http://www.frommarti.com/block.html

A few free quilt patterns; HUGE selection of block pictures (313!!!). If you like to disect blocks to make your own patterns, you really want to "favorite" this site. If you like detailed instructions, the books are very reasonably priced. (e.g. $10 for 69 blocks). You don't have to buy the companion templates if you don't want to.

She sells some other books that look interesting, too. The prices seem quite reasonable. Could be I'll be breaking my no-books rule in the near future.

Some pretty nifty rulers. They seem expensive, but only until you compare them to the rulers you can buy just about anywhere - including WalMart. A few look to me like "must haves" and are now on my wish list - waiting for the right time budget-wise.

Her quilt patterns are expensive, but (1) I never buy patterns anyway; (2) it's likely the qualityof the instructions make them worth it.

She sells templates, too. Someone who uses manufactured templates will be a better judge of the prices.

Overall - I'd say this site offers a little (or a lot) of something for everybody from beginners on up.

I have two sets of the templates (17.00 each) but you can use them for ever. The thing is that they cut off the corners which makes it so easy to put triangles together.

i have a triangle ruler that does the same thing. about $5 at The Evil Empire

BUT>>>>> Her's are like puzzle pieces, you can put them together to make a block.. can your ruler do that?????

i don't need one that does. but i would never try to talk anybody out of using a tool they love. what do i know? not enough to try pushing anybody around like that - that's for sure. LOL

i think it's great there are so many gizmos out there. something for everybody. :-)

wish I was smart enough to design a gizmo

I love Marti's designs, but her BOM's are a real challenge due to the way the directions are written. I bought the Cabin by the Lake kit on ebay for a VERY low price, with templates and backing, from someone who'd started it then gave up. When I started working on it I understood why. You cut pieces in months 1,2,3 and 6 (!) for use in month 5, and month 5 and 7 for month 6! There are only instructions for cutting with her templates; I had the set but misplaced one, and had to do the math to know that #10 was a 2" square. The setting triangle template is a nightmare tp use; again, I had to do the math to cut these. I lost all respect for Marti Mitchell during this time; it's not enough to sell us the fabrics and patterns - she does all she can to force us to buy the templates as well, since almost no rotary cutting instructions are given. And why use templates unless you have to? I went to her wedsite and posted a very polite letter of concern, and got NO reply. I won't ever buy any of her products at retail again.

AJ I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. When I visited her site I wondered about that. The fact I would need to buy a template just to make one angled slope on a roof on a block I might not want to make again... And $20 for the pack seemed high too. She did seem to have other things that would be nice to have.

DH and I reverse design and draft patterns all the time so I want the nuts and bolts of it. :D I suppose everyone thinks differently. Good thing there are so many choices.