Quilters Newsletter change

I found, after 15+ years of subscribing to at least 4 quilting mags at a time, that I just wasn't getting all that much out of them. Maybe an inspiration for a color combination or some little thing I thought I might use at some point, but not worth the magazine price for one or two little tidbits. (Usually I find the ads for fabric and gadgets more interesting than the articles!) I *never* make a quilt that I see- I may borrow some aspect of it, but I'd never make a copycat quilt. So, I now carefully analyze and study quilting books that deal with a technique- like machine quilting or thread painting- and spend my money on those. (I use amazon.com for their 'look inside this book' feature for helping with some decisions on which book to buy- and their shipping is free if you spend over $25.) I find I am much happier paying a larger amount for a book but will use nearly all the info than for a magazine where it's simply a way to pass some time. Time that could be put to better use- like making a quilt! I still enjoy American Quilter magazine that comes with my AQS membership and I will continue that membership.

Just my $2 worth- with the $#!*&$ price of gas and propane 'my two cents worth' isn't worth much! LOL

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"Sandy Ellison" wrote in message news:C4ACF918.2A700% snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net...

That's a bunch of baloney. I do like reading it....but it only takes about half an hour, cover to cover including the ads in the back. They just can't handle $$$$ publishing that often. Basically it's an under the radar price increase. I might have to think about my subscription....though I do enjoy that half hour.

I have found QNL to be the least informative of any of my quilting magazines. As such I will no longer subscribe to it as soon as my subscription expires in October (looks like I will be getting shorted on issue). If you guys ever find something I really MUST read/see, I can go to the public library and look at it there. The library fits the budget of an unemployed home seller better than anything else I have seen.

Debbi in SO CA

Sandy Ellis> Howdy!

Guess I should have read the new subscription notice (haven't even opened the envelope yet) - didn't realize they were switching to 6 issues. I really enjoy John Flynn's and Helen Kelley's columns, but don't think I'll renew just to read two columns!

I've been un-subscribing from one quilt magazine after another. I found that most of them I would look at the day I get them, and never pick them up again. That leaves only Quiltmaker that I will be subscribing to. I do like Quiltmaker because of the wonderful support they give Project Linus.

Donnain SW Idaho

point of order!!

Debbi, if you subscribed for 10 issues, you should get 10 issues. the fact they cut back to >I have found QNL to be the least informative of any of my quilting

Mine hasn't come yet, so I wasn't aware of the change, but I'm planning to let my subscription drop next time around. I thought I was going to really like the new format and new columns when they made those changes (when was it, last year?), but I can take them or leave them. And now, if they think it's going to take me two months to "savor" each issue, well, it just isn't going to work that way! Heck, I figure it's good for an hour the day I get it, and that's if I read really slow!

i never really subscribed to QNL but picked it up on occasion at the LQS. i only kept the mag. to AQS and quit all my other ones. Even the "regular" mags. we get some of the ones at work that i like, so i end up borrowing them and returning them when i'm done.

i definately would cancel a magazine for reducing issues and not reducing pricing.

amy in CNY

I didn't realize they were changing their schedule. I did let my subscription lapse but then got a really cheap offer and picked it up again. I paid $10 for a year and even at the reduced number of issues I probably do ok at that price. I doubt I'd pay much more with the magazine they publish now though. Like someone else I always look forward to Helen Kelley. Her column seems like an old friend at this point. The magazine on the whole has become a real disappointment. I canceled once so I guess I can say I could definitely cancel again. Glad you brought it up Sandy. I hope someone over there is paying attention to our comments. I hope they don't get your idea and add a fuel surcharge though. Taria

Sandy Ellis> Howdy!

I don't care for all the new articles either. They seem to be more op-ed or creative writing about quilts rather than any substance. Give me a bio on someone doing something innovative. Or a history of an event or quilt. I don't really care what John Flynn "feels" about so and so. I haven't received my new one yet either. Should we fire off some emails to the editor as to the absurdity of her "savor" comments?

The advent of the Web has put all traditional publishing under the gun. With so much free content it is growing harder and harder to get people to pay for content, regardless of how good, pertinent, up to date or whatever. This is bad news for writers and artists and others who have made a living publishing newspapers and magazines. My DH is a newspaper editor and we are figuring he may have 10 more years in the industry, but probably more like 5, before it collapses entirely.

That said, QNM has become really vapid over the past year I think. I see the same articles in that as I do in all the other quilting magazines. It seems the same people are featured, same amazing quilts written about. I am another who will never make an exact copy of a quilt I see in a magazine. I like information about techniques and products that I haven't tried before. Or new ways to do something better.

I have been subscribing to four quilting magazines for a couple years now. Each one was a gift subscription from somebody and when the gift was over I just kept paying for the thing. But I have let them all lapse now. I figure I can save enough money to pay significantly toward the straight stitch sewing machine I want. And, I confess, I buy books that I think will become a good part of my library. I like technique books more than specific patterns -- although I have a few of those.

So that's my take on this. I think within a few years you will see all subscriptions going to online content only. And even that will be a hard sell. The days of holding a magazine or newspaper in your hands for a read are going the way of the polar ice cap. It's just too expensive and the return is just too low these days.

Sunny

I've heard this before and it makes me sad. We get TWO morning newspapers and my day isn't quite on the right path until I get through them both. I hate reading a newspaper online. I like your assessment of QNM...it's right on the nose. And in the past I've defended the magazine as it does have some info on international shows and some who's who in quilting. But I think it has considerably slipped, particularly with the new format.

Not a subscriber. Used to, but it always seemed to have trouble getting here. And I'd listen to all of you talking about this or that QN article and feel frustrated about waiting 5-6 weeks for it to appear. And sometimes it didn't, so I'd have to write and complain. Sigh.

But I agree, less service for the same m>Howdy!

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:04:56 -0500, Sandy Ellison wrote (in article ):

Personally, I'm not wild about it. And that's even after I haven't had time to read them for several months.

Maureen

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:16:43 -0500, Debbi in So CA wrote (in article ):

Maureen

I'm disappointed but will continue my subscription, as it is the most interesting aside from AQS mag I get. If the content changes dramatically, I'll reconsider.

Musicmaker

I find a new design or technique in QNM about as often as I do in other mags, but I have to admit that I now enjoy Quiltmaker more. It would be good if they came out on alternate months, then the 2 together would make one decent subscription. I will have to wait & see if the QNM content improves with them having 2 months to work on it. If not, I, too, may have to let my subscription lapse. A shame, since I have been getting it since 1978, but there you are. A few years ago I stopped getting Better Homes and Gardens (the general magazine, I still get that quilting one) Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, and Woman's Day. The reason was that I could pick up the month's issue from ANY recent year and it was about the same. My favorite way to buy quilt mags now is to get the old ones used at book sales & yard sales for $0.25-0.50 an issue. The old ones aren't as slick, and some of the patterns are really better for handpiecing, but you can't beat the content to price ratio, and it is good practice redrafting the old patterns into EQ if I like them.

Jane in NE Ohio where it is sunny right now, but the ground is still soggy from rain off & on the last 2 days

"Sandy Ellison" wrote in message news:C4ACF918.2A700% snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net...

I gave up my subscription a few years ago - there wasn't enough content for me to want my own issues. A quick flip through my guild's copy at a meeting is just fine.

It seems to me that when I first subscribed to QNM that there weren't many, if any, alternatives. Now there are easily a dozen different quilting magazines available. I know there are more people quilting but still, there is a limit to how saturated the magazine market can get. I guess their switch to every 2 months is the only way they can keep going. But maybe if they changed their content they would do better.... (just think of Quilting Arts magazine which went the other direction from 4 times a year to bimonthly).

Allison in Montreal

Sandy Ellis> Howdy!