One or more
 

I'm a buyer of quilt pattern books, usually because of that one great pattern that I just have to make. With the price of quilt books, do you buy for that ONE pattern, or do you make more than one design from the same book? Been thinking lately that I'd love to purchase ONE book and make every pattern in it. Maybe I should start with mini-quilts instead of bed quilts?

I'm like you, I usually buy books for that one pattern I like. Sometimes even that one never gets made. I guess I'm a collector because I just like to pull out my quilting books and look at them - my nightstand usually has one or two on it.

What! You are supposed to actually make quilts from the pattern in a book????? tee hee....I mostly just read them like I would a novel...too many quilt books....so little time....

I normally purchase a book for one pattern, but yesterday I saw a Kindle Book (digital version), Moda All Start Sensationally Scrappy, that looked interesting and after I paid for it and was able to look at all of the patterns, I found 3 quilts that I "needed" to make. https://smile.amazon.com/Moda-All-St...al-text&sr=1-1

Linda - I did that (one time)...it was a book with mini quilts in it. I started with the first one and worked my way through it. It was great fun! It only took me a couple weeks. I do the samples for my local quilt shop so it was fun seeing them all hanging together.

I thought quilt books were just for dreaming!

Actually I find most quilting books pretty disappointing. There are lots of free patterns on the internet.
And I mostly take a picture and wing it. I've never actually totally followed a pattern since my very first quilt.

The one book I do look at a lot is the Big Book of Scrap Quilts. I has every pattern I would ever want to make.
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I use my library and check out books for free - I look at the books on order list weekly and place a hold if interested and then I don't have to spend money for it. If I really like the book I may purchase it online. Do this for other topics that I want to read non-fiction and fiction.

I have the same book and yes I have made several quilts from it. I have plans for several more. It's a great book.

When I take quilt books out of the library, I find that there are usually at most 1 to 3 patterns in it that really appeal to me. The rest usually seem a little (visually) boring or unappealing. I'd hate to put in a lot of time an effort into project that did not make my heart sing. However, if you can find a book where all (or most) of the quilts in it are highly appealing to you, I think it could be a lot of fun to make a bunch of quilts from that one book.

When considering what book to select, I recommend thinking about the variety of patterns in the book. For example, you can get a book that is all one type - e.g. Lone Star quilts, or Baltimore Album quilts. As much as you love that type of quilt, you may not want to make a large number of that type. (Are you going to be craving something new when you are making the nth quilt of that type?) Books with a more general theme (e.g. scrappy, or a particular time era) can give you greater variety of quilts, but may or may not have enough quilts that you like/love enough to enjoy making.

I recommend taking some of the quilt books you are already own and flip through them and see how many of the quilts in each of them you would be excited to make. Then take a good look at which type of quilt books have a higher percentage of quilts that appeal to you. That can give you an idea of what sort of quilt book would work well for your idea of make-everything-in-the book series. (Or another idea is to give yourself a goal of making a second quilt in some number of books you already own.)

If miniature quilts appeal to you, there are books specifically on that, and they often have quite a variety of styles in them. Producing them does not take a lot of fabric, and you can easily display a group of them on a wall. (Be aware, some detailed miniatures still take quite a bit of time to piece.)

Another option for getting more out a book is to piece one (or several) blocks from multiple patterns and then putting them together as a sample type of quilt. You get to try a bunch of different block designs, but don't have to do entire quilt's worth work on a design that you do not adore.

I do buy a quilt book just for the one pattern that I want to make. What is wrong with me??!! Sometimes I buy the book and some time later I for the life of me can't remember what pattern I bought it for. It is a crazy disease I have I think! :)

If I am looking to buy a book I first check the library of our quilt guild and see if it is there. Many times it is since we have a budget for new books.. I will check it out and look it over before I purchase my own copy. Either that or I wait to re-check it out when I am ready to make the quilt I am looking to do. Sometimes I just have to have the book and other times I do not

I just purchased a book for one pattern. Unfortunately, that book was the "hard to find" Mystery Quilts by Rita Fishel. It was way more than I would have liked to pay...so I will be making the other quilts from that book!

My sad story on buying Quilt books. I purchased one several years ago and really liked several of the quilts. Of course, I never got around to making any of them. HOWEVER, a year ago I found a pattern that I really liked and made a quilt for my friend. I bet you know the rest of the story--a while later I was looking at my pattern books. Lo and behold there were two of the patterns which I had since purchased for the price of the book. Did I learn a lesson? Sort of because I really think twice before I spend money on a quilt book.

I have several "Big Book of....Scraps, Fat Qtrs, etc" that I have yet to make any quilts from. They all have quilts that at one time I must have wanted to make. Maybe some day.

I have bought one book in 20 years of quilting and I knew there were perhaps half of the quilts that I would make. Previous to that purchase, my favorite book was inherited to me and it was a book of blocks. That would get me started and I was gently forced to learn how to calculate how many blocks, pieces, sashing and so on were needed to finish the quilt at the size I desired. I get most of my ideas now online, but still love my one book "Scrap Basket Surprises" by Kim Brackett. (Accurate directions, colored pictures and pleasant patterns.) Some of the patterns I have made more than once. One is my "go to" pattern for a baby quilt.

i quit buying books years ago for that very reason.

I rarely buy quilting books anymore but I used to. There is so much on the internet.
If I really want a pattern I try to get the book at my library. They seem to carry a lot of good ones.

Several years ago I purged almost all my quilt books and have never missed even one! I bought a lot of books years ago!

I thinned out my quilt book collection (and magazines too!) and kept only those that really had several I was interested in making. Now I mostly just try to buy books that are more technique books--ones on color, or techniques to use in modern quilts, or quilting patterns like Angela Walter's Shape to Shape books. Right now I'm debating whether to buy some of dying fabric from C & T--have loaded it in my shopping cart 2x and then click out!

So many times I have bought quilting books because I wanted to make so many quilts in them. Years later I wonder why I ever bought that book.
Do you keep these books or pass them on?

I am a quilt book and pattern addict. I try not to have so many and I do donate them to my favorite charity thrift shop when I can part with them. But, I think I am out of control when it comes to any type of pattern. Clothing, quilting and even doll or craft patterns find it's way to my vast library.
Yesterday a very old friend of mine brought me ten more from her stash. I love three of them, the rest will be donated. I need to go to a ten step to rid myself of this addiction.