How many patterns must you like before buying?
 

Just received an e-mail from Amazon with a quilting book advertised for jelly rolls usage. I know many quilters can figure out patterns by just looking at the pictures, orthers will purchase a pattern packet, and ones like me buy the quilt books. My question is for the book buyers...how many patterns must you like in the book before buying? The one I saw had three that I knew I'd make, plus others I'm not sure about. The price of the book was $16 and some change.

Individual patterns cost $9-$12 per pattern so if there are 3 quilts you'd like to make in a book that cost $16, I would say it's a good deal and buy it. How many patterns in a book for me usually depends on how much I like a particular pattern. I have been know to buy a book just because I REALLY liked one thing but this isn't often. Most of the time I like 3 in a book before I consider it worthy of purchase.

Most of the time I buy books because of a specific type...jelly rolls, fat quarters, or layer cakes, but there is at least one pattern in there that I like.

I think 3 is the number for me. But I have purchased if there is a complicated pattern that I just have to make. Sometimes patterns speak.

If I see one pattern I like, that's justification for buying the book. Even if I never make that quilt, I will get hours of enjoyment looking at that book and dreaming of the quilts I could make. I can get a lot of entertainment out of a $30 book.

Have you checked to see if your library has the book? I was able to find almost 20 quilting or similar ebooks with Jelly Roll in their title in my library’s Hoopla section. I am actually extremely impressed with the number of quilting books available on demand through Hoopla. It looks like they have almost 700 ebooks from C&T Publishing alone.

I usually check used book stores for the book before buying new. With the cost of a single pattern I have no issue buying a used book if there is only one pattern in said book. If its a new book it has to have at least 2 patterns for me to press the buy button.

Ha! I think I treat quilt books like novels. I don't necessarily think I will actually make one from that book. But most I have paged through several times looking at the pretty pictures. Some were bought with the idea of making a specific quilt, but I found my attention turned elsewhere before I got to it. Sometimes, I will pick up a book and get inspired to actually make one. Maybe I will get a certain fabric and then see the pattern for it. During the past few years I am grateful I have my collection of quilt books and fabric stash.

I have books I've made multiple patterns with and several I've never made any. I have started looking in my public library and at used book stores. I'm out of bookcase space!