I received a ‘SERVICE INTERRUPTION PENDING’ notice from QNM yesterday. I received this notice despite the fact that I have sent back at least 2, if not 3 of their previous renewal notices letting them know I am not renewing.
I wonder what it takes for them to get the message?
Why am I not renewing? Many reasons.
Reason #1: My primary reason is that QNM is now part of a group that owns Love of Quilting, Keepsake quilting and other quiltmaking properties. This group has low standards for customer service.When I was looking for certain rotary cutting instructions that were not included in a pattern, but were mentioned on the Love of Quilting TV show, I kept getting fobbed off on someone else. Nobody would take responsibility for helping me, for finding the instructions. I am not a moron. I know how to check the web, I have the CD of patterns, which I also looked at. They just don’t care.
Reason #2: I don’t usually use patterns, so the projects in the magazine are a waste of space for me and I don’t want to pay for them. This issue says “..patterns are ideas or guidelines not absolutes.” This is not the ‘vibe’ I have gotten from the quilt industry lately. They want you to use patterns, buy the printed pattern and the Jelly Roll and make what they tell you to make. The quote is quite ironic, I think.
Reason #3: They keep changing editors. Every issue seems to have a new editor.
Reason #4: My fabric doesn’t match the patterns anyway. When I did try and use a pattern (Stepping Stones by the Lintott girls) I found it to be very difficult, because they didn’t use terms such as light, medium and dark, large-scale print, small scale print or solid when describing the fabrics. They used pre-cuts and that was all the pattern was written for. There was no option for the future, when that pre-cut isn’t available or other color choices, because a person doesn’t like that mushy look.
Reason #5: I didn’t ask to subscribe to this magazine. I unsubscribed some time ago and was re-subscribed when they shut down Quilter’s Home.
Reason #6: I have enough to read. I am finding that reading in my life is going by the wayside. I have so many obligations and so much to do that reading is one of the things that is dropping away. If I didn’t have audiobooks, I would never ‘read’ anything. It was such a pleasure to read more than 2 pages in a real book this week while I was sick.
Reason #7: I have enough ideas. I really don’t need anymore new ideas. What I need is to figure out how to live longer (I already don’t smoke), so I can get through them.
Reason #8: There is a mini clothing catalog in the center. Not sure if the owners noticed, but QNM is quilt magazine, not a clothing magazine, why not put a fabric catalog in the center? I think this is one of the problems with QNM being owned by a private equity fund rather than by someone who knows something about quiltmaking. They lump women into a group with the idea that “if they like quilts, they must like clothing.”
Reason #9: I am really liking the Quilt Life magazine. Yes, they have patterns, but the patterns are not the focus. I also like the writing.
Reason #10: I can always change my mind
There are a lot of reasons to like QNM: the great quilt photos, variety of articles, variety of voices writing, the quilt world news and the interviews with designers. I don’t like some of the changes, but I can’t condemn the whole magazine. For now, it just isn’t for me.