BellaBoo

I buy kits on sale or clearance not to make the quilt but to get the fabric at a great buy. I use the fabric for other quilts and projects.

Rose Hall

Rhonda,
good question---I sell "customized" kits, a customer chooses the design, and the fabric he/she wants in the kit, sends it to me (the fabric), I cut it with my die cut machine and send it back, along with any leftover fabric. I don't send any instructions, though, so the quilter needs to have enough experience to look at a block and be able to tell how it is constructed.
I also sell applique by the piece. Some customers have purchased as few at 25 pieces for a baby quilt, placemats, etc.
It's all customized and very flexible. I have quite a few quilt selections on my website and am adding more applique all the time. The applique is time consuming, though. I haven't figured out how to put an example of an applique piece on my website without actually making a sample.
After the train applique is finished for my son, I think I might buy a few Hawaiian (spelling??) appliques. I think that might be challenging. Needle turn applique is a skill I need to improve.
Rose Hall

Rhonda

Rose I was curious because I had kits on my site for awhile and they didn't attract any attention. I was just thinking about what i do and if I could put something together that uses my methods.

I think you have the perfect solution for people! I would never take someone else's idea and use it. I was just curious what you do.

I don't do needle turn. I either baste my pieces and sew them on under my machine needle or I applique them on with a herringbone stitch. I have done needle turn but it is not something I want to do a lot of.

I had thought at one time of applliqueing on a pocket or patch and selling them so people could add them to their projects. May do that some day. I can come up with lots of ideas just not enough time!!

I don't know if I want to mess with kits. Right now I have too many irons in the fire as it is. A friend just asked me if I had any kits and I am going to work up something for her but selling them online right now is probaly going to have to wait.

I was interested in what everyone thinks of kits because I didn't know if they were still popular or not.

Jim's Gem

I have only purchased one kit, have not put it together yet. I won a kit in a drawing, it was a Thimbleberries pattern and fabrics. However, they shorted me on the backing fabrics. I made due and pieced the back using some of the extras from other fabrics in kit. I buy most of my fabrics on sale and prefer to choose my own fabrics. Usually if I find a kit on sale it is not what I would prefer to make.

kluedesigns

i've never purchased a kit. i prefer to choose my own fabrics and colors.

RedGarnet222

I always pick my own fabrics and pattern. But, once in a while I run across one that flips my skirt and I have to buy it.

There is only one store that I really love to buy the kits from. Windy moon quilts. The person who makes the fabric choices for thier kits is exceptionally talented and different than I would even think to choose. There is always more than enough to make it. Most kits ask you to buy your own fabric backing, which I buy before leaving the store.

I am thinking of trying a connecting threads kit one of these days though. It seems like I have only heard good things about thiers. And they have very nice color sense. The prices seem very reasonable too.

But, I have material stacks that I have chosen for quilts waiting on me to make them I like too.

So, I see no harm in it. I like them.

Nancy B

Hi,
My name is Nancy B., this is my first time on this any board, so not sure how to get involved in this conversation about quilt kits vs buy your own fabric.
Anyway, there are a few times that I want the exact colors that are shown with the quilt. But when I go to the JoAnns, I cannot find the exact colors. I really don't want to buy the kit, I feel they are way to expensive, especially with all the coupons availble.
So my question is, does anyone know where I can find out how to buy the exact fabric myself, without buying the kit?
Thanks, Nancy

bearisgray

It seems like some manufacturers only do a "run" of fabric, and then when it's gone, it seems to be gone. It's never (hardly ever) seen again.

So a lot of times if one sees a design in a book, the fabrics are long gone.

Then one may be able to buy similar ones, but I would not bet my life on trying to find the exact same ones.

New designs, prints, and colors are always coming out - but sometimes it's (nearly) impossible to find a certain print after it's been sold out.

pittsburgpam

I'm not totally sure if I have ever done a kit. I can't think of any and every quilt I can picture that I've made where the fabrics were pre-selected were BOMs. Does that qualify as a kit? None of the fabrics were pre-cut.

That being said I prefer to choose my own fabrics. I either really like a pattern and then find the fabric I want to use or, I find the fabric and then decide what pattern.

I do often buy collections of fabrics or pieces of a collection and combine it with another or with my stash. I have one planned that uses 2 jelly rolls of one collection and 6 fabrics from my stash.

pittsburgpam

Welcome, Nancy. Just jump right in and get involved! If I see a kit pattern online and I want to do the exact same thing there is usually the fabric yardage available. I'm thinking of Moda specifically. You can usually buy the pattern or the kit like at www.fatquartershop.com. I also shop the internet for the specific line of fabrics to find the best price. eBay can be good and www.whittlesfabrics.com has great prices if they happen to have the collection.