I have one kit. Still in the package. So... I guess I'm not one to give advice.lol

I have bought many kits over the years. Usually while traveling and stopping at various shops along the way. I have always found the quality of the fabric excellent. One thing I've noticed though....either they give you generous cuts or cuts that are down to the inch. Once I had to call a shop 1200 miles away and request more fabric that was short. They were very nice and did it but it's something to watch. If you wait to long (like I have a tendency to do), they may not have any more of that fabric.

I'm not a kit person. I will buy FQ collections or something like that, but not fabric and pattern together. I did do one kit early on that I saw in Keepsake Quilting because it was going to a friend as a thank you and was perfect, but I was disappointed in it. It had a patterned fabric that I would have fussy cut but couldn't because there wasn't enough. The catalog image however had the pattern centered like I would have done.

The photo of the quilt in my profile is from a kit. Three of the fabrics (colors) are my own fabrics. I cut wrong and had to substitute. I liked mine better. Now it is an original. Quilting teaches you a lot!

one of my lqs makes up a kit for every quilt they have on display... got one for my mother.. the pattern is called afternoon delite & it did get it pieced on an afternoon & i was delighted.

the backing fabric was short.. so i called them.. that fabric is gone, got kona black & used that, still waiting for the owner of lqs to call & advise what they will do to make it right (she is out of town indefinately.. family emergency) so we will see...

but, either way i'm thrilled with the quilt & my mom will be too.. and it is really nice to be able to recreate the sample they have hanging, because that particular one said "MOM" right when i laid eyes on it.

Hubby picked one out once because he liked the colors. I wasn't really paying attention and told him to add it to the pile of stuff I was buying. I wished I'd looked at it better. Several of the fabrics were the same very small scale print in different colors. I made the top, but it's very blah. I worked out the dimensions carefully and was able to get enough out of the backing to add borders to the front to add some larger print to it. Still looks blah to me. I put it aside and someday will pick it up again and add some applique to bring it back to life. But for now, it's at the bottom of the pile.

I like to select my own fabrics and mix up the scale/colors more than I see in some kits.

Since I'm just beginning to quilt, kits have been my salvation. As a newbie, I don't have a huge stash-YET!- so kits allow me to do a complete quilt with only having to buy the backing. I live in the mountains and it's at least 60-90 minutes of driving to get anywhere that sells fabric. So stash building in person has been tough. I shop the internet a lot. Someone else mentioned Fabric Cafe- I love their little kits! I've learned a lot making them without having to invest too much money. And now I have the patterns, so when I do get to an LQS, I know I can buy 3 one-yard pieces of fabric that catches my eye and will be able to make a quilt.

I have bo't many kits from companies advertising in quilting magazines and have never had a complaint. Any fabric sub has always been very close to the original. I have bo't a couple of Judy Niemeyer foundation kits and have been very satisfied. Some people are more particular than other people also. You sort of have to be willing to go with the flow when you buy a kit.

If I can purchase the right size, I will buy a kit if one is available that I like. Otherwise I make my own kit then set together.

One of my friends always buys kits, says she doesn't know how to pick fabric. Its not so, as the times she has picked her own fabric for a project, it is beautiful. She just likes having everything she needs in a package.
I rarely use a kit, because picking the fabric is the part I love the best. Its a personal preference. If you enjoy doing kits, do it. If not--pick your own fabrics. Both ways are perfectly correct. No quilt police here. grin