Keeping Magazines

[franacropan]

A recent post about stitching magazines has reminded me to ask you all for your opinions. My magazines have been in storage for nearly a year (along with everything from the top floor of the house while we had some work done.)Some of them go back to original issues of i.e. New Stitches, Needlework, Cross Stitcher (some still with gifts on the front!), Stoney Creek, Jill Oxten etc etc When I packed them all up I fondly imagined scanning any patterns I wanted to keep, or tearing them out and filing them and disposing of the rest to save space but as the time draws near to make a decision I find I am loathe to part with them. At the moment they are in ring files in plastic pockets but they take up so much room. I wondered if proper magazine binders would hold more, or if there is a way of binding them into "books" or do you just bite the bullet and sell or recycle? I suppose they would actually take up less room just boxed up, not in ring files - see how I look for ways to keep them!
I no longer buy stitching magazines regularly because I already have far too many and if I do buy one I only keep a few patterns and pass the rest on.

[wendywombat]

I don't think there's an answer to the storage problem! I have all my early New Stitches in their own folders, the later ones in wooden file boxes from Ikea along with Needlecraft, WOXs and some later editions of Cross Stitcher. Then there's a Big Blue Box on the floor with some French magazines and a Whole Heap of freebie downloads!!
I gave away all the early editions of Cross Stitcher and Cross Stitch Collection to a previous Forum member some yards back and I STILL have more than a lifetimes worth! I don't buy any mags now UNless there's some thing I just cannot resist!

Help!! What to rescue if there's a fire eh???

[BizzieLizzie]

My method for deciding what to keep and what to throw out (not just magazines, but generally) is if I've forgotten I had it, it isn't important to me and out it goes. Can you remember any of the patterns in particular? Maybe write a list of the patterns you remember (no peeking to remind yourself!) and then find them in the magazines, cut them out and keep them, and throw the rest out. Having that list to hand will help prevent you straying and keeping patterns that you'd forgotten about.

I did this with several piles of sports magazines I had built up over the last few years and I felt sooooooo much lighter having got rid of them. I just kept the articles on beginners' training schedules, sports injuries and nutrition and chucked the rest. It was a great feeling!

[Sandz27]

Can you remember any of the patterns in particular? Maybe write a list of the patterns you remember (no peeking to remind yourself!) and then find them in the magazines, cut them out and keep them, and throw the rest out. Having that list to hand will help prevent you straying and keeping patterns that you'd forgotten about.

Oh that's a really good idea I'll keep that one in mind if I ever need to get rid of things!
x

[socialsue]

I pass it forward to any cross-stitchers that would like the themes that I don't want. I do have lot of magazines and there are some themes that I would never stitch. Fantasy, fairies, angels, wedding announcements, birth samplers, samplers, etc...... usually those who are familiar with me will contact me to let me know if they are looking for a certain designs or the name of the designers and I check through my collection of magazines and mail them on. None of my family members are into cross-stitching. I try to de-stash as often as I can because I don't want to see them thrown into the garbage when I pass on to the next life.

socialsue

[Rose]

I have on occasion thought that I should go through my mags and pull out the patterns I like and organize them into binders so I would be better able to find what I am looking for. So far that has not happened so I just have a ton of mags that I go through every so often looking for a pattern. I think I really need to organize but then I worry that I will reject something that someday I might need. I refuse to throw a pattern away.

[tiffstitch]

My husband collects Pontiac magazines, and he stores them in these. I don't have many cross stitch magazines yet, so it hasn't been an issue.

[Mystonique]

One of the ladies in my cross stitch group is a pensioner and she lives for things like that found at the op shop as she can't afford her hobby otherwise. It gives her incredible joy

[dollystitcher]

I subscribe to Crossstitcher and Cross Stitch Collection and have several years woth in magazine files on a bookcase in my bedroom. I did start to catolouge them with my own system but have not done this for a while so have quite a few to catch up on

[wendywombat]

My husband collects Pontiac magazines, and he stores them in these. I don't have many cross stitch magazines yet, so it hasn't been an issue.

That's what I use! But i bought the wooden ones from Ikea and painted them blue.

I'm a bit geeky like that!!!