All those little sticky note pieces? Those are all quilts I’d like to make from your publication.
Recently, I’ve become a bit disenchanted as it seems that you’ve chased after the newest trends in quilting, relaxing on the news sections and the instructional sections that made you famous and focusing too much attention and ink on the hate filled comments of some of your readers. And, personally, I’m not much caring for some of the newer patterns…note how many sticky notes are on the left side of the picture above and how few on the right side, where the newer editions are stored.
But, despite that, I’ve remained a faithful reader of every issue…they don’t even get time to warm up on these cold days before I’m ripping through the plastic to get to the goodies inside. I’ve read them to keep up with the news in the quilting community and to become a better and more inspired quilter.
But, I need to tell you that I’m getting really frustrated by your subscription department. And, I’m not thinking that their values reflect the values that drew me to your publication.
You see, in the last 6 months, I’ve received at least 5 threats to discontinue my subscription unless I pay NOW. But, when I log into my online account, I’m paid through March of this year. You probably can’t see the small print in the picture, but this threat says I’ll be cut off as of January 4. Huh?
This is the most likely reason that I would end my subscription to your magazine. I had similar experiences a couple years ago and dropped both those publications because of it.
I think you can count on my subscription this year…and hopefully my approaching expiration will not cause you to step up your efforts to collect early. But, I’m not sending the money one day before I have to. Before I choose to. And, I’m only being bull headed like this because of all those previous “reminders”. This never would have caught my attention except for their frequency.
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And, for all my regular readers:
Tonight, Sydney has a far away game that Rob will be going to. I’ll be coming home early to feed the hounds and let them out. I’d like to think that I’ll get lots of quilting done, but I know that what I’ll end up doing is sitting in the floor and playing with the dogs until I tire them out and they head off for a nap and then I’ll get just a few minutes to sew before I’m too tired to safely operate heavy machinery.
Okay, so Alba Tross can’t actually be qualified as heavy machinery.
It’s more likely I’d get tired and my seams would go all wonky.
Everybody have a great Tuesday. I’m still in the middle of too many projects to have my own work to share today. Too many projects means I don’t make much progress on any of them.
All the rows of the I Spy quilt are assembled. Now, it’s time to press the seams and start joining them.
Be well. Lane
11 comments:
Totally agree with you about the magazine subscription "harassment" Over the past few years I've let all my quilt magazine subscriptions lapse- - they all seem to have the same patterns, same color combos, etc. and not a lot of inspiration.
I'm still plugging away on my I Spy, not nearly as far along as you. High hopes for progress today.
Looking forward to seeing the plaid quilt you mentioned yesterday.
Happy Tuesday, Barb
Alba is so cute. Maybe one day, I'll find a featherweight for myself. There's an on-line shop that sells refurbished featherweights. They paint them in all sorts of colors, too, so you can have your pick; pink, turquoise, blue, red . . . and they're only $1000 each.
I'm in charge of collections at work (least favorite part of the job). If I did collections like Quilter's magazine does, I'm pretty sure I'd be out of a job. As it is, I barely keep up with my notifications of 45 days late and suspensions at 60. I'm actually a little behind.
Here's a thought. I'm pretty sure I got an offer in the mail from them for a couple months free. Maybe they're trying to make up the difference for my free months by cutting you off early if you don't pay now. Lame.
xo -E
What is it with magazines that they feel the need to use such threatening tactics? I buy a few magazine subscriptions as Christmas presents through a friend as her kids school does it as a fund raiser (win-win of shopping without crowds and supporting the school). I was going to renew my husbands magazine because he really liked it only to find out that those letters started coming (to him not me even though I'm the one the paid for it) and he renewed it himself. Bah.
Sewing while tired generally doesn't produce good results. Ask me how I know. ;)
What is it with the new patterns? I don't like most of the new trends either. They're trying so hard to capture the younger women that they're alienating both their older and younger readers-- they're totally underestimating their younger readers.
The predatory collections have made me stop taking quilt magazines. I buy them at the market if they have a pattern I like, so a shop-hop feature for an area I might visit. I love the articles about quilt history and other quilters.
I can't wait to see your i-spy top!
I hate most magazines for the reasons you mention: they never let you go and keep harassing you.
I hope my new white FW is as pretty s Alba!
If Alba Tross ever needs a new home, call me. As for the harassment from magazines the king of the crop is Discover mag that calls you twice or three times a week even if you have just renewed. One lovely magazine I adored begged for a renewal right after I renewed, went out of business promptly afterwards. They took the money and ran.
Oh!!! So excited to see your picture of Alba! I have one just like it arriving next week! Do you LOVE her? I can't wait for mine. Please tell me you LOVE her!
After subscribing to QNM for over 15 years, I recently let it go. I too disliked their aggressive "tactics" for renewal almost a full year before you were to "expire".. And like others have mentioned, I do not like the "modern" trends or the modern fabrics. The patterns lately are so modern/simplistic/BORING; they do not do a thing for me.
I have let all my quilting mag subscriptions lapse also. There's so much inspiration in my collection of old magazines that I'll never run out of something to make. The plus side is there's less clutter coming in the house.
I received my very first issue of QNL the other day and I must say, I hated it. Not one pattern interested me. I certainly hope that they aren't all like that or I will not renew.
I am lucky that my local library carries QM so I can go borrow when I need a fix. Then take them back, reducing clutter and aggressive marketing.
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