Confessions of a magazine addict ...

Thanks for your input on the fabric choices for Aster Blast! I decided to stay with my second choice and have started to applique the centers and baskets. In the end, it came down to laziness ... I didn't want to take apart all of those stems, even though some are a little crooked, but, in keeping with my "it doesn't have to be perfect" philosophy, I didn't correct all of them (okay some were ridiculously crooked, so I had to fix them ... I admit to being a closet perfectionist).

More confessions ... I am addicted to quilting magazines. I receive two by mail and buy anywhere from 4 to 6 additional magazines every month or so. Sometimes it an "or so" because magazines just don't fit in the budget that month, but they are one of my favorite indulgences.

So yesterday we went off to the Borders in Keene, NH and with great delight, I went down the aisle where the quilt magazines are stashed. There is a bench at the end of the aisle and I usually sit there and look them all over, but some woman was in my spot and wouldn't give an inch, so I just stood in front of her and looked at the magazines. Really, how can someone not recognize when one of their fellow human beings is in desperate need of a magazine fix? How inconsiderate! Hmmmm ... maybe she was in the same position as me ... although she was looking at cooking magazines, couldn't be the same thing.

Anyway, I came away with my two treasures and with the next one planned ... here are the two I bought yesterday:
I'm loving Mark Lipinski's Quilter's Home. Not your average quilting magazine, you can count on an unconventional view of the quilting world. Mark has a talent for saying like it is and not mincing words about taboo quilting subjects. I love that ... we "quilters" tend to take ourselves so seriously ... what's the point? I enjoy Mark's writing style and for some reason, being called somebody's little "poodle" or "chicken" is endearing to me.

Then I bought the BH&G American Patchwork & Quilting. I'm always attracted to their magazine ... it's candy for the eyes. And they have lots of do-able projects that don't look too scary (and I can be a scardy-cat ... more on that later). I like the AllPeopleQuilt website ... lots of great information, free patterns and stuff. I get their e-newsletter and generally find a few interesting things there. It's very commercial, but what can you say? It's BH&G?

So then at home. I get the following:
I have gotten, Quilters Newsletter, off and on, since I first started quilting (late '80's). I love looking at the magazine. But honestly, some of the projects scare the heck out of me ... there are a bunch of sewing geniuses out there in the world and the thought of measuring up to that ... eek! However, now that I have my new "it doesn't have to be perfect" attitude, I'm not so scared ... I do love this magazine, the articles are good and I like learning about the history of quilts, etc. The magazine, on the whole is pretty "serious" ... probably it's only downside.

Then I also get Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting ... they generally have easy to accomplish projects (not that I'm always looking for easy, but something that could be completed in my lifetime would be good) ... more do-able like the BH&G magazines. My only complaint about this magazine is that they are constantly plugging the F&P products. Not that I dislike the products, but, enough already!

So if Quilters Newsletter is for the serious quilter, F&P's Love of Quilting is for the the more down to earth, "get 'er done," kind of quilter. I like them both, so maybe I'm a little bit of both.

And, oh goody, this just arrived today ... the latest edition of QNM:
I'm in magazine addicts heaven! I'm off to read ... Shatzie and Bailey just came in to join me ...