I have been going through many, many magazines...and tearing out templates and patterns that I would really use...sadly most have only one pattern or template I would really do and many have none. I will donate them to the library...there is a take free rack. So far I have a pile of 20...and so many more to go through...I am putting the patterns and templates that I like and that I would really make into a binder. Wow this is going to make a huge dent in my mag. stash! I never reliazed I was addicted to them.

I also am finding I like McCall's Quilting the best...they are quilts that I would really have time to make.

I have binders full of patterns I've either copied or torn out of Magazines. I still have 3 or 4 magazines I am getting in the mail but have decided when they expire maybe it's time to let them go. I've adopted a new plan for purchasing new books or magazines and so far it's worked for me. When looking at something new it MUST HAVE a minimum of 3 patterns I love or it stays on the shelf. With so many patterns available on line or here on the board,there is less reason for me to buy so this plan is already saving me money.Of course when friends pass their magazines on through me the same plan applies. You might think about giving this a try.

When life slows down, I also have mags to get rid of. In our town, very few places accept mags.
I also like McCalls & have a stack of Miniature Magazines.Love to look thru them,,,think I know them by heart. :)

I admit I do keep all my AQS mags'. They are to beautiful to tear up or give away.
All my other mags' get the same treatment as yours.
I browse through my binders all the time for inspiration and ideas and if I don't use a pattern within a year I put it on the free table at work.

I have a closet full of quilt magazines that I would love to pass on but there isn't anywhere in our town that takes pre-loved magazines.

I really try not to buy them but afraid it's an addiction for me too.

If you have a guild in your area, drop them off there for others to appreciate. Or take them to your local thrift store. Tie them up in bundles by year. I always look for goodies like this when I hit the thrift shops and someone else would love the treasure as well.

I like to scan what I want out of a magazine then save to a disk. That way I still have the magazine to trade or donate and nothing laying around.

Lisa, when you do this do you forget what's on the disk?
I have to be able to see something almost in my face sometimes or I forget what I have. I tend to keep those patterns I'm most interested in close at hand. Does anyone else have this problem as well?

I buy them at a quilt muesum for 5 for 1.00...I then go through them and give them to others if they return them I then give them to the local library.

Every guild member brings the same magazines to guild for give away and everyone has them already. I have started to take mine to the out-patient hospital waiting room. Nothing else to read there but torn and old Newsweek. Who knows I may get someone interested in making a quilt. I just tear off my mailing label if there is one.

another option:

Buddy up with one or more quilting friends and each buy a different magazine the share the magazines before donating them. You can check with each other by e-mail or phone. Some months maybe none of you will want any magazines. Then scan or copy what you want instead of tearing out patterns, directions, and templates.

Personally, I prefer to scan my patterns and all. It takes up much less room, helps me keep clutter down a bit, doesn't invite pests [like silverfish or whatever], and is easier to find when needed. Right now I am reorganizing my files. One file will be pictures of finished quilts only so I can watch a slide show for either inspiration or to choose a new project. The other file will be with complete info needed for each quilt, including the picture. Of course I label it all too.

Yes, I know ... I tend to get over organized. I doubt I am OCD.[?]

ali

I keep my pattern in a binder, well I have four 2" binders. Some patterns on memory stick. I'm not planning on renewing any of my magazines. It's one of my cut backs. But oh how I love to browse thru and plan the many quilts I will not live long enough to make.....so much fun!

I love quilting magazines. Several months ago an old family friend gave me a box full of old quilting mags dating back to the 1980's! The color is faded from the pictures but still interesting!

I have a lot of old magazines too. I love to re-read the old Quilt, Old Fashioned Patchwork, and Country Quilt mags. I have a few subscriptions right now, but am letting all but two expire. If Quilt, and her sister publications, were still being produced with the same format as in the 80's and 90's, that would be the only magazine I would get....but their current format is boring...no stories, just patterns. Really sad...I miss the old Quilt....:(

I can't bring myself to cut them up, so I keep a running list of what quilts I want to make from each one, and try to keep the magazines organized. Maybe someday I will find a better method.

I have way too many too. I never tear up anything I would give away - I hate hate hate to sit in a waiting rm, or buy something at goodwill only to turn a page and find a chunk torn out, a recipe or pic or directions.
I was on QVC or HSC dont remember but bought a portable scanning wand! cost 100$ and is the best money I ever spent! I can take it anywhere (scanned a map in a library on vaca cus we needed to find local sites etc) - now I scan anything I want out of a mag and then give the whole thing away. The scans are moved to jump drives I lable. I can store a full rm full of stuff on one little jumpdrive sharet

I quit buying them 2 years ago.
I have a several boxes to sell off now...including every issue of QNM from the premier issue on...all in the binders you used to be able to buy for keeping them in!

McCalls has ended up being my favorite that I finally subscribed to it. I reviewed the mag before I buy one. it has to have at least pattern that I might make before I buy it. As for having too many mags, I just take them to work and share them.

I recently went through a ton of magazines - some going back 15+ years! Interestingly, I usually only found one or two patterns per magazine that I really THOUGHT I would make. Put them in plastic sleeves and in a notebook. I took the box to our last OR/WA beach retreat (members from this board) and they jumped on them like a dog on a bone :lol: I'm working on another box for our next get together... :thumbup:

Several years ago I realized I had nearly 300 quilting magazines just taking up space. I put them on freecycle and had more responses than you can imagine! I ended up dividing them up and giving them away by the bags full to all who responded. I never imagined that there were that many quilters and wannabe quilters in such a small area.

After each year of magazines I give them away. By the time I get a new issue there is always a quilt pattern that is just as nice as any of the ones in the older magazines. I don't have the need to keep magazines and will usually give the new issue away after reading it. I only subscribe to one now and buy off the rack when one catches my eye.

I wanted to make a quilt "Candy Cane" that I found several years ago in a McCalls Magazine. I copied the pattern and had it and when I started to cut it out I didn't have the page that gave the yardage. I couldn't find it on line and was thinking I would really have a problem. I stopped at a house sale and there was a stack of quilt magazines and the one on top was from 2001 and the quilt was on the cover! I guess you just gotta "put it out there in the universe"! Love the old magazines!

Maybe you could donate them to your library.

I gave up my quilt magazine subscriptions a few years back. Realized I just looked at them and hardly ever used them as reference or their patterns.

I have given boxes away on the Qb, donated to both of my guilds , take them to friends, and taking some to retreats this month. Love to trade them too. I copy what I want so as not to destroy the magazines. Just for me.

Like everyone else, I had too many magazines. I wanted to share them but it was difficult if they were ripped. Now I scan them into my computer and leave the magazine intact. I have folders for star quilts, applique, etc. Then when I want a pattern I just print it out. Donna

I went through all my quilt mags this Spring, had some from 1976. There are a few oldy and goody ones that I kept intact, but I pretty much did what you did. I decided to keep one year back and the current year. At year end I'll go through them again and take out patterns that catch my eye. I have two 4" binders now with my favorites (even sorted those somewhat)!

It seems that the patterns are becoming very repititious, just use a current set of designer fabrics to catch your eye. Certain mags are simply marketing products so they will not be renewed. Quilting isn't cheap and isn't going to get any cheaper. Guess we have to cut corners where we can even if we love the eye candy.

I, too, used to subscribe to too many magazines. Now, I get only AQS. I read it a time or two, copy out anything I might use and then donate it to our local library to put into circulation. That way, others can enjoy the magazine and it doesn't take up my space. When I started this I took in a year or two's worth of back issues also. Our small library was thrilled to get another magazine; they subscribe to only 1.

When we moved from a 3 bedroom home to a 2 bedroom apt., I had lots of quilt magazines in the milk crate cartons. I gave the majority of them to a friend, who would pull out the patterns she liked. My problem is that I get a mazaine, flag it with a pattern I would like to make and try to keep them organized. Periodically I go through them and purge again, however, several times I run across an older magazine with a quilt pattern I just have to make - what's old is new again. When my friend is done with them, she passes them on. I have also let several magazines go because of cost, but McCalls, Quiltmaker and Quick Quilts are my favorites. If I buy a new magazine I buy it only if there are at least 3 patterns I want to try, or some cute items I can make for gifts.

I keep notebooks with patterns from magazines and a tip notebook for ideas - I only subscribe to one magazine at one time. It got overwhelming with a lot o magazines

I too am a mag addict. Used to be I would take them to sewing school, but I moved and that options is no longer available. I had a garage sale,of the hundred, I sold 6. Also trying to not buy so many.

One guild I belonged to had a table at the meetings, where these magazines were put out for other quilters to search and tear from.

My thrift store automatically throws away all magazines....I found this out after donating a huge stack of assorted quilting and cross stitch mags....just ask questions!!!!

I tear out what I want in the magazines and put them in plastic sleeves and into a large binder. I've decided I'm not going to renew any of my subscriptions (4). I will look through the magazine at the store and if I want it, I will use my 40% coupon from Hobby Lobby and get it. I find after I read them, I just get rid of them. Plus, I could use that extra $100/year to buy more fabric or go on a retreat.

I have found that quilting blogs have taken the place of magazines. There are some fabulous quilters that share their ideas and provide great tutorials, plus this quilting board has given me so many ideas. I am not as motivated by the magazines, but I do have two favorite books: Material Obsession and Material Obsession 2. I love, love, love those two books and have made several quilts from them.

McCalls are my favorites, and I just subscribed to the online quilting magzine for free, which seems very nice. I have been letting the rest of my subscriptions go as they have come up for renewal and last week got an EARLY renewal notice from quilters Newsletter that blatantly said across the front of the envelope SERVICE INTERRUPTION NOTICE pending with the box checked it was in a 3/4 inch high blue band and the letters were 1/4 high. How embarrasing!! My husband came in with mail and was so incensed that even if I had planned on renewing in November I wouldn't now. How dare they send something like that in July no less? So my advice on the mags is list them for sale on sew its for sale, or offer them free for the price of shipping. I can access so many patterns online, I will not buy a pattern, and now its magazines too. Its hard when they come in your home to just toss them out guess thats the "saver" in me:)

I did the same thing and it made much needed space in my quilt room.

No more subcriptions for me. I have enough patterns and ideas to last at least 200 years.

I've got the same issue with mags now -- but they are scrapbooking magazines. I was doing more scrapping and cardmaking and not as much sewing/quilting. It's reversed now. I just rearranged my "studio" as my husband likes to call it, and was amazed at how many scrap magazines I have. I don't want to just toss them but my library doesn't take anything older than last years mags. I am not subscribing to them any longer but I have subscribed to a few quilting mags since I've gotten back into it. I do have some old quilting magazines too though ---- but not too many. I'm going to see which ones I really get inspired by and stick with it (or them). I get a lot of ideas from the net too but I still love making a cup of tea and sitting down and relaxing looking through a quilt magazine.

I'm one of those people who can't bear to tear up a magazine. I find that as the years go by, my tastes change. What I thought I might do years ago doesn't appeal to me now. When I get one that really has nothing I might ever use, I sell it at Half Price books. I don't get much for them, but someone else might enjoy them.