which product

I have recently taken some workshops on surface design. One used Illustrator, one used Photoshop, and one used Lightroom. I already own a version of Photoshop Elements, but I cannot find the method to create the repeated patterns. I think I would work mostly with drawings and paintings. Is it better to go with a monthly subscription or buy the software outright? Is Illustrator the one that is best for vector graphics? Is Elements robust enough to use for surface design?