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.