I have to say that those who can shop there and buy the McKenna Ryan pattern must not be having to buy gasoline or insurance or whatever at this point. I bought the MR pattern "Home Tweet Home" last December for my birthday and it was over $85.! After I got it ...I'd have been happier with just buying fabric instead. I have the first block made and will complete the quilt( it's now on my bucket list), but geez!

I have just finished 12 blocks of a West of Baltimore quilt from Keepsake Quilting. It was $29.95 month plus I don't remember how much for the four corner blocks and 4 setting blocks, plus the backing. I have well over $600 invested. Been working on it since 2007. I would gladly pay more to get kits with all the parts already cut out. The last block I made - it took six hours to trace the pattern onto fusible backing, fuse the backing to to material, then cut out approx 60 pieces. . . .then fuse the cutouts to the background square. I hate the prep time but love the actual embroidery stitching. By the way - I have enough batiks left over to actually make another quilt. KQ is very generous with material in their kits. AND I justified the cost because it's my hobby and I live 50 to 100 miles from a fabric store and I hate picking out material 'cause I'm not good at it.

I saw that one too, but wasn't too surprised because it seems a lot would go into putting together those kits. Keepsake also has single kits available for blocks of her designs...guess you could try one out, see if you really like doing them, and then decide whether to make the big investment!

I also wanted to echo what others said above.... it's all relative. I have friends in my sewing group who would not bat an eyelash about paying that much (one in particular; she and her husband are both attorneys, and they own lots of rental properties, so I guess they "have money" so to speak). Some of these ladies go to every single sewing event in the area, plus out of town trips all over the country, just to sew. Sometimes I'm just amazed at the amount of money they are spending for their hobbies (none of them sew professionally).

That sort of pricing is one reason I do not buy kits as a general rule.

The other reason is that I truly enjoy the search for the right fabric combination for whatever it is I'm making. Right now that search is primarily limited to my stash with the occasional foray into shopping...since I can't seem to leave beautiful fabric just sitting in the shop when I spot it. LOL!

And besides, I have so many UFOs in various stages of completion, from half quilted to top only done to blocks done but not stitched to each other to a few blocks done to fabric selected but not cut... Guess I'd better get off here and get busy sewing!

My word! I haven't looked at the catalog yet...

Just another of my two cents worth. I'm not rich by any means - 76 and still working. But - I take my own tea to work everyday instead of paying $1.42 half price at Sonic - that alone saves more than my $24.95 I spent on my BOMs plus I take my lunch most days and that saves a bunch. Like I've said before, I'm fabric challenged when it comes to picking out matching material and stores are too far away.

There are 2 BOM in the catelog with $60+ price tags. Bella Garden -- $63.99/month + $54.99 for backing and Petals of My Heart II which is for $69.99/month and $41.99 for backing. They are very pretty quilts. I have several McKenna Ryan patterns -- I really love them. I usually wait until my LQS has a storewide sale or discounts the patterns. I have to count my pennies and as nice as these are, they are too many pennies (although my hands would love me to get everything precut -- I really enjoy cutting things out myself).

I bought a BOM a while ago -- plus all the extra fabric. I went to make it a while ago and ditched the original fabric and replaced it with fabric I like better now. I guess I am better off with a big stash and patterns I like that have no fabric attached.