Have you all been following the debate on Humble Quilts? On her blog this week, Lori posted a thoughtful comment on how in her opinion, quilting magazines have not been all that exciting lately. In fact, she feels the quality is so lacking that she is letting her subscriptions go (even to American Patchwork & Quilting!).
You should go read the comments she got. Fascinating. So many people completely agreed with her and said they were going to let their subscriptions lapse, or stop buying the magazines at the store. I even left a comment saying I got more excited about the patterns in my old issues than I do for the ones in recent issues. I will still buy, but the thrill is less than it used to be.
One of her readers sent a link to Lori's post to the editor of AP&Q, and Elizabeth Beese, Senior Editor, sent her a personal response. Elizabeth's reply was so gracious and full of questions on what could be done to make the magazine better. Her sincerity showed through her words, to me anyhow. What designers interest us? What sorts of patterns? Would we like more primitive designs? What could they do to improve?
The really interesting part of the whole post was the comments from readers, who were really forthcoming in what they felt. Last I looked there were over a hundred comments to Lori's two posts on the subject, and most of them were in agreement that the quality of quilting magazines is less than it used to be. I really recommend that if you haven't been following it, you might want to check it out at Humble Quilts.
The most recent issue of AP&Q that I could lay my hands on quickly was the April issue. I had breezed through it right when I brought it home from the store, but hadn't looked at it again. And I am a person who used to sit for hours studying the latest issue and sticking Post-It notes on the projects that interested me. So, I picked up the April issue and gave it another look.
I don't know exactly why I wasn't that inspired. There was a great quilt by Homestead Hearth in Civil War pink fabrics, and a lovely patchwork and applique quilt by Kim Diehl. Over all a nice mix of advanced patterns and a few that would be ok for a beginner. There was a balance of projects using modern fabrics and traditional fabrics. A very good article about Kaari Meng of French General. There should have been something in that issue for everyone.
I just do not know why I wasn't bowled over, as I may have been in the past. Am I getting jaded and it is going to take a real stunner to wow me? Am I like a teenager who plays too much violent video games and gets immune to violence? You know, how it takes more and more to thrill them? God forbid, are we like prescription pain pill addicts who need more and more to get that good feeling?
The whole debate made me wonder if it is the magazines that have changed or if it is we consumers.