March 2009 – Ideas in Cloth

posted inside the glass of the front door of our shop. It says: “No cameras or recording devices…” We adopted this manner of managing uncontrolled photographing of quilts to protect the rights of the designer-in-absentia, by giving everyone who enters our store fair warning to our belief that creative work has value. While ideas cannot be copyrighted, in-the-flesh samples, with kits and patterns made readily available for sale are! Therefore, photographing on digital camera or cell phone is like stealing the unseen time and thought that went into a design and with it, the potential profit to the creator. Haven’t these hard times of late, given pause to the folks who still think it’s okay to take the food from someone else’s mouth, possibly literally?

We spent the weekend vending at the Empire Quilt Guild’s, bi-annual quilt show. It’s a terrific opportunity for us to make the public aware of the creative possibilities we offer to the crafts of quilting and sewing. We love meeting new folks and hearing that what we’ve put together is beautiful or just what their project has been waiting for. We’re on our feet for three days, packing, loading the car, unloading while dodging NY City taxis and making everything look pretty, so that it can be picked over and hopefully purchased before the show ends.

drivingsnow1 — Snowing on the First Day of Spring

halfyards

We see friends from our local Ridgefield area, who make us feel like we’re really home. Thanks Dorma, Annie, Laura, Susan, Janice , Tasha etc. Thanks also to our guild friends who really make us feel NOT like out-of-towners. We’ve developed a lot of good relationships in the time we’ve had our store and the Empire Guild is one such.

Folks are allowed to photograph, but NOT touch the quilts in the show. We watch and wonder, what-all they will do with all the memorabilia they collect. The cameras are out and snapping the whole time. Occasionally, someone visiting our booth will ask to shoot one of our display quilts and they may if they purchase the pattern and just want a better shot to help them while making it. Another type of person takes the picture without asking, and I fault my lack of vigilance. But it’s the person, who when you tell them that the quilt design is copyrighted and “I would appreciate if you don’t take a photo. The pattern is available for sale, if you’re interested,” and she proceeds to blatantly shoot away, that I wonder if trace of conscience exists.

We got permission/Miss Fanny Apron happily modeled

I really do believe that most people are good, and even more are good when they know someone is watching. So I decided to try to capture the culprit on film myself, and hope that if she realizes we actually are watching and just trying to pay the rent and feed ourselves, she might recognize how inconsiderate she has been. We’re not just objects of entertainment, but real.