How to make and sell a PDF quilt pattern
A pattern sells when a quilter can sew it without writing to you. That means complete, clear, tested instructions, in a PDF that prints well.
What buyers expect
- a cover with the finished quilt, its name and its finished size;
- fabric requirements, fabric by fabric;
- the cutting list, with cut sizes that include seam allowances;
- assembly steps and diagrams;
- 1:1 templates with a test square, when shapes can’t be cut with a ruler;
- the skill level, and your name or brand on every page.
Offer several sizes
The same design in baby, lap and twin sizes reaches more buyers. Each size needs its own yardage and cutting list: recalculating them by hand is where mistakes slip in.
Test before selling
Sew the quilt from your own pattern, or ask pattern testers to. Every question they ask is a sentence missing from the instructions.
Blocks, designs and fabric prints
Traditional blocks like the Log Cabin or the Ohio Star have been shared for generations; your design, your layout and your instructions are your own work.
Fabric prints belong to their designers: photograph your fabrics to plan your quilt, but sell your pattern, not their prints.
How Quiltkit helps
With the Designer plan, Quiltkit lays out the whole pattern: cover with your logo, yardage and cutting for each size, 1:1 templates, in English, French or German, without watermark.
