the ones I like the best are books with several highly detailed patterns in them. Like the di ford series from quiltmania. They sell for $40.00,

I usually make up my own as a I go. I very rarely buy a pattern anymore. I have published 3 patterns myself so I know the work that goes into writing one as well as the cost of publication. This being said, I think the price has gone a bit high when they are priced at $15 and up.

PDF's are a touch less expensive -- no postage fees added.

I've never downloaded a pattern, other than directions for a quilt-a-long. I prefer paper patterns. I'll even purchase a simple pattern if I really like the picture or the way the simple pieces are put together. Most patterns I've purchased are between 10-20 dollars.

I have paid anywhere from $8-$80 depending on the intricacy. If it is a mckenna ryan,javahouse, or judy neimeyer I know I am shelling out bucks for it. Simple patterns to ordinary applique patterns I expect no more than 15 so it just depends

I have only ever purchased patterns for special items, when I visited Alaska bought some kits and some patterns, they were unique and I'm happy to pay the designer for the pattern. Same in Florida last year, they all had some kind of appliqué. For blocks if I'm not sure I'll google, most blocks are a variation on traditional patterns.

I will spend $30-40 on a book, but only if I really think I will use multiple quilt patterns from it (Bella Bella Quilts and one Carol Doak book). I have spent a lot on 2 Judy Niemeyer patterns and one blackwork quilt pattern.

Otherwise, I generally stick to either free patterns or ones that I can recreate easily. I don't need to pay for someone to tell me how much fabric I need, how many strips of this or that honestly. A lot of times that is what the directions are rather than any real new method.

I try to only buy when I am wanting to learn a new method.

It depends. When I started, I would spend $24 for a McCall's pattern at JAF with a coupon. I am boycotting McCall's these days, but I don't regret spending that amount of money for my first quilts. It had detailed instructions, paper patterns & lots of tips. It was basically like a class on quilt construction. Between that & the JAF BOM's where you got all the pieces pre-cut, along with the instructions about how to piece them together into blocks & rows, I was able to learn the basics of quilting enough to be able to have a foundation to recognize good YouTube tutorials when I saw them.

Nowadays, I prefer to support small designers directly. I spend $12-18/pattern depending on the intricacy of the design, what all is included & how many quilts I'm allowed to make and sell based on a single copy of a pattern. I mostly do applique quilts, so I need the applique units & the sheet showing the layout. If the pattern breaks down the applique units into their individual components, that's a major bonus -- and time saver!

Most excellent follow up question! $9 seems to be the sweet spot for hard copy patterns, with the high end ones going for more, but for me, it better be a super awesome pattern for me to pay more than ten bucks. PDF ones seem to average $5-$6.

I second this. Craftsy is a great resource for selling patterns. On Etsy, it's so easy to get lost in the sea of stuff, but Craftsy seems more narrowly focused and less populated. I've had decent success on there.

I tend to think they are a better deal (but I am biased lol!). Granted, the majority of work that goes into the pattern is 1)Designing it 2)figuring out how to tell someone else how to make it, measurements, yardage, instructions, drawing diagrams. Woo boy! Someone mentioned in the other thread about offering different sizes of a design, so back to the drawing board you go for each size of the quilt! Laying it out in some sort of program for press, etc. Compared to all that hourly work, the print cost is somewhat insignificant.

I just spent a crazy $80.00 on an applique pattern. I know I probably could have found something online for less $$, but I will be making this one a few times over. It is a full sized pattern with variation to each block. Now I know many here are the imagination to embellish on the fly, but I need a bit more guidance.

The pattern is for vintage travel trailers, plus a family of 6 and pets.

I will be making quilts for me and a very good friend who loves to go camping. Plus use the pattern to make placemats for the RV.