Welcome to my continuing series on How to Make Quilting Your Business. I’ve been designing my own quilts for nearly as long as I’ve been quilting, but only recently decided to start turning them into actual patterns for sale.

My latest PDF pattern design – Modern X

First, I had to get over the idea that I thought it was somehow “cheating” for me to charge people money to tell them how many squares and triangles to cut out of a yard of fabric! I really enjoy figuring out the math when it comes to calculating yardage requirements, but I know not everyone feels the same way.

I recently I had a great discussion with my friend Lee Heinrich (a prolific pattern designer and recent book author) and she convinced me that it’s okay for me to share my knowledge and get paid for it. She told me that some people’s brains just don’t work that way and they are more than willing to pay for it. I finally get that now – thanks, Lee!

Vintage Quilt Revival, co-authored by three talented pattern designers Katie, Lee, and Faith. See where pattern design can ultimately take you?

Today’s topic can be narrowed down to two main ideas: (1) designing the quilt (for business or even just for personal use) and (2) producing and selling the pattern.

Designing Quilt Patterns

When it comes to designing original patterns, there are a myriad of technological choices out there. It can be as basic as sketching your ideas out on graph paper, or as advanced as using specific design software.

Personally I use EQ7 for all my designs. My favorite aspect of the software is that I can import swatches of fabric from any manufacturer into the program. Although I’m by no means an expert, it’s been easy enough for me to learn the basics of what I want to do. I can even design modern “improv” blocks. 🙂 (I know – that’s kind of an oxymoron, right?)

I like to finalize my design digitally before I try it out in fabric. This was my working sketch that ultimately led to a darker background for Spiraling Out of Control.

Another good choice for computerized design is Adobe Illustrator. Several very talented designer friends of mine swear by this program and their work speaks for itself:

 Cartwheels by Lee Heinrich, designed in Adobe Illustrator

Lindsey’s latest pattern – designed using Adobe Illustrator

No matter which software you use (or none at all), once you have the basic “sketch” nailed down, you’ll need to do something with those designs to turn them into an actual pattern. I use simple word processing software. I copy and paste my EQ7 images into a Word document and then add text where needed. It’s very basic and gets the job done and at this point matches my skill set. 🙂

Herringbone, designed by me in EQ7. Graphic designers from Camelot Fabrics imported my sketches and instructions into their layout software to create a professional pattern.

If you’d like a more professional look, you can import your design images into a higher-end layout and publishing software such as Adobe In-design or Microsoft Publisher. This is on my “to learn” list!

You can also opt to hire a graphic designer if you plan to produce mass quantities of a particular pattern. However, Lee’s advice is to just bite the bullet and learn the software. She states, “It will really cut into your profit margins if you have to pay a designer every time you have a new pattern that’s ready to release or you need to make changes to existing patterns.”

My current quilt on my “virtual” design wall. I’m working on the pattern for it now.

Selling Quilt Patterns

Once you’ve created your patterns, the next step is to start selling them! I asked Lee if it’s really necessary to sell printed patterns, or if PDF’s will suffice. This was her answer, “I absolutely think someone can get away with selling only PDF versions of patterns. PDFs are great because there’s practically no overhead, no page limitations, and you don’t have to rely on distributors to get them out there. But it’s important to understand that PDF patterns and paper patterns reach completely different audiences, at least for the time being.”

Charming Chevrons, my first PDF Pattern design

For the beginning pattern designer, there are several options to get your patterns into the hands of your customers right away! You can sell them yourself on your own website, or from online sites such as Threadbias or Craftsy. I’ve personally chosen to start selling my patterns on Craftsy because there are no selling fees there!

Another fabulous selling model implemented by my friend Alyssa Lichner from Pile O’Fabric is her Aria Lane design company. Alyssa says, “As an independent designer sometimes you want to stop hassling with all the business details and just design! Aria Lane give designers the opportunity to publish patterns without worrying about those details. At Aria Lane we have a very specific modern aesthetic we are trying to achieve for our designs.”

If you have a design in mind that you feel would fit that aesthetic you can learn about the details of designing an Aria Lane pattern here.

Another fabulous Aria Lane pattern, “Hemispheres” designed by Megan Nichols

I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface of this hugely broad topic. Just remember, there are several paths to success, but the first step on that path is to start making. Don’t be afraid to dive in there and learn as you go. That’s usually my method of doing things and so far it’s served me well!

Click here for the start of this series.

 

Thanks for continuing to follow along with my Business of Quilting series, exploring ways that you can turn your quilting hobby into a career. Today I will share my experiences as a quilt teacher, probably one of my most favorite jobs in the industry!

Free-motion quilting is one of my favorite subjects to teach!

I began teaching at a little local quilt shop back in 1997, which sadly is now out of business. My mom, a fellow sewing enthusiast (whom I taught to quilt) was browsing the newly opened store when the owner asked her if she had any recommendations for teachers. She replied, “my daughter would be perfect for that!” and the rest is history.

Students working on their Charming Chevrons quilts in 2013. We had such fun!

From there, I went on to teach at a larger national chain store and then regularly for my quilting guild over the years. I took little breaks from time to time as I raised my family and dabbled in other things, but I always came back to teaching. I love the personal interactions with my students and the look of joy on their faces when they proudly proclaim, “I made that!”

I ran into Kathy, a longtime student of mine, at Road to California. I was excited to see that she was taking an improv log cabin class from the amazing Jacquie Gering!

When I decided to get serious about blogging, that became another avenue in which to share my love of quilting, reaching hundreds (possibly thousands) more through my online quilt alongs.

I’m happy to announce that I will be teaching a regular series of classes later this summer at Quiltique (my favorite LQS). I’ve also been invited to participate in a week-long teaching event on the east coast next year. (I’ll provide more details once contracts are finalized and dates are set.)

Teaching with a friend is fun, too! This is Stacy, one of my BQF’s (Best Quilting Friend).

All of this background brings me to a few summary points to consider when you embark on your teaching career:

• Teach what you know, and what you are passionate about. If you aren’t loving it, neither will your students!
• Decide whether you would like to teach your own designs, or follow someone else’s patterns. Teaching your own ideas can be very liberating, but it’s also a lot more work. Many popular designers and quilting companies usually put together a teaching curriculum you can follow when you teach their patterns.
• Don’t be afraid to ask! If you have never taught before – don’t be afraid to apply. Quilt shops, guilds, and event planners are always on the lookout for fresh new talent, and enthusiasm really goes a long way!
• It’s helpful if you can build up a relationship with the company you are seeking to teach for. In fact, many local quilt shops regularly hire their students to teach – what better spokesperson for a shop than someone who is already a big fan?

Attending workshops with well-known instructors (like Laura Wasilowski) is a great way to polish your teaching skills. Don’t be afraid to work in a different style!

• Understand your priorities. I have to give kudos to Cindy Needham, a fabulous machine quilter from whom I recently took a class. From the beginning she told us “you are my priority!” Throughout the day, she made each of us feel special and was willing to answer any and all questions. I think every person in that class walked away feeling proud of themselves and excited to take more classes!
• Remember that this is supposed to be fun! The teacher goes a long way towards setting the mood for the class. If you are having fun, so will your students.
• Continue your quilting education. Take as many classes as you can, both in person and online to stay up with the latest and greatest techniques. You can always pick up tips on presentation, and learn a wide variety of teaching styles from other instructors.
• Teaching with a buddy can be very rewarding if you don’t want to go it alone. In 2011, I team-taught with my BQF at our guild’s annual retreat. I’m the more outspoken one, so I guided the direction of the class. She’s the quiet, organized one, so she put together all of the kits and kept us on track. Together, we made a great team!

Family and friends make great practice teaching subjects.
My daughter was excited to win a ribbon on her very first quilt!

I hope these ideas and my experiences can inspire you to do what you love. Even if you aren’t interested in the business of quilting, hopefully you can better understand what goes on “behind-the scenes!” Please feel free to share your thoughts and questions below so we can all learn from each other. 🙂

Click here for the start of this series.

Click here for my Craftsy blog post: Make Machine Quilting Your Business