There are SO many quilting mags out there! How do you pick?!

I'm looking for something that:

* Has stuff that's accessible for beginners but isn't too dumbed down.
* Has articles and tips, not just patterns.

Any suggestions?!

Personally, I like the Quilters Newsletter. It seems to have more "old fashioned" quilts and patterns in it. It always seems to have very good instructions with the patterns also. I don't care for the newer art and scenic quilts that a lot of magazines seem to be featuring a lot. So it depends on what type of quilting you are really interested in.

I like Quiltmaker. It has patterns and also quilting ideas/motifs.

I love Quilters Home for the articles and Fons and Porters for the patterns.

i like them all! my husband told me recently that I needed to pick one and buy a subscription!! haven't decided on one yet either! :D :?: :D

Definitely Fons and Porter.

I have probably subscribed to most of them. The number one on my list is Quiltmaker. I have cancelled subscriptions and have always gone back to the Quiltmaker. I had to cut back on my books and am resubscribing to the Quiltmaker as the only one I will get.

Barb

I learned how to quilt with McCalls Quick Quilts and still have my subscription after about 7-8 years. I found the patterns easy to follow and being the kind of person who likes to see things progress, "quick" quilts are right up my alley.

The only two i subscribe to.

http://www.quilters-world.com/

reasonably priced and digital. lots of beginner and intermediate ideas. i download the issues to my computer. less clutter around the house, i can print pages as often as i need to AND i don't lose them. :P


the other is:

http://www.americanquilter.com/

the subscription is pricier but the free book you get is pretty interesting. lots of advanced traditional and artsy-tartsy techniques and articles. for now, they go into my "someday" pile. (as in "someday i may have the guts to try something like that! but not today." :lol: )

I picked up a quilt magazine today at the grocery store. It's full of easy pretty patterns. I love the flag cover quilt. I may subscribe to this one. The name of the magazine is QUILT.

Funny, I'm trying to make this same decision. This month I prefer McCalls Quilting. I just purchased 5 different ones and narrowed it down to McCalls. I'll wait until the next issue comes out, review it, and if I like that one I may subscribe.

Each one has its own style and you may want to try each for a few issues before committing.

You know, I was looking at McCall's online ... the articles looked interesting, and I liked the photos they had of the quilts.

I second Quilt, The quilter, Quick Quilts, Quilters Newsletter(If you like a lot of articles) and McCalls Quilting. ALso fons and porter.

I subscribe to Fons and Porter but buy Quilter's Home now quite often. It is very entertaining and I love Lipinski's fabrics. The two patterns in the last issue will be in the back of my mind for a long time.
I think each magazine offers a little something different for each different style. Just have to pick what you like.

judee

I like the The Quilter Magazine and McCalls Quick Quilts. So many patterns for beginners.

I love Quiltmaker, my favorite

another vote for quiltmaker and i also like quilting arts

I like Quilter's Newsletter for all purpose, Quilting Arts for interesting quilts, and Quilter's Home for the funny stuff. But maybe you shouldn't ask me for just one ... I get them all!

Well, I am the odd quilter here. My favorite is American Patchwork and Quilting. It has quilts for every level, quilting tips, etc and I love the semi annual Quilt Sampler magazine they do.

I have also subscribed to Quilter's Newsletter Magazine and Fons and Porter. I like both of them too, but just do not have the time to read that many magazines and they were taking over the shelves.

I have had subscritions to a lot of quilt mags.. I decided to go through all of them and really choose the ones I want to keep. Boy, you talk about a hard decision. I have found, though, that the mags I have kept are McCall's and Fons and Porter, and not all of them either. I now need to sell my other mags, maybe e-bay.......

Have you checked your library to see which ones they may already have for you to browse? Then pick a different one so you have more ideas and articles to read without all the expense. Also the library will have lots of quilt books to check out. Good luck.

Marcia, this is also my favorite. :-)

I have collected many magazines for years. I find that they have pattern after pattern and I am not one to follow patterns. I tend to do my own thing and even though I look at patterns for inspiration, I don't follow every detail of them. That was a long way to say that I don't use magazine patterns, because you end up with a pattern that many paople have and is not unique. There! I now made it even longer.

I came across Quilter's Home by Mark Lipinsky and was fascinated by the way he includes product eveluations, recommendations, recipes, and some very interesting articles. I found myself reading it from cover to cover and I never did that with a quilting magazine before. It has 3 patterns per issue, but I guess by now you now how I feel about patterns. I can recommend this magazine to everyone that ask my opinion. He has a very refreshing way to see things, but many people don't like his style. I do. You can pick it up at JoAnns's or Sam's club, and see for yourself if his style is right for you before you subscribe to it. It tends to be a little pricy, but worth every penny.

Maria

Hi all,
I love so many of the magazines that I really can't pick 'just one.' Wo, every once in a while I treat myself to a fancy coffee at one of my book stores [Barnes & Noble or Borders] and drink my coffee v-e-r-y slowly while I check out the magazines. I save a lot of $$ and get only what I really need. If I want more than one magazine, then often a friend will be buying that one. We share a lot down here in Phoenix.

Oh yeah, I scan on to a computer file those patterns I really love then recycle the magazines to other quilters. Less paper clutter and I can just quickly view what I have whenever I want to make a new quilt. Yes, I do back up the quilt file so I don't lose it.

Hope this helps.
alice

As a devout appliquer I love Australian Patchwork and Quilting. My second favorite I think is McCalls Quilting Magazine. I get the Quick Quilts one once in a while because I do a lot of charity quilts and like to find a new simple pattern once in a while.

i get three, and for what mho's worth, quiltmaker or fons&porter would be good for a learner. lots of pics and step-by-steps. hardly any advanced quilts. quiltmaker is probably the bast.

I like McCalls Quilting the best. McCalls Quick Quilts is good too.

I also subscribe to Quilter's World, Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork (what a long title) and also Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting.

The McCalls always has more earmarks when I'm done reading it, which is a good indication. (I've actually stopped earmarking, now I use sticky notes with the pattern name written on them) Makes it a whole lot easier to find what I'm looking for that way!

My favorite quilt magazine is called "Machine Quilting unlimited" this is a year old magazine and a great one for basics as well as more. articles are "batting Choices", all about needles, threads to use, how to use color etc. it is more on the quilting end of things but there are a few patterns also. Like Quilt World for patterns. you can access it at: www.mqumag.com i sincerely feel it is the best magazine out there. gets into the nitty gritty of quilting.

I have subscribed to all of them at one time or another. Currently my favorites are Quilters World and Quiltmaker. I used to love Traditional Quiltworks but they ceased publication.

You can often find old quilt magazines on EBay. Usually 3 or more in one sale. Some are only a few months old. The price is usually more reasonable then a subscription which only gives you 6 magazines per year.

I have a subscription to Fons and Porter and I have made things out of it in the past.

I've subscribed to Quilter's Newsletter for 12 years and was terribly disappointed when the magazine changed their format. :( The editors have hired columnists who own a company that seems to be mentioned quite often in their columns. Or a column is written about fishing - or - prodding quilters to buy lots of items from vendors at quilt shows because the vendors came to the show! In fact, at the recent Spring Quilts, Inc. show in Rosemont, IL, a woman in the Quilter's Newsletter booth asked me to subscribe to Quilter's Newsletter. I replied that I just cancelled my subscription and before I could explain why, she offered the excuse that "You don't like the new format". So, she must have received that comment from a lot of quilt show attendees. OK, now that I've "dissed" Quilter's Newsletter, I'm going to praise their sister publication - QUILTMAKER, which has lots of patterns and interesting articles. But I also subscriber to Fons & Porter Love of Quilting and Quilter's World - both good mags.

I now subscribe to Quilt & Quilter. I've done them all one time or another. I'll flip through Fons & Porter & buy it if something peeks my eye!
Or any of the others..

I have a subscription to Quilters Home, this is a magazine I cant wait to get the new ones when they come out. My MIL gave me a subscription to Quilting Arts. I really do not like it because its more about really artsy quilts and I am not that into the artsy style.

I will also pick up the American patchwork Quilt mag once in a while.

I told DH not to renew my subscription for the same reason.

Other than that I like Quiltmaker, Quilting, McCall's Patchwork, Fons and Porter.....shoot, what don't I like?

I'm a magazine junkie and used to subscribe to quite a few. But it always seemed that one month I'd like one and the next month another. So now I don't subscribe to any, but spend a lot of time at Borders and Barnes&Noble checking them out. The ones that seem to come home with me the most often are Quiltmaker, the Quilter, and the one from Better Homes & Gardens (American Patchwork and Quilting??).

I rarely follow patterns, but do love looking for inspiration...

I told DH not to renew my subscription for the same reason.

Other than that I like Quiltmaker, Quilting, McCall's Patchwork, Fons and Porter.....shoot, what don't I like?

What don't you like? Obviously Quilter's Newsletter! Everyone in my Bee cancelled their subscription for the same reason. We might even be the majority. Look what happened to Coca Cola when the company tried "New Coke". Ah, the power we sometimes possess :!:

I have purchased and subscribed to: Fons and Porters Love of Quilting, McCall's quilting, McCall's Quick Quilts, Quilters Newsletter, The quilt magazine, Quilters world, Better homes and Gardens American Patchwork and Quilting, Quilters World and quiltmaker.
Had to downsize, so out of all those, for the kind of quilts I like, and for the ease in understanding the patterns, I chose:
McCall's quick Quilts, and The Quilt magazine.
I like a magazine that not only lists the fabrics with amount and description, but shows you, which part of the quilt in the picture, that description goes with! They should all do that. :wink:

Fons and Porter! I leaf through a half dozen or so each time they change them at the drugstore and I treat myself to one if there's a pattern that "calls my name"... I just checked my pile of magazines and Fons and Porter wins hands down!