I agree with ALL the suggestions too. But nesting the seam is always overlooked by most patterns. Good Luck with your venture.

All, or most of the above mentioned points are incorporated in all of Eleanor Burns Quilt in a day books and most of her patterns..the most complete directions I have ever seen. Good luck with your pattern writing.........

I agree with nativetexan. Measurements if each unit is very helpful. I do a lot of mystery quilts and the ones without unit measurements are awful. Also, if a step is a difficult one, good illustrations are a must. Letting some quilters try the pattern first is a good idea because we all have different skills.

I like it when the pattern states what you need for various sizes, and then gives you directions on how to go about getting those pieces. For example, if you need HSTs, tell how many and in what size, so if the person wants to use a different technique than what's shown in the pattern, the end result is easy to find. Also, directions for one block, so if you want to make more blocks or less blocks, is something I like.

I too would appreciate quilting ideas , "quilt as desired" frustrates me! LOL Photos of the finished quilt in different color ways and maybe even a "quilter tested and approved" statement. I have seen quilt patterns online that don't include photos of an actual quilt, just a drawing of one, and wondered if anyone had ever made it!

I really like to have things that can be listed in list form instead of paragraph form - as katier825 said - it is so much easier to check things off that way.

It might use a bit more paper, but if the pattern is an e-document, I would prefer to use an extra page or two for the convenience.

Also - be aware of page breaks. I hate having a couple of words or only a line or two "orphaned"

After you have decided and written the pattern, have two people make something by following the directions exactly as written. Sometimes, something I wrote makes perfect sense in my head but doesn't necessarily translate to paper.

I agree with all of these (a tall order for you!) but the first thing I look at is the completed size of the quilt and the size of the blocks.

Also, if you can include variations for different sizes that would be great. It can be a lot of work to change a twin or crib pattern to a queen or king. It can take me days to chart and calculate if it's a difficult pattern. I've always thought that, if knitting patterns can include directions for various sizes, why can't quilt patterns at least give fabric requirements for other sizes.

Good luck in your venture!

Clothing patterns come in different sizes - sometimes only one size per envelope.

Perhaps a quilt pattern can also be drafted for different sizes and sold in different envelopes?

I know that knitted and crocheted items sometimes do have multiple sizing in the directions.

For some, following the instructions for the given size for a pattern is confusing. More options would just make it more problematical for them.

IF one decided to do multiple sizing for a pattern and several sizes came "in one envelope" - it would be reasonable to charge more for the "package"

For sure, I would like accuracy. I have encountered some patterns that give conflicting measurements. I appreciate the designer who reads and reads and proofreads their patterns. Visuals are also helpful.