"What would Brian Boitano do if he was here right now?"
I think he would:
1. Make 700px x 500 px image.
2. Make new layer (not empty, color don't matter).
3. Add layer style/pattern overlay with pattern you want to show and play with options till it's pretty.
3a. Maybe add color overlay and set pattern overlay's mode to different from Normal for some cool effect.
4. Save for Web & Devices as jpg.
For pattern itself:
1. Choose Paint Bucket Tool.
2. Choose Pattern in options and pattern you used in first stage.
3. Slide mouse over that pattern, release mouse, don't breathe and watch how information about pattern apears. Dimensions/Color mode.
4. Make document with those settings.
5. From first stage, do step 2 and 3 (in that step don't play with modes and scale, just Normal and 100%).
6. Do step 4 from first stage,
7. Post first stage result and this result. And add author (yours) description to it.
I think that would be enough.
And that's i think what would Brian Boitano do 
