This is a little long, so please bear with me.
I LOVE TO SHARE: my once a week crafty show & tell via Talk to Me Tuesday, free patterns here on Sewhooked or over on Fandom in Stitches, quilting communities on Facebook, photos on Instagram, quilt-alongs. giveaways, swaps.
I love it ALL.
Over the years, I’ve tried many ways to keep my patterns low cost and to make them as easy as possible to share with you all while still providing an income for me. I’ve published printed patterns, sold to quilt stores, sold patterns to magazines, published online both individually and through various digital media, and I’ve participated in all kinds of events.
After more than a decade of self-publishing, I am currently barely making enough to cover the costs of creating my patterns.
The funny thing is that this hasn’t discouraged me at all. I love doing all these things and I don’t want to stop. I know you all enjoy my work because you tell me with your emails and comments and you show me with the photos of the projects you’ve created from my patterns, both free and purchased. I feel your love every time I post a new video or pattern. You are my online family!
With that in mind, I’m going to try something completely different.
If you’re a fan of YouTubers, PodCasters, or other online creators, then Patreon probably isn’t going to be news to you. For those of you who don’t know what it is, Patreon allows fans of internet creators like myself to support their work directly by becoming their Patrons. You’ll find YouTubers, podcasters, artists, musicians, and more on Patreon.
And now, you’ll find a quilter.
pa·tron
/pātrən/
noun
1. a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity.
I’ve joined Patreon as a creator with the goal of eventually being able to share all of my new content for free.
Yeah, free. That means patterns, too, and not just on Friday, but always.
How can you help make this happen? For as little as $1 per month, you can help support me as I dip my toe into uncharted territory. Over the course of an entire year, that’s the price of purchasing a single yard of quilt store quality fabric or a single quilt pattern.
Do you have to? Absolutely not. Sometimes, a dollar a month is too much to ask. Any of the content that I release for free will be free to everyone, just as it has been in all the years I’ve been sharing.
If this little experiment works out, my plan is to host an absolutely free quilt along right here on Sewhooked during the second half of 2017. This QAL will include an entirely new quilt design by me. It’s fun and versatile and, in my own opinion, not like anything I’ve done before. I can’t wait to share it with you!
Have experience with Patreon? Suggestions? Ideas? Leave them in comments!
Want to know more? Check out my Patreon page!
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Stop by Sewhooked on the second and fourth Mondays of every month through June for the Paper Piecing Vintage Quilt Along (PPV2017)!
Find all posts on Sewhooked about PPV 2017
Get the complete Paper Piecing Vintage quilt pattern for $10 from…
Happening now on Fandom in Stitches!
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Stop by on Friday for a brand new free pattern!
Want to connect with other quilters working on Paper Piecing Vintage and other Sewhooked projects? Join the Sewhooked Facebook Group for community, support & prizes! I’ll be there, as will my awesome pattern tester Amber along with many other friends of Sewhooked. We’ll answer your questions and nudge you along if you need it. Joining the group is not required, but it is fun!
Sewhooked 
I’d 1000% percent contribute. Are you kidding? After all that you’ve done for us! Not only the actual things that you provide to us but the countless hours of quality time that I’ve gotten to spend with my cousin…sewing and chatting…priceless!
You, girl, just made me cry! Thank you so much. Your experience is exactly why I love doing what I do!