket! Don’t you want to wear a quilt around? I think I am going to buy one to see how it fits. If you missed the Seeing Red products, sorry, but I did warn you. I need to pay for high school so I hope you will take a look at what I have to offer. Thanks!

When I received a Kindle as a gift, I bought a cover from Elizabeth David Designs and really like it. She recently sent out a free shipping notification, so you might want to check out her Etsy Shop. She is using some lovely fabrics for her covers.

Hexagons
And for your hexagon inspiration: This little mini quilt is from Malka Dubrowsky.

Now go forth and be inspired to do great work!