Original designs

[Jean K]

I've been playing with ideas and trying my hand at designing. I guess my question is, with the thousands of tatting patterns out there, how can one be sure if the design is truly original???

[Lynn]

I've seen Jane Eborall post photos of her designs and ask if anyone has seen anything like it somewhere. Always date your designs, so if someone comes along crying foul, you can pinpoint exactly when you designed it. It has happened that different designers have come up with the same idea, so documenting your work is a must.

[kocuria]

BUT luckily, there aren't that many tatters around. when you do original metal- or clay- or bead- or whatever-kind-of-jewellery, it's almost certain somebody did it before and the mud-throwing ensues. so rejoice in the fact that in this field, you can in fact still be the very first who thought of the design :)

[Jean K]

Thank you, Lynn, for your advice about posting pictures and documenting (dating). I've been tatting for many, many years and I'm never certain if I'm creating someone else's pattern that I've done before!!! LOL. But.....I'll continue to play around with some ideas and see where it goes. Besides, it's just plain fun!!!

[PattyD]

If you made the pattern without consulting anything but your own invention, it's yours. Dating it is a good idea. But the odds that you have unconsciously copied someone else's pattern is very small. Now I want to see it! Tatters are inventive!

[crazytatter]

Would it still be original if converting an edging into bm using several different elements?

[AnneB]

The simpler (in the meaning of less complex) a design is, the higher the chanse of someone having made something similar before. Some motifs are more tricky than others, because so many design their own: snowflakes and hearts. But don't let this stop you from making your own designs! And if you want to make sure, do as Jane and check if someone have seen anything similar befor poublishing the pattern.

[Lynn]

Would it still be original if converting an edging into bm using several different elements?

Usually, if you are converting one design into a different use or adding/subtracting/rearranging other elements, then it is an adaptation rather than an invention. These are published as "adapted from..." with the original design and designer credited. Good question, Crazytatter.