Need help deciding which cd of Carol Doak's to buy
 

The 50 Fabulous Stars is a great CD, easy to use with multiple size options.
You don't need the book - there are plenty of sites from which to learn paper-piecing.
I loved working with it.

The 400+ collection contain all kinds of pictorial and geometric patterns.
Depends on your design aesthetic.
I don't think I even loaded it up when I got my new laptop.
And it's been here for years. Well, somewhere here.

I don't remember if I ever bought the 40 Designs.
I know I have the book (and I've never done anything from it yet either).

Personally - just MHO - I think the stars are versatile enough for any occasion.
At the end of the day, it's all about the fabric selection and setting anyway.

And there is often a little learning curve for first-timers (mine was more of 180 degree curve) so it really doesn't matter which you choose for first pattern.
Mine was a 32 ray Mariner's Compass - one of many not brilliant decisions I made.

But once you get the hang of it, and I'm sure you will, it's a great method - and very useful.
Then you can look into many of the different methods available to use for various applications.

Good luck.

And I can't believe they're charging $34 for the Mariner's Compass CD Volume 1.
It's also a great collection - over 100 different MC's, all available in whatever size you want.
But the printing interface..blech....I guess they don't want to put any money into upgrading it (I think I bought mine back in 2000).
Sheesh.

And there are all kinds of freebies on her site, including a .pdf download titled Introduction to Paper Piecing.
If you start with that star block, and work through it, you'll be fine.
If you want really, really easy, start with the heart pattern.
http://www.caroldoak.com/free-quilt-patterns.php


There are hundreds if not thousands of free foundation patterns all over the place, so if you're looking to pp a donkey, you'll easily find it via Google. :thumbup:

Enjoy!


eta: Seriously, I just made up the donkey part off the top of my head.
But a quick Google search brings up this, via an Australian blog post from today:
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilt...-pattern/32188
Adorable, right?

(Who woulda thunk there would ever be Donktober Blog Hop??!?!?)

I just purchased the 50 Fab Stars. That will probably be more than I will ever be able to master in my lifetime. I do have to constantly remind myself being new at this to control myself...lol, but then I have read on here that is how a stash gets made. The donkey is cute. You are also right that the internet is full of free things. Thanks so much.

Ladibug

if money is no object, buy them all because each will offer something different.

if you have a budget, get the one that's on sale.
you can get the others later as you can afford each one.

i would prefer the book that included the CD because it would be easier to reproduce the patterns that way.

since the cd's just have the patterns to copy & use and goes with a particular book i recommend getting the book too- you need it to see your cutting charts & all the tips ect. the cd's contain the patterns making it easier to copy them- it is hard to fold the book to get good copies (i had the binding of my books removed & put into 3-ring binders so i can copy pages- much easier for me than dealing with the cd-computer when i just want to make a couple copies)
each book/cd contains different patterns/designs- choose the one that has the blocks you want to use/make.

I guess neither of you have actually worked with the Stars CD.

The CD that comes with the book is NOT the same CD that the OP bought.

That the purchased CD eliminates any need for copying is the least of its benefits.

Why not just buy a couple of her books. Most of her books contain the pattern CD. The 50 Stars book doesnt as it is one of her earlier book, so I would buy that CD, but for the rest of them, buy a couple of books.