be nice your not a idiot:)

There are a lot of free patterns online. Check the fabric manufacturers website. They have a lot of patterns, especially when a new line of fabric comes out. Check out Ericas.com, they have a lot of free patterns, as well as Clothworks,
Hoffman, etc.

I can most always find a quilt blog where someone is making or has made the pattern I want to make. The blog will have enough pictures and instructions about the pattern that I don't need to buy the pattern to figure it out. I do a blog search that only searches the blogs. Between blogs and youtube there is everything you ever wanted to know about quilting, notions, sewing machines, long arms, fabric, and patterns.

I don't buy quilt patterns as there are so many free patterns online that I'll never have time to make them all. And since most of my quilts are charity quilts, I like to spend the least amount of money on the quilts that I make.

There are great patterns on many of the manufactures web sites. Most Jinney Beyer patterns are free on the RJR web site and on her web site. Some of the kits offered in Keepsake Quiling catolog that do not have a price to purchase the pattern seperate are free patterns offered by the manufacture.

One LQS near me , was actually charging for some of these free patterns from the manufactures web site. I understand they paid for the time and resources for printing .. but what they charged was well above the "acceptable" margin. They had several inspirational pieces , that had tags see staff for pattern. Then would go to a file where they had them printed. I discovered this by accident and lost some respect for the LQS.

Yeah, they seem to pop up quite frequently!

Fine example that it pays to do a little digging before making the decision the spend your hard earned money on something, free is the best price ever!

I never buy a quilt pattern - There are so many free ones & those that are not free can usually be drafted if you can see a clear enough picture of it & know the finished dimensions (& most ads do give fininshed quilt size). Of course I am drawn more to the traditional patterns so that makes it easier.

Shirley in Indiana

I have found very few original quilt patterns. These blocks are simply stitched in the company's own fabrics. With a sheet of graph paper you can easily draft your own block from any photograph available. Cut apart your drawing, add seam allowances, and go for the gold. Having said all that, please respect copyrights.