I have found only one new quilting magazine that I like to buy -- "The Quilt Life"... the editors are Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims and it is published by the American Quilt Society...

Like everyone else, the rest of the mags are just re-cycled patterns, pushing the latest and coordinated-color fabric lines... who needs that? I've been especially disappointed with the Fons & Porter magazine (the name escapes me now)...

[quote=Prism99]The magazines have changed greatly over the years. The old ones used to have a lot of detailed articles on techniques and always seemed to feature at least one stunningly original quilt. Now the emphasis seems to be on pushing specific product lines of fabric. Fabric is featured in relatively simple quilt patterns.

I fully agree with all the comments but really feel Prism99 said what I think is the true reason for having magazines--sell products. The quilts are just old patterns with new fabrics and using the new tools they want us to buy.

I get 1 magazine, QuiltMaker, because of StashBuster Bonnie so I can use up my stash. I am so very inspired by the members of this group.
I feel this group is better than any magazine out there. Members offer all the personal help one could ever ask for and more.
I love this group for all the great projects members have shown not to mention all the tuts shared.

I agree that they have become boring. Same on things. I pulled out a mag from 1997. It had some beautiful quilts. Watch for the old Mags at thrift sales.

I still love Australian Quilting and Patchwork because I love scrap quilts and so many of their projects are scrappy instead of focusing on a certain fabric line done in the traditional way.

Yep. Got one yesterday. I thumbed through it and was discarded into my pile within ten minutes; probably never to be looked at again. However, I can spend hours here looking at everything yall have made and I never get tired. Just get new ideas and inspirations.

When I first started quilting I got Fons and Porters Love of Quilting, however I feel I have outgrown it. It was great for learning. I now feel I need more of a challenge than they offer. I have started getting Quilting Arts magazine. I want to try some new techniques. I can get it online so am not using up a tree. I too have enjoyed the Australian Quilting and Patchwork magazine.
Our guild has an exchange table and I'll pick up a few magazines, if there is anything I like I copy it and then return the magazine to the exchange table. I have found that the older magazines have many more interesting patterns.

Hi . Just found a place for my past issues. We meet at the Quilt House . It has special place along one wall for books. So I donate my past issues as we have several new people that are beginners and also we can brouse through them if we need a different pattern,or just an idea. This way a lot of people can enjoy them. Our group is very shareing. I do agree that after a time they have either very intricate patterns or just different colors for the same old patterns, Its more fun to design your own!! Marvel

I only get one now, Quick Quilts, and if there isn't more then 3 patterns that I want, I remove those and put them in a notebook and pass the magazine to one of my quilting friends, that way it gets recycled so to speak and not gathering dust in my quilt room.

Ditto

I agree with all of you. Everything I have made in the past four months is from old magazines. I use to subscribe to all the magazines but now I only get Fons and Porter. I always use my coupons at AC Moore to buy a magazine if I want it. My new favorite is Fabric Trends.

I'm new to quilting so everything is fresh, but I get lots from YOUR pictures!!!You are my morning fix with coffee :)

I like the Australian ones too. I do subscribe to Quilter's Companion. They often include an instructional DVD.

I've been disappointed in QNM lately too. Probably will not renew. The funny thing is that they are trying to be different but instead the latest issues are pretty boring.

same thing over and over again. and if you take the time you can find the same patterns on the net for free.

I agree! The prices have gotten so out of line that I am not buying them anymore. If I look at one in the store and see something that I like, then I will buy it. Most of them are in sealed plastic in the store and I do not want a "pig in a Poke", so I do not buy them. As far as the subscriptions go, I do not get paid a year in advance so do not want to pay them a year in advance either.

I like Fabric Trends too. Thanks for reminding me.

I don't subscribe to mags anymore just for that reason. I have a bunch of older ones and after a while they all look the same. I get more than enough inspiration for my next project from the awesome board.

I agree - got two in the mail one day this week and couldn't find anything that excited me. My thought was "definitely not going to renew" next time I get a billing.

Sometimes I use a JoAnn's 40% off coupon on a magazine. And, that's only if it's really calling me. The coupon helps justify the purchase.

I am new to quilting, but I'm sure I will quickly get to this point also. Knitting mags are the same...I only subscribe to one now.

I have let most of my subscriptions lapse since I tend to look through them once and never again.

When I first started quilting a few years ago, I couldn't wait for each copy of the quilting magazines to come out, but, as so many of you have said, I now find most of them to be either boring or lacking in inspiration. Also a great deal of the magazines are taken up with advertisements, and they are usually the same ones each month. I'd much rather come on here for help and inspiration and save my money to buy fabric.

You are so right about this. I am a new quilter who has been falling in love with every pattern on earth and collected within a year hundreds if not thousands, but the magazines are really running out of ideas. I got two in the mail yesterday and didn't like any of the patterns. I was really disappointed ): since i wait for them to come eagerly.

I strongly disagree with one statement here..they do NOT need to put online...not everyone has Unlimited time on the computer, or even have a computer. Believe it or not many people prefer to take a magazine on a car trip, or to the dr office, or to the sewing room to SEE the directions... going online with everything is really hurting our economy. and leaving a lot of people out in the cold with things like "the rest of this story" on the news, the latest updates can be found at our website...crap like that...it is seriously driving a wedge in how this country communicates!

You should see the pile that's built up on my table and not even been looked at. I'm gradually letting all the subscriptions expire because of the high prices.

I agree completley , I discontinued my subsriptions because I would flip through them and just toss them aside... nothing that gave me inspiration ... so why bother.
Even the tips sections are ...lame !

have notice that the common thread here is that if you have been getting more than one magazine for more than 2 years, you are bored with them....

remember, these magazines are NOT published for the collector as in the past, but for the NEWest of the new in the sewing world!

If you have patterns, books, magazines and designing software, it only takes 1 year for you to realize the magazines are NOT for you!

It would be nice if just one magazine would go back to giving up information!

Agreed. I will only buy 1 online subscription and letting all the rest go away. I have saved more patterns then I will ever do in my lifetime. If I see a kit I just have to have, I'll get it. But I am on a kit diet of not buying anything for 1 year.

I have been quilting for just over a year. A friend gave me a ton of magazines and I went through only half of them. I do love to read, but they were quite boring. I only looked at the pictures after the first couple. Then, I quit looking at the pictures. It was all the same! The more recent ones are mostly art quilts. Not anything that interests me at all. Pretty to look at in a quilt show, but kind of boring in a magazine!

I love the Australien ones too. They average about $12.00 a piece mailed. I usually buy at lqs for $9.95 plus 10% off so not so bad & I can pick & choose.

It's true ... "Quilt" magazine had a pattern called "Ice Princess" in the Dec/Jan issue that I wanted to try but when I went to the store to buy it in mid December they had taken it out the day before and put in the Feb/Mar issue so I haven't purchased any others. Would love that issue though.

I am new to quilting, so they still interest me. However, I don't make any of the projects, not yet. I like to use them for ideas. I don't know if anyone else is like this, but I use patterns as a tool. I always find myself changing things from what the designer did.

I have always enjoyed sitting down in my favorite chair with a magazine to read or a book. I have bought close to a hundred used quilt magazines from years past. I would buy more if they became available. I have gone through these magazines many times and have used few of the patterns. I do see that magazines are getting pricier just like everything else. I did subscibe to one quilt magazine this year and waiting for the first issue. The price on it was much lower than some and had other quilters sa it is a good magazine....we will see. I like the idea of going to Barnes and Noble, having a cup of coffee and look at the quilt magazine. Hope they don't mind.

I absolutely agree. I am not renewing any of my subscriptions especially to Quilters Newsletter. Lot of trouble with gift subscriptions even with my canceled checks ---won't go into it but I lost out on 5 subscriptions for 2010.
Should we boycott??? LOL
Kutnso

Only some of them. I love quilter's World and American Quilter. I don't like F&P Love of Quilting, and I'm letting it drop. It's like anything else. Some are better than others.

The newer ones are loke you say the same old blocks with different names. I have been buying older mags 1990-2000 on Ebay. They generally run about a $1.00 apiece plus shipping and are alot of fun to read.

I have to agree too! What I've been doing lately is going for a cup of tea (and a goody) to Barnes and Noble and looking through the quilt magazines there. If there are any patterns I'm interested in I just read over how to do it, or copy down the name of the quilt and look on line for the pattern. There are times I break down and buy one. I do still get 3 quilting magazines at home (same ole things), but don't plan on renewing any of them. I'm just looking for something different, yet not too difficult, to do. My sister and I are going to take a class Thursday on fiber collage. Hoping this will get the juices flowing again.

I like magazines because you can take your time to look and reread whenever. I have two gift subscriptions-QNM and Quilter's Home-and really enjoy reading both. I have notebooks full of patterns I've saved from years past and will never be able to make so am not really looking for anything to make, just like seeing what is going on in the world of quilting. With that said, I would not subscribe myself but when my daughters offer I take them up on it. I look forward to seeing the mags even if I'm disappointed in all they have to offer. I would hate to see companies discontinue them but hope they see room for improvement. As someone said, for a new quilter, the patterns are not repeats. I also pick up mags from the guild table, look through them and return them for others. I go online too and print patterns I really like but you have to factor in the cost of printer ink and paper if you print a lot. I think its nice to have more than one medium to use to fulfill our passions.

I also feel that as a designer the amount of money I receive for my design is way to small for the work put into it. The design has restrictions for the designer as well. Either you lose the rights to your design forever or you have to wait a certain amount of time before you can publish the pattern. It stinks!

I'm letting my last subscription run out because they're just boring me. I find more quilts here on the forum or just surfing around that I like.. so it's not just you!