Value of a kit vs purchasing yardage for the pattern
 

So convenient-grab and go-and a timesaver too! But...is there extra for oopses or if you want to use more of one color than another? Are they cut evenly? Is anything ever missing? What's the mark up, have you ever figured it out?

Please share your kit buying experiences and things to watch for for those of us who are still a bit leery of those tempting plastic bag delights.

They're great if you want someone else to do your creative thinking, or gather the materials for you. I've done two. The experience wasn't gratifying for me, but the recipients loved the results.

I am not a big fan of kits - but have bought a few.

It really depends on the quilt shop who is packaging it. The few kits I bought were sufficient in the fabric yardage to do the exact quilt, nothing more. One kit I purchased from a huge shop was a kit for a Holiday plaid star wallhanging. There were extra FQs in the package - very nice in that you could better choose your colors. The downside to that kit was all the FQs were not cut on the straight of the goods so there was lots of wastage as I cut square. Another kit I purchased on clearance at Connecting threads - that one was ample enough as far as yardage - I had quite a bit left over - but again - not enough to have changed the pattern drastically.

Hope this helps. I have found - if you are thinking about changing something - then it is easier to purchase the pattern and pick your own fabrics.

I just finished a wall quilt kit for October. They had plenty of fabric for all of it, which was nice. Maybe you could ask to open up the kit and make sure everything is included in the package. I haven't ever done that but it's a thought!

I rarely buy kits, mainly because I'll end up substituting different fabrics that I like better. I used to do civil war BOM and we got fabric with it, but I rarely used more than one of them if that because I liked what I had better. To say the least, that class not only taught me alot about the civil war because the teacher was a buff and would tell us about different things that happened and they were facts and I also knew every store that had great civil war fabric and now have a great stash of them. I just did an embroidery retreat and they offered a kit for the fabric and didn't charge extra to put it together so due to lack of time I bought it. As I was pulling my fabric I started seeing fabric in my own stash that I liked better and so alot of the quilt is totally me. Including the outside rows of blocks that were also civil war blocks, they just happened to be the same size of the class that I had taken a few yrs ago and never put together. I used them instead of making more and so my quilt is all my choices. The retreat had two of each for the civil war blocks but I had enough that they are all different and in each corner are reverse applique blocks done for that error. So it really depends. I've heard some say they've gotten kits and the fabric cuts weren't correct. I have been told that you should always cut your largest pieces first and then cut the smaller parts so that it equals out. If you cut the smaller pieces first you may not have enough to cut the larger ones; just something to think about.

I realize i didn't answer your questions in the first post.

yes, i had enough fabric. even cuts were not an issue, and value was subjective. How do you like to spend your time and money?

I have a lot of Connecting Threads kits. I have always had fabric left over from them. Some kits with small pieces in the blocks from other places will put in small squares, just enough to cut the one piece. Once I see a kit is like that I don't buy any more. I am very happy with CT kits. I buy them when on clearance and use the fabric for other projects.

I've only bought one kit, and one piece was 3/4" too small to get what I needed. The company made it right, but I may shy away from any more kits. However, that is just me.

I bought a kit once; did not like it and returned it to Keepsake Quilting no questions asked. Buy another? Often I do not like the colors in the kits. However it seems to me that it might actually be cheaper than buying all fabric in yardage since only get what you need and are not required to buy extra yardage.

Also what gets on my nerves is when a LQS only sells the pattern in a kit and not seperatly. With CT you can often but not always buy the pattern seperate from the kit. .

I have bought many many kits. I have always seen a sample of the quilt or whatever the kit is for already made. So I know what Im getting and what it will look like finished. I have always received more than enough fabric. I love the fact that all the fabrics go so well together and I did'nt have to worry about that. When I see a sample quilt and love it and want to make it, why would I want to change it and add other fabrics?? My stash is sooo big, I don't want alot of left over scraps either. I buy them all the time!!

I've bought three kits and only made one of them so far. I did have plenty of fabric and the type of pattern (Cake Mix) made it so you could have a different quilt from the pattern picture. Because my sister loved the finished quilt so much I gave it to her, that I wished I had bought two.

I've only bought kits from my LQS. They are excellent quality and quantity, and priced at the same as buying the fabric and pattern separately. I would probably have bought more of each of the fabrics then had extra to put into my stash. Not sure if that is good or bad! LOL!

Linda in Missouri

I usually love quilt kits as I'm not real good at matching colors etc. Connecting Threads quilts always have extra fabric and they don't charge extra for cutting it. That makes their pre-cuts the same price as buying yardage. I've always had plenty of leftovers from their kits. And I usually buy them on clearance so that helps, too.

I've bought a few kits but I always substitute a few fabrics to make the kit look different. When I get ready to work on the kit, I critique the fabric choices and go to my LQS to buy a few substitutes. If a fabric looks skimpy, I can buy more of a sub fabric. I can't stand the idea of making a kit just like someone else's kit.

I bought a Storm at Sea kit (first kit purchase from anywhere) recently from Flynn Quilts for several reasons: I'm having vision problems which make me reluctant to trust my own rotary cutting skills (and safety doing it); the batik colors were beautiful; I've always wanted to do a SAS but cutting and sewing accurately for this pattern is challenging---and the kit pieces here have laser cut 'cheats' of engineered corners that will greatly help.
Intimated is the word for what I have still felt. Thank you for the post. I've now pulled the kit out and some of my concerns are disappearing. I was thinking that each size piece ran the gamut for the batik color wave but they don't---much easier for the mathematical mind to handle grabbing any color pieces that are meant to adjoin. Phew!

Seems most kits that I like are in blue colors. Im a green person so don't buy many kits.
Have one that I bought several years ago and have only made 3 blocks so far. It is batiks and a beautiful quilt called Back To Nature.

I have used the occasional kit, but only if I really liked the included fabrics, and I was in a time crunch. For example, when my nephew gave me 2 months notice that he was getting married and would just love one of my quilts for a wedding present! The kit saved me so much time, and it turned out beautifully! I have only bought kits from Connecting Threads and Keepsake Quilting, both of which have provided high quality kits with plenty of fabric for the design. I cannot speak to other quilt shops. I hadn't thought about buying clearance quilts for the fabric, but it sounds like a great idea!

Kits are Ok, but be sure to make them right away so if you should need more fabric you will stand a better chance of finding the fabric. Takes all the work out of picking fabrics, but that is part of the fun of making quilts at least for me.

I have bought only a couple kits, from Joann's and only because they were on a really cheap clearance price. I have almost completed one of them. It was ok to work on and easy to work with

My idea about using kits - my favorite part of making a quilt is the creativity of the process. Choosing the fabric and the pattern to go with it, and choosing which fabric is going where. Using a kit eliminates that creativity!

Kits aren't for everyone - many quilters like the thrill of the search, seeking out coordinating fabrics for their projects, shopping their stash along with the shops, making things uniquely their own. Others like to start with a blank canvas and create projects totally from their imaginations. Some like being able to replicate a finished project that they fall in love with. Still others like to start with a foundation and expand on it. There is no wrong or right way to start a project, but if you decide a kit is for you, a few words about quilt kits...

1) Buying kits are a great way to get coordinated colors in your quilt. Do look though, to make sure the maker of your kit has successfully put together fabrics that do work together. Many shops will throw together fabrics from different manufacturers and lines, and often the feel/hand and quality of some of the fabrics aren't the same as others in the kit.

Other shops will put together kits made from the various fabrics within a single manufacturers line, and also will use the same manufacturer's blenders in the kit. Since most fabric manufacturers use a standard dye palette, this ensures that you get matched and coordinated colors and fabrics that go together well.

2) Shops will often buy pre-made kits from the manufacturers and re-sell them. These are coordinated with fabrics from the same lines, but often the manufacturers' kits are cut really closely with no additional inches given for straightening the pattern, or in case you make minor cutting errors. A few manufacturers, esp the often-mentioned CT, are pretty generous with their cuts, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

3) If you want a coordinated backing, or extra fabric for your project, think seriously about buying it when you buy the kit. Most printed fabrics have a short run, popular fabrics sell out quickly, so you are likely not to be able to find those fabrics if you wait at all before constructing the project.

4) If you have an issue with a kit, ALWAYS contact the place who sold it to you. Mistakes in cutting can be made, or patterns can be wrong, and a reputable seller will stand behind the kit. They're also the ones most likely to have replacement or additional fabric on hand.

5) Before you buy a kit, ASK the seller if they've walked through the pattern and checked it for errors. Finding and correcting errors in patterns is part of the kit sellers job, and this should be done in advance before the kit is released for sale.

6) Don't be afraid to discuss, with the person who put the kit together, any changes or customizations you'd like to implement in your version of the project. Often that person can be a great resource to bounce your ideas off of, and can assist you in getting the right fabrics to customize your project.

Kits are a good way to cut down on shopping expense and time, or to source a coordinated set of fabrics that you otherwise would have difficulty finding. Completing the exact project that the kit is designed for isn't a requirement, it's a choice! You might decide to use the fabrics for something completely different and unique and that's totally OK! Have fun with it!

I only buy kits when I absolutely love the fabrics used - A lot of the time I like to search for my own fabrics so it just depends on the kit and the circumstances.

I'm too independent to use kits. The most fun for me is picking out my own colors, and most often I design my own or tweak a pattern. Recently someone told me she bought two kits from Keepsake and did not get enough fabric. Also, some quilt shows don't allow you to display kit quilts, such as Billings Farm Museum which I enter most years. I can see the value for some, but have never used one so far. But never say never.

I go to quilt retreats during the year and many open sew days. I have a stockpile of kits on hand to just grab and go. No having to pick and pack fabric is a time saver. I have McKenna Ryan, Kaffe Fasset, Jinny Beyer and lots of CT quilt kits in my stash, all bought on clearances. One day I may not be able to shop or buy so I'm prepared.

For those of you who purchase kits and report that the yardage provided is at least adequate for the project ... does this include pre-washing the fabric?

For many reasons, I cannot bring myself to sew with fabric that has not been pre-washed.

I've used three or four kits, all from LQSs. I always wash my fabric. I had plenty of fabric in all cases - two actually had extra fat quarters in them for variety. Yardage was cut straight. No problems whatsoever. I think you just have to know your seller. That being said, I love buying fabric and putting together just the right choices for a pattern. I often visit four or five shops to find what I want, so buying a kit saves lots of shopping time if you are happy with the fabric choices they have made.

I don't buy kits because I always want to make a quilt bigger than was available in a kit. I've received 2 of them. I made up one and added several fabrics to make a bigger quilt. The second one I haven't done yet. I will probably try to add borders to make that quilt bigger.

I agree with Bellaboo, I love Connecting Threads for kits and batting (on sale). Their kits have plenty of material and if there is a problem with a kit, they send anyone who purchased the kit an email explaining the issue (larger triangles or more squares need to be made, etc.). They have great quality and free shipping over $50.00 ( that is two queen battings when it is on sale plus a tad bit of material).

I purchased a kit a few years ago from NEC show in Birmingham . I quality of the fabric was fantastic and lovely. I did buy quilt double bed size but decided to make it into a door hanging. The fabric of course I had left has now been used in so many other quilts.

For me fun of the chase in finding just the right fabrics for a project is greater than my desire to make a particular design just like one I saw somewhere.

There was one gorgeous quilt displayed at the first show I ever attended that I fell in love with. However the sticker shock from the cost of the kit nipped that one in the bud right off the bat!

I have a rather extensive stash, but it was accumulated over a lot of years and in most cases only a few pieces at a time. So when I get ready to make something I can shop my stash first then add the individual fabrics necessary to do whatever I'm contemplating, usually without a great deal of expense at any one time.

So I'm just not one to purchase kits.

I like buying kits and have always had good experiences with them. When I try to buy yardage on my own there is always one fabric I can not find. I really like Connecting Threads. One kit had so much fabric I was able to make two of the pattern. My LQS is very generous with their cuts to.
I am willing to pay a little more for them to do the work. I would spend it in gas running around looking for fabric so its a trade off.

I bought a Quilt in a Day mini-Dresden plate kit by Eleanor Burns. I made the plates as instructed and after attaching them to the background squares, the block ends up being 6" square. Problem now is that the sashings for the squares should be 6" as well right?

Problem is that the sashings are made of the same fabric as the Dresden plate fabric but the kit only came with 5" charm squares. Sashing strips have to be made by cutting the 5" charms into strips and piecing them together. ugh!

Also the directions that came with the kit assume the fabric being used is in strips and not 5" charms. double ugh! Thinking of sending a message to the manufacturer to ask why did they packaged the kit this way.

See what they say. Couldn't hurt.

I did one kit. There was enough fabric but the instructions were very poor. I made the same project again, but used my own fabrics and modified the instructions with a much better result.

I bought some kits from Connecting Threads. Both had plenty of material. I like them for the ease of not having to search ten stores for the "just right" fabrics. I bought them when I worked and time was scarce. Now that I'm retired, it's fun to have things delivered to my doorstep. Depends on what you want/need. I haven't used kits from any other companies.

I LOVE buying kits from Connecting Threads, and buy them when they go on sale...can not beat the price and when you're on a quilting budget it is very worth while. The kits ALWAYS have had quite a bit left over and I buy the kits because their fabric choices are what caught my eye to being with, so I certainly am not interested in changing out fabric.

I have bought kits from Connecting Threads and Keepsake Quilting and was very pleased with the fabric and the amount sent. I like the convenience of not having to go to several places to find matching fabrics. It is a timesaver for me.

I bought a Ryan Mckenna quilt kit from Nancy's Notions, Love it. It would be too time consuming to find the right fabric and it was at a good price. I saved over 100$ getting it from them vs other places.

The very first kit I bought at my LQS was short of fabric when I started cutting. Now, if I buy kits, which I rarely do as I love the search for just the right fabrics, I *always* immediately open it up when I get home and check the yardage in the kit with the pattern to be sure there aren't any shortages.

I often like the pattern but don't like the colors in the kit. I prefer to buy the pattern then search for fabric I like or dig into my stash to see what I have. I guess the fun of selecting fabrics and auditioning them is more important than the convenience of a kit. However, if I liked the colors/fabrics provided in a kit I would probably try the kit.

Mostly I don't buy kits because I have so much fabric, but there was a table runner pattern or kit I saw at a local store, and I just bought the pattern, thinking I would have plenty of fabric, but I don't have the colors I wanted, and now wish I had just bought the kit and been done with it. Live and learn!