Monday, July 18, 2016

Thank You, Quilters Newsletter!

Quilters Newsletter feature, August/September 2012

Back in 2012, I received this e-mail from Mary Kate Karr Petras, Associate Editor of Quilters Newsletter Magazine:


"1/6/2012
Dear Mr. Volckening, 
Greetings from Quilters Newsletter magazine! I am writing to let you know that we are interested in featuring you and your collection in a future issue of QN. We would want to interview you, possibly by phone, and also include a number of images of your quilts..."

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I wasn't sure how they found me. I had collected for more than 20 years, but nobody knew about it.


When I started sharing the collection through social media, I didn't realize I was doing anything out of the ordinary...but Quilters Newsletter realized. 

Quilters Newsletter feature, August/September 2012

The first feature, "Collecting Beauty" by Mary Kate Karr Petras appeared later that year, along with a pattern for one of the quilts. I was surprised by the generous number of pages devoted to the article. I thought, "They like me, they really like me!"


Quilters Newsletter feature, February/March 2015

In 2015, Quilters Newsletter published another article about my collection. It was about 1970s quilts, and I wrote the article and provided the photos. We planned ahead, and the article appeared at the same time as my special exhibit of 1970s quilts at QuiltCon 2015 in Austin.


Several of my quilts have appeared in other issues of Quilters Newsletter. It's been a pleasure to contribute, and I was always happy to get them whatever they needed right away. 


Quilters Newsletter, December/January 2016,
"Readers' Quilt Show - Celebrate Hand Quilting"
"Cheddar Quilts" by Pepper Cory June/July 2014
Quilters Newsletter, October/November 2015

I pitched ideas, and several of them were picked up and published. Every once in a while I was asked to write an article. The recent feature about Tom Korn was one of those, and I was the one who originally pitched the idea. 

Quilters Newsletter Magazine, April/May, 2016,
"Tom Korn's Remarkable Ribbon Quilts"

Most recently, I wrote an article about the Hawaiian scrap quilts. It's in the latest issue.

"Kalakoa! Surprising Hawaiian Scrap Quilts"
Quilters Newsletter Magazine, August/September 2016.

Quilters Newsletter holds a very special place in my heart. Quilting enthusiasts have enjoyed the magazine for 47 years, but last week, I learned the magazine will no longer be published after the October/November 2016 issue. I was sad to hear the news.


Quilters Newsletter played a significant role in my quilt journey. The magazine also documented the history of quiltmaking during the rise of the quilt industry from the 1970s through today. The catalogue of magazines is, and will continue to be, a valuable historical document. Thank you, Quilters Newsletter. We will miss you, but knowing where to find a complete collection of the magazines, it's not really goodbye!
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8 comments:

  1. I too am sorry to hear they will cease publishing. Forty-seven years you say....wonder how many of those I have in my towers of quilt mags?

    Ceasing and yet there are more and more new quilt magazines... not many last long.... and few have depth to them.

    Glad you posted as you have been quiet this season.

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  2. This is devastating news. QNM has been a part of my life since I first discovered quilting in the late 80s. As it happens, I've been re-reading some old issues recently and wondering, with a sense of tingling anticipation, what they would do for the 50th anniversary in a few years ... and now they won't be able to do anything. I don't know of any other magazine that has the breadth of information and experience that has made QNM so enjoyable for so long. I don't think I'll ever be able to find another magazine that means so much to me.

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  3. OMG! QNM was the first magazine I subscribed to when I started quilting in 2002 and the only one that I've kept a continuous subscription for since. I will definitely miss it as I've always treasured it for being a chronicler of the quilting world in general as opposed to just being a pattern magazine.

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  4. What is really sad is that one of the better magazines is the one that is being closed by the publishers.

    I've read most of your articles--always fun to find.

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  5. Oh that is sad news! I really enjoy Quilters Newsletter because they publish articles about the history of quilts. current show winners, and so many other things other publications don't cover. I've read and enjoyed many of your articles in the past. Thanks for your contributions!

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  6. This is terrible news. I have been a subscriber since they began publishing. There are no other quilt magazines that compare to QN in quality. Other ones I get I read and toss, QN are the only ones I save and re-read!

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  7. Ditto to all remarks! I've always regarded QN as "the quilting bible" and am devastated by this news. My subscription does not expire until 2018 so I will be curious to see if I hear from the publisher or get a refund. Not holding my breath. Quilt on, all!

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