>>Any one else feel this way or am I just behind the times and stuck in my ways?

Yep. Nope. and Nope. I've decided to let all my magazine subscriptions expire... am sick to death of art quilts and busy- busy quilts - they make my head spin, and I sure as shootin' wouldn't want one on my bed, for goodness' sake!

I recently was excited to see an article online that was about 14 easy quilts for beginners. I went right to it, all ready to learn new patterns. You can imagine my disappointment when each of the 14 was the same exact pattern of simple 5" squares sewn together side by side in all different color patterns. Changing the colorways is NOT a new or different pattern in my opinion. Put them together differently, add sashing, stand them on their ends... change something.. it will be a new pattern. Go from greens to purples, it's still 5" squares sewn together side by side. I don't care if you do change the name from Spring Fresh to Fall Asters. LOL There, now I've vented too.

Oh, and just a word of warning for those of you who don't like lots of patterns and busy blocks. Don't go look when I post pics of "Butterflies In Olivia's Garden" cuz it surely is all those things. Lots of smiles and lots of hugs for all of you here on the quilting board. Thanks for being part of my life.

I'm with you on that. I detest the "blended" quilts everything all looks like the same value to me. I don't see the point of doing all that work to piece blocks and then you can't tell what's been done.

I love bright colors and find them so much fun to use in my quilts. I wear them too. Amy Butler fabrics just don't do anything for me, not enough pizzaz for me. Some of the Kaffe Fasset fabrics are pretty, but I don't know how I would use them. I love the novelty prints they are wonderful.

I agree !! I have seen more ugly quilts in magazines in the past year especially. I have not been renewing for that reason. I figure I can go to the store and look at the magazines before I buy them. If I find something I really like I buy it, otherwise I'm on the internet. I have also noticed that Fons & Porters quilts are mostly kits and you can't put your own twist on it. Maybe it's the quilter in me, but I don't like someone else telling me what I have to put together to use their fabric !!

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Try 35th Ave Sew and Vac. They have a wonderful Fabric Collection and a great mix of small and large prints. I have also looked around Phoenix (I live on the Glendale/Phoenix border) and so far this is the only one that I have been able to find what I want, when I want it. Good Luck. They are on the web and the link is:
[url] http://www.35thavesewandvac.com/[/quote]

I also live in Phoenix and was puzzled by the reference to "a lot" of quilting shops. I know of 4: 35th Ave as mentioned above; Quiltz-which is gorgeous and also has a huge selection of top quality fabrics; The Quilted Apple-- which is very small, and one in Awatukee which I have yet to see. So, 2 shops that I know of with many different styles and large selection of fabric.

Please tell me where the other stores are here. I do not count Joanne's as a "quilt shop".[/quote]

There are many quilt shops in the Phoenix metro area, and some that are sort of quilt shops. <G> (Politics of retailing that we don't need to get into.)
The Maricopa area shop hop starts this Fri. and if you check at Quiltz or The Apple you can get a passport and charm for $5 and a directory of all the shops on the Hop. I believe there are 13.
As for ones I know about..... I teach at Sun Valley Quilts which is at 98th Ave. and Bell. There is also Quilter's Bee at 76th Ave. and Cactus. Another 2 or 3 farther west. And there is Mulqueen's on 59th Ave. south of Northern. They are actually a sewing machine/vacuum dealer but have lots of fabric. (It is mostly older lines, and such but at $6.95 a yard does it matter??)
East there are shops scattered across Mesa, and some in Tempe/Awatukee and I believe, Chandler.

So we are blessed with shops here in the valley. <G>

Pati, in Phx

Rose Marie - I know what you mean. I saw a lonestar recently in I think McCalls and the prints were so busy and lacked contrast so that you couldn't tell it was a lone star. Why spend all the time piecing if no one can tell what you've made?

I like a lot of the contemporary florals and bold prints, however. But I'm not happy with most of the patterns I see in magazines because they don't look like a quilt so much as a bunch of fabric cut up and sewn back together, without much regard for style. There are patterns using simple squares and rectangles that look very nice, but the magazines are stuffed with mostly mediocre patterns, IMHO.

I am concerned that if magazines don't sell on the stands, they will all go to internet sales, and then it will cost to use the internet patterns. Just a thought.

I find that magazines in general are too expensive. I prefer to buy books, which I believe give more value for the dollar. I'll never be able to make all the quilts in all my books, anyway!

I have to look beound the fabric to see the design, and then IO can follow the pattern, I don't have the opption to buy magazines, but I do like to look in them at the patterns, so I try to figure out the design. I know sham on me. but if I had money I would buy some of them, God bless.