Addressing Skill Levels on Patterns

Debby says:

I love your thoughts on deciding what level quilter is needed for a certain pattern. It’s much more useful to know what skills are required. I would add any information about any appliqué that is in the pattern including if it’s simple appliqué vs. small, more complicated pieces.
Thanks for all you do for the quilting world!!!

Suzanne L Griesser says:

I love your thoughts on skill levels. I am probably considered an expert quilter, have done applique, paper piecing and many of the more complicated blocks. But I do a lot of charity quilting and want easy to assemble and quicker to make projects. Another addition could be whether the pattern is precut friendly. If I am making a gift for someone or even a quilt for myself I like knowing what methods are used in that project. Keep up your good work, love your patterns and your easy to understand ideas.

Anne says:

I just watched your purry stars video and your no more labeling video. Thank you for the tutorial that makes it seem easy.
I’m gettin ready to start purry stars and would like to make one block before I cut out the whole quilt.
It would be nice if you added cutting for one block to your quilt patterns.also adding what size each section should be would be helpful to help stay on track as the block is constructed.
I like the fat quarter cutting diagram in wooly stars because I will be able to exit for one block.
I may do that one first because it has fewer pieces and could be practice for purry stars.
Your patterns and videos are all delightful and I have a couple of your books.
I look forward to every Saturday morning with Cory.
I enjoyed the tour of the plaid quilt shop but live in Colorado so won’t get there any time soon but perhaps someday on a roadtrip.

Pattie Verdecanna says:

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed skill level on any pattern that I have purchased. I look at the picture if I like it then I wanna make it then I look closer to try to figure out what the main block is I have bought patterns that were a little more challenging to be but I have also learned from them. I do not think quilters should limit themselves to skill level. I have been quilting for many years and have seen beginning quilting have better seams etc than I do.
I know this may not help you!

Beverly says:

I so agree with you that “skill level” is far too open to individual interpretation. When I worked in a quilt shop I advised people to study the pattern or example quilt they thought was too hard to break it down into the various components the quilt blocks are composed of and decide based on that. As you pointed out, seeing what types of cutting and piecing will be required is a much better way to determine whether or not a particular pattern is suited to your liking and abilities. I think it would be marvelous if other pattern writers tried this method as well. Thank you for the time you have put into thinking about how to make choices easier for quilters everywhere.

Rhonda Collier says:

Excellent deep dive into your thoughts on quilt pattern difficulty levels. I think listing the techniques used in the making a quilt is a great idea. It never occured to me there is no industry standard of difficulty levels. I look forward to your next set of patterns and deciding for myself if I can manage the techniques.

Karen Furnanz says:

I would love to bring up this issue with “sew-alongs” also. I tried to do a one during covid, (not one of yours), where it was taking me all day to make one block! Some, I never did get correct. The options were just too challenging for my skill set at the time. Needless to say, I was frustrated and never completed the quilt. Recently, I did a monthly sew along with a local quilt shop and she offered two block options. One a more challenging block and one a more simplified version for the same block. I loved that! I still learned some new skills, but felt much more confident and was able to complete the project. I know it is a lot more work, but maybe some options on sew alongs would be helpful, too. That way it would benefit different levels of quilters, as they are able to successfully complete the project.

Sharon R. says:

I really like having the block size included, and yes, cutting instructions for just one block is helpful. I rarely make bed-sized quilts anymore, but I will often take a pattern for a large quilt that calls for, say, 12 or 18 blocks, and just make 6 or 9 blocks and turn it into a throw or baby quilt. That’s much easier if I have the per-block cutting instructions at my fingertips instead of having to figure it out myself.

I would prefer to see the term “Techniques used” to “Skills required” – the former is more a statement of fact and people can decide whether they want to do that technique or not. I’m afraid the latter may scare people off – “I’ve made half square triangles before, but I don’t know if I would consider myself SKILLED at making them, so maybe I should skip this pattern.” Or maybe that’s just me! “Skills required” may also imply that the pattern won’t teach you how to do whatever the technique is (e.g. it just says to make half-square triangles instead of walking you through whichever technique you should use given the cutting instructions in that pattern.) So as long as your pattern does walk the quilter through whatever the technique is, I think “Techniques used” is better.

gar1553845 says:

Have you ever thought of doing spiral bound ,I’m working on Cuddle Up Sampler and my book is not holding up.Thanks