Quilting Magazine ReviewsThere are so many quilting magazines out there and I could never find information about all of them in one place when I needed to. Well, now you can find information in one spot! Hopefully my quilting magazine reviews will help folks decide which one(s) they want to subscribe to. Please keep in mind that there are my opinions only. You may not agree and that is ok! I’ll add more magazines to this list in the future, but for now, here are the first eight reviews. The first 3 on the list are my personal favorites. If I could only subscribe to one or two magazines, it would be selected from first three below. (If you want to add a review of your favorite quilting magazine, just send it to me and I'll add it to my page.) American Patchwork & QuiltingThe first of my favorite quilting magazines, this periodical contains both in-depth articles about quilting and a good number of patterns. Each issue contains quilting tips and favorite finds in new products and at online stores and teaches several new techniques. I also like the organization of the magazine with the articles first, followed by all the patterns. It makes it easier to find things. Each issue includes biographical sketches of the contributors. There is also always an article from the tester who makes each quilt pattern before it is published. This means you’ll rarely find mistakes in the patterns. I find their patterns to be outstanding. Many are presented with different size options (lap, twin, queen, etc) with yardage requirements for each size. The editors use clear symbols to rate the difficulty level of each pattern (beginning, intermediate or advanced). Each pattern is presented with an alternate color way and a quilting diagram. This is a great all around quilting magazine for both beginner and intermediate quilters. There are 6 issues per year and the cover cost is $5.99 USD.
Fons & Porter’s Love of QuiltingThis periodical is similar in style and content to American Patchwork & Quilting and is a great all around magazine for any quilter. It contains a balance of interesting articles and well done patterns. There is a great regular feature called feature called “Sew Easy Projects”. These articles teach a particular technique in detail. For example, a recent issue taught English paperpiecing and interacting appliqué. There are in-depth informational articles, along with reviews of new products on the market and new fabric lines. Each issues has lots of patterns with a nice range of skill levels. The instructions are very clear instructions and they always not the skill level and if the pattern is fat quarter or fat eighth friendly. Quilting diagrams are included, along with alternate color ways. Their templates for appliqué are very clear with notations if they are reversed for freezer paper appliqué. Many patterns have instructions and yardage requirements for making the quilt in several different sizes. All block patterns are made (tested) by an actual person before published. There are 6 issues per year and the cover price is $5.99 USD.Quilter’s HomeThis is the last of my top three picks for quilting magazines. I like this periodical because it is completely different from all the rest. If you want patterns, this would not be my top recommendation, but if you want fun, entertaining articles with a good sense of humor, this magazine is for you. Firstly, it is edited by a man! – he must be a brave soul. Quilter’s Home is very fun to sit and read. It makes me smile and laugh at myself as a quilter. The layout is clean and easy on the eyes. There are more articles than patterns and the articles are fun, informative, funny and different than the typical quilting magazine – things like “Develop your Quilting Identity” or “Quilting Stars and their Pets”. There are a few patterns (3 in the most recent issue), and the instructions are not super detailed. Each is clearly labeled beginning, intermediate or advanced. Templates need to be downloaded from the website. There are 6 issues per year and the cover price is $5.99 USD.Quilter's WorldYou can go green with this quilting magazine by becoming a digital subscriber! Think of the the resources saved by receiving a digital version of the magazine instead of one printed on paper, with inks and shipped with oil and gas. This periodical features reviews of new products, books and patterns, a small number of feature length articles and how-to articles with good, clear instructions and diagrams. The patterns range from quick and easy quilts and pillows to larger intermediate and advanced level quilts. The instructions and diagrams and clear, but they do not provide quilting diagrams or alternative color ideas for all patterns. This is a good magazine for you if you want to get a digital subscription and lots of patterns with fewer articles. You can subscribe digitally at http://www.quilters-world.com/QuiltThis magazine has short informational articles and a lot of patterns at mostly beginning and intermediate levels. Patterns are clearly marked with the difficulty level, with nice instructions. I think Quilt has particularly beautiful patterns with a large variety of color choices and fabric styles. Template for appliqué are clear and easy to see. There are 6 issues per year and the cover cost $6.95 USD. This periodical is a good resource for the quilter who wants mostly patterns.Quilters NewsletterThis is a very inspirational magazine with a large number of photos of award winning quilts. There are also editorials and articles. The most recent issue had a wonderful preview of new lines of fabric coming out in the fall. The patterns are not as easy to use as my favorite magazines. There is an not obvious rating system to tell you the level of difficulty and there are more blocks patterns and quilt ideas than complete patterns. There are no quilting diagrams or alternate color ways presented. There are 6 issues per year and the cover price is $5.99 USD.McCall's QuiltingThe focus of this magazine is patterns and projects, not articles. The patterns are well done with good diagrams and illustrations, an at-a-glance rating system for difficulty level with easy having 1 diamond and advanced having 3 diamonds. There are a variety of patterns for each skill level. They do not provide quilting diagrams or alternate color ways. A feature that is lots of fun is the mystery quilt. Sometimes McCall’s will have a quilt pattern that is presented over several issues and you don’t get to find out what the finished quilt looks like until the end. There are 6 issues per year and the cover cost is $5.99 USD.McCall’s Quick QuiltsThis is a nice magazine for beginning quilters. There are a few articles and many patterns which are almost all beginning level, and quick and easy to make. The pattern illustrations, diagrams, and instructions are very clear. They also tend to use new and interesting fabrics such as blends and batiks. Templates for appliqué patterns are clear and easy to use. There are 6 issues per year and the cover cost is $4.99 USD.The Quilter MagazineThis magazine seems to be geared toward a more intermediate or advanced quilter. There are great photographs of quilting details, but I find the layout and format to be little less clear and clean than some other magazines, so a bit harder on my eyes to read. They have product reviews and comparisons, along with mostly intermediate level projects. The templates for appliqué patterns were not easy for me to use because of the odd gray and black format. There are no quilting diagrams. I haven’t liked the patterns in the Quilter Magazine as well as the ones in my favorites, but am having a hard time putting my finger on why. It is probably just my personal taste. There are 7 issues per year and the cover cost is $6.99 USD.Quilting Arts MagazineThis is a great quilting magazine with a different focus from the others. The focus is art quilts and it is very inspirational to me to look through this each month. The photography is outstanding. The articles are fairly concise and include biographies of contributors and other artists who use quilts as their medium. There are how-to projects and patterns with very good, clear instructions. For example, a recent issues included an article and instructions for dying your own fabrics with rusty objects. This is a great choice for a quilter who wants to explore beyond traditional piecing and appliqué. There are 6 issues per year and the cover cost is $7.99 USD.
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