From Tracing to Trusting: A Quilter’s Journey Into Originality

How copying, Angel Policies, and a little courage help makers find their own creative voice

Last week one of my longarm students shared her dream of starting a little hand-crafted business, small batches of sewn goods, made with love. You could see the excitement in her eyes… but also the hesitation.

She’d been reading about Angel Policies and copyright. Somewhere along the way, the joy of making got tangled up with fear. “Do I have to design every single fabric from scratch?” she asked.

Angel Policies: Permission to Play

I’ll admit, I didn’t know what Angel Policies were at first - so I did some research.

What I discovered is that “Angel Policies” are simple guidelines that many fabric companies and creative designers create to let makers know how they can use their designs safely and respectfully.”

Usually, they’re there to encourage, not stop, small creative businesses.

They might say something like: “Yes, you can use our fabrics in handmade projects and sell them in small quantities, as long as the items are not mass-produced and the designs aren’t presented as your own fabric design.”

They’re basically a friendly nod from the designer: we want you to make things with our work, just do it respectfully.

If you’re not sure whether a company has an Angel Policy, here are a few ways to find out:

• Check the company website - often under FAQs, Terms, or Licensing.

• Email or message the company directly - they’ll usually be happy to clarify.

• Ask in maker communities - quilters and crafters are great at sharing which companies publish these.

The key point: Angel Policies exist to help you, not to scare you. They’re one more way that the creative world says: yes, go ahead, make something wonderful.

The Secret Artists Share… but don’t always admit …

Learning to create often involves looking at what others have made. Angel Policies give us the confidence to play with someone else’s designs in a respectful way, and that’s really not so different from the way all artists start by copying, tracing, and imitating as part of learning their craft.

But here’s something we don’t always admit out loud: when we’re starting out, we copy. We trace. We imitate.

Why? Because that’s how we learn. Kids trace letters before they can write sentences. Musicians play cover songs before they compose their own. Painters copy the masters to understand brushstrokes. Every creative field has its version of “training wheels.”

Austin Kleon puts it beautifully in Steal Like an Artist: nothing is truly original, but everything can be transformed through your own hands, your own choices, your own voice. Copying is part of practice, not the end product.

The Growing Point

But here’s the thing: as you grow, you start to lean less on those training wheels. You find your rhythm, your quirks, your voice. And then there’s that moment when you realise: okay, now it’s time to make my own art.

We all know when something feels too close to the original. Your gut will tell you: this isn’t mine yet. That’s the sign to step away from tracing and into creating.

Abundance, Not Scarcity

In my own work, I’ve seen pantographs and quilt patterns that look very similar. Sometimes people whisper: “That’s copied.” But usually, it isn’t. It’s just the nature of art. In design, we all start with the same basic elements - lines, shapes, and forms. These are the building blocks of every pattern and composition and every artist draws from the same well of possibilities.

Yes, copying exists. But inspired by exists too. And creativity is abundant, not scarce. There’s room for all of us to make work that sometimes overlaps, sometimes echoes, but still carries our individual mark.

Trusting Yourself

So here’s my encouragement:

• If you’re learning, don’t beat yourself up for copying. We all start there.

• If you’re growing, listen to your gut. You’ll know when it’s time to move from imitation to creation.

• If you’re unsure, reach out. Designers and companies are often kind and open - sometimes offering commercial licences.

• And if you’re creating from your heart, you’re already on the path to originality.

Moving Forward

Copyright, Angel Policies, “is this too close?” worries, they can feel like roadblocks. But really, they’re just part of the journey. They remind us to pause, reflect, honour the people whose shoulders we stand on and then they nudge us forward into making something that’s unmistakably ours.

So, if you’re holding back because you once traced, or because you’re afraid of getting it wrong, hear this: you’re not alone. We’ve all been there and the fact you’re even asking these questions means you’re already growing past it.

Here’s to learning, stealing like artists, and then putting away the tracing paper to make something that is truly, unmistakably yours.

With love from my longarm
Tracey

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P.S. I’m not a lawyer, and copyright laws differ country to country. I live in the UK, so if you’re elsewhere, check what applies to you. Always reach out to companies or designers if you’re unsure - you might be surprised how supportive they can be.