Errors in Patterns

I know that no one has an answer for this problem, but I'm still
annoyed.

Quilting patterns are published with errors that are quickly detected
by anyone who purchases the pattern and attempts to follow it. The
answer from the publisher/author is 'oh, yes. we'll fix it in the
next print run.' Well, excuse me. I paid good money for something
from THIS print run.

And further, I know they say that they've tested the patterns prior to
printing. But having seen some of the errors, I just don't believe
that.

I understand that errors can occur. But these designers are playing
with the big girls when they publish books and patterns. They need to
take more responsibility for the product.

This is not aimed at any one book or pattern. In my five years of
making store samples and 42 years (EE GADS!) I've seen lots of
mistakes that should have never appeared.

joan

I agree, there's nothing more annoying. If you find an error, they
ought to return your money IMO. (If I find something on the
supermarket shelf that's past its sell-by date, they would give it to
me for free. If I wanted it :-)

Another thing that annoys me is the number of typos in e-books, and
not only in the free ones!
Roberta in D


On Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:37:18 -0700 (PDT), joan8904 in Bellevue
Nebraska wrote:

I know that no one has an answer for this problem, but I'm still
annoyed.

Quilting patterns are published with errors that are quickly detected
by anyone who purchases the pattern and attempts to follow it. The
answer from the publisher/author is 'oh, yes. we'll fix it in the
next print run.' Well, excuse me. I paid good money for something
from THIS print run.

And further, I know they say that they've tested the patterns prior to
printing. But having seen some of the errors, I just don't believe
that.

I understand that errors can occur. But these designers are playing
with the big girls when they publish books and patterns. They need to
take more responsibility for the product.

This is not aimed at any one book or pattern. In my five years of
making store samples and 42 years (EE GADS!) I've seen lots of
mistakes that should have never appeared.

joan

You are right Joan. They should be right. I don't buy and make up exactly
as printed too many patterns. Would you say there are more mistakes and
things are worse than they used to be?
Maybe this is a great time to challenge ourselves and do more of our
own original work. I see some of the patterns bloggers brag about using
and they often are just re-makes of old classics. They use pretty moda
coordinated fabrics and add borders and call them original. Yep they are
striking but really why pay for that? Calculating for yardage and cutting
really
isn't that hard. I'd rather spend money on fabric than expensive patterns
myself. I have magazines and ideas in my head for more than I'll ever
finish anyway.
Consumers need to write and complain when there are problems. If we
all did that they might notice, but maybe not.
Taria

"joan8904 in Bellevue Nebraska" wrote in message
...
I know that no one has an answer for this problem, but I'm still
annoyed.

Quilting patterns are published with errors that are quickly detected
by anyone who purchases the pattern and attempts to follow it. The
answer from the publisher/author is 'oh, yes. we'll fix it in the
next print run.' Well, excuse me. I paid good money for something
from THIS print run.

And further, I know they say that they've tested the patterns prior to
printing. But having seen some of the errors, I just don't believe
that.

I understand that errors can occur. But these designers are playing
with the big girls when they publish books and patterns. They need to
take more responsibility for the product.

This is not aimed at any one book or pattern. In my five years of
making store samples and 42 years (EE GADS!) I've seen lots of
mistakes that should have never appeared.

joan

Sounds good but have you ever written a pattern or book? It is so easy
to miss errors particularly ones involving numbers. Things get
transposed, errors happen.

Heck, if some person set themselves up as the typo police on this group
they'd likely never get any sleep as we all make errors in our messages.

Yes, some pattern designers are crabby when you point out their errors.
They shouldn't be but perhaps they are tired and crosseyed from
designing.

I do know that all the book publishers have a corrections section on
their websites and we should always check them before starting a
pattern.

I've proofed a book and it is HARD. Several of us looked it over in
addition to the author and editor and guess what? Yep. Horrifying but
no one can wave a wand and change the type in already printed books. If
all the books with errors were replaced at no charge publishers would
soon be out of money and there wouldn't be books at all. Or, they'd
have to charge an outrageous amount to cover the replacement costs "just
in case". Who wants that? Not me! I'd rather read carefully before
cutting and sewing.

Lucky me has never had a problem like that with patterns I've made, but
I haven't made all that many shop samples. Surely not your five years
worth. Or maybe I have a pattern mojo angel who steers me to the better
written patterns? Who knows.

marcella

In article
,
joan8904 in Bellevue Nebraska wrote:

I know that no one has an answer for this problem, but I'm still
annoyed.

Quilting patterns are published with errors that are quickly detected
by anyone who purchases the pattern and attempts to follow it. The
answer from the publisher/author is 'oh, yes. we'll fix it in the
next print run.' Well, excuse me. I paid good money for something
from THIS print run.

And further, I know they say that they've tested the patterns prior to
printing. But having seen some of the errors, I just don't believe
that.

I understand that errors can occur. But these designers are playing
with the big girls when they publish books and patterns. They need to
take more responsibility for the product.

This is not aimed at any one book or pattern. In my five years of
making store samples and 42 years (EE GADS!) I've seen lots of
mistakes that should have never appeared.

joan

I know A pattern designer/teacher/top-notch quilter who self-publishes
her patterns and books so that she can teach the patterns before
publishing. None of the publishers she contacted were willing to let her
do that. Not only does it get the bugs out of the measurements, it also
gives her a chance to re-write instructions that aren't as clear as they
could be.

Julia in MN

joan8904 in Bellevue Nebraska wrote:
I know that no one has an answer for this problem, but I'm still
annoyed.

Quilting patterns are published with errors that are quickly detected
by anyone who purchases the pattern and attempts to follow it. The
answer from the publisher/author is 'oh, yes. we'll fix it in the
next print run.' Well, excuse me. I paid good money for something
from THIS print run.

And further, I know they say that they've tested the patterns prior to
printing. But having seen some of the errors, I just don't believe
that.

I understand that errors can occur. But these designers are playing
with the big girls when they publish books and patterns. They need to
take more responsibility for the product.

This is not aimed at any one book or pattern. In my five years of
making store samples and 42 years (EE GADS!) I've seen lots of
mistakes that should have never appeared.

joan


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I look at books and patterns a bit different. You kind of expect that a
book
full of 20 quilts might have an error. Maybe $25 for the whole thing I
have a little lower expectations. A bad $10 pattern seems to just be wrong
in a more concentrated way. I know that is kind of wacky thinking. Not
much logic there but just what my expectations are. Maybe there is an
expectation
that Joan and others doing the shop samples will pick up the problems and
alert
buyers? Maybe the corrections website for patterns or books could be
included right on the instruction sheet with a warning? There would be an
update available readily.
TAria

"Marcella Peek" wrote in message
...
Sounds good but have you ever written a pattern or book? It is so easy
to miss errors particularly ones involving numbers. Things get
transposed, errors happen.

Heck, if some person set themselves up as the typo police on this group
they'd likely never get any sleep as we all make errors in our messages.

Yes, some pattern designers are crabby when you point out their errors.
They shouldn't be but perhaps they are tired and crosseyed from
designing.

I do know that all the book publishers have a corrections section on
their websites and we should always check them before starting a
pattern.

I've proofed a book and it is HARD. Several of us looked it over in
addition to the author and editor and guess what? Yep. Horrifying but
no one can wave a wand and change the type in already printed books. If
all the books with errors were replaced at no charge publishers would
soon be out of money and there wouldn't be books at all. Or, they'd
have to charge an outrageous amount to cover the replacement costs "just
in case". Who wants that? Not me! I'd rather read carefully before
cutting and sewing.

Lucky me has never had a problem like that with patterns I've made, but
I haven't made all that many shop samples. Surely not your five years
worth. Or maybe I have a pattern mojo angel who steers me to the better
written patterns? Who knows.

marcella

I agree with several of the posts concerning this topic. It is
frustrating to find an error in a pattern. It is almost impossible to
produce an error free book. Companies which include a "Corrections
Section" on their web site are at least making an attempt to clarify
the situation. The book I was referring to yesterday, Hobo Quilts by
Debra G. Henninger, has more errors that usual. It is obvious that no
quilter proof read the final version. If anyone has purchased the book
and wants a list of corrections please email me privately. I will be
preparing a handout for the store. This is really a great book tying
quilting with history. It is a shame the publisher did not do a more
thorough job. They have promised to correct the next printing but what
are stores to do with the first shipment?

Susan

On Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:37:18 -0700 (PDT), joan8904 in Bellevue
Nebraska wrote:

I know that no one has an answer for this problem, but I'm still
annoyed.

Quilting patterns are published with errors that are quickly detected
by anyone who purchases the pattern and attempts to follow it. The
answer from the publisher/author is 'oh, yes. we'll fix it in the
next print run.' Well, excuse me. I paid good money for something
from THIS print run.

And further, I know they say that they've tested the patterns prior to
printing. But having seen some of the errors, I just don't believe
that.

I understand that errors can occur. But these designers are playing
with the big girls when they publish books and patterns. They need to
take more responsibility for the product.

This is not aimed at any one book or pattern. In my five years of
making store samples and 42 years (EE GADS!) I've seen lots of
mistakes that should have never appeared.

joan

It's not just a problem in books. Recently my guild hosted a workshop
that involved paper piecing a complicated circle pattern that had to
be pre-purchased from the teacher. The ladies taking the class were
having a hard time lining up the quarter segments. They were just told
to not worry about it, stretch it, it will fit. End of discussion.
Later one quilter checked the pattern and found out that it was longer
in one dimension than the other and thus an ovoid rather than a circle
when assembled. I didn't take the class myself so this is secondhand,
but more than a few ladies at the next guild meeting were discussing
the problems and frustrations they had had in final assembly. I guess
it's just a sign of the times. sigh

Diana H - PA

On Apr 23, 2:45*pm, PhillyQuilter wrote:
It's not just a problem in books. Recently my guild hosted a workshop
that involved paper piecing a complicated circle pattern that had to
be pre-purchased from the teacher. The ladies taking the class were
having a hard time lining up the quarter segments. They were just told
to not worry about it, stretch it, it will fit. End of discussion.
Later one quilter checked the pattern and found out that it was longer
in one dimension than the other and thus an ovoid rather than a circle
when assembled. I didn't take the class myself so this is secondhand,
but more than a few ladies at the next guild meeting were discussing
the problems and frustrations they had had in final assembly. I guess
it's just a sign of the times. sigh

Diana H - PA

I'd like to add full quilt kits with errors to the pet peeve list. I
purchased the Moda Portugal quilt kit with a photo of the finished
quilt on the package. Well, a digital image of it made up, I should
say. The actual instructions were in reverse color order when I came
to assembling it. As a new quilter, I was totally confused. I was
looking at the color photos but the assembly order didn't match it!
It's sitting in a bag in the sewing room still undone. I'll get back
to it someday but everytime I look at it, I remember how frustrating
it was and go on to something else. I would have expected something
better from Moda. Donna

On Apr 23, 12:26*pm, Marcella Peek wrote:
Sounds good but have you ever written a pattern or book? *It is so easy
to miss errors particularly ones involving numbers. *Things get
transposed, errors happen.

Heck, if some person set themselves up as the typo police on this group
they'd likely never get any sleep as we all make errors in our messages.

Yes, some pattern designers are crabby when you point out their errors. *
They shouldn't be but perhaps they are tired and crosseyed from
designing.

I do know that all the book publishers have a corrections section on
their websites and we should always check them before starting a
pattern. *

I've proofed a book and it is HARD. *Several of us looked it over in
addition to the author and editor and guess what? *Yep. *Horrifying but
no one can wave a wand and change the type in already printed books. *If
all the books with errors were replaced at no charge publishers would
soon be out of money and there wouldn't be books at all. *Or, they'd
have to charge an outrageous amount to cover the replacement costs "just
in case". *Who wants that? *Not me! *I'd rather read carefully before
cutting and sewing.

Lucky me has never had a problem like that with patterns I've made, but
I haven't made all that many shop samples. *Surely not your five years
worth. *Or maybe I have a pattern mojo angel who steers me to the better
written patterns? *Who knows.

marcella

In article
,
*joan8904 in Bellevue Nebraska wrote:



I know that no one has an answer for this problem, but I'm still
annoyed.

Quilting patterns are published with errors that are quickly detected
by anyone who purchases the pattern and attempts to follow it. *The
answer from the publisher/author is 'oh, yes. *we'll fix it in the
next print run.' *Well, excuse me. *I paid good money for something
from THIS print run.

And further, I know they say that they've tested the patterns prior to
printing. *But having seen some of the errors, I just don't believe
that.

I understand that errors can occur. *But these designers are playing
with the big girls when they publish books and patterns. *They need to
take more responsibility for the product.

This is not aimed at any one book or pattern. *In my five years of
making store samples and 42 years (EE GADS!) I've seen lots of
mistakes that should have never appeared.

joan

And I have the utmost respect for the people who design quilts. I am
fully aware of the problems they face and the copyright violations
that take money out of their pockets. I don't make copies of patterns
and we don't let people just come in a photograph quilts in the
store. If you take a class, you buy the pattern/book.

But in return, I think we deserve the best product possible. And I
don't know where the problem lies--the author or the publisher.

joan