I agree about the darkness of some patterns I see. I went to a quilt show about ayear ago and most of the quilts, fabrics and patterns were so dreary that I left without purchasing anything. I have also let my magazine subscriptions lapse as now with the help of this board and the internet I can be kept as busy as a bee for free.

I haven't bought magazines for a few years now because it seems all the patterns are just re-runs of old ones in new fabric.

It seems to me that the trends in fabrics are really changing quickly now. The big Amy Butler type prints were the big thing and now, they are passe. The 'newest' fabrics do seem to be going toward the dark and dreary. It's not something I'll go out of my way for.

I think many of the patterns are designed to specifically showcase a certain collection of fabric that the company is trying to sell. Often the pattern designers are not quilters so we may look at the pattern in a different way. I find sometimes the instructions have awkward or time consuming ways of putting the block together. Again I think that is the inexperience of the designer and most quilters can just go ahead and do it their way. The problem comes when a new quilter gets one of these patterns and quickly becomes frustrated.

I admit to flipping to the Table Of Content of the quilt magazines in Walmart. If there isn't something new I want to try, I don't buy. I find most of my inspiration right here. Keep up the beautiful quilt, runners and wallhanging examples QB members!

I am inspired by so many of the avatars I see on this board! This is my new resource for designs and ideas. I wish we would have each person tell about their quilt, including the pattern name and where they got the idea/directions. I love them!

I'm with you on that one. I do understand that different interpretations of color, value, fabric can make the same patterns look remarkably different ... but to call it a different pattern is beyond 'artistic liberty'.

Consider this ... If I translated Dickens "A Tale of Two Cities" into Swahili, it would look different on paper, it would sound different when read aloud, but it is STILL Dickens "A Tale of Two Cities" and should be acknowledged as such.

Just my opinion.

that the reason i have my old magazine from the 80 and up it seem as if you do a quilt you want to say it your but that not true

My main source for new inspiring fabric is equilter.com I haven't noticed that the new fabrics are dark and unattractive. What am I missing here? All I see are beautiful combinations that I can't afford and don't have the time to make up. When I see picture that are posted of quilt shows the quilts are beautiful, not dark, not drab. I'm not sure why the problem with whatever current line the magazines are promoting is a big problem unless you really depend upon your ideas on those magazines. The quilting world is so large while the magazines are few in number. And the dark fabrics don't seem to me to be the majority. Am I just not understanding the problem?

I am so not into those turquoise, brown, lime and orange fabrics from the 50s and 60s. The other quilters grab em and mix em up...I just don't see the attraction.

I agree! Or create your own design and make it. That is what some of us do.