pdf patterns vs craft books

I'm sure this must be something that goes through most designers minds when they are working on a new pattern which they are intending to sell.  What form do you go about selling it as?

 

In the past, my patterns have been made into craft kits, featured in collaborative craft pattern books and magazines, appeared as a free tutorial both here and on other blogs and websites, in addition to having been granted a book all of their very own.  The avenue I am yet to personally embark on is into the world of PDF downloads.  The issue here is this... in my book Countryside Softies, there are a total of 28 patterns for a retail cover price of $19.95 or £17.99 (obviously, there are outlets online, who shall remain nameless, which will be selling it at a discounted price).  But split those 28 patterns and launch them separately as PDF's, you have got to wonder, from a designers point of view, which would bring in the most revenue?

So, what I'm asking is, what are your preferences when it comes to buying craft patterns?  Here's a little questionaire...

1.  When purchasing craft patterns, do you prefer to buy in the form of a book, magazine or PDF download?

2.  Are you more likely to buy a PDF pattern if it allows you to sell the items you make?

3.  If you buy a PDF pattern, does the fact you could potentially buy a whole craft book for a similar price affect your purchase?

I have been squirreling away with some new patterns, one of which, that stemmed from our visits to the Natural History Museum in London during the summer, there is a sneaky peek of in this post.  This one is most likely heading down the PDF route once the kids have finished playing with it to see how well it stands up to a bit of rough and tumble!

Hello,

This blog has been so quiet lately, I feel the need to re-introduce myself.  Hello, I'm Amy, and I craft... sometimes, oh, and I also wrote a book and I make stuff!

The summer has been very busy for us, visiting lots of family and also ripping our garden to pieces to begin a complete revamp that has been on the cards for the last 5 years.

(railway sleeper planters!) 

There has been a little crafting, not much I have to admit, but just a little...

Luke has a cabin bed in his bedroom, and despite having what I think is quite a nice room, he continually makes a pain of himself (as most little brothers do) by hovering around his older sisters room far too much, so I decided to make the underneath of his bed into a den by adding curtains.  I have lots of fabric, but most is in the form of fat quarters, so nothing large enough to make curtains.  Obvious solution was to patchwork some together.  I have to be honest and say the thought made me shudder a bit.  Patchwork and Quilting has, so far, not really appealed to me, and I did begin to wonder why this might be?

I think it's because it involves precise measuring and cutting, whereas in my everyday crafting I tend to do things by eye and in a slap dash fashion.  So, trying hard to remain undaunted, I pressed on and turned the upstairs landing into a great big cutting mat,

and patchworked this totally exact and not cut in the slightest bit wonky fabric jigsaw into...

a curtain!   I hung them both in place, intending to take them down again and give them an iron, yet here we are, a month or so later, and they are both still there, still un-ironed.  But at least there are 2 people and 1 animal happy with the den, Luke, because he has a den, Lucy, because he's slightly less of a pain, and the cat, because he hid in there and missed his vet's appointment for a blood test because I couldn't find him.  Sneaky cat!

Back,

Summer is almost over...

next week it's back to work!

See you soon

Close encounters...

Apologies for the lack of posts lately, first our internet connection has been erratic due to a faulty (now replaced) router/modem, and second, it's the school holidays and life has been very busy!

I did, however, get the opportunity to spend some time with this beautiful little lady...

wish I could have taken her home!

Onion,

It's my friends birthday, and rather sadly her cat died.

So, I made her this...

Hope she likes it.