I love to quilt! I have read Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting Magazine, and have even watched their television show. However, I wasn't tempted to subscribe to the magazine until my quilt guild provided an offer I couldn't refuse.


Description

This quilting magazine is printed on a nice weight paper with color photography throughout the publication. Each issue is 108 pages. At the beginning of the magazine is a letter from Marianne Fons and Liz Porter as well as a Table of Contents.

The Table of Contents is divided into several areas: Projects, Techniques, Features and a section titled In Every Issue. The "In Every Issue" articles include tips from fellow quilters, fun a useful sewing/quilting products available in stores, new books, and an area where readers share their projects with photos and a brief description of their quilt.

A word about the advertising. The back of the magazine is filled with advertisements related to quilting and sewing. Everything from products, quilt kits, and ads for stores. The magazine is littered throughout with in-you-face ads. It is impossible to avoid them. Sometimes the advertisements are so cleverly inserted that I've mistaken them for part of an article.


Who are Fons and Porter?

Marianne Fons and Liz Porter met in the mid 1970's at a beginner's quilting class. It wasn't long before they were sharing their knowledge with others, teaching classes. They began writing books in the early 1980's, and in the mid 1990's they began their television career hosting a quilting series for PBS. Early in the new millennium, they also began publication of their magazine, "Love of Quilting".


My Experiences

My favorite sections of this magazine are the "Sew Many Tips" and "Shop Hop" sections. The Sew Many Tips have offered me some great suggestions, all provided by other readers of the magazine. For instance, I never thought to save the salvage edges of my fabrics to make hot pads and coasters. I have lots of those silica gel packs that come in shoes and electronic/computer products, but I never thought to place them with my sewing pins and needles to prevent them from rusting. Another practical idea was supplied by a woman who sometimes forgets to turn off her iron. Her grandson made her a beaded bracelet to wear while the iron was on, and she removes it when the iron is off ... a great reminder.

The "Shop Hop" area is a fun way to learn about new items on the market. The products vary from free-motion quilting supplies, to new cutters and batting. The items can be fun, too, such as the "Quilt In A Cup" - the kit comes with a 2-part cup that comes apart so that a small quilt piece can be inserted between the layers. Another beautiful piece featured is a "Coneflower Cone Thread Holder". It's practical and an art piece, constructed from solid steel; it's designed to hold cone thread and several bobbins.

Scattered throughout each issue are handy tips for easier sewing. Also, each issue focuses on several techniques, which is interesting. For instance, a technique might include a fast way to assemble a classic quilt block, or a page exploring fabric stamping, or a time-saving method to rotary cut fabric pieces, or how to do English paper piecing.

Now for the nitty-gritty of this magazine. The heart of the publication is the quilting patterns. Fons and Porter primarily concentrates on traditional style quilts but usually with an updated look. On average, there are about ten or eleven quilting projects. Most of these are quilts, but each issue also includes at least one smaller project (ex: pincushion, grocery bag, table runner, wall hanging).

Each project includes a large color photograph. It's great to see the actual fabrics used, and the photos are well done. A "Materials List" gives the size of the project and how many quilt blocks are required. The list also includes yardage and a color description of the fabric/print. If the list includes requirements for Fat Eights or Fat Quarters, the size of those is also provided. Instructions for cutting and assembly are detailed with lots of graphic illustrations. If embroidery stitches are required, a simple diagram shows how to do the embroidery stitch. (For those not familiar with embroidery, more instruction might be required.) If a kit is available for the pattern, at the end of the instructions is a red house logo that provides the page number for ordering information.

While some of the patterns indicate they are Fat Eighth or Fat Quarter "friendly", the projects do not indicate a skill level. This bothers me. It's nice knowing whether a project is good for a beginning quilter or if it requires a higher skill set. Also, rather than including complete instructions for a type of quilting, the magazine refers the reader to the Fons and Porter website for additional information. An example of this is for foundation piecing. This magazine also refers to the website to see additional color or size options for some of the projects. However, if a project requires applique, the applique templates are included in the magazine.

A limited number of articles are also in each issue. I have mixed feelings about the articles. Some of them are simple and cover territory covered many times before. Other articles enlighten and bring forth new information such as the fact that Andover Designs is working to produce eco-friendly fabrics. In my opinion, this magazine is not known for its articles, which only average a few per issue.


Subscribing

My quilt guild offered a terrific deal for subscribing to this magazine. For $15.00, I received a year of the magazine (it's bimonthly), plus two free booklets "Keepsake Quilting 10 Quick Gifts" and "Bernina Embellishing Secrets - 6 Easy-to-Learn Techniques" ... plus 2 free spools of Sulky Blendables thread, which usually sell for $5.99 a spool. How could I resist that deal?!

The magazine normally sells in the United States for a one-year subscription at $19.97, and a two-year subscription for $29.97. Sometimes if you pull a subscription card from one of the magazines, the going rate is $16.97 a year, and two years for $26.97. Otherwise, the rate is the same as advertised on the Fons and Porter website.

In case you are interested, the two free publications include the following:

10 Quick Gifts (16 pages) - Scottie Wallhanging (or suggestion for a Leaf Collection Wallhanging using the same basic pattern), Batik Bag, Stars & Stripes Wallhanging (or table runner), Butterfly Jewels Placemats & Napkin Rings (or with Leaves or Hearts), Teddy Bear Quilt.

Embellishing Secrets (16 pages) - The techniques include: surface texturing, needle felting, decorative stitching, couching, thread painting, and beading. The projects include: Memory Book Cover and a Paisley Bag.


Summary

While I enjoy browsing Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting Magazine, it is not a favorite. Even though the magazine is loaded with quilting projects and helpful hints and has well-presented material, for some reason it doesn't leave me wanting more. Perhaps it's because I enjoy paper-piecing, crazy quilting, and incorporating quilting into garments and crafts such as vests ... and this magazine does not focus on any of those areas. The only way I'll renew this one is if I'm offered more free thread. That's a deal!

I hope you found this review useful.

Enjoy the day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Please read my other reviews:

Quilter Magazine

Quilter's Newsletter Magazine

Threads Magazine

Keepsake Quilting (online store)

Joann.com Fabric & Crafts (online store)

Copyright 2008 Dawn L. Stewart


Recommended: Yes