Free Pattern Etiquette

January is always a busy time for me because my BOM quilts for the year launch. So please keep these points in mind if you are considering being a BOM participant:

It's frustrating how much of my time is wasted in January every year answering the multitude of inane questions that quilters email, comment or PM me when the answers are either on the website or in the pattern document. Or when really the question is quite frankly totally pointless!

Usually between 1000 and 2000 visitors go to my website each month to download the available patterns. Each year I get maybe 2 dozen people who bother to thank me. Each of my complex BOM patterns requires hundreds of hours of design, pattern collation, pattern testing, editing etc. Then there's the time spent on webpage design and social media management!

I don't advertise these BOMs as beginner friendly so that means it is your responsibility to ensure you have the required skillset. If you don't then you need to do your own research to learn as you go!

Why do I do it? It's fun to share the patterns and see others make my designs come to life in their own way! AND there are genuinely appreciative quilters who are consistently supportive. But I can assure you that poor QAL etiquette constantly has me pondering stopping free BOM offers. So please be considerate and enjoy the free patterns accepting them as the gift they are.