bearisgray

I think most of the other women in my small group have also let their subscriptions lapse

sed823

I have only one subscription to a quilting magazine but get Quilters Newsletter from my mother-in-law when she finishes with it. I feel like a 3 year old when I look through most quilting magazines: I look at the pictures of the quilts, I read what's new in tools, and I look at the ads to see if there's a tool or new line of fabric I can't live without. Occasionally, I do find an interesting quilt that I put a post-it tab on. Have yet to go back and make one of the quilts from a magazine.

Prism99

After reading so many of the comments, I realized that I probably don't find the quilts in QNM pleasing because so many are made from fabric lines. In the "good old days", most of the quilts were made by independent quilt artists using their own stash. Not only were they talented artists, but they weren't limited to the fabric choices in a particular line of fabric.

The comment about putting in so much show information and compressing the show pictures to a very small size gave me an aha! moment too. I remember enjoying show information in the old magazines, but there was a lot less of it and the photos were bigger.

As for elements necessary for the "perfect" quilting magazine, I think the old QNM had all of them. I just don't seeing this new version surviving when I have difficulty finding even one interesting quilt/article/technique in the new issues.....

dunster

I'm really surprized that so many people don't like QNL. I love it. I don't like the magazines that show me how to make a simple quilt that I can figure out for myself, or the ones that show me how great something looks with a particular manufacturer's line of fabric. (Wonder who paid for that article!) I would much rather select my own fabrics, thank you, or use scraps, or just about anything other than make exactly what is shown. I can usually figure out a pieced pattern by looking at it, and then playing with the design on EQ6, so I read the magazines more for the pictures of quilts than for the directions. I guess what I get from QNL is inspiration for things that are a little different - not that I'm up to trying most of them yet, but I like seeing the art quilts, the old quilts, and many that are beyond my skills at this time. I the the quilts that I see in QNL are much more original than the ones in the other magazines. And I like seeing news of quilt shows all over the world.

I also find that, with almost any quilt magazine, what I like the first time I go through it is not necessarily what catches my eye a month or two later. When I'm ready to start a new project, I often sit down with a stack of old magazines and just start turning pages to get inspiration.

Rose Marie

I subscribe to half a dozen mags. But have started to let some drop.
I will miss all the eye candy but that is the only thing I like about them besides some good info on products etc.
I will keep Fons and Porter, McCalls.
Have let go of American Patchwork & Quilting,Quilters World,Quiltmaker,The Quilter Magazine, Quilters Home, and several others.
I really did enjoy all of them but never used a single pattern.

MissAnn

If you like the old, traditional patterns, like I do, today's quilt magazines seem to focus, as one poster said, on the fabric collection, while others focus on quilts as an art form. There are a lot of beautifully made, well designed, artistic quilts out there, but I like the old fashioned quilts - the ones you can use on your bed if you want to. I like giving them a wedding gifts.

I have all the old Quilters Newsletters, although I sold the issues from 1 through 51, some time ago. But the old magazines have patterns you can get into.

Lyn4ty

I am one who has never liked quilters newsletter, rarely they have anything I like. However I love Mark Lipinski's magazine, I get and and read it instantly cover to cover. He covers so many interesting things in quilting besides just having patterns. I like Fons and Porter too but sometimes the quilts are just not what I am looking for. I will renew both of my subscriptions to these two when the time comes around.

nantucketsue

I have been reading through the posts and it seems we are all pretty much of the same opinion. I too have stopped my subscriptions to the magazines here in the UK. They have become very expensive despite the extensive ads throughout as well as quilt galleries and exhibitions It would be worth it if one or two quilts were featured in close up with more information on the techniques and constructions. I prefer to design my own quilts and gain inspiration from looking at other quilts, but they cannot be appreciated as thumbnail size photos. I still browse through my old mags and they are much more interesting. I agree there are too many bags and another thing I detest is quilted clothing.

sewmuch

I stopped my subscriptions a year ago, they all seemed the same to me.
And as Loretta said there is a wealth of info and patterns on the internet.

JoanneS

One great reason to subscribe to QN Magazine = you get a card that entitles you to 10% discount EVERY time you buy something at JoAnn's - INCLUDING sale items. The trick is to REMEMBER TO USE IT and to have the AQS membership card - which also comes with your subscription - AND the discount card WITH you.

You can use your card to get discounted tkts to Paducah, Knoxville - several other things I can't remember at the moment - all listed at the web site. I'll check, and post again.

I still find interesting things to read in the magazine. I also like the discounts on AQS published books - AND the super-discounts AQS emails about right after the Paducah show. I'm a sucker for books with more than the 40% discount I can get at JoAnn's with a coupon + the 10% from AQS card. And JoAnn's doesn't have all the AQS books anyway.