Thursday, August 22, 2013

Time to Let Go

I am doing something totally out of character for me.  After twelve, thirteen, maybe even fifteen years of yearly subscriptions to American Patchwork and Quilting, I am finally letting my subscription expire.
Time to shake things up around here
They rarely have a quilt that I LOVE anymore, so I think it's time to let go. Kathie's quilt in the latest issue almost made me change my mind, but I know where to buy a single issue whenever I truly can't resist.

Meanwhile, I'm jumping over to Primitive Quilts & Projects to see what they have to offer me throughout the year. True confession time? I hate to pay $9.99 for a single magazine so I've never even bought a single issue. Browsed through them, yes.  Borrowed my mom's issues, yes. Forgot to return them to her? Umm. no.  She won't let me forget. Ever.

Now, if someone would just figure out a way to get Quiltmania on the cheap in the USA, we'd all be jumping at the chance to subscribe to a quilt magazine.*wink

18 comments:

  1. I too would love to be able to get Quiltmainia! Right now the only I subscribe to is Primitive Quilts and Projects and there are several on my wish list!

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  2. I'm with you on loving Quiltmania. I stopped subscribing to our local mags. I have a quick flick through in the newsagents and buy one if I really get tempted. I also pop up to my local library and read their copies. Part of my problem is storage, I had a book shelf full of magazines I wasn't going back to. Now I have one shelf, the rest of the book shelf is quilting books, hmmm.

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  3. I agree, AP&Q has changed their style! Very few of their quilts appeal to me. I've switched to Primitive Q&P too!

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  4. I hear you. I did that a couple of years ago figuring I would buy a single issue if I 'needed' to. I've only bought one and it was because a friends quilt was in it.

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  5. That's interesting because I was actually thinking of doing the same thing. I can always pick up a single issue if I see something I might be interested in. I'm finding most of my inspiration these days from the super blogs I read and the bloggers who write them!

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  6. Gosh, reading the other comments, I feel sorry for the magazine publishers! I used to have 5 or 6 subscriptions on the go, including one to Quiltmania for a while, but I have given up them all except Inspirations, which you can't get any other way.

    Why? Almost every time I buy a magazine I will find something that I absolutely have to make, and my back log is now so big that it's almost overwhelming! As I just said to someone else, you have to draw the line somewhere. ;D

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  7. I'm with you. I dropped my subscription a year ago and never looked back. And will be letting the other three expire as well. Been buying used books as I see ones I want through Amazon or eBay and there's a lot to be said for that vs. the subscriptions. But I've never even seen an issue of Primitive Quilts - will need to look for that.

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  8. I have not been buying the local Australian patchwork magazines of late, and I too will stop buying the American Patchwork & Quilting mag. They just don't appeal to me anymore, but I LOVE the Quiltmania magazine, and have my local shop hold an issue for me every time it comes out.
    A local patchwork shop orders in the Primitive Quilts mag in to Australia, and I have been getting a few issues. But I may stop getting that one too, as I have not yet made anything from any of the issues and storage space becomes a problem and also I have to consider the dollars spent on magazines.

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  9. I'm not quite there yet, but I still have some issues left on my current subscription to APQ so we'll see how I feel then. Haven't been tempted lately which is sad to me. I've bought one Quiltmania mag and loved it. The times they are a changin'.

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  10. Yes, since the new editors took over a few years ago, the magazine has changed. I think they may be trying to appeal to a younger more "modern" market? I'm not sure I'm ready to give it up quite yet, tho.

    Meanwhile, I love Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting, for two big reasons: the first one is Gerald Roy's column "This Old Quilt" which is all about antique quilts and their history - complete with great pictures.This alone is worth the price of the magazine. The other is "From Liz's Scrap Bag" also a regular feature. Liz Porter makes some fabulous quilts, and her "scrap bag" mostly consists of 1900's repro fabrics. Check it out.

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  11. I gave up AP&Q several months ago after being a subscriber from the start of the magazine. I can purchase a single issue if something really grabs me. I found myself tearing up issues to save what I wanted and then never making it. And the last couple years, nothing was grabbing my attention. I passed the issues along to a friend to enjoy. Quiltmania is expensive but has some wonderful designs. I had a subscription several years ago. And I do like the prim magazine a lot.

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  12. Magazines have become really expensive in general. I put Quiltmania on my Christmas list in case anybody in my family wants to start shopping early . . .

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  13. I've subscribed to AP&Q since their very first issue, but I don't like the direction they're moving in so I don't think I'll renew. If they think some quilters want to make modern quilts, then they need to start a NEW magazine for them - leave our traditional stuff alone! LOL I used to buy Quiltmania at JoAnn Fabrics with a coupon, but they don't let me do that anymore - sigh!

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  14. All of my inspiration comes directly from the internet . I've never subscribed to any quilting mags . I'm too cheap to pay 9 or 10 bucks an issue !

    Occasionally I'll buy one or two second hand from the op shop if I like the cover but thats the limit of my expenditure!


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  15. For me, the blogs and books provide plenty of inspiration, although I do love Quiltmania, and have bought my share of issues.

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  16. I know what you mean, shame to have a subscription and then to get issues you really don't care for. I used to subscribe to Quiltmania, but as of 2013 I just look if I really want to buy the issue, which even with Quiltmania is not always the case for me.

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  17. I did this a few years ago and this summer, I even purged my magazine collection! It was hard but so freeing too.

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  18. Oh and I thought it was just me. Too many "modern" quilts showing up and not my cup of tea(cuz modern does not look cuddly and inviting like I want my quilts to look- so there). I let all subs go this year except F&P's Love of Quilting. I like the patriotic pattern in each issue plus the Scrap Bag pattern.
    Also I kept all my old magazines and look thru them every few months. Now I see new magazines with the same old patterns from a few years ago. They are just using different fabrics!

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