I have not participated in these programs but know many who did. The problem I see about them is that you get fabric you don't like or need and always have to buy more to make a quilt. My quilt guild was given a very large stash of fabric from a quilter that had these collections from two or three companies. The patterns and colors were many and varied and many that I would never use. One month might be Halloween and the next Asian. So it depends on how you use fabric. If you can specify the type you want then it might be a good way to build a collection - say vintage look, etc. Also check the price against buying it from a quilt shop.