Applique Patterns - sources and prices was McKenna Ryan

Yeah - her patterns are nice but a bit expensive.

But I found one that is even more so. A BOM Adopt-A-Dragon pattern, 9 blocks, paper pattern is $20AUS per block, and only one block has ANY instructions and they are really minimal!! That's $180AUS just for the pattern, or about $135US. And you had better know about quilting and applique beforehand.

The pattern was so cute I hunted around and managed to find a place that had the whole pattern on CD for $75AUS (total cost about $60US), and in a moment of madness I bought it. But when it arrived I found the blocks were very small (overall quilt is only about 4'?, and some blocks only

10-12") and not really something I wanted to do. And to add insult to injury, the website of the original designer of the dragons gives permission for his dragon character drawings to be used for personal non-profit applications and includes drawings for two of the quilt blocks - for free! All you have to do is trace them.

I do not mind paying a designer for their hard work and talents, but this was a blatant case of someone getting permission to use the designs and then overpricing them to a ridiculous extent.

If I see a BOM I like I usually prefer to buy the pattern and use my own fabrics. It also saves on shipping costs. Most shops will do this for a fair price, and I have happily paid over $80AUS for a BOM design I really liked (for a big quilt with 8 full, 6 half and 4 corner blocks) and almost $100 for a beautiful Baltimore-style BOM.

BTW - my dragon saga had a happy ending. I traded the CD for something I did want!

So what does everyone think is a fair price to pay for a pattern - say a detailed applique pattern? And how much instruction do you expect/want to get with the pattern? Or are you happy to just get the design?

Would anyone care to share details/links on their favourite patterns?

Here's one of my favourites - an Aussie.

The site can be slow to load but is worth it. Her customer service was disappoinging for me when I bought direct from her (the quality of the printing was not what I expected on the most recent BOM pattern I bought and her response was to blame the printer - to which I responded that it was published/distributed under her name and QA was her responsibility!), but I still bought because I loved the overall designs. I put them into EQ5 so I could play with other colours and arrangements and vary the sizes. Her newer designs are in the "shattered glass" technique, and very nice. But I still prefer the more old fashioned floral designs she first became known for. I still dream of making a big quilt with a combination of most of her on-point floral wreath blocks all together.