1. Acceptance of these terms
These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) are a binding agreement between you and The Quarter Inch Collective (“TQIC,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) and govern your access to and use of TQIC: Tester Edition and any related websites, applications, and services (together, the “Service”). By creating an account, or by accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
2. Eligibility and accounts
You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, to use the Service. You agree to provide accurate account information and to keep it current. You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us promptly at hello@quarterinchcollective.com if you believe your account has been compromised.
3. Roles and responsibilities
The Service supports three roles — designers, who upload patterns and run tester rounds; tech editors, who review patterns and deliver findings; and testers, who quilt drafts and submit feedback. Each role is responsible for the content it contributes and for using the Service in good faith. Payment between designers and tech editors is arranged directly between those parties, off-platform; we do not process or hold those funds, and we are not a party to those arrangements.
4. Acceptable use
You agree not to: (a) upload or share content you do not have the rights to; (b) infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of others; (c) redistribute another user's pattern PDF, feedback, or photos outside the permissions granted within the Service; (d) attempt to access accounts, data, or areas of the Service you are not authorized to access; (e) interfere with, disrupt, or reverse-engineer the Service; or (f) use the Service for any unlawful purpose. We may suspend or terminate access for conduct that violates these Terms.
5. Your content and intellectual property
You retain ownership of the patterns, feedback, photos, and other materials you submit (“Your Content”). You grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to host, store, and display Your Content solely to operate and provide the Service to you and the collaborators you invite. Patterns and related materials are visible only to the designer, their invited tech editors, and their accepted testers, in accordance with the role-based permissions of the Service. Photo usage rights (for social, cover, and website use) are governed by the explicit selections made within a tester round. We claim no ownership of Your Content beyond the license needed to run the Service.
6. Plans, payments, and billing
The Service offers a free tier and paid subscription plans. Paid plans are billed through our third-party payment processor, Stripe, and your use of paid features is also subject to Stripe's terms. Fees are charged on a recurring basis for the plan you select until you cancel. You authorize us and Stripe to charge your payment method for applicable fees. Except where required by law, fees are non-refundable. You can cancel a paid plan at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. We may change plan pricing or features on reasonable notice.
7. Termination
You may stop using the Service and close your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service, with or without notice, if you violate these Terms or if we reasonably believe it is necessary to protect the Service or its users. Upon termination, the rights granted to you under these Terms will end. Sections intended to survive termination — including content ownership, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and governing law — will continue to apply.
8. Disclaimers
The Service is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure, or that any feedback or tech-editing delivered through the Service will meet your expectations. You are responsible for reviewing and verifying the patterns, feedback, and other materials exchanged through the Service.
9. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, TQIC and its owners and contributors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of the Service. To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability for any claim arising out of or related to the Service will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us for the Service in the twelve months before the claim, or (b) USD $100.
10. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as by posting a notice within the Service or updating the effective date above. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
11. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. You agree that the state and federal courts located in the State of Maryland, USA will have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.