I just went though 20 year old quilt magazines in the basement, and I'm so surprised at how simplistic the designs back the were compared to now! Simple blocks and simple settings, and even fabric choices were boring compared with the extravagant art quilts that seems to be the norm in quilt magazines today. I pulled out a few ideas, but let most if it go. But I did have a great time looking!

Yes, I do look through old quilt magazines all the time. A couple of years ago (3) my daughter sent four boxes of old magazines to me as a Christmas present. She lives in Virginia and was looking in a Thrift store when she found them. I have now put more shelves in the upstairs hall to hold all of my mags. Love them!

Fabulous winter pastime...Love going through old quilting magazines and books for new ideas!

I love the old mags; their focus was on the pattern not on the fabric. To me, seems these newer magazines are more for advertising fabric lines; they will take a traditional pattern, use a new fabric line and rename the design..

I have a "few" stacked up, LOL, and also use them for inspiration. I find that what once didn't appeal to me or catch my eye I look at differently now. Also, when I've needed to make a quilt for a specific person, like a baby quilt or one for a grandchild, I can find a pattern that works with the fabrics I've chosen. It's a great way to have lots of patterns at your fingertips easily. Day or night, I can browse through my mags. Plus, I've found a few "go to" patterns for little things like totes and eye glass cases that I can go to & whip up in a hurry.

Yep!! Me, too!! I look at mine if I need inspiration. Recently went through all of mine and recycled many as we prepare to move and want to take only ones that may hold my next quilt. They make a good evening's read.

I am moving my sewing room so decided it was time to go through the many quilt magazines I have - am subscribed to way too many. I decided to remove patterns I wanted, file them and recycle the magazines. Have to make room for all my fabric which is way more important than magazines.

Karo, you echoed my thoughts perfectly. I have ended all subscriptions now except Fons and will not renew it either. I rarely see a pattern that intrigues me and am NOT adding to my stash at todays prices. Why pay for pages of ads?

My DH strongly disagrees with my insistence on keeping older quilt magazines, unlike his computer magazines, which he keeps. LOL. I did finally break down, took a stack of older quilt magazines, went through them and if there wasn't anything that inspired - I passed it on to my girl friend who was happy to get them. Periodically I do have to go through and purge, just because of the lack of space. However, I have often picked one up that was say 2-3 years old and found the perfect quilt idea that I had been looking for. As they say, everything old is new again, and it's a great way to spend an afternoon, looking at them.

I usually don't go to my old magazines. I do go to the fabric manufacturer's site to look at their free patterns