Monday, July 27, 2009

A treasure trove of ideas in magazines

I enjoy magazines, but seldom buy them. For one, my budget doesn't allow, for two, I don't need anything else filling up my shelves and for three, when it comes to quilt magazines, I know I won't use the patterns in the magazines. I design my own quilts, or choose my own fabrics for traditional blocks or quilts others have designed (usually classes).

But last week my guild held a White Elephant sale as part of our meeting, and I picked up a dozen magazines. I was thrilled to find several articles on techniques that I could use right away. One technique was for curved seams and was perfect for a miniature quilt I'm working on right now. Another was part of a series on free-motion quilting, another on making rubber stamps and another on using fabric paints.

So many great ideas -- it makes me want to get busy in my studio -- and maybe re-think my "no magazine" rule.