When making a pattern...my suggestion....
 

I've searched for the thread on what people want to see in a pattern and I just can't find it so I'm going to add my thoughts here.

I found a pattern I'd love to make and was all set to buy. I looked at the fabric requirements and they are all written in numbers, from a certain collection. IOW, 1 fat quarter Birds and Berries #1245-01.

This is frustrating for a number of reasons....A) they no longer have that collection available. B) That gives me no idea what colour fabrics I need to buy on my own, if I choose not to make the quilt exactly as they have made it.

My only option is search the net individually for each fabric # and note down what the fabric is....#1245-01 is a medium turquoise with a yellow stripe, etc. and there are 12 fabrics that are required.

It would be so much easier, (and I would have bought the pattern), if the designer had of included both the numbers, so you could reproduce it exactly and a small pic of the fabric so those of us who wish to purchase our own would be able to see the general colour, but still make our own decisions when we go to the fabric store.

Anyhow, that's my suggestion for people creating patterns....note the general colours used as well as the collection numbers.

Watson

I just finished a pattern called New Leaves. I struggled with the pattern because she had coded the blocks with letters of the colors she used which was not what I wanted to work with. Her sample is the one with the blue background and I preferred doing the one that actually looks like autumn leaves (RK batiks called Seasons).
https://www.google.com/search?q=New+...+by+Innovation
I just Googled your fabric example and this came up:
https://www.google.com/search?q=1+fa...utf-8&oe=utf-8
You may also find older fabric for sale on eBay and Esty. Can your LQS help you select the fabric to make this quilt?? I would be interesting in seeing this pattern if you can post an address of where it is found on the internet.

That was just a number out of my head.

I'd rather not post the pattern. That's how she chose to do it and I don't want to point fingers at one particular pattern maker, as I'm sure others do this too.

Watson

I have encountered that issue too. I was thinking to myself "I don't know which one is ASO-67009 (for example) and I don't want to search through the pattern to figure out what color it is, because that fabric line is no longer available."
Your suggestion is great.

I'm with you! I, too, have seen those patterns, and hesitate to buy them. Like you said, it takes a lot of work to figure out which color is which number, etc. Isn't one of the main reasons you buy a pattern is to same time and aggravation?

I work part time at the LQS, and it is my understanding that pattern designers are hired by the fabric companies to make patterns as examples of the fabric line. I know my boss asks if there is a pattern to go with the fabric. Once a sample is in the store, we sell more of the fabric. Many of the fabric companies have free downloads on their websites. Hope this helps, and yes, it is very irritating not knowing what color each piece is.

Linda in Missouri

I have the a similar problem with a well known paper piecing designer's patterns, but in reverse. She gives yardage amounts for each fabric, but identifies them as "medium background 1" and "medium background 2". I have no idea from looking at the pattern how to match these up with actual parts of the design. I wind up spending a lot of time matching up pattern pieces to the pattern, going to the pattern to find out what fabrics I'm supposed to use with those pieces, and developing my own diagram of where "medium background 1" belongs in the design. To make it worse, she will then mix up the terms, so what was once "medium dark" becomes "dark". Her designs are beautiful, and well worth the extra work to decipher the directions, but I just wish it were more clear to begin with.

I have been going to make a Christmas pattern for the last two years, but the original fabric now discontinued, every time I look at it I'm overwhelmed trying to decide as some of the beiges and greys were similar and I'm struggling.

Yes I agree! But sometimes I buy a pattern because I like the exact fabrics used in the picture and it usually looks terrible if I try to substitute my own fabrics.

I agree it does get confusing. I purchase patterns from America with fabrics in the patterns not available in the UK . This is very confusing.