:thumbdown: I've been disppointed by the contents of the quilting magazines and books for about a year. I have alot of patterns but I love new stuff that is different. I'm not seeing anything that I can say is new: patterns or techniques. The trends I'm seeing are these: smaller projects, easier patterns, and emphasis on specific looks with specific fabric lines. The majority of the magazine patterns are by new fabric designers with very busy fabrics. These fabrics are difficult to use for more intricate patterns such as applique, etc... What concerns me is that quilts are becoming packaged and creatively stifled. Get this fabric, get this look and don't think outside my specific design instructions. I miss having a pattern that I could chose my own fabrics and get a similar if not exact look without having to buy a specific fabric line. What do you think? Thanks for letting me vent.

I certainly agree. I've been disappointed with magazines and even the TV shows for a while now. I can tell you, to be creative and do your own thing--use some graph paper or use an EQ program. Sometimes just designing quilts I'm making for the grandchildren is as much fun as actually quilting them :).

I think that you reach a point when you've outgrown the magazines. There are very few good ideas in them, imho. They seem to be reaching for the "far out" or going WAY too simplistic for the advancing quilter. If I find a magazine with two things in it that I'd actually consider making I think I've really got something. And I don't like the clothing catalog stuck in the middle. ARE YOU LISTENING F&P???

I generally buy 2 from the UK, and 2 from the US. I am really fed up with seeing bags in those from the UK. EVERY month there is a bag of some sort. How many variations on a Tote do we need? In fairness, there are a few other shapes occasionally, but to me, they are a waste of time and space in the mag. I would be highly unlikely to want to make one.

I'm tired of the emphasis being "quick" and "easy". Where's the challenge in that? I know today's world is fast-paced but quilting is supposed to be relaxing and each quilt I do I expect it to be more challenging than the last one. Sure sometimes you need a quick project- a last minute baby gift or something like that but not everything has to be done in a week-end.
As for bags and purses, I've made them and seen some lovely ones, but I'd rather they were in their own magazine.
I haven't bought a new mag in a year (I previously posted about them being in plastic grrr) and prob won't buy any in the near future.

Jan, your comment is spot on! Quilting by its very nature isn't "quick and easy" lol
Of course we all go for that once in awhile but that isn't the essence of quiltmaking!!
That's why I love the board so much. I don't need any more books or mags- just all of you!!! :D

I subscribe to 5-6 of the mags and am not renweing my subscriptions for this reason. I love to read them but they are getting way out there or too easy. SO sad too as I love my quilting mags. I havem y older ones to read when I feel the need. LOL. And I don't like clothes ads in mine either.

Debbie, that's another reason I love this board !! hahahahah
That kitty is so funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Graph paper is exactly what I do...complete with my daughter's pilfered crayons lol. I'd like to check out an EQ program though. They look like fun. :)

I'm with you all - let my subscriptions expire, then get an offer for a package of Quilter's Newsletter and McCalls - both for a year each at $24.00 total. How could I refuse.

I find, though, that I am "reading" magazines more than using patterns, so - Quilter's Home is an absolute hoot - it's a magazine for quilters, not a pattern magazine. Tons of info crammed between the covers.

Stopped watching the PBS offerings because they are old!

I started going to the library and grabbing the OLDEST, dustiest quilt books they had, and paging through them. I love the traditional quilts!

Kathy (Quilts With Convicts) I have never heard of Quilter's Home. That sounds just what I have been looking for. I found seven (!!7!!) boxes of quilting magazines and misc. things. I am planning on listing them for sale - cheap on here - but of course I have to go through them first for me.

I agree with the comment about designs that are for a specific fabric line. When I cruise through I look at the picture of their finished project, but always go directly to the layout that shows the blocks and layout. I might not find a lot of 'new' patterns, but block combinations, colors and secondary patterns that come out. And I always love when the show the same pattern in an alternatve color scheme. Some are really surprising.

I am going to start another thread about my recent find. Don't want to hijack this thread.

I totally agree. I very seldom buy any new magazines or books. Most of mine are bought second hand. Its all about the fabric. Like many on this board I can't afford those fabrics.

You are growing as a quilter and as an artist. You are not satisfied anymore with someone telling you which fabrics to buy and what to do with it. I guess most of us get to that point, and the important part is that you recognize it. Many people get there but they don't realize it and continue to buy magazines and patterns because is what they have always done. Is now time to look at your stash and based on what you see, identify your style. There is always something new out there that will get your attention, but you decided that you liked it, you were not told by an editor that this is what you should like.

I like some fabrics lines, but I never get more than one or two fabrics. In my opinion, fabric lines are not contrasting enough. They are making them more and more way too similar and the pattern gets lost in the fabric print. All your hard work doesn't show. If I get busy fabrics, because some are real pretty, I tend to combine them with solids. I have become the fan #1 of black. It makes my quilts look finished and elegant regardless of how much fun the other fabrics are. Yes, lady bugs wearing hats and purses can make a real elegant quilt if combined with some black.

Is great to see quilters making their own choices. Still the patterns need to stay in business, but use them only as guidance. Use the pattern and select your own fabrics.

I have a copy of Quiltmania that I found today at a Newsagents I don't normally go to - no plastic bag, not with two other crappy mags I don't want and lovely stuff.
Will post a link when I get it back off my GF!

I buy much less frequently than I used to and have let subscriptions run out. Too many little projects like cell phone holders, etc.

I look thru the mags at the store and more often than not, I don't buy because there's nothing in them that interests me. To me a panel with a border can be a cute quick quilt, but once you've seen that idea, you don't need to see it again and again and again.

You are right on with the comment about fast and easy .... I have had my fill of all the "fast and easy" . How about they put a breath taking , show stopping quilt on the cover?!!! And oh yeah ... give the pattern and directions. I 'll buy it if for nothing else than the thought of "someday". I beleive a magazine issue is truley successful when I just could never part with it, or there are holes in my copy because I have cut and pinned to my inspiration board.

I agree, the magazines seem to cycle through project types. I have let all of mine lapse since I have more projects planned than I will every possible get done.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I hadn't given serious thought to any of the EQ software until now. Maybe it's time. And I agree about crayons and graph paper. They are a must.

it didn't take me long as a new quilter to get over the "quick & easy" stage....I have quilts that I have been working on for years that are going to be heirlooms when I get them done and I will get them done. I just finished a complete hand pieced, hand quilted throw that I just love. It just means so much more when finally done...

I agree with all of you, however when you work full-time and only have a limited amount of quilting time, just finishing a quilt feels like a challenge to me. I am a relatively new quilter and I suck at picking out fabrics. To me, since I'm a visual "oooh, look at the shiny objects" kind of gal and my interest in a quilt in a magazine starts with liking the colors they've chosen and then I try to get as close as I can to that, I haven't outgrown the magazines yet, but I can see when the day will come.

Maybe this is no longer true, because I discontinued Quilters Newsletter several years ago -

There would be this picture of a fantastic quilt on the cover - and a paragraph or two on the inside about who made it - and that was it! No pattern, no how-to, nothing more.

At that time, the info was "oh, I already know that" or so far beyond what I could then do - with NO info on how to do it!

. (double post)

I'm done with subscribing to magazines as well. Too much consumerism: buy this fabric it looks so well in this pattern...and I buy it! I have been down loading free patterns from the internet and now become obsessed with finding them. Three inch and four inch three ring binders fill my shelves. It has gotten out of control. Needlework patterns as well! I have used reams of paper over the years, and many ink cartridges too! Since I need paper in my work, I now repurpose the paper on the other side for more quilt patterns! And I've probably copied the same things over and over because I like the look. I'm drowning over here!

Just a quick note of the quilt program. I don't use EQ (been thinking about it, but haven't made that leap yet).I use 123quilt, it is put out by quiltpro. It is their basic version. I love it! The only downfall is that you cannot design your own blocks in it. However, it used to only be $39.95 (very appealing price)! If you want the disc, you pay a little more.
The other program they sell is quiltpro. In it, you can design your own blocks and more. It is a bit pricier, usually around $100, but I have heard, well worth the money. I received an email from them a few days ago that they currently have a special going. You can buy quiltpro version 5 for only $79.95, and when version 6 appears in October, you get the upgrade for free!
A little note about their customer service: my DH re-does my comouter every year to keep it running well. When I reached my max on the amount of installations, I just called (like it said to) and another activation code was issued immediately (on the phone). Then, a few years later, when I upgraded computers to a vista, my program would no longer work, they sent me the new files to upgrade to their vista version for no extra cost! And, even better, when some of my files stopped working, I got daily emails and phone calls from them and all sorts of test files to run to see if we could fix the problem-they are a great team!
Oops! Sorry, it didn't end up being a "little note"!

I so agree with this. I think I bought & tried every technique or pattern out there. I had boxes of magazines. Eventually I found them too constricting.

I'm all over the place in my interests, so I tend to pick up a variety of Mags including, Quilting Arts, Quilters Home, Stitch, Threads & Sewing World. I find the internet the best place for inspiration thru Blogs & Google images. My style is in the "out there" category :D

Annette

I'm getting so tired of All of my mags that I'm letting all of the subscriptions expire. Then I guess I will decide if I miss any of them. They seem to be geared to the beginning quilter which is fine as we were all there once. Sometimes I even still feel that way! I like it though when they have more articles about techniques more than just patterns. Its more interesting to me.

Even without buying any quilting magazines, I have more patterns than I could ever make in a lifetime of full-time quilting. I have downloaded freebies from the internet and designed my own. I'd rather use the money for fabric or gadgets than one magazines. Now books are another story. I'm trying not to get any more books unless it has techniques rather than patterns.

For those who want to design their own patterns but can't afford to buy a program, try this free one. I use it to draft the blocks for my Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt. It is very easy and basic. I may upgrade someday to a purchased program but for now this one works.
Quilt Assistant.

http://www.cosman.nl/software_en.html

Lacelady, I love your kitty!

I no longer subscribe to magazines... I get more inspiration from here and other online sites than what I was from the magazines.
I can pick and choose which patterns to purchase online too.
I love my EQ program, it is very enjoyable to me to design my own blocks and quilts. It paid for itself when I dropped the magazine subscriptions :D:D:D

I passed the "quick and easy" phase a long time ago. I like a challenge, even if it's a little over my head! :wink:
The only mag I currently subscribe to is Quilters Newsletter, just got a new issue a couple of days ago and was pretty disappointed with it.

I've about given up on mags/books.Now & then a book will catch my interst,but not often.Many LQSs & on line shops keep pushing the pre-cuts,from charms to 10"sqs & pre cut quilts.Nothing wrong with them,I've recieved several for gifts,but don't buy them.Rather get a quarter or half yd cut.But that's just me.It's been a long time since I've seen completely new patterns.Have found more on this board than in a LQS.
Maybe the table covers,totes are being shown for a reason.Few younger ppl have the time for making bed size quilts.After working all day & going home to care for the family,lucky to get a few mins to themselves.JMO Also,the economy being what it is,takes less $$ to buy a couple fat quarters rather than a few yds.
To me, the selling of fabric lines benefits the company & LQS.That's ok,shopping for last yrs fabric is fine with me & always seems to be a lot of it out there.

I agree with everything being said here :) I use to get at least 4 magazines but haven't subscribed in about 6 (maybe more) years because I haven't seen anything that "inspires" me! I never liked Quilter's Newsletter at all. Fons & Porter had mostly intermediate and challenging patterns and I was only a beginner at the time. I bought several, way back when, Quick and Easy magazines thinking that if I could complete something that was quick and easy I'd keep going and learn more. Unfortunately, I didn't like the patterns very much and I never did any of them. I've actually learned through the years that I don't do patterns at all. I have learned more from this Board, and been inspired by pictures on here, than I ever did from a magazine. I still have a ton of my old quilting magazines that I flip through every once in a while but I still don't see anything that "trips my trigger", so to speak...LOL

I, too, like to go to the library and look through the older quilting books. I'm not especially a "traditionalist" because I like a lot of the modern quilting designs I've seen too. Sometimes I make something up and combine the two. That's my inspiration and my challenge.

Every month I go to the book store and cruise through all the quilt magazines. usually at least 12 of them. Can you believe that I have only bought maybe 1 or 2 in a year? Thats how boring the patterns are to me. to many fast and easy patterns. Now they are putting plastic on them!!! PLEeeese!!! I'm not spending that much money on something I can't see what I'm getting for my money.

The only magazine I have bought AND enjoyed over the past year has been Quilter's Home. I liked it well enough once I started reading it, that I even bought older issues, when possible. I have not found the patterns in it to be terribly appealing, but have relished reading the articles.

My issue is the quilts that are designed for a specific pattern line. Ok, sometimes I decide that it would be perfect as presented in the mag...yeah, right! Just try to find all of the fabrics listed....they are usually sold out or discontinued by the time I get the magazine! When I design with EQ7 I can start with a generic fabric and then plug in my choices or work the other way, design the quilt using a specific fabric that I have. I agree the mags are getting the same old, same old.

I thought the latest Quilter's Newsletter was different, but awful!!!
There wasn't anything in it that was in the least bit interesting.

Jamie, that's how it works. Go with what inspires you. There is no right way or wrong way if it works for you. Magazines have their place. Some of us are jaded ;-)