There are hundreds of sites online offering all sorts of free quilt patterns. Free applique quilt patterns, free beginners quilting patterns, free Amish quilt patterns or a quilt in a day free pattern. You name it and there are sites out there offering some kind of quilt pattern giveaway.
Now these sites are useful and can be helpful in giving you fresh ideas for new patchwork projects but there is now a new kind of quilting website around that also offers a lot more besides just free quilting patterns and quilting merchandise.
I am talking about quilting community websites that provide a specialist online experience where you can share your passion for patchwork and quilting with a group of like-minded enthusiasts.
These sites provide a whole new dimension to the online quilting world through the use of the kind of innovative social networking features that have made the social media sites such as My Space and Facebook so popular recently. They give quilting enthusiasts a corner of quilting cyberspace that becomes their own "online patchwork space".
Some of these patchwork and quilting community sites operate as free sites and some as subscription based membership sites (usually just charging a small monthly membership fee). However like most things in life you tend to get what you pay for and as the saying goes "there is no such thing as a free lunch". The "free" sites therefore often have copious and sometimes aggressive advertising which many people find off putting.
So what type of features do these kind of sites offer? This can be very variable and can be anything from a simple online forum for quilters to a complete suite of online communication tools and utilities.
At the simplest level you can find groups for quilters (such as those on Google and Yahoo) that permit the exchange of text-based information between members. The problem with these is that they are open to all comers and are often "infiltrated" by spammers and others who are trying to push unsolicited material, some of which is often of deeply dubious (and even offensive) quality.
Other craft oriented sites can have quite good member forums but they are sometimes poorly structured with the forum posts all being made under a single category (rather than subdivided into special interest topics) which means you have to wade through dozens and dozens of posts to find anything of interest to you.
At the other end of the spectrum you get patchwork and quilting websites which offer a lot more in the way of member features and benefits. These are intended to provide a more interesting and fun online environment for craft enthusiasts by creating a vibrant and interactive web based community rather than just a static website that is mainly trying to sell quilting merchandise. They also usually offer quilting related articles and resources designed to inform and educate members.
The kind of interactive features available are things like personal photo galleries, which give the ability to store, share and showcase digital pictures of your own quilt portfolio; a members forum to exchange views with other quilters around the world, ask questions and pass on (or pick up) patchwork and quilting tips; and also web based utilities that allow you to set up your own quilting blog and/or a personal quilting website.
Many needlecraft workers these days are starting blogs which act as their own online patchwork and quilting journal to record their projects and ideas and share these with others in the community and (if they choose) the rest of the quilting world. Having your own website can also become a possibility through these online membership sites, even for the most technically challenged. Most will be running on a software platform designed to make the use of these type of web based applications very easy to use and, provided you can use a web browser and a simple editing tool, you will surely be able to take advantage of these type of features.
Some of these community sites include more advanced tools as well, such as online "chat" giving the ability to communicate with other members (or a group of members) in "real time" anywhere in the world without phone charges. This can be by using text messages but also sometimes include the ability to use audio or even video messaging. Alternatively, you may also be able to send pre-recorded audio or video messages through the site by email (which are just created via the web browser using a simple webcam), to other members (or anyone else who has an email address).
If you are passionate about patchwork and quilting but are bored with run of the mill websites and online quilting groups then joining an interactive community of quilting enthusiasts might be just what you are looking for. Having the fun (and the features) of being involved in a quilting community as well as having access to free quilting patterns and other resources may be something that just takes the enjoyment of your craft to a new level. If this idea appeals to you then you need to check out what is available on the net that will give you the kind of features and benefits described here and which will serve to enrich your online experience by enabling you to share your passion with fellow quilters around the world.
When looking for quilting community websites that offer the kind of features and benefits described in this article please visit the "My Quilt Patch" website below which, although it is quite new, I think you will find to be one of the more fully featured quilting community websites around and one that will give you a lot more than just free quilting patterns.
Sarah-Jane King
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