Compensation: Can I get paid to test?

Can you actually get paid to test a quilt pattern?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is there are multiple avenues of compensation. Today we’ll discuss the many different ways Quilt Pattern Designers thank their testers for their time and materials.

FREE PATTERN

Guess what? That pattern that you already love and would purchase once released anyway? It’s yours. For free. Designers typically send a final version to their testers after all definitive edits are made. A free pattern is the most common exchange of pleasantries in the testing gig.

EXPOSURE

Another common way of compensating testers for their time is exposure. Designers include tester versions on blog posts, features and tagging on social media accounts, and even permissible use of tester photos in marketing tools. The benefit? More eyes on you may lead to future test opportunities or even a future customer. Testing is a great way to build a community of your own while supporting your peers and entrepreneurs alike. Exposure in our virtual world has become vital. A dollar equivalent to this perk is immeasurable. The limit does not exist.

CREDITS TO STOREFRONTS

Often times, Designers have fabric shops of their own or are known to work closely with others. Credits toward their storefront or a partnered fabric shop is a potential benefit to testing for them.

LONG ARM SERVICES

There are well known pattern designers that also provide long arm quilting services. In exchange for your stellar test skills, some Designers may offer to long arm your quilt for you. If this happens to you, please shower the Designer with your extreme gratitude. I feel this benefit is extremely generous.

GIFTCARDS

Gift cards to various places – coffee shops, favorite stores, etc. may be given by Designers to their Testers as a form of their gratitude.

DISCOUNTS ON OTHER PATTERNS

As another way to say thanks, Designers have offered a percentage off another of their patterns or a discount code to use on future patterns to be released.

CASH PAYMENT

Upon polling followers on my Instagram, 2 out of 100 creatives expressed they had been monetarily paid to test a quilt pattern. I have learned that cash payment for quilt pattern testing is a rare occurrence and may even occur after a solid working relationship between Designer and Tester has been formed. It's not a myth - there are Designers in the industry that compensate monetarily for test services at their discretion.

HANDWRITTEN THANK YOU NOTES

I added this section in hopes to catch the attention of a Designer or Tester. Have you received a handwritten thank you note lately? Do you remember the appreciation you felt? This small act of gratitude can be a form of lifeblood. There are circumstances in life where we’ve all been unable to truly thank another human being in the way we feel most appropriate. Kindness is free. Gratitude is free. While writing a letter to a quilt friend is inexpensive, it can provide a lasting sense of richness. Sewing is not a lost art and handwritten notes don’t have to be either. THANK YOU via snail mail goes a long way for me. You should try it!

Well friends… this concludes my pattern testing blog series! I have enjoyed talking with each of you immensely on this topic as well as meeting so many new friends. Have you been thanked in a way not listed here? Be sure to add in the comments below!

Ready to test your first or fifteenth quilt pattern? Go for it! Get out there and quilt!

With Joy,