PWS - Extra Post - Tech Editors

Today we have a extra bonus post for the Pattern Workshop Blog Series!  I was introduced to Linda Griepentrog, who is a tech editor, writer and designer, by Christa Watson.  Linda was generous to offer to teach us a little about tech editors today.

Unsung Heroes of Sorts

As a pattern designer, do you ever breathe deeply with trepidation that everything is perfect with the instructions before you press that "upload" button to launch your new design or send it off to the printer? And, then comes the first e-mail with a question about the number of pieces cut or where a particular fabric goes in the design. Oops….missed that.

Behind the scenes working in home offices around the country are those who can help avert pattern crises—they're called tech editors. When you're just starting out in the pattern biz you're trying to keep expenses to a minimum, but this is one resource person you shouldn't do without. Your reputation as a designer and pattern writer is on the line. As you well know, if there's an issue with your pattern, frustrated consumers tend to let all their quilting friends know about it.

So what does a tech editor do? They're the minions who double check yardage requirements, the number of pieces cut vs. what the instructions call for. They also check that your design comes out to the size it says it is and that the pieces all fit together to make the blocks work. If grammar and spelling aren't your thing, there's a double check for that as well. And do the illustrations show what is detailed in the instructions and the finished quilt? Perhaps you accidentally show that blue piece on the left of the block, but the instructions say to put it on the right.

Most tech editors also check for style. Did you say "With right sides together, place piece A and piece B together" in one paragraph and then in the next one say, "Place piece C and D right sides together." In a perfect world, both instructions should be formatted the same.

Tech editors often suggest a different order for assembling something, or a different method for doing something based on their years of quilting/sewing experience. Not, that you have to make the change, but it might be worth thinking about.

Most people don't love math, but tech editors do. And they're also those crazy personalities that love the "find six differences from picture A to picture B" puzzles. They have a mind for detail and are sticklers for consistency.

You can have a friend read over your pattern as a double check, but it's better to have a professional—someone who isn't emotionally attached to you or the project—do this work. Yes, you do have to pay tech editors. Most charge by the hour and rates vary, so perhaps contact several to see who you feel comfortable working with. Network with other pattern designers for recommendations.

Investing in your pattern product will bring long-term rewards.

Linda Griepentrog is a tech editor, writer and designer who lives in Bend, Oregon. She works with independent pattern designers, fabric companies and book publishers counting triangles and squares with calculator in hand. You can contact her at gwizdesigns@aol.com.

PWS- How to Write a Quilt Pattern - Wrap Up (Topic 10)

Topic X - Pattern Writing Blog Series Wrap Up

We made it!  This is the 25th and final post in the Pattern Writing Blog Series!  We have covered topics all the way from an design idea to a published quilt pattern and everything in between.

When I first had the idea to post about quilt pattern writing back 6 months ago, I started with the idea of a single post.  I quickly realized that to really cover the topic on any more than just a superficial level would take a lot of posts, time, and effort.  Thank you so much for going through the series with me!  I hope that you have found interesting as well as helpful.

Through the series, I have illustrated the process through the development of the Ninja Bears quilt pattern.  This pattern is now available as a free digital quilt pattern from my Craftsy shop.

All of the posts are linked up in the Pattern Writing Series tab above to easily be able to reference any of the topics covered.  I hope that pin or otherwise save this series for future reference and to share with others if you found the content useful and informative.

I want to leave you invigorated to try your hand at writing that quilt pattern you have had in your head for the last few years or the quilt pattern that all of your friends have been asking for since you first showed them the finished quilt.  Writing your first quilt pattern is daunting, time-consuming, and at times very frustrating, but you will have this series to refer to and a whole Facebook Group (which is already up to almost 150 members!) to ask questions of, find testers, and commiserate with.  You can do it!

If you have any questions now (or in the future), you can leave them in a comment below or on a particular post and I will answer them.


I asked the guest designers to give some last tips and words of encouragement about pattern writing.

 

Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts - If you are passionate about designing quilts and offering patterns for those designs, don't be intimidated by the process of pattern writing. It does take a lot of work, but the whole thing can be broken down into steps. It is a rewarding experience to sell a pattern that others can enjoy. So don't give up.

Amy of 13 Spools - I found the book Publish Your Patterns! How to Write, Print, and Market Your Designs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0971450137?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage) very helpful.

Soma of Whims and Fancies - The most important thing is to have fun with the pattern that you are writing. As with everything else, practice makes pattern writing easier.

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - I strongly believe that everyone is creative, and you are doing your best work right now. Trying something new is a leap into the unknown, but remember that you can reach out to your quilting community (whether they be in person or online) for help when you need it.

Anne of Springleaf Studios - If you love designing AND have an interest in explaining how to do it to others then go for it. You just need to understand that you not only need a strong design, but also a clear ability to explain and illustrate how to do it. We’ve gotten used to seeing tutorials on blogs with lots of photo step outs included. A written pattern most likely won’t have all those photos or it would be a book. You need to be able to condense and illustrate while still conveying the same information.

I started by reading the book Amy mentions and found it very helpful with a lot of basic information. Also don't be afraid to ask questions.   I totally relate to Yvonne's comment about being wordy. Editing is the hardest part for me too.

Amy of 13 Spools - I’m absolutely positive all of this will seem extremely overwhelming. Honestly, it did to me too, and now I feel like I’ve got this - only a few years after writing my first pattern. And let me tell you - that first pattern was horrible. It was horribly written. No one needed a pattern to make that quilt. The photographs were less than amazing. The layout was lacking. The graphic design was crap. No one bought it. (Probably a good thing.)

That’s ok. That’s what your first project is for. The Sistine Chapel wasn’t Michelangelo's first project, and your first project won’t be amazing. Make it free, share it with others, whatever - or get help! Hire a designer, get a mentor, buy a ton of patterns to scour, take some design classes on CreativeLive or DesignShare. Fail. Get back up again. Fail again. Dust it off. Keep going. There’s no secrets here but hard work, good preparation, and learning from your mistakes.

Anne of Springleaf Studios - If you do decide to write patterns, look at the bigger picture. Will you want to offer printed patterns in the future? It’s easy to have digital pattern that is several pages long. Not so easy to turn that same thing into a printed pattern without major editing.

Christa of Christa Quilts - When choosing to offer print patterns, do your homework and get several different quotes. I found the best prices on printing at gotprint.com online, but you have to buy them in volume.

Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to gain traction. Most shops and distributors don’t respond well to cold calls, i.e. hitting them up at their shops or at quilt market without an appointment. Find out who the buyers are, develop a relationship with them, and conduct yourself professionally at all times. It can take several tries before they are willing to see what you have to offer, but don’t give up. Also, develop a pattern line of about 5-6 patterns before you approach a shop or distributor to carry your line.

Like anything in business, take yourself seriously and don’t give up when the going gets tough. If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen!

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - We all have things to learn. I struggle with being wordy and wanting to visually represent everything in my patterns. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but if I ever do move toward printing my patterns or having them sold wholesale, I will definitely need to continue to learn the art of editing and culling where appropriate.

And now to celebrate!  The guest designers and myself have each donated one (1) digital quilt pattern as a prize so there will be seven (7) winners in all!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post.  You can ask a question, add some of your own insight, thank the guest designers, or anything else.  One comment per person please.

This giveaway starts today (Friday March 11th) and will run until Wednesday March Dec 16th at 8 p.m. EST.  The giveaway is open to everyone around the world.  If you are a no-reply blogger, please leave your e-mail address because if I can't contact you, you can't win.

** Giveaway now closed, comments are still open so if you have a pattern writing related question you can still leave it here. **

Thank you again for joining in with me on this series!!

PWS- How to Write a Quilt Pattern - Publishing Round Table (Topic 9)

Topic IX - Publishing Quilt Patterns- Round Table Discussion




On Monday, I covered Topic IX which covered the publication of quilt patterns, both digitally and in hard copy.  Our guest designers are here today to discuss their experiences with publishing and why they have decided to go down the publishing route that they have. 

This Friday (March 11th) we are going to wrap up this series with some final thoughts from myself
and the guest designers along with a giveaway which will have 7 winners!


a. Do you sell your pattern in digital, print, or both formats and why? What factors did you consider when making your sales strategy?

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - I currently only offer my patterns in digital format as it is economical.

Christa of Christa Quilts - I offer them in both formats. Although it’s great to sell PDF’s because of the low overhead, brick and mortar quilt stores prefer print copies that they can resell and kit. Also, most distributors will only purchase print patterns. When I first launched, my patterns were PDF only for a few months and then I chose to print only the better sellers.

Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts - Digital pattern sales offer you the most profit per sale. Up until recently, I have only offered my patterns for sale in digital format. However, in 2015 I began providing Trunk Shows and Workshops, and would bring along a few printed versions of my patterns to offer for sale at these events. Printed patterns offer a lower profit because they must include a cost for the printing. Providing printed patterns at wholesale prices for sale in quilt shops results in even less profit. But I am now looking into having some patterns printed professionally to accommodate these new sales opportunities.

Soma of Whims and Fancies - At this time, my patterns are available in digital format only. That keeps the cost low for myself and the buyer.

Amy of 13 Spools - I only sell digital patterns at the moment - because printing’s a b****. No, really! In order to really make a profit, you have to print thousands of patterns in a go and get them picked up by a distributor. You make a fraction of the price that they sell for. My patterns appeal to a more niche market, and simply aren’t going to be as widely popular as other styles of quilting. That’s ok! I know it, and I own it, and I don’t put thousands of dollars printing patterns when I don’t believe they’ll sell.

Anne of Springleaf Studios - This is a loaded question for me at the moment. I started out selling only digital patterns and that format is still my primary means of selling. In the back of my mind I had thoughts of printed patterns but didn’t fully consider how that would work with my given pattern format. I have been fortunate to have a few shops contact me directly asking for paper patterns for their shop and have been able to fulfill those by self printing. I’m at the point now where I need to make some decisions moving forward about commercial printing and distribution.



b. Where do you sell your patterns? (different online platforms, individual shops, wholesale)

Soma of Whims and Fancies - Etsy, Craftsy and sometimes over Paypal directly.

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - I currently offer my patterns through the online platforms Craftsy, Etsy, and Payhip.

Amy of 13 Spools - At the moment, just Etsy and Craftsy. I have one (maybe two?) up on Patternspot.com, but that didn’t take off, so I haven’t had a sale on there in ages.

Anne of Springleaf Studios - I started out with Craftsy about the same time they introduced their pattern selling option. Later I added Etsy and Pattern Spot.

Christa of Christa Quilts - I sell my PDF patterns through Craftsy. I sell my print patterns in my online Amazon store at theprecutstore.com. I also sell them wholesale to quilt shops and through distributors (United Notions, Brewer, and Checker).

Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts - I sell my patterns online using PayHip.com and in my Etsy shop.


c. How did you decide on the pricing for your pattern?

Amy of 13 Spools - Eh. I really didn’t put enough thought into it, but since my individual digital patterns aren’t where I put my marketing, I don’t ever think about it. In all seriousness, I should price my patterns much higher (somewhere in the $20 range) since they are soooo very niche and take sooo very long to write, just due to my style. I originally grabbed pricing based on the majority of patterns I saw around me - averaging from $8-$12. But my patterns take a lot more pages, hence part of the reason I have issues with printing them, etc. etc….I’ll probably re-evaluate my pricing soon.

For the Tribal Block Club, which includes 6 block patterns & 3 quilt top patterns, I looked at it two ways:

1) How did this compare to a bundle of regular quilt patterns? I wanted students to feel like they were getting a deal. If each quilt pattern was worth $12 (these aren’t as complex as my paper piecing ones to write), then the patterns were worth a total of $36. For just $4 more, you could get a whopping 6 block tutorials in full photographed detail! And a Facebook group & private post access where you could read comments from others and me! That sounded like a pretty good deal to me. I offered an early bird price of $29 because that was a really good deal - while still giving me a decent sale.

2) If I was giving away more than 3 patterns worth of material, then I needed to make more than I would from selling the 3 patterns to magazines. I usually make around $300 from selling a baby to twin size quilt pattern, including making the quilt, to a magazine. I have no idea what’s normal, but that’s what I’ve been making. So I wanted to make more than $900, since I was also providing the quilt block tutorials - probably closer to $1500. Not just that I wanted to “make more”, but that I wanted to see if the online block club route was a better fit for me. I knew that I had a little over ~1000 bloglovin followers, so I figured that if at least 5% of my readers purchased a membership, then I would make that goal.

So when you are trying to figure out how to price your patterns, yes, you could look at the market - but if everyone else in the market is pricing too low, then you will be, too! And if your overhead costs are different than someone else, then your prices should be, too. I ended up finding the way I priced the Tribal Block Club to be a much smarter way of pricing. Take into account the amount of money you would like to earn, all of your costs, and how you can persuade buyers that you priced your product correctly. I sold far more of my Tribal Block Club than I have of any of my other patterns combined; probably because of the way they were bundled, priced, and all of the extras added in.

Anne of Springleaf Studios - I looked around to get a general idea of the price spread and took into account the added benefits my patterns offered. I also was told early on by a distributor I contacted that they would not carry a pattern that sold for less online. I know there is some discussion out there that online prices should be less than printed patterns. The argument is that there is no expense to the designer with a digital product. This doesn’t take into account that the work (and expense) to create and write a pattern is the same regardless of the final format. Hours and hours go into producing a good quality quilt pattern not to mention the likelihood that multiple quilts were probably made during the process. For those designers selling digital patterns at a lower price point, they most likely cannot even afford to offer a printed pattern at that same price. The profit margin on a printed pattern can be pretty small, especially when a distributor is involved.

Christa of Christa Quilts - I don’t mind sharing my pricing strategy since I know it’s hard to figure this stuff out. My retail prices are $10 per pattern and I don’t discount the PDF prices (unless it’s a limited time holiday sale, or clearance). In fact, distributors require that your PDF and print prices are the same.

Wholesale prices are usually 50% off retail. Then distributor prices are 30% off retail prices. So in my case, the wholesale price is $5 and the distributor price is $3.50. The distributor then sells the pattern to the shops for $5 so either way, the shop is paying the same price.

Now, many people would wonder why I don’t sell just directly to shops only and earn the extra $1.50 per pattern. Also, why sell wholesale at all since selling retail is so much more profitable? The main reason is distribution. The distributors and shops have a wider reach than I do and many shops will only purchase from distributors because it’s easier on them to buy all their patterns from one place. So even though wholesale profits are less and distributor profits are even less, you make up for it in volume. The rule of thumb is to set your pricing based on distributor pricing. Selling wholesale to shops or retail yourself is just icing on the cake!

Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts - Factors such as: how much work went into a particular design, how much detail is offered in the pattern, how many pages are in the pattern, how popular is the pattern - are used to determine the pricing for my patterns.

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - I was not too scientific about it, but I did put some thought into what might happen if I eventually am able to sell my patterns wholesale. I recommend Modern Quilt Guild members watch Shea Henderson’s MQG Webinar (“Pattern Writing: Discussing the Ins and Outs 9/10/14”) in general, but specifically when it came to pricing my patterns her presentation influenced me. The first patterns that I wrote and that were not peer reviewed or tested are $5. Patterns that have multiple sizes are $10. Patterns that only offer one size are $9.


Thanks for reading!  This Friday (March 11th) we are going to wrap up this series with some final thoughts from myself and the guest designers along with a giveaway which will have 7 winners!

PWS- How to Write a Quilt Pattern - Publishing Quilt Patterns (Topic 9)

Topic IX - Pattern Writing Blog Series - Publishing Quilt Patterns

So you have your beautiful, professional, fully tested pattern. What to do with it now? There are many options for monetizing your patterns and today will cover the basics of publishing.

We will not be covering anything to do with the business or legal side of selling patterns here. I will leave those topics to the professionals so if you have any questions about setting up legal entities, paying taxes, collecting sales tax, or any other legal or business questions, I encourage you to seek out a legal or tax professional.



Digital Quilt Patterns

Hands down, digital (pdf) quilt patterns are the easiest and best margin way of selling quilt patterns. All you need to do is publish your quilt pattern as a pdf (pdf converters were covered in the Computer topic), set up an account on a digital sales platform and a payment site (typically PayPal), and you are ready to go.

There are many outlets to sell digital quilt patterns, some the most popular being Craftsy and Etsy. The advantage of these sellers is that they bring the customers to you. There are thousands of customers per month looking for quilt patterns in each of these sites.

When you sell your patterns through one of these sellers you may have to pay listing fees, commission fees, and/or transition fees. On Etsy, you pay a small fee to list an item, pay a commission, and then either pay Etsy or PayPal transition fees. Craftsy has no commission so the only cost is a small percentage of the sales price as a transaction fee to PayPal.

You may also decide to have your own pattern store such as Payhip, Shopify, or Big Cartel. Most of these store sites have a commission or a monthly fee associated with them. The advantage to these sites are that the shop is yours and you can better customize and manage it. The downside is that you are solely responsible for bringing customers to the store.



Print Quilt Patterns

Some shoppers prefer purchasing printed patterns and many (if not most) local quilt shops only stock printed patterns, so if and when you decide to take the leap and sell to stores versus individual quilters you will have to get your patterns printed. There are vast differences in printing costs per company so make sure that you get multiple quotes.

There are tons of printing companies online and locally, a simple search for “printing services” will yield tons of results. Most online stores will send a paper sample packet to show the fabrics and printing options available. Obviously the more you print, the lower the cost per print, so it is a balance between cost per print and having a stock of patterns sitting in your house. Keep in mind that any printing done will have to be shipped and paper can be quite heavy. Local printers are definitely an option you should consider as many are cost effective, have great customer service, and no shipping charges.

Most quilt shops and basically all wholesalers will require your pattern to have a barcode. Luckily, getting barcodes is a pretty simple and not too costly process. Simply googling “purchasing barcodes” will yield a bunch of options. I was able to purchase 100 barcodes for $45.

Another thing you will need are hanging bags for your patterns. Again, a quick google search will give you a bunch of options for the bags. I went with Clearbags.com and I have found them to be good quality bags at very reasonable prices.



My Path to Printed Patterns and Wholesaleing

I started out selling my patterns on Etsy and Craftsy for the first 2 years. It was simple and easy; you don’t run out of stock of a digital pattern and you can sell the same digital file hundreds or even thousands of times.

I had thought a few times about printing patterns over those two years but dismissed it because of the effort, expense, and I really just did not feel that I was ready.

In the spring of 2015, I started to get requests from different quilt shop owners for printed patterns and reconsidered the addition of printed patterns. I decided to make the leap and try it out.

To get my patterns ready to print, I went through all of them and gave them a facelift with new graphics and layouts. I worked with a designer to create a more professional cover sheet and evaluated my printing options. Figuring out how I wanted my finished patterns to look took a long time.  I pondered many options such as did I want loose sheets, or a stapled little booklet, or one large sheet folded? In the end, I picked having loose sheets as my pattern insides for both flexibility and cost reasons.

When I was doing my research for printing, I found a local company that had great prices and was less than 3 miles from my house. I was able to visit them, test all of their papers, and discuss prices face to face. I have built a great relationship with them. They have all of my files saved and so I can simply e-mail them the quantity of the pattern I want printed and they know which paper and other options I like. They usually have ready for me the same day or the next day which is wonderful.

I have also found an online printer (BestValueCopy.com) that I use sometimes. Their prices are super low and their print quality tends to be very good. From the time the order is placed until I get the patterns can be up to a week and a half, so I use them to print larger quantities of patterns when there is no rush.

The nice thing about both of these options was being able to print small quantities of patterns. I started by printing between 10 and 25 copies of each pattern to keep my risk and investment as low as possible.

I sold my printed patterns directly to customers via Etsy, to brick and mortar and online quilt shops, and submitted my pattern portfolios to distributors. My patterns are now carried by Checkers and United Notions. My advice for submitting to distributors is to be patient and follow-up with the buyers, it sometimes takes them longer than you would expect to review a pattern portfolio.

I was planning to talk about pricing of individual versus wholesale versus distributor, but Christa did such a great job discussing pricing as well as the pros and cons of each that I will leave that until the Wednesday round table discussion.

I hope this clears up some of the pattern publication and sales question, come back Wednesday when the guest designers are going to share how they price their patterns and sell them.

PWS - Quilt Pattern Designers' Facebook Group

Quilt Pattern Designers' Facebook Group

Want to connect with other quilt pattern designers?  This Facebook Group is designers who have had at least 1 pattern published (self published or in a magazine/book).

There is now a Facebook Group just for that!!

PWS- How to Write a Quilt Pattern - Pattern Testing Round Table (Topic 8)

Topic VIII - Testing - Round Table Discussion






On Monday, I covered Topic VIII, the testing of the pattern.  The post covered why is a good idea to test you patterns and how you would do so.  Today our guest designers and going to talk about how they test patterns.

Tomorrow (Thursday, March 3rd), there is going to be an exciting, exciting announcement so be sure to check back!

a. Do you use testers for your patterns?

Amy of 13 Spools - If they are paid patterns, yes.

Anne of Springleaf Studios - In the beginning I didn’t. Now I use block testers to ensure that the directions and cutting for the block make sense. I would like to have full pattern testers in the future and would love to know how others make this work for them.

Christa of Christa Quilts - So far I have not done so because most of my patterns have been quilt alongs first and my followers sort of helped pattern test as we go. Also, since I usually write up the pattern before I make the quilt, I pattern test it myself.

However, as my pattern line grows, I plan to add pattern testers in the future. If anyone is interested in becoming a pattern tester for me, they can email me at christa@christaquilts.com.

Soma of Whims and Fancies - When it comes to my own work, I like to see it through end to end. Other than custom pattern requests, I always write patterns that I would make for myself. That covers the testing aspect of the patterns too.

Sometimes I share my patterns with my friends and I am very grateful when I get feedback from them.

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - Yes. I am a firm believer in pattern testers. At the very least, I will have a pattern edited / reviewed by 2 quilters.



b. How do you find your testers?

Anne of Springleaf Studios - So far my block testers have been through my online bee. Local guild members have also expressed an interest in pattern testing which will be a nice option in the future.

Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts - To find someone willing to test a pattern, write a blog post requesting anyone who is interested to leave a comment. Put out a call for pattern testers using social media such as your Facebook page or Instagram. Ask a trusted quilting friend or two if they would be willing to test for you.

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - I put out a call for pattern testers on my blog at the end of 2014. I have worked with everyone who has said they were interested at that time and learned a lot about what I expect out of a pattern tester along the way. I now have a small group of trusted testers that I will ask if they have availability first, and I am also considering putting out another call for testers later in 2015.

Amy of 13 Spools - I have a close quilty friend who tests most all of my patterns. Many of my other quilty friends (through my quilt guild) are also willing to test for me. For my book, Stash Books provided 2 techinical editors to comb through my work. For the Tribal Block Club, I put out a pattern testing call - but that was the first time! My mom tested my first patterns for me. Yup.

Christa of Christa Quilts - Like the others have mentioned I would probably put out a call on my blog or Instagram for pattern testers.

c. What are your expectations of a tester?

Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts - A pattern tester should be willing to give helpful feedback and constructive criticism, perhaps even offering suggestions for rewording the instructions to make them clearer and easier to follow. They should be able to provide you with a review of the quilt math. Are the fabric requirements accurate? Are the cutting instructions correct? To have a pattern tester tell you that they did not read the pattern, but simply followed the pictures is not very helpful.

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - I wrote a pattern tester expectations document that I send to potential testers so that they understand my expectations before committing to pattern testing for me. I also send out the pattern testing form to any returning testers as it contains a set of questions about each individual pattern that I am specifically looking for feedback on.

In general, some of the things I expect are: Frequent and timely communication, specifically where the deadline is concerned. I understand that life happens, but if a date commitment cannot be met, I need to know sooner rather than later.

• I expect completed quilts and not just finished flimsies. I want to feature different colorways / sizes within the pattern, and I find that finished quilts inspire quilters to do better photography than a finished flimsy.
• Testers must follow the pattern – this is not the time to get creative and modify to make the quilt something else.
• If fabric is being used from a tester’s stash, I ask that they please pre-cut down to the suggested yardage. I need to know what works and does not work in the pattern including yardage recommendations.

Amy of 13 Spools - Tell me what I did wrong - and hopefully be nice about it :) Some people give excessive feedback - or tell me the errors they made, and that I should add extra instructions because they made errors. Unfortunately, no matter how I write a pattern (and no matter how correctly I write it!), someone will always make an error. So sometimes, I honestly do ignore suggestions. You have to. Otherwise everything would be in bold and highlighted!

Anne of Springleaf Studios - I can only speak to the block testing part, but I expect them to ask questions about anything that isn’t clear in the instructions. Comments on whether the measurements, wording, and illustrations make sense and are easy to follow. Pointing out any errors or confusing things. I am always open to suggestions on ways to clarify so that the user has a good experience.   

I love Yvonne's idea of having a pattern tester document. That way it's very clear exactly what you want feedback on. 




d. Do you compensate your testers? If so how?

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - Yes, I compensate my pattern testers by providing a gift certificate to their online store of choice that should be enough money to cover the cost of materials to make the quilt. I have a more detailed blog post about paying testers, and I hope that this clarifies why I feel OK having high expectations (previous question).

Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs - Yvonne has a great post about compensating testers on her blog here.

Anne of Springleaf Studios - Since I haven’t used testers for the full pattern yet, I don’t have an answer to this, but am curious to know how the rest of you handle this.

Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts - A pattern tester that has been willing to provided you with a thorough review is deserving of compensation. Yes, they got a free pattern. And no you may not be able to afford to compensate them "out of pocket". But someone who has been particularly helpful may be rewarded with a portion or a percentage of your sales. Other ways to compensate them would be to give them recognition on your blog or other social media. Praise them for their invaluable work and efforts.

Amy of 13 Spools - It varies. I don’t compensate my mom!! When I started out, I simply couldn’t. Since it’s mostly my friends testing for me, it’s a non-issue: if they want to volunteer to test for free, they do. If they don’t, they won’t. If my friends volunteer to pattern test for me for free, I always give them a gift at the end - usually something fabric related. And yes, I give a gift to my mom, too. Sometimes I’ve had people help me put together a quilt top (like for my book), and then I can turn around and give the quilt to them. That’s pretty awesome.

With my friend Darcie, who now pattern tests most everything I write, it varies - she began by purchasing her own fabric and not getting paid. Now, I can usually provide her with some or all of the fabric for the quilt. We also trade services - I’ve been building her website in exchange for some of her testing & quilting work. I paid her to help me finish some of the blocks for the Tribal Rose quilt. It’s great to have a regular tester because 1) she really knows how to communicate what was wrong with a pattern and 2) we can talk openly about what we both need at that point in time. If I ask her to test something, she’ll either say, Yes! I have some fabric from my stash that would work great for that! Or, Yes! Let me know if you want any input on the fabric you’re going to order. It’s been working awesome for us to have that kind of partnership.

Remember to check back tomorrow for an exciting announcement!

PWS- How to Write a Quilt Pattern - Pattern Testing (Topic 8)

Topic VIII - Pattern Writing Blog Series - Pattern Testing

A.     Testing

At this point in the process, you have your quilt pattern drafted and you have reviewed, checked, and double-checked the math a few times.  Now it is time for test the pattern to make sure that it is understandable, correct, and easy to follow.

B.     Why Testing Is So Important

As a pattern designer, one of the scariest e-mails you can receive is about an error in your pattern.  With your mistake, you have caused a quilter to waste valuable time and fabric.  Testing is important to minimize pattern mistakes.

In addition to making sure your math and directions are correct, testers can help improve your pattern.  For example, in one of my charm square friendly patterns, a tester suggested adding fabric requirements to use fat quarters instead of charm packs for larger quilt sizes.  In another pattern, one of the testers said that it would be helpful to add yardages needed if someone wanted to make a background out of a single fabric instead of a scrappy version.  These were both great upgrades to my quilt pattern and made it more useful to buyers.

In previous comments, there were some questions on how to know whether the piecing instructions were too brief or too wordy.  Besides finding the right balance by simply practicing and practicing writing patterns, your pattern testers can give you valuable feedback on your instructions.

C.     Testing Your Own Patterns

Most of the time, I write out my entire quilt pattern and then I become the first tester by going through the quilt pattern as I make the quilt.  In rare cases, I make the quilt first and then write the pattern.  Typically, when I do this I will still be the first tester and will remake the quilt in a different size.  As you work through the pattern yourself, try to follow the instructions word for word, and take notes on the pattern as you go.

D.     Pattern Testers

Using pattern testers is totally optional, but I am definitely a proponent of using testers.  Testers will be able to tell you if any parts of your instructions are confusing and point out areas for improvement.  They will recheck your quilt math, correct your grammar, and help with conciseness, clarity, and layout.  Everyone reads and interprets directions differently and what makes total sense to you might be confusing to another quilter. 

If you are lucky enough to have a number of pattern testers, you should try to have them test a variety of quilt sizes.  If your pattern contains baby, lap, twin, queen, and king sizes, it would be more helpful to have a variety of sizes tested instead of 5 people testing the lap size.

a.      Types of Pattern Testers

There are two main types of pattern testers, one that will make a quilt (or quilt top) with your instructions and one who will review your pattern (text, math, etc.) without actually making a quilt.  Both are good and valuable testers.

b.     What Makes a Good Pattern Tester?

A good pattern tester will give you feedback on what to improve and not simply make quilt using the pattern and say that the pattern was “good”.  A quilt pattern is like any other written document, there is always room for improvement.

c.      Paying a Tester

This is a sensitive topic, doing a good testing job takes hours so should you pay your testers?  This is a question you are going to have to answer for yourself.  A majority of pattern designers do not pay pattern testers.

In addition to being a pattern designer, I am also a pattern tester for a number of quilters.  I personally have never expected any payment when I test patterns.  I truly enjoying testing quilt patterns (I am of the non-quilt making tester variety) and enjoy helping other pattern designers.  I have received gift cards and handmade items as thank you’s and love them, but do not expect them.

I do not pay my testers.  Instead, I offer to test their patterns, mentor new pattern designers, sponsor giveaways on their blogs, give copies of the finished pattern, make small gifts, send gift cards, etc.  I try to pay them back as much as I can as I understand the time and effort that they are spending to help me improve my pattern.

Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl has an excellent post about her decision to pay pattern testers.  I encourage you to go to her post  for another perspective on pattern testing.

d.     Testing BFF

Everyone should have a TBFF (testing best friend forever).  Your TBFF will give you honest opinions without sugar coating and you will feel comfortable enough with them to e-mail/text/call throughout the entire pattern writing process.  My TBFF is Paige Alexander (who blogs over at Quilted Blooms).  In addition to being an awarding quilter, Paige is a financial book keeper for businesses (so great with math and organization) and as a bonus is local so we get to hang out.  I cannot count how many times I have texted or called Paige to get help with cover page layout or wording in a quilt pattern.  It is invaluable to have a resource to bounce ideas off of and get real-time feedback during the writing process.  Paige not only reviews my patterns, she has reviewed each of my posts for this series too! (Though I have kept adding and tweaking the posts after she reviewed them, probably adding all sorts of typos and bad grammar back in :)

e.     How to Find Pattern Testers

There are lots of quilters out in the world that would love to test your quilt patterns, but the big question is how to find them.  If you have a blog or are active on Instagram, you can put up a picture of the quilt and call for pattern testers.  You can also find testers at your local guild if you are a member of one.  (There will also be a new resource to find testers that will be announced on Thursday, hint hint).  

If you are able to find another pattern designer, you can test each other’s patterns (this also solves the issue of paying for pattern testing as the testing goes both ways).  There are also quilters who advertise on the internet to test your patterns for a fee. 

I find that you do not need 10+ people testing your pattern as the whole revision process and organizing the testing becomes overwhelming.  I typically use between 3 and 6 testers per pattern.

f.       Testing Expectations

You should communicate clear expectations to your pattern testers, so that everyone (the testers and yourself) know and agree to what is expected.  Here are some questions to consider so that both testers and designers have a good and useful interaction:

• What is the time-frame for testing?
• Are they to make a quilt block, quilt top, or finished quilt?
• How would you like comments back (written, verbal, on the pattern, in a separate document?)
• Are they allowed to show pictures of the progress and finished quilt or keep it secret?
• Are you going to be compensating the testers?

g.     Sample Tester Questions

I send out a word document with the pattern to be tested asking specific questions to make sure that I am getting the feedback I hope for.  Below is a sample of the questions I ask:

1.    Have you found any errors in the pattern? (i.e. incorrect measurements, misspellings, miss-labeling, punctuation)

2.  Did any parts of the pattern seem too crowded or spaced apart? 

3.  Any illustrations or photographs too small or too large?

4.  If you printed the pattern, was everything in the printed copy easily legible?

5.  Were there any steps you had to read more than once or twice to understand what they were?  Were there any part of the pattern that could be helped with more explanation?

5.  Would instructions for using another size fabric (for example: yardage versus pre-cut be helpful)?

6.  Any other tips for improving the pattern?

Stay tuned, on Wednesday (March 2^nd) we will have a round table discussion with the guest designers about their experiences with testing their patterns.

On Thursday (March 3^rd) I will be announcing a super new resource that will help you with pattern writing, tester finding, and connecting with other pattern designers!

PWS - How to Write a Quilt Pattern - Guest Post by Amy of 13 Spools - Topic 7

Topic VII - Guest Designer Post - Amy

As part of the Pattern Writing Blog Series, our guest designers will be posting some in-depth discussions on some of the different topics.

Today, we will be visiting Amy from 13 Spools for a discussion on how she writes paper pieced patterns, including a video of her process!  Please hop over to her blog for the post and some information and tips.

We have now finished up our Topic VII on Illustrations and Text.  If you have missed any of previous posts in this topic or any of the earlier topics, they are all available in the Pattern Writing Series Tab above.

See you next week for Topic VIII, Pattern Testing!

PWS- How to Write a Quilt Pattern - Round table Topic 7 - Illustrations and Text

Topic VII - Illustrations and Text - Round Table Discussion






On Monday I covered Topic VII, the illustrations and text of the pattern.  I went through each section of the quilt pattern and discussed what each one typically held as well as how I wrote the sample pattern, Ninja Bears,

Tomorrow (Thursday, Feb 25th), Amy from 13 Spools will be posting on writing patterns for paper pieced designs including a video of how she makes her patterns!

In what order do you draft the pattern (do you start with the text, graphics, math, etc)?


Soma of Whims and Fancies - My pattern drafting always starts with a drawing, which I then turn into a pattern and finally write the pattern file.

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl - I pretty much always start with the quilt math, then I make the graphics, and I fill in with writing the text along the way. Sitting down and writing the text is the hardest part for me, so if I break up the writing as I do the other steps it helps me maintain momentum. Breaking up the writing also allows me more time for editing / reviewing what I have written.

Also, I tend to do the quilt math first because it is fun. I do the graphics second because I find that if I can visually represent a step it is much easier for me to then describe the step in writing.

I want to echo what Anne and Christa point out about altering a pattern design. Sometimes cutting instructions end up with poorly utilized yardage, and for those designs I try to grow or shrink a block or design to work better.

Anne of Springleaf Studios - Once the design is finalized, I do all the math and even tweak the design if it makes the yardage work better. I usually work out yardage and cutting simultaneously. The next step is usually a combination of illustrations and block directions. The final text, including the Design Lesson and Design Exploration text is the last thing I do. I agree with Yvonne that having the visuals is helpful for the writing.

Also it amazes me how many different ways you can describe something. Being consistent and concise are important. I think it's helpful to have a system not only for the whole process, but also to give yourself some writing guidelines in terms of format so you can be consistent from one pattern to the next.

When it comes to calculating yardage, I'm fine with the basic math part, but I am curious to know whether anyone factors in a little extra yardage for cutting mistakes and/or a percentage for shrinkage? I once read somewhere that the designer should assume a 40" WOF and include a 5% shrinkage rate. Does anyone do this? Another question; what do you do if you can get four pieces out of the WOF if it's actually 42" of useable width but not if you only assume 40"? Would you only count on getting three pieces and calculate more yardage or adjust the pattern to work with 40"? It gets messy when you start over thinking all these things which is what I tend to do.

Christa of Christa Quilts - I start with the design and then make a lot of notes. I usually do a piece count for myself as a double check. I figure out the math that is needed first, such as how many squares I can cut from a strip of fabric, etc. If the math is weird, for example, if I need exactly 41” from a WOF strip of fabric, then I will try to alter the pattern so that pieces can be cut efficiently from 40” of fabric or less. Also, I try not to use non-standard finished sizes if that can be avoided.

Once the math makes sense, then I will write out the cutting instructions. From that, I will calculate how much yardage of each fabric is needed and create a materials list. Then I finish writing the text of the pattern with notes to myself such as “draw graphic of 4” finished half-square triangle” or “show exploded block diagram.”

Once the pattern text is completely written, I will draw the rough illustrations.

Then I make the quilt and do the photography. I only use photography for the cover picture and quilting details. All of the step-by-step instructions are done with illustrations. When the quilt is finished and the pattern parts are ready (photos, rough illustrations, text), I hand that off to the graphic designer to create the first pattern draft. We then go back and forth several times until I’m happy with the final layout and design, and I’ve double checked all the math and spelling.

Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts - Because my typical pattern is one that uses the Stitch and Flip method, once I have finalized the design, I usually start drafting the pattern by working on the graphics, breaking each block down into the pieces needed to construct the block.

From there I work out the instructions for the construction of the blocks. And then total how many pieces are needed for the blocks. Once I know how many pieces are needed, this leads to the cutting instructions. Then I use the cutting instructions to figure out how much yardage is required. If you look at how a pattern is laid out, writing the pattern is much like starting from the end and working your way back to the beginning.

Amy of 13 Spools - I draw out my pattern, then figure out the cutting directions. I write out the cutting directions by hand, and loosely write out the piecing directions by hand. If I know I’m going to write a pattern, I consciously consider myself the “first pattern tester” and write corrections & notes as I go. Then I just kind of do the rest all at once. Or whatever strikes my fancy at the moment.

Come back tomorrow for Amy's post about writing patterns for paper pieced designs including a video of how she makes her patterns!

PWS - How to Write a Quilt Pattern - Topic 7 - Illustrations and Text

Part VII – Pattern Illustrations and Text

Today we are going to discuss the illustrations and text within a quilt pattern. I will be giving some guidelines and advice, but how you actually write the pattern and develop your voice and style will come with time and practice.

At the bottom of this post, after we go through all of the parts of Ninja Bears, you can download the entire pattern!

Illustrations

A. Illustrations versus Photographs

You can use illustrations, photographs, or a combination of both in patterns. It tends to be more common to have illustrations in patterns and photographs in tutorials. I am not completely sure why this is, it could be because people find photographs quicker and easier to take. I personally prefer to use illustrations in both patterns and tutorials for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, I am a night quilter which is not conducive to taking great, no flash, natural light pictures. Secondly, I sometimes change my mind on what I would like to show in the pattern, and if you are relying on photographs you might have to sew up another block just for a picture and take a lot of in-process photos. Thirdly, I find it more difficult to label a picture and have the labels be easily read. For all of these reasons, I prefer creating illustrations for my patterns. I am comfortable enough with Corel Draw that I can create all of my illustrations pretty quickly.

Photographs may be very handy for more difficult to draw steps, like showing curved piecing and 3D sewing steps (like handbags, clothes).

B. What Illustrations to Include?
1. Cutting – If there is a way of efficiently cutting the desired pieces out of a fabric cut you may wish to show it in an illustration. For example, my newest pattern Outlined Plus shows how to cut the pieces for one section of the block from a fabric scrap:

2. Block Piecing – This is where the majority of the illustrations will be, showing how all of the pieces within the block are assembled together. To figure out the piecing instructions and illustrations I start with the finished block (here is the finished block for the sample quilt pattern Ninja Bears):

I next “unstitch” the block one step at a time which for this block would be to separate the pieces into rows first.

I “unstitch” again to break the rows into their individual pieces.

Looking at the individual pieces for the block, there are 4 HST (half square triangles) in the block so I will include my standard illustrations for creating HST units (from my pattern piece library discussed here in Topic IV):

Obviously, the more complex the block (or larger number of different blocks), the more illustrations there will be in this section. I will also label some of the illustrations with the piece size and/or letter depending on the pieces and whether or not which piece is which is clear from the instructions.

Illustrations can include arrows showing which pieces are sewn to which pieces and also show pressing arrows or the actual folded seams to illustrate pressing directions if desired. Here is one example of an illustration from my On a “Jelly” Roll pattern showing the pressing directions of the seams:

3. Quilt Top Assembly – Patterns will usually contain one or more illustrations showing how the blocks go together into the quilt top. Very commonly, the illustration will show most of the quilt already pieced together with the second to top row spaced from the row below it and the top row broken into individual blocks. (The quilt top below is so simple I opted to just show one row unstitched.) Borders can be added to this illustration or may be shown in a separate illustration.

4. Optional Pictures – Some optional pictures include:

• How the backing is pieced together
• Color page of the quilt design
• Picture illustrating a tip or bonus part of the pattern
• Templates

Pattern Text

The pattern is typically broken up into 6 sections and I will be going into detail for each of these sections:

• introduction / notes
• material requirements
• cutting
• block assembly
• quilt top assembly
• finishing

A. Introduction / Notes

This section may be at the top of the first page of the pattern instructions and/or may be on the back cover of the quilt pattern (if it is in a printed format). I use this section to describe the pattern itself, where the block came from, different options within the pattern, etc. I also include any pattern notes here such as assumptions about the quilt pattern we discussed in the General Pattern Writing section, abbreviations, and assumed WOF.

Here is the introduction and notes section of Ninja Bears:

B. Material Requirements

We discussed all about the fabric requirements and how they were calculated in the Quilt Math topic in this series. This section can contain a listing of the material requirements or a chart with the information. Some of the information in the table is optional, for example, the batting size requirements are listed by some pattern designers and not included by others.

C. Cutting

All of the math and cutting calculated using the Quilt Math part of the Blog Series so now the cutting and piece numbers need to be placed into written form. Each pattern designer writes this section differently and uses slightly different terminology and language.

I typically write my cutting instructions by first stating the number of strips of a certain thickness x WOF need to be cut and then how to sub-cut the strips to the desired piece sizes for the pattern.

Optional (but really beneficial): It is very helpful to the pattern reader if you note where the pieces are going to go in the quilt top in the cutting section. This makes it easier for quilters switch out different fabrics for different areas of the quilt top. For example, in Ninja Bears, a quilter might want to have the background in the block one color but have the border a separate color. Instead of having to look through the piecing instructions to determine which fabric pieces are used where, the cutting instructions will clearly indicate their placement.

Ninja Bears’ cutting instructions read:

D. Block Assembly

The block assembly portion of the pattern contains the text (and supporting illustrations) to create the block(s) within the quilt top.

The first part of the block assembly portion of Ninja Bears is creating the HST. I was able to cut and paste my standard HST instructions (from my instructions pattern piece library in Topic IV) and just change the color in the illustrations and the numbers listed in the instructions.

Next, are instructions on how to sew all of the pieces of the block together. The block piecing instructions for Ninja Bears are short due to it being a relatively simple block.

I like to include a list of the different pieces that go into a quilt block; I have received feedback that this is helpful to quilters to organize their fabrics.

Make sure to note in the pattern any hints or tips. In Ninja Bears, it is very important to make sure that the HST’s in each star are facing the same direction.

It is very helpful for the quilter to give sizes of the intermediate pieced sections or units (where it makes sense) so that quilters know that there blocks are on the right track through the piecing of the block. (This is obviously more important for a more complicated block than Ninja Bears)

Whenever you list a size of a block, make sure you are clear whether it is the unfinished or finished size of the block to avoid any confusion.

Here are the block piecing instructions for Ninja Bears:

E. Quilt Top Assembly 

This is the section of the quilt pattern that explains how to piece the blocks together into the quilt top including whether the blocks need to be rotated relative to adjacent blocks, instructions for any sashing, and instructions for any borders.

How much detail to give in this section depends on the assumed knowledge of the quilter using the pattern. You might simply say to add the borders or might go into depth on how to measure the correct length for the borders and go into depth on how to attach them, this is just your personal style.

Here are the quilt top assembly instructions for Ninja Bears:

F. Finishing

I think that this section of the pattern is one of the most widely varied from pattern writer to pattern writer. Some patterns will go into great detail about how to form the backing, how to quilt the quilt, and/or how to bind the quilt. You will find other patterns that simply say to layer the quilt top, batting, backing and quilt as desired and then bind.

I think that my patterns fall in the middle of the road, I try to give all of the details related to the specific quilt, like how to form the backing and how to make the binding, but I do not include instructions that would be common for all quilt making like how to baste the quilt and how sew on the binding.

Here are Ninja Bears’ finishing instructions:

Ninja Bears – Pattern Now Available

Now that we have fully developed Ninja Bears as a pattern, I have uploaded it and made it available as a free downloadable pattern via Craftsy. Hop over to Craftsy right here and download the completed pattern.

Thanks for downloading Ninja Bears, if you use it to make a quilt, you can use the hashtag #NinjaBearsQuilt on social media. 

On Wednesday, the guest designers are going to be answering some questions about writing patterns and on Thursday, Amy from 13 Spools will be posting about writing paper pieced patterns.

Next week we will be focusing on pattern testing and will have a super announcement!