Melancholy Sigh
Apr. 20th, 2008 10:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anne_dI've been culling the craft magazines.
I subscribed to Threads from the beginning, for years, and only gave it up when it went from "interesting fiberarts of all kinds*" to "trendy fashions". So I had something like six or seven magazine files of the thing taking up space on my bookshelves, and I hadn't pulled one out in years. It was clearly time to cull the collection.
I looked at all of them and set aside four or five with articles I want to xerox. Then I'm passing the lot on to a friend who knows other people who sew. It's pretty sad, really; Threads used to be such a good resource before it went all trendy garment-making.
I just got rid of all the Lapidary Journals and miscellaneous "why on earth did I keep that?" stuff. Next, the beadwork and jewelry-making magazines. Either I've outgrown it, I have the information in books, or I really don't know why I kept it.
What's really sad? When I subscribe to something and before the year is up, I'm sorry I did. Step By Step Wireworking started out promising, with articles by artists whose work I know, but it's already gone repetitive and/or stuff I can't do anyway, like torchwork. Bead & Button and Beadwork have gone from profiles of artists, ethnic beadwork and cool open-ended projects to "make this exact necklace you saw at Macy's for only $300 in supplies and tools"; I won't be renewing that subscription either, and if Piecework doesn't improve, it'll go, too. I'd rather buy one issue at a time. Right now, it looks like my only personal subscription** is going to be Mary Englebreit's magazine, which I read, enjoy and pass on. Of the new Victoria, we shall not speak, except to say that it's one long ad, and very disappointing.
What I really like and hold onto are magazines that give general instructions so I can create my own designs. I want a springboard, not a precise roadmap, if that makes sense. I tend to look at things in stores and say "Oh, I could do that, but I'm going to change the color, and the size, and this and that" and then I go do my own thing. I still have to find somebody to gift it to, but that's another matter.
Oh well, I can always use the shelf space for more interesting things - I need someplace to put the spirit dolls and mermaids. And the piles of handmade paper. And the (additional) boxes of beads. Sic transit something or other...
*The early issues had crochet, knitting, beadwork, basketry, weaving, ribbonwork, all sorts of fiberarts.
**As opposed to family - we all read New Scientist and Scientific American, and three of the four of us read The Nation.
I subscribed to Threads from the beginning, for years, and only gave it up when it went from "interesting fiberarts of all kinds*" to "trendy fashions". So I had something like six or seven magazine files of the thing taking up space on my bookshelves, and I hadn't pulled one out in years. It was clearly time to cull the collection.
I looked at all of them and set aside four or five with articles I want to xerox. Then I'm passing the lot on to a friend who knows other people who sew. It's pretty sad, really; Threads used to be such a good resource before it went all trendy garment-making.
I just got rid of all the Lapidary Journals and miscellaneous "why on earth did I keep that?" stuff. Next, the beadwork and jewelry-making magazines. Either I've outgrown it, I have the information in books, or I really don't know why I kept it.
What's really sad? When I subscribe to something and before the year is up, I'm sorry I did. Step By Step Wireworking started out promising, with articles by artists whose work I know, but it's already gone repetitive and/or stuff I can't do anyway, like torchwork. Bead & Button and Beadwork have gone from profiles of artists, ethnic beadwork and cool open-ended projects to "make this exact necklace you saw at Macy's for only $300 in supplies and tools"; I won't be renewing that subscription either, and if Piecework doesn't improve, it'll go, too. I'd rather buy one issue at a time. Right now, it looks like my only personal subscription** is going to be Mary Englebreit's magazine, which I read, enjoy and pass on. Of the new Victoria, we shall not speak, except to say that it's one long ad, and very disappointing.
What I really like and hold onto are magazines that give general instructions so I can create my own designs. I want a springboard, not a precise roadmap, if that makes sense. I tend to look at things in stores and say "Oh, I could do that, but I'm going to change the color, and the size, and this and that" and then I go do my own thing. I still have to find somebody to gift it to, but that's another matter.
Oh well, I can always use the shelf space for more interesting things - I need someplace to put the spirit dolls and mermaids. And the piles of handmade paper. And the (additional) boxes of beads. Sic transit something or other...
*The early issues had crochet, knitting, beadwork, basketry, weaving, ribbonwork, all sorts of fiberarts.
**As opposed to family - we all read New Scientist and Scientific American, and three of the four of us read The Nation.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-20 05:36 pm (UTC)Julia, we are too good, is why
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-20 06:09 pm (UTC)Paul's gone through the same thing with Fine Woodworking - one of these days, he says, he's going through the boxes and getting rid of most of them. He quit subscribing when the magazine became more "fine" and less "woodworking".
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-20 05:58 pm (UTC)[hugs]
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-20 06:11 pm (UTC)My rule of thumb is that if I buy three consecutive issues, it's probably worth subscribing for a year. Lately that hasn't worked out so well...
Hugs back atcha.