Quilters' Newsletter controversy

Taking the stance that the best offense is a good defence, Quilters' Newsletter printed a letter from a reader who was absolutely incensed that one issue did not include a pattern for the cover quilt: she demands the magazine send her the pattern or ELSE! [unspecified horrors of calling the BBB and posting nasty notes in newsgroups.]

The magazine's editor replies that they choose to publish quilts that are original works of art on their covers, not necessarily quilts that they pattern.

I buy that particular magazine because I'm interested in seeing the best of the best; hearing about new techniques; history of quilts etc. I never considered that every quilt they show would have a pattern [any more than I consider that the Arts and Crafts Revival magazines I buy would give me house plans with the pictures of homes.]

So...what say you? Is the reader right in being upset?

Aw fer crying out loud. I have stacks of QN with no patterns for the cover quilts. Don't want one; didn't expect one. Polly

"Kimberley I. Graham" <

First of all, the magazine had never promised to include a pattern for cover quilts, so she has no reason to be put out when they did not do so.

Most of these quilts are very complex works of art (or they would not be the best in the world) and took a considerable amount of time to make. I've often seen books published with complete instructions how to make. One cannot expect the designer to forgo the benefits of selling his/her book for the privilege of having their quilt on a magazine cover. Furthermore, it really does take a book to include complete instructions for such a complex quilt, so I don't see how she can expect the complete pattern in a small magazine article. I have seen articles on these quilts, but they usually only cover one technique used on a part of the quilt. Such articles would depend upon the quilt's designer's willingness to author it, which may not even be possible.

So IMHO, she was totally unreasonable.

Oh, get over it already.

I see lots of quilts on covers, like on AQS and QNM and others and know that sometimes they are original works of quilting and were made possibly without a pattern. HELLO, some of mine are created like that. Would I like a pattern sometimes? Yes. Do I expect it? No.

What wild hair got up you know where.

Steven Alaska

lol, Steven, i recall a line from a movie but forget the name of the movie or even what it was all about but the line went something like this... what crawled up her butt and died. pretty much says it all, what a silly person whoever she was. she needs to learn how to make up her own patterns or buy the book. :))

j.

"Steven Cook" wrote ... Oh, get over it already.

I see lots of quilts on covers, like on AQS and QNM and others and know that sometimes they are original works of quilting and were made possibly without a pattern. HELLO, some of mine are created like that. Would I like a pattern sometimes? Yes. Do I expect it? No.

What wild hair got up you know where.

Steven Alaska

"Kimberley I. Graham" wrote...

I don't subscribe any more, but if IIRC, QNM seldom if ever has a pattern for the cover quilt, and the articles are more quilt news and techniques than instructions for specific projects. Quiltmaker, OTOH, always uses the cover to advertise the patterns in that issue and concentrates more on patterns. The 2 magazines have an entirely different focus.

Maybe this pers>Taking the stance that the best offense is a good defence, Quilters'

When I was new to quilting I purchased a QNM with a beautiful quilt on the cover that incorporated Mariner's Compass blocks. I was used to buying magazines like Quilt and Quiltmaker so I didn't know that QNM rarely had patterns inside for the quilts on their covers. Was I disappointed? Yes, but never once did it cross my mind to write a letter to them, threatening or otherwise! I got over it, read the articles and enjoyed it for what it was.

The reader needs to chill and learn that she can't always have everything she wants. ~*~ Jeri

What the heck is wrong with people? Seems everybody on earth thinks they deserve ... everything. From everybody. Obviously, she doesn't know what QN is and how it differs from the other quilting mags. Now she knows. What a twit!

Sunny

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 08:37:33 -0600, Jeri wrote (in article ):

I agree with Jeri. QNM is just a different kind of quilt magazine. If I want one that has patterns for every quilt in it, I'll buy something like Quiltmaker.

Course, my feelings might be somewhat influenced by the fact that I just don't have the skills to make most of QNM's cover quilts.

Maureen

I agree w/Nann! QuiltMaker does the patterns for the cover quilts usually. and would you really want to do ALL the patterns, I would rather design my own.