Craft magazines: your favorites?

E. Bess · Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 120 Location: Brooklyn, NY

The message on the new BHG mag inspired this. I was going to ask how folks around here like BUDGET LIVING (which doesn't seem at all budget-conscious to me) and READY MADE, and then thought that maybe an open thread discussing the topic might be better.

There are a lot of them out there. I could use some suggestions. Which ones are your favorites, and why? (General how-to or specific crafts, doesn't matter...)

I find READY MADE to be continually disappointing, for what it's worth.
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Sommer · Joined: 20 Jul 2004 Posts: 44 Location: Southern California

Ready Made is very disappointing to me as well. I get a lot of inspiration from ME Home Companion, believe it or not!
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smachel · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 305 Location: kentucky

my BL subscription is running out, and i'm not renewing it. it is budget compared to what you see in other magazines, but not necessarily what all of us would think.

budget living is not consistent enough for me. there are some issues that i really like and some i can't find anything in (like this recent issue). i should at least find something worthy. that's not worth a renewal to me.

bookish · Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Posts: 108 Location: denton, texas

I like Real Simple for general crafty home and organization ideas. While it isn't a "craft magazine"- I do think it offers a lot of creativity.

For more specific crafts I really like Quilting Arts because the pictures are beautiful and encourage less traditional quilting and I like Threads magazine for sewing tips.
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CraftinFool · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 809 Location: New England

I subscribe to Budget Living and Martha. I tend to use the ideas in Martha more.

I found that Ready Made was fun to read but the how-tos were more involved and more modern than I could really use.

PamTheQueen · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 12:08 pm Post subject:

All the magazines I get on a regular business:

Budget Living
ReadyMade

Somerset Studio (www.somersetstudio.com)
Legacy
Belle Armoire
Art Doll Quarterly
(all 4 are same publisher and I may drop Legacy and Somerset Studio soon -- looks like the Same Ole' Sheeet every issue lately...)

Ideas - a spanish-language magazine published out of Mexico (was Puerto Rico, I think, but recently changed). I absolutely love it! I can only ever find it in Miami. Luckily, we are there a lot. Barnes and Noble on Kendall Road has it.

Marie Claire Idées -- french-language craft magazine. AWESOME! hard to find, but Borders here in Indianpolis frequently has it. It's quaterly,however, and that it not enough! http://www.marieclaireidees.com/

Incidentally, I recently found many of the projects from the above french magazine in FamilyCircle's "Home Crafts" magazine that was on display until Oct 4. They were from last fall's issue of Marie Claire Idées.

I also pick up Martha Stewart (her name isn't on it anymore) Kids magazine and sometimes Martha Stewart (original) mag. Depends on what is in it.

Quilting Arts and Threads, as mentioned already.

I know I get more magazines because I am always buying them!!!! Will look thru piles next to studio toilet (inspiration central!) LOL
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acebeader · Joined: 15 Apr 2004 Posts: 227 Location: Wisconsin

I get a lot of ideas from ME Home Companion as well! I also love Martha Stewart Living, Bead and Button, and Bead Style. More and more beading magazines are on the market, but they just aren't as good.

shawneemonkey · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 161

i have subs to:
quilting arts
fiberarts
juxtapoz

i occasionally pick up:
raw vision
(marty stew's) kids and living
threads
whatever looks interesting at the moment

i recently got a budget decorating mag, but i forget what it was called. i think it was put out by BHG or good housekeeping. anyway, it had some great cheap-o crafty home dec ideas.
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Athos · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

oooh this is always one of my favorite threads:

ready made is really not for me. partly because of their annoying/offensive advertorials, but the aesthetic really doesn't appeal to me. ME home companion has really great artist profiles, i haven't checked it out lately.

i subscribe to MSL, sometimes MS Kids, i really like real simple, but i can't bring myself to subscribe because it's kind of pricey. i always buy marie claire idees on the newstand (and it is darn hard to find). i *love* it. if i had to toss my entire library of craft books, ideas, and magazines, and only have one thing to replace it, i would chose marie claire idees. i'd like to see the interweave knits crochet issue, i can't find it anywhere.

and can someone give me permission to cut up my MSLs? and i save every issue in perfect condition. all other magazines i rip up, put in page protectors, and file away. well, except for marie claire idees, but that's only 4 issues a year, so it doesn't take up nearly as much space to save those. i really need to get rid of every piece of paper in my apartment that is not absolutely necessary, and the two boxes of MSLs i've got are just too much!

bookish · Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Posts: 108 Location: denton, texas

Athos-

What is Marie Claire Idees?

Thanks in advance...
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Athos · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

PamTheQueen had the right link:

Marie Claire Idées -- french-language craft magazine. AWESOME! hard to find, but Borders here in Indianpolis frequently has it. It's quaterly,however, and that it not enough! http://www.marieclaireidees.com/

there's only a couple places in SF that carry it - i actually usually make a trip to a little book store in rockridge to find it.

Sabriel Olive · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 60 Location: Clifton Gaslight

I found Interweave the crochet issue at my local grocery and Borders, but I went to a local craft store and they didn't have it, kinda weird. I absolutely love it. Their are a lot of cool patterns.

for_esme · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 5:46 pm Post subject:

as of late i can't bring myself to buy magazines... $4 or $5 a pop really adds up.

i like the last issue of budget living, but i agree that it's really not that budget friendly (for having budget included in its title, especially)! ready made can be alright for showcasing interesting products, but i don't find their "how-to's" very do-able for me (since i'm a beginner crafter and don't own things like saws or electric drills).

i like real simple for organization ideas, especially. i find that if there's some homecare fact i've been wanting to know (like how long certain veggies last in the fridge, or how to store them properly) real simple will eventually mention it. but i check it out at the library cause it's too expensive.
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peppermintsquare · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 162 Location: austin

I subscribe to ReadyMade and Budget Living. Personally, I like ReadyMade but their subscription service really sucks. I don't think I will renew. I will instead rely on purchasing at the newstand - more expensive but also more reliable.

I do like Real Simple and have contemplated subscribing but for now I just pick it up every now and then.

I also pick up Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits from time to time.
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E. Bess · Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 120 Location: Brooklyn, NY