Well, if you can find it on Be Colourful's website at: http://www.becolourful.nl/en/index.htm that would be wonderful. They do have a tab called "be helpful" but that is just a form to fill out to email a question.

Honestly she is very creative and makes very beautiful quilts, she just does not do a good job translating her skills well into designing. Not everyone who has a skill is a good person to teach that skill to someone else.

You don't pay for a copyright.

I published a pattern last year, a quilt similar to my avatar, and I don't really expect to publish another. I only did that one because I had so many requests from board members. I have had far more pattern sales than I expected, almost all through this board. I am selling a few on ebay as well.

Jaciqltznok has brought up a lot of valid points. When I decided to make my pattern, I bought Publish Your Patterns by Nancy Restuccia. I highly recommend that book. When it came time to calculate yardage (I had an advanced Excel spreadsheet set up) I came up with an algorithm and listed it in the pattern:

"The fabric requirements on the back of the cover page are computed to allow for some squaring up and shrinkage. In general they are calculated by computing the length of fabric needed across the WOF (assuming 40 usable inches in WOF), adding 3", and rounding up to the nearest quarter yard. They do not allow for making experimental blocks, excessive shrinkage, or misadventure while cutting or sewing. It is always a good idea to buy a little extra if you can."

When it came to testing, I asked 6 members of the board to test, thinking that maybe 3 would agree, and was astonished when all 6 agreed to test. Not all finished the quilt, but all of them did give me good input. In fact, most of the testers had trouble with one aspect of the quilt. This led me to completely re-think the techniques, re-write the pattern, and invent the paper template to be included with the pattern.

My main advice would be to consider the numbers and your purpose. If you sell your pattern to quilt stores, they will give you only 50% of the retail price, and you still have to pay for the printing and packaging of the pattern. Wholesalers take a bigger percentage, so you may be paying all the expenses of pattern production from as little as 25% of the sales price. If you're doing this for the income, you may be disappointed. (I would say that you probably will be disappointed, except that the quilt you showed us is so spectacular.) If you're doing it to share your patterns with others, you will be blessed by the positive comments and friendships that develop. Good luck!

As far as Judy Niemeyer's patterns go, they are beautiful. I own 7, have made 1, am in the process of making another, but I have found a number of significant errors already in the pattern I'm making, and they are not addressed in the online corrections. I have sent an email to her, but haven't heard back yet. One of the errors was that she said to cut 40 strips, where only 20 were needed. I would have been pretty upset if I had not caught that one before cutting. I always check over the math in the patterns before cutting.

SW bed quilt
 

Looking for a southwest pattern for a king sized bed in our new AZ home. Any ideas?

I agree completely. I make one block, then decide if I change something or go on, or even ditch the whole idea. Please put me on the list for anything southwestern or Indian. Good patterns, with original SW design elements are impossible to find on the east coast. The other problem I have with patterns, I usually design my own quilts, they take two old standby quilt blocks, give them a new layout, and call it a "new design". Let's have "new quilt blocks".

Northerndeb, very stunning quilt. It sounds like you have been given a lot to consider with your patterns/publishing. Good luck with that endeavor. I see you said northern lower Michigan- are you anywhere near Cheboygan? We are up there most of the summer, maybe we could get together and chat.

I live about an hour north of TC... so not too far from Cheboygan. My fav quilt shops up there are Hearts To Holly in Charlevoix and Cousin's in Belaire. When do you arrive up here? I stay all year, except for a month or so when I head to AZ ... to warm up!

Judi, I am in the process of creating a pattern of this southwest quilt. We've had some major family illness and now a wedding this summer that has slowed my progress. When the pattern is complete I will post something about it on this forum. I think it would be a good idea for me to make it in 3 sizes... lap, queen and king. From what I hear from customers at the quilt shop I work at is that they like when there are options in sizing.

I agree that quilt patterns should be a WHOLE new idea. I like something that grabs me... not the same old thing over and over. And the other thing I hate is to see a quilt made up and designed to use a line of fabric and only that line. Most seem to get too busy... there isn't any resting area for the eye. I like to see a plain area for some of the quilting to show. I DO like some of the really old vintage quilts... like from the 40s... that are made up in a modern fabric. It's fun to see what some of the new, younger quilters are coming up with. My daughters alway surpise me by taking a standard block and doing something completely different than I'm used to. But then they don't know the expected way to set these blocks... they just get creative.
One thing I know is that quilting seems to be going through another large change...the beginning of another era. I've been checking out appliqued quilts that are created from vintage patterns but use Kaffe or Amy Butler types of fabrics instead of solids... AND they're setting these on a background of soft gray instead of cream or white. Amazing and wonderful quilts in the future!

I would copyright every one. I think it costs about $15 for a copyright. I know you can go have it done at a university, or at least they can help you. I would also get a business license, local to you. Then you can write off your expense, the room you are working in, etc. Do it the right way from the beginning. There are people out there that can help you but be smart and upfront with your questions. Find out from the BBB who you can trust. You don't want other people copying your patterns. By the way, I just love the one you made. You better have that one copyrighted or someone else will after seeing it. Get someone who can sew good to make up a quilt from your pattern. Good luck