Do you use the free patterns the fabric manufacturers make available?

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09-07-2011, 01:49 PM

#121

emlee51

Senior Member

Join Date: May 2011

Location: The Silver State Nevada

Posts: 670

I love the free patterns...usually I will try to use the same colors, but different prints. I'm a scrap quilter so I just look for the unique settings and shop my stash. The only time I might use their fabric is if it is a panel/themed coordinates.

09-07-2011, 08:41 PM

#122

mariebaker

Senior Member

Join Date: May 2011

Location: Colorado, USA

Posts: 558

I have used some of the patterns for ideas-a block or setting, but have never used the fabrics. I never make a quilt w/ only a few fabrics and never w/ all fabrics from one line or colorway.

09-07-2011, 09:46 PM

#123

Annaleehunter

Senior Member

Join Date: Feb 2010

Posts: 606

I use the patterns for inspiration and design my own! Fabrics? When I get an idea in my head, I may, or may not, use the fabric.

09-08-2011, 06:14 AM

#124

selm

Super Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Massachusetts

Posts: 1,096

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanuatu Jill

I have 4 notebooks filled with patterns I printed off the internet-which is a laugh, because I know I will hardly make any of them! I like them at the time, and never get around to making them because so many others pop up! Also, subscribing to 7 quilting magazines constantly gives me new "must makes"! I usually pick my own color/fabrics now that I have gotten a bit more confident in selecting. I have been currently printing off many purse/bag patterns because I want to start making some, just have to get up the courage to take the plunge! Having said that, I just bought 3 patterns at Joann's for purses/bags!!

Save yourself some trouble, paper and shelf space: If the pattern is a pdf document - open and save a copy to a folder in your 'my documents' folder on your computer. If not pdf document - highlight pattern, copy and paste into a word document(you will be able to highlight and copy pictures too). Once in the word document you can delete parts picked up but not needed.
This way you can browse your patterns at will but they take up no room and far less of you time acquiring them.

09-08-2011, 06:23 AM

#125

selm

Super Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Massachusetts

Posts: 1,096

Quote:

Originally Posted by May in Jersey

I save them in my computer in My Documents in a folder labled Quilt Patterns and look through the computer folder when I need some ideas for a quilt. Like many others here I usually don't use the colors in the pattern but choose my own color combinations.

Yea May, this is the way to go! Let's all save some trees!
I sub catergorize my patterns too: throws, kids, bed-size, tabletop, etc. Makes finding them easier. And, if we have a laptop, we can even sit back in an easy chair with our tea and browse our patterns just as well as if they were printed in a notebook.

09-08-2011, 06:30 AM

#126

selm

Super Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Massachusetts

Posts: 1,096

Quote:

Originally Posted by traumaRN

My "favorites" list is full of bookmarked pages of patterns I'm dying to get to sometime. I'm scr%#@d if my computer ever crashes!!

Save them to a disc or a flashdrive or backup hard drive. :-)

09-08-2011, 06:33 AM

#127

JUNEC

Super Member

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: Clearwater, FL

Posts: 2,328

I love free patterns - I have gotten to the point that I don't print them any more - I save them in folders on a flash drive - I have too many notwbooks filled with patterns

09-08-2011, 06:43 AM

#128

selm

Super Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Massachusetts

Posts: 1,096

Quote:

Originally Posted by Favorite Fabrics

Just wondering how many quilters use the free patterns that the fabric companies put up on their websites.

Sometimes they're for quilts, sometimes table linens, pillowcases, totes...

Have you used any of those patterns? And did you use the fabrics they recommended, or did you "wing it"?

I save many, many patterns to my computer. The only time I tried to go with the manufacturer suggested fabrics I went crazy. I fell in love with a pattern in a magazine and tried to find the suggested fabrics online. What a pain. Turned out I was looking at a magazine over a year old so I guess the line of fabrics was getting discontinued. But I went round and round looking for "the" fabrics. Finally got the major ones and, after much searching, got satisfactory coordinating fabric.
I haven't made the quilt yet but I'm looking forward to it.
Mostly, I assume I will find my own fabrics when the time comes to make one of my downloaded/saved patterns.

09-08-2011, 06:58 AM

#129

PS Stitcher

Super Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Western PA

Posts: 1,459

I use the patterns that they post all the time. I just use whatever I want. I don't stick with the ones that they show it with.

09-08-2011, 07:05 AM

#130

Joan in AK

Senior Member

Join Date: May 2008

Location: Washington

Posts: 322

I like to periodically check fabric companies' free patterns for inspiration. I have saved quite a few. There are a few I have loved and would like to have made exactly as shown, but the problem is that most of those patterns use all of a line of fabric, and most quilt shops don't carry the whole line of fabric. I would be searching forever to get all the fabrics. Occasionally I have seen some of my favorite fabric company quilts as kits. There are two that I am looking at right now.