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We asked these questions in the Quilting Forum:

To what Quilting Magazine (s) do you subscribe?
What do you most like about the magazines? What do you like least?
What does each cover that is different from the other (s)?
Will you re-subscribe when your current subscription runs out?
Has being on the Web made you change your magazine subscriptions in any way?

Ginny:
The only subscription I have is American Patchwork & Quilting. What I like to do is go to the shops and "browse" the magazines first. If there is not something interesting, then I don't buy any. That is not possible for many to do, I understand. I hate paying good money for magazines and then end up pitching them because I don't like a thing, reading, patterns, or otherwise!

Vicki:
Of all the magazines that I've had through the years the one I consistently re-order is QNM. I would miss that one the most. I like almost everything about it, although it HAS changed from when Bonnie Leman was the editor, it has gradually been returning to being the QNM it once was. There were a few bad years in there after Leman retired. Its much better now. (Thank you, Mary Leman Austin, current editor) Things I like: series quilts, individual patterns, quilt show listings, what's happening in quilting, "Meeting Place", technical articles, the photos of quilts which are the best I think because they give you so many: instead of one huge photo per page, QNM gives you many more per magazine, with only a few taking up a whole page.....things I dislike: "Gizmos and Gotta Haves"...total waste of space for me. I think going in this direction just adds to the growing idea that some people have that a person can't make a decent quilt without 100's of $$$ worth of designer fabrics and every gadget in existence. I don't like the blending that comes from having the magazine promote commercial products. If the trend continues---and many of the magazines seem to be doing this sort of article---there will be no more objective voices left, they will all be simply promoting quilting products, instead of the art of quiltmaking.

Quilting is about SO much more than just which rotary cutter a person uses and how much they spent on the fabric. It is about more than simply cutting out and sewing things together. I've always thought that QNM has much more of a focus on the community of quilting than do other magazines, and this is why I like it the most. QNM brings me the people as well as the quilts, patterns and techniques. This magazine will be renewed for as long as I can do it...also, it comes 10 times a year, not 6 like so many others and is about the same price, so it is a much better deal in terms of how much magazine you get for your money.
I also get other magazines, off and on, depending on how rich I am when the subscription notices come! At the moment, I get Traditional Quiltworks....I like this for the patterns, but also very much for the Challenge articles, they used to be by Sharon Squier Craig (is that her name?) Loved those, they are very interesting.

I've always loved magazines and books and have a lot of them all....and I save them all too! Even if I don't immediately need the pattern, a few years down the road, I might! A note to those who will only buy if there is something interesting.....check your local libraries for magazines, then you can read them without financial commitment to decide if you want them. You can sometimes check them out like books, as well. Saves a lot on magazine prices and makes a nice relaxing visit to the library some evenings!

ALEXANDRALW: (in Australia)
I am emailing from Australia. I got addicted to quilting nearly 2years ago after the birth of my second baby when I bought Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine, which I subscribe to. It is excellent for advertisements of shops and sites etc. here, along with personalities and articles on techniques, shows. The patterns are well written and clear with a full front on photo of the quilt and step by step photos when needed. It is a combination of all that I like from the several US mags that I get.
Over here the cost of Us mags in the newsagent is ridiculous (buy 2 issues and that would be the years subscription rate) so I subscribe to a lot of mags. American P&Q, McCalls Quilting, Quick Quilts, Quiltmaker, QNM, Quilt. I will pick up others if they have something unusual that I must have, or one I haven't seen before.

Quick Quilts I must admit is the one that I have made the most projects from because they are QUICK. Love Quiltmakers quilting patterns and layout for construction. QNM is great for teaching and inspiration and all over articles. McCalls and AP&Q cover a lot a bit like Australian P&Q. I don't attend guild meetings or have quilting friends so the mags with articles about anything interest me, lets me feel in touch, and all the mags give me something to aim for ( a life long quilter who is just plain brilliant at her work!! or is that too much?)

I must add I love this forum, it only took me over a year to actually log on and reply to a message! I had to actually feel like a real quilter rather than just a deluded fool. Quilting is getting bigger here but could never be as big as in the States as we don't have the population. However I am still trying to sell simply pieced quilts at market and in stores, at times I feel I am having to educate people about quilts and the time and cost. Other times I will meet an older lady who says she quilts, which is great. I am also passing onto those who want to know about this forum and other great US sites for quilting.

One thing I would like to see in some of the magazines is a clear front on photo of the quilt that is being featured. In the Australian P&Q there is the artistic quilt placement in a setting and then the clear full frontal, that way you can see what you are getting into or be able to envision different colour or value placements.

I think I will have to check out the Fons and Porter magazine now too!

Jody:
Magazines and books are my inspiration, instructions, tips, etc. as I don't have friends who sew/quilt nor am I a member of a guild and am mostly self-taught.

My favorites: American Patchwork and Quilting, the AQS magazine, Miniature Quilts and QNM although sometimes I find that QNM focuses so much on contemporary, artsy quilts and actually discourages me as an intermediate quilter though it also has good articles, patterns, show info, etc.. It seems to highlight mainly the quilt artists, teachers and lecturers and their many awards, etc. and I end up feeling defeated and sort of 'left out' of this elite group.

I currently don't subscribe to any (although subscribing is much cheaper than the newsstand price which is really prohibitive) but just sent in my subscription for the AQS magazine as I like the photos, articles, how-to's and discount program on books, etc.. I pick up QNM, Quiltmaker, Miniature Quilts, A P&Q when I can and if I subscribe to others it will most likely be QNM (despite my negatives) and A P&Q both of which I have subscribed to in the past.

Cecilia:
I presently subscribe to QNM and have for about 10 years, on and off. I like it for the articles altho' as some others have said it tends to get a bit artsy. I like the artsy quilts and it would be nice if there were patterns for some of them. I just subscribed to Am. Patchwork and Quilting. I subscribed to it when it first came out and for some reason let it lapse a few years ago. Probably because at the time there didn't seem to be much in it of interest, but recently has gotten more interesting. I also used to get McCall's but have stopped buying that one after about a year and a half ago, I happened to notice that there were very many ads that were a whole page. So I counted the ads. There weren't many small ones, but I managed to come up with a count; out of 66 total pages in the magazine over half of them were given over to advertising. It was always my perception that advertising was meant to keep down the cost of a magazine, but when half of it is advertising, one is not really getting one's money worth. I also used to get Quiltmaker but seeing as how it is a sister publication to QNM there are some of the same quilts in it. I used to buy QUILT and other associated publications, but stopped when I began to do applique and also began seeing the same quilts in several magazines and also seeing the same patterns over and over again. I like Quilting Today and Traditional Quiltworks and usually will check them out in a store to see if they have something I would like to make. Since all of the magazines are getting so expensive it is folly to buy them all. I'd rather be buying fabric! I have quite a few books that I've accumulated over the last ten years, some more helpful than others but I love them all. One other thing, the Australian applique patterns are so exquisite. I really like this forum setup 'cause it is fun to be able to talk to people from other countries. 

Ellen:
I like several magazines- Fons and Porter (I like the simple patterns and good directions), and McCall's Quilting .

But the newest to my collection feeds my fascination with a newly learned quilting style - Paper Piecing. The magazine is The Foundation Piecer by Zippy Designs. The patterns are stunning and always surprise and fascinate me. Many of the patterns are more detailed than I want to do. But I have done the mariner's compass blocks and from the last issue did a star pattern. I like that with some of the patterns they give a larger and smaller version that can be used. Gives me more use options.

The other thing I do like is that many of the larger patterns are put together such that you can isolate a portion of it to mix and match with other projects. i.e. trees in a quilt could be adapted to your own wall hanging ( I have one of these in process in my head.) Enjoy those magazines and the ideas they inspire.

Julie:
I've let all my subscriptions expire and do not buy any magazines any more without looking through them first. I have so many books, patterns and magazines with more projects than I will ever have time for and am running out of room for all of them. My rule is that a magazine has to have at least 3 projects that I would like to make or I will not purchase it. A book has to have that many also and I will usually only buy them when I can get them on sale.

I've subscribed to quilt magazines since 1992 and that adds up to a lot of patterns.

shaorn:
I just renewed my subscription to Quilters Newsletter Magazine for 2 more years. I often buy the Miniature Quilts magazine, they have always got lots and lots of patterns, that with a little effort you can alter them to any size you want. I do do some miniatures, also. I love them all, and buy one at a time, so its not so expensive. Its kinda like eating one piece of cake at a time, not getting so many calories. LOL 

Carol:
My two favorite magazines, which have not been listed, are Art Quilt Magazine and American Quilter. Neither are available on news stands.

Art Quilt magazine is a fledgling publication that a gal in Houston is doing on a shoestring budget. It does not get published on a regular schedule, but when it comes I look at all of the pix from cover to cover and then leave it by my bed for some night time reading. Definitely a must have for anyone interested in art quilts!

American Quilter is the publication that comes with an AQS membership and it is great! Lots of really nice pix.

annavera: (in New Zealand)
I have to put in a plug for Australia's original patchwork mag, Down Under Quilts, but must admit that I don't buy it unless I skim it first. An exciting local mag and one I DO buy, is New Zealand Quilter. This is a mixture of traditional and art works and I find it more 'lively' than many. Our local newsagent has just started getting English-language Euroquilt. I have only seen 2 issues, but rank it with the Kiwi one for that 'surge of inspiration' feeling it gives me.

Marlene:
My favorite is BH&G's American Patchwork and Quilting. Have every issue from #1 and is the only one I for which I now have a subscription. Let all others go and only buy them if they have AT LEAST three patterns I want to make. APQ has great variety, very interesting articles .. and most important I've never found a mistake in their patterns. Something I can't say for any other magazine I've tried.

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Susan

Susan Druding

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