In an email sent to contributors this afternoon CEO and Publisher at Meander Publishing, Vicki Anderson, announced that the company will cease publication of Modern Quilts Unlimited and Machine Quilting Unlimited magazines effected immediately. “Todayās publishing climate is difficult, at best. As a small, independent publisher, it has become impossible to absorb the climbing costs of postage and printing and to react to a soft consumer market for magazines in general, leading us to this decision,” the email stated.
The July/August issue of Machine Quilting Unlimited will be published in digital format only and no further issues of Modern Quilts Unlimited will be published in any formats. Articles and projects that were in the final stage of production for the next issue will be returned to the artists. Artists will be released from their contracts and are free to submit the projects to other publications.
Quilt magazines in Australia also announced closures recently. Australian Patchwork & Quilting and Handmade magazines are also ceasing publication after their June issues.
It’s such a shame that all these magazines are disappearing but in the UK at least the magazine market seemed to be very over saturated. We’ve just lost 2 titles too, Sewing World closed a couple months ago and Popular Patchwork is closing down this month. Both have the same publisher.
Oh no! I love this magazine as it is innovative, and gives me enough detail to improve my quilting. I stopped subscribing to all the other magazines so that I could afford this one. I like being able to refer to a hard copy time and time again, rather than try and find the information on line – which is so time consuming.
Does that mean we will no longer have access to the magazines we bought as digital issues? I have subscribed for years.
Hi Donna, I think you should reach out to customer service at the publisher to get a solid answer to that question.
I have emailed the publisher as I have 17 issues remaining of Machine Quilting and 7 issues remaining of Modern Quilts. There has been no response. With their press release they should have included information on what will happen with people and their outstanding subscription balance. I’m sure they are inundated with that question. Could have headed off quite a bit with that simple bit of info.
I also subscribe to both magazines and would like to know if I will be refunded. I am very sorry that the company had to cease printing the magazines. The magazines were excellent quilting resources and very well done.
IĀ“ve only just realised that I Ā“havenĀ“t received any more issues since May June 2018 issues. My subscription should have ended only end of this year. Did you receive any answer or any refund for the issues already paid?
So silly not to realize this but I had two silly busy two years!
IĀ“ve loved this magazine and will miss it now I do have more time on my hands again!
Regards from Germany
Renata
I just recently renewed both publications! I’m very concerned that no word about refunds for customers who have already paid means we will not get a refund.
I love MQU and have a subscription to this magazine with over a year to run. Wondering what is going to happen about this.
I just sent them an email after reading this article regarding my subscriptions. I am sorry to see another set of magazines disappear from the marketplace.
why let customers buy subscriptions when they know they are closing down ?
Hi Iris,
This is a question that might be best addressed to Meander Publishing. Thank you.
Meander Publishing is not responding to emails. My numerous e-mails have been returned. I agree that they should not have been advertising for subscriptions and renewals in the May /June issue. I am more than disappointed as I cancelled all my other subscriptions because this one was the best. I too have 16 issues left on my subscription. Would love to hear from them about how to get the last issue without having to pay for it again and about whether or not my subscription will be refunded.
When Ricky Tim stopped publishing I received a wonderful note and a check for a refund of my remaining issues. I am hoping Meander will do the same. They seemed like a good publisher.
Oh no. This is the best quilt magazine available. It is certainly the best for machine quilters. MQU will be sorely missed.
Also, you might be interested to know that Piecework Magazine has gone to quarterly instead of bi-monthly. Piecework readers are grateful for that, instead of shutting down. š
I paid for a digital subscription of both machine quilting and modern quilts magazines for 46.95 in May, 2018 and they took my money. Havenāt received any issues and have tried to email repeatedly. Wish I had their phone number. How frustrating! I had no idea they were closing!!
My problem is like yours. I just recently paid for both digital publications! I couldn’t access. And there’s no word about refunds for customers.
I ordered my next subscription on May 3, 2018. No word from the company about ceasing publication. I would like a refund!
I did receive some of my money back for Machine Quilting for 12 issues. They couldn’t find my order for Modern Quilts so I haven’t received anything there for the 7 issues that were outstanding – not sure how they were fulfilling my order if they couldn’t find the original order in their system. For the balance of the Machine Quilting they offered to send me back issues which do me no good since I’ve been a long time subscriber and saved all issues. I guess it is just lost money at this point.
Hi! Who did you contact and how did you contact them? I’d be ecstatic to receive printed back issues or a refund–although I understand why you wouldn’t. š
I’ve tried emailing numerous times, but receive no reply.
Thanks!
I would also like that information. I hadn’t heard anything either.
I was initially communicating through info@mqumag.com. That is the address where they agreed to refund the 12 issue subscription and couldn’t find the Modern Quilting subscription. When offering the five hard copy back issues I was to email vicki@meanderpublishing.com directly. I’ve given up on the 5 and 7 remaining issues and moved on – lost money.
how do I find this last issue of machine quilting unlimited and their sister publication? I haven’t heard from them(Vicky) at all and like many of you, I renewed both subscriptions recently.
I also would like contact info. The phone number they previously used is no longer in service. I also cannot find the July/August issue. It did not appear on Zinio.
It is a shame!!!!! They took our money for renewal and now we do not even get an answer! I paid for additional 11 issues of Machine Quilting Unlimited and 6 issues of Modern Quilts.
Has anybody an idea what we can do????? I am really angry!!!!
I just realized recently that I had not been receiving my issues of Modern Quilts Unlimited. I had sent full payment to them in July, because I received a renewal notice. Makes me very angry, because this has happened with a number of Magizines over the years. And not once have any of them ever refunded any money.
It seems this is the only place to vent. All phones and email addresses are no longer working. If anyone finds out anything please post it here.
Following
I am so disappointed in this company, Kit Robinson, and Vicki Anderson! I received the March/April 2018 issue of Machine Quilting Unlimited, and seeing that I had 0 issues remaining, I renewed for 2 years. I received the next issue, May/June 2018 which stated that I had 11 issues remaining, and haven’t received any more. I never heard of any refund for unpublished issues….. So disappointing!
So why has there been no refund for subscriptions paid? Also no previous notification. Machine Quilting was the best.