That is what I would do!

OK y'all convinced me i'm not buying the kit, i bought the book and i'll wait till i get it to see the yardage i need and try to pick fabrics all by myself lol. thanks for all the input.

I totally agree, I love looking at kits but rarely buy them because of price and labeling! I think it should definetly include the pattern if it is a kit!

You'll find another you will like just as well.
I stay away from kits unless on sale and a good deal.

I'm a newbie, only been quilting a year. I've learned and am still learning a lot about purchasing kits. For one thing, only the exact amount of material is included, no extra for any mistakes. Also, the material can't be pre-washed because if it shrinks any at all, you won't have the amount of material needed. The same thing applies if it includes or calls for fat quarters or charm packs. Can't be pre-washed because of shrinkage. I've seen some gorgeous kits but don't buy!

I always thought when you bought a kit, the fabric and pattern were included. Boy was I mistaken.

I have seen that very same thing with some of the patterns on the Fon's and Porter web site...you buy the kit but the pattern is in the January issue of their mag...I guess they make the magazines available but I haven't looked into it to find out...

ditto, I would not buy it either. You would be much better off looking for a free pattern on line and then purchasing your own fabric.

I have the same question. I was going to buy some material to make a table runner and then got high pressured about buying a template "that I had to have in order to make the pattern look good". I do NOT like to be high-pressured into buying something at all.
D

A kit without a pattern is a car without an engine. You're not going anywhere with either one of these. I don't know how they can call it a kit if there are no directions. Pass it by and find something else to make, that's just rediculous.

The beauty of buying kits is the fabric selection. I live in an area where fabric selection is poor and to spend hours and hours picking out fabrics online just isn't feasible as too many of them are not accurate in color. That is why I have a stash.

I have bought only 1 kit and it was done solely for the array of fabric. They did a much better job of color selection than I ever could. I had plenty of fabric to accommodate my mistakes. Yes, I paid way more for the kit than I would have for the fabric, but I also saved myself hours and hours of stress time in trying to select fabric. To me, it was a win-win.

A quick search on "Island Chain Quilt pattern" on the web came up the following - it is a little cheaper & looks like for everything.

http://store.quiltersqtrs.com/stores...&Item_ID=18748

You might try a search on Ebay, Amazon & just in general.

Happy hunting =

Have a blessed Easter -
He Is Risen!!!

Try looking at the local library, they may have the book. I get a lot of my quilting books through EdwardRHamilton.com. These books are discounted (sometimes even more than Amazon.com) and they only charge $3.50 shipping no matter how many books you order.

Amazon has the book starting at about $15:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...kett&x=14&y=16

it is also on ebay starting at about 12:
http://books.shop.ebay.com/Books-/26...&_sop=15&_sc=1

I am also bothered by this. For the prices they ask for some of these quilt kits they should include directions, patterns and a tutorial DVD. I guess I am just an old fogey that expects things to be like they were when I was growing up. Jeanniebelle

Forget it~Most places include the pattern with the kit.

ok here is what you can do.
Google Island chain quilt pattern.. you will find several sites that will direct you to the Irish chain quilt pattern that you can get for free. try this one
http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/trip-...ilt/index.html
annie in the uk

That is ridiculous!! A "kit" should include everything! I wouldn't give them my business. Find the kit elsewhere from a company that will include the pattern, or perhaps put a request out, one of us may have the pattern.

Great idea, I reviewed the book on line and looks great however I do save my scraps and would not need a kit for most of the patterns, haha. Rarely buy kits like the choosing fabrics piece of quilting.

Ha ha true that

No, I wouldn't buy the pattern. In fact, I can't imagine a quilt kit at $75.00.

I wouldn't buy it if the pattern is not included. Isn't a "kit" supposed to be everything you need to make that project?

Am I wrong on this?? I think a total of $100.00 for the quilt is a good price. I have looked at kits at Keepsake and other sites and they are all very expensive..well over $100.00. In fact I don't think you can find one for that price.

That is just plain wrong in my opinion. I can see not giving a whole book with the kit, but the pattern should be included no matter what the price of the kit. Take care.
Linda

I am glad you posted this Never having bought a kit I would have just assumed the pattern was with it, If you dont get the pattern what makes it a kit. I have looked at some kits thinking I would buy one and then find there are a couple of fabrics in it that I don't really like If the pattern has to be bought separately then I can just put together my own collection of fabrics

Be careful when buying quilt kits from magazines. I did not know that they substitue different fabrics from what you see in the picture. Was not happy - called the quilt shop out West and was told to "read the fine print". Last time I will order from a magazine. They said it was not their fault, it was mine. So when buying kits, support your local quilt shop. At least you can see the fabric.

Why call it a kit if it does't have the pattern. For $75 I would think they would include it. :thumbdown:

Perhaps the book would be available at your local library.

Thats crazy.

I would pass!! Run fast! This is not the way to run a business.

Kits for me don't work as their color coordination don't match mine.

So, I buy a pattern I like and choose my own fabrics.

Yes, it is a way to make more money. however, in the long run, I believe they loose customers.

Pat in CO

Again, I really like the pattern but the colors in the kit are not for me.

I would get the pattern and skip the kit.

You are right about shops - "red the fine print" - if I have to do that I am NOT shopping there. We should not have to deal with legalize to quilt!

Pat in CO

It's not a pattern by itself it's in a book. They want you to buy the book. That's why they don't include it. Check out Sister's choice quilts Jan 27-11. Kim sent her a copy of the book and she has a pic of it on her website. It looks like it uses a jellyroll and there are 40-2.5 strips to it so that doesn't even include the borders for the quilt I would maybe buy the book if there' more then one quilt in it that I liked and cut my own strips seems like a lot of money for even bali strips. She also has tutorials on there herself....

I bought a kit because I liked the fabric and the quilt that they displayed. Shop hop purchase, so it was a while before I actually really looked at it. The pattern showed a different picture different fabric, so needless to say I did it from memory and I know it did not look at nice as the one I saw apparently I used a different section to show off the houses. If you get what I mean. sorta !!!

I think it would be more beneficial to list the price of a kit INCLUDING a pattern... and then provide a 'discounted' price for a no-pattern kit for those who may already own one. The other way just seems kind of sneaky to me, even it it's not meant to be that way.

I don't know if this is the same "Island Chain", but worth checking out. It doesn't state that the pattern is included, but you could call them. Good luck! http://store.quiltersqtrs.com/stores...&Item_ID=18748

if they want my $75 it better already be quilted Look for the pattern on line-library- mags then choose fabrics-batting this is way less than $100

sometimes people fall in love with quilts in books and want a kit for them- once you buy the book you do not want to re-buy the book every time you are going to make a quilt from that book- what if it had 60 quilts in it? you might want to buy 60 fabric kits- but 60 copies of the same book- because you want it included in every kit?

usually if the pattern is just that- 1 pattern it is included with kits- if it is a pattern from a book or a magazine you have to purchase it separately.

Bothers me too!

TreeFrog

Just a couple of thoughts...

It may not be cheaper to buy your own fabrics (make your own kit) if the yardages are 1/4yd pcs and need to be WOF.
A lot of shops won't sell less than 1/2yd cuts so then you are buying twice as much as you need. Even if you can use FQs
some shops charge more for them.

I, and I'm only speaking for myself but I know danged well some of you can relate to this, have never purshased fabrics for a project that I didn't over buy. Usually because I have spent hours gathering fabrics from different shops (either in person or on-line) and once I got them together something didn't "work". Or I wasn't sure where I was going to use one fabric or another so I bought all 1yd or 1/2yd pcs just in case I wanted to change things around. Sometimes the kit price is not really all that inflated.

I have also bought kits that had wayyyy too much fabric. Never sure whether the shop or vendor was trying to make sure there was enough to cover for a mistake or just trying to get a lttle more money from me.

The book has several great quilts in it and if you can find it for sale you're getting more bang for your buck.

For a group of ladies always talking about "quilt police" I have to ask if there aren't a few undercover here but they are only concerned with what quilt shops and their owners can or cannot do. Show me where a kit is defined as fabric for the top and borders, fabric for the backing and binding, batting and the pattern. Oh, thread, maybe they "should" include thread. And just enough for this quilt, not a whole spool please. Nowhere, that's where. Those are preconceived ideas in your own worlds and not a "rule" or a "law". If you don't want to buy a kit because it doesn't have any of those elements that's fine, I respect that, but quit bashing the quiltshop owners. Times are rough for them too.

My guess is the same ladies that are horrified when Nancy Needleworker asks for a copy of their most recently purchased quilt pattern are put off because a shop owner won't copy a pattern out of a book to put in the kit.

And yes, <<<I>>> would be one of those other unhappy customers if I had to pay for a kit that had a pattern or book included if I already had said pattern or book.

Now I will calmly descend from my soapbox and set off into the sunset.