Selling my own pattern
 

Hello Ladies,

I recently developed a new pattern and was looking for some advice as to getting my pattern out there. Are there any sites you would recommend that I use for this purpose? This Is my first pattern that my husband and I worked on together and we are very excited about it! Thank you!

You may want to contact other quilters that have had success with publishing their patterns. I am not sure about contacting fabric manufacturers who seem to have a lot of patterns on their site using their fabrics. Good Luck

I have found several patterns that I like on Craftsy.com, so that might work for you. Then you might see if you can put it on Pinterest with a link to your Craftsy site. Do you have a blog that you can put it on?

Yes! Craftsy is awesome! I've been selling with them for a couple years, and it is so easy. You do need a program that will convert your pattern into a pdf. I use Microsoft Publisher 2007. When you sell a pattern, it goes directly into your PayPal account, so you need an account with PayPal. I am more successful with Craftsy than any other website. Other pattern download sites are YouCanMakeThis.com (which has gone more to clothing patterns than quilt patterns), PatternSpot (which doesn't promote very well), and Etsy has started selling pdf downloads (but you need to know how to work Etsy, and I don't have time to figure it out, so don't do very well there).

Good Luck with your new pattern!

http://christaquilts.com/2014/04/01/...ning-patterns/

someone had posted this link a long time ago, hope that maybe there is something in there that will help! Good luck!

There is at least one yahoo group dedicated to quilt pattern designers

Submit to your favorite quilting magazine, they are often looking for new designers/patterns. Check with your local quilt shops, if they like it they may be willing to carry it. A sample hanging in a shop with a new pattern is also a great way to draw interest, sales

I took a class in Houston about selling your own pattern. One of the things they stressed was to have testers make your pattern (without your help) to find out if there are any errors or where directions may need to be clarified. When you know it's free from errors, you can pound the pavement and take to different quilt shops. Good Luck!

If this isn't a one-shot deal, you may want to invest in this book.
Publish Your Patterns by Nancy Restuccia.
http://www.amazon.com/Publish-Your-P.../dp/0971450102

I sell my pattern on eBay. I bought the book ghostrider mentions and it was a great help. Your LQS might be interested in carrying your pattern, and might also want you to teach classes using it. Good luck!

agree...beta testers a must
then try http://storefront.unitednotions.com/storefrontCommerce/

The Quilt Pattern Magazine just put out a request for submissions on the yahoo designers list. You could contact them about publishing your pattern and they'll make sure it gets tested before publication: www.quiltpatternmagazine.com .

I designed and marketed my patterns a few years ago. If you just want to get this particular pattern out there, and are not really looking to make it a business, then selling it through Craftsy, Ebay, etc. might be the way to go. Or you can contact some magazines to see if they are interested in publishing your pattern. However, if you go the magazine route, you are basically giving them to rights to your pattern for a specified length of time. Usually, after the time they require is over, it goes back to you and you can market it yourself. But, if one of them decides to publish your pattern, it is very good exposure and gets your name out there. They usually pay you a set amount for the right to put your pattern in their magazine.

Another thought is do you plan on self-publishing, or will you take it to publisher to see if they are interested in publishing and marketing your pattern? If you self publish, you can print the pattern yourself, or have someone print it for you. If you have someone print it for you, there is usually a minimum amount of patterns that you have to have printed. In the beginning, I took my patterns to local quilt shops, and if I was traveling, I looked up quilt shops in the area and took my patterns to them. A number of quilt shops bought my patterns and sold them in their shops. Also, the editor of QUILT Magazine saw one of my quilts displayed at a local quilt shop and ended up putting in on the cover of her magazine. That got me a lot of exposure, especially for that particular pattern.

I agree completely that you need to have the pattern tested by independent pattern testers before you put it out there. No matter how many times you read, re-read, and triple read it, you can't catch all the mistakes, because you are so familiar with it. There is a yahoo group call Quilt Pattern Testers where you can get one or two people to make it and send you corrections, or problems they find with the instructions, graphic, etc.

I was fortunate to be able to get with a major fabric manufacturer who let me design using their fabric lines. They took the quilts I designed to Market, which allowed me to get connected to distributors. That got my patterns into quilt shops across the country far better than I could have done on my own.
Best Wishes in your endeavor.
Marcia

Make sure you get a patten on it!

Connecting Threads also sells independent patterns. They do take a cut. Go to their website, scroll to the bottom and click on FAQ's. They have a little ditty about it at the bottom of the FAQ's.