Seven of the best textile art magazines
- Category stitch picks
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You hear the letterbox rattle. The mail has arrived, and it’s a magazine – inspiration delivered through your own front door!
We already know you’re interested in the art of fabric and thread – why else would you be here? But perhaps you’re looking for a more tactile read, and the luxury of sitting down and reading a magazine cover to cover? If you’re interested in subscribing to a print (or digital) journal exploring textile art, there’s lots of gorgeous options to choose from.
Here’s our list of the best textile art magazines. These publications are suitable for readers at all levels. High quality, beautifully illustrated, and aiming to inspire, engage and share, each title brings alive the latest developments and inspirations in textile art.
Read on to discover these periodical gems: Embroidery, Selvedge, Fiber Art Now, Textile Fibre Forum, Quiltfolk, Quilting Arts and Surface Design Journal.
Embroidery
Embroidery is a beautifully presented long running magazine serving lovers of embroidery and contemporary textile art. It comes from the renowned Embroiderers’ Guild in the UK and was first published in 1932. Over the decades, Embroidery has become the most well respected review of the art of embroidery and stitched textile art. This magazine inspires and impresses with its mix of textile art features, in-depth artist interviews and colourful artwork shots. There’s a listing of the best exhibitions and events around the UK and beyond, and all the latest news in the world of embroidery.
Subscriptions are available for readers in the UK, Europe and worldwide. Published six times a year, it will bring you plenty of inspiration. Not to mention the option for incredible access to a vast, fully-searchable digital archive of back issues! A digital downloadable version is available through Pocketmags, or a single issue pay-as-you-go option is available for those who don’t wish to commit to a long subscription.
Selvedge
Celebrate our communal love of cloth, culture and creativity in Selvedge, an attractive feast-for-the-eyes, square-format magazine. This internationally renowned magazine was launched in 2004 by textile obsessive Polly Leonard, and is published every two months in print and digital formats. In a magazine as beautiful as the textiles represented within its pages, it features articles on textiles in fine art, craft, design, fashion and interiors, sharing the history and importance of cloth, and its place in the modern world.
Print magazine subscribers receive complimentary access to the corresponding digital edition. Or subscribers can choose the digital-only version. Back issues are available to buy separately. Great pride is taken in the printing process, using soy-based inks, paper and packaging produced in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner.
Textile Fibre Forum
Textile Fibre Forum is a long-running Australian textile art magazine, in print since the 1980s. Produced by ArtWear Publications since 2011, this quarterly magazine shares the work of textile artists, as well as promoting exhibitions and events, and exploring new techniques and innovations relating to textiles, fibres, and textile art. It has a strong focus on Australian artists and contemporary textiles, with articles from specialist contributors in each issue.
The subscription price includes postage and handling within Australia. International purchasers pay postage at checkout. Alternatively, you can buy a digital subscription. Print format back issues are also available to purchase separately.
Fiber Art Now
This sumptuous magazine, published in the USA, has a broad remit – perfect for those who like a little bit of everything. It explores all types of textile art, including embroidery, crochet, weaving, felting, book arts, quilting, traditional techniques like shibori and sashiko, and more. Covering installations, wearables, sculptures, vessels and basketry, wall and floor art, plus engaging artist profiles, there really is something for everyone.
You’ll get four jam-packed magazines a year, as well as instant access to the archive of digital back issues. Shipping is free in the USA, and international subscribers can either pay for shipping or choose the great value digital-only subscription.
Quilting Arts
In Quilting Arts, you’ll learn more about textiles and techniques for contemporary art quilting and surface design. Published in the USA since 2001, this quarterly magazine is full of informative articles dedicated to promoting the art quilt movement, and is suitable for all levels, from novice to professional quilters and textile artists.
It provides inspiration, technical information and mixed media insights; its aim being to elevate the visibility of art quilts through education, innovation and inspiration.
Quilting Arts is available in print format, with a supplement to cover postage outside the USA. Back issues are available separately.
Quiltfolk
Travelling coast to coast from New Jersey to California, the quarterly magazine Quiltfolk visits a different state of the USA in each edition, exploring quilters and quilt stories unique to that region. Beautifully designed and printed, this magazine is a tactile delight, with a soft cover and gorgeous images showcasing the art of quilting, and will appeal to all quilt makers and quilt lovers everywhere.
This print-only magazine, first published in 2016, has 164 pages brimming with inspiration, and it is advert-free. Back issues are also available to purchase.
Surface Design Journal
If you’re looking to take your art to the next level, check out the Surface Design Journal from the Surface Design Association. This magazine will help to expand your knowledge on techniques and applications. It covers textile art, design trends, exhibitions, as well as interviews with artists, makers, curators and collectors. The journal is published in the USA, but has an international scope.
This quarterly journal comes with membership of the Surface Design Association, which includes a range of other benefits. Readers can choose print and digital, or digital-only subscriptions, at different price points depending on your location worldwide. Individual issues can be purchased at the SDA store.
Magazines featured in this article
Love investigating textile techniques or materials? Then check out our reading list, Textile art books: Learn from the experts.
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Thanks, this is great, I have been trying to find a new set of magazines to inspire me and now I know which they are. 🙂
Hi Anita – so pleased you found the piece useful. We’re going to be doing a series of these type of articles featuring publications, websites, magazines etc. that textile artists might find inspirational. Thanks for the comment.
Just discovered your review feature, excellent. What you suggest in your comment will also be extremely useful. I will add a link in the enews I create for our local branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild.
Thanks a lot.
I also love « Quilting Arts Magazine » and « Be Creative with Workbox».
Be Creative with Workbox is no longer published. It folded a few years ago.
There is also Quilting Arts from the US which is not totally about quilitng – woth a look.
Thanks for this Penni – we’ll definitely check it out.
Surface Design Journal has been the thought leader for exploring the textile arts since 1977 – so it is surprising not to find it on this list. Please let us introduce ourselves! We are a member-supported non-profit based in USA with many UK and EU members. Marci McDade (former editor of Fiberarts Magazine that folded in 2011) edits our gorgeous quarterly – but we’re much more than a magazine. You already belong if you are passionate about textile media across the spectrum of art, craft and design – you just may want to check us out and join us for the benefits. http://www.surfacedesign.org/ BTW thrilled to find out about TextileArtist.org – welcome to the neighborhood.
It looks like a fantastic resource and we’ll certainly include it in the follow-up which we’re planning at the mo. This article was written fairly early on (we were mainly aiming at a UK-based audience, but have since realised there is international interest). Thanks for the introduction to Surface Design Journal.
That is a good list of inspiring magazines… I think I would add Fiber Art Now to that group!
Hi Cami – we would definitely add Fiber Art Now in our next list. This was an early article – an update is needed soon! Thanks for the comment.
Do you remember this conversation? We have promoted your Textile Artists. We have a very strong social media presence from our friends in the UK.
Interesting that you included Textile Forum but don’t mention that the next issue will be its last. Also interesting that Surface Design Journal was again omitted from your list. It is the thinking person’s textile arts magazine – and perhaps you meant to focus more on hobbyist or crafter publications. Only Textile Forum comes close to the high-quality level of content – of both images and discourse – of SDA Journal – the thought leader in textile arts journalism since 1977. If TextileArtist.org readers want to experience what is going on at the frontiers of fiber, SDA is the established go-to resource. Cheers!
Hi Leesa,
This is a mistake on my part – I’m including it now. Several artists have mentioned Surface Design Journal as a top resource and it would only be right and proper to include it. Stay tuned – should be on there in the next 30 minutes!
All the best,
Joe
Thanks for this, I’ve just subscribed to Selvedge and Embroidery.
Thanks so much for this list! I was thinking of subscribing to a textile magazine when google search pointed me towards this article.
I regularly get ‘Down Under Textiles’, an interesting magazine from Australia.
It is available from Manor House Magazines in UK.
info@manorhousemagazines.co.uk
“Workshop on the web” is a fantastic online magazine !
Embroidery – Embroiderers Guild – In the past I was frustrated by the amount of space taken up with exhibition reviews of exhibitions which had taken place – leaving me very jealous!
Can you confirm whether Surface Design Journal is still available? I ordered a copy 2 months ago and it never arrived. I also recently tried the website to track my order and all I get is an error message. I have received copies previously without any problems.
Wow! great.I have been trying to find a new set of magazines to inspire me and now I know which they are.
Great review including several of my favorites. As a rughooker I go to Rug Hooking Magazine for articles covering primitive, painterly, traditional and multi-media examples of this traditional craft along with events and advertisers for all the supplies. They have a digital edition or paper mailed five times a year along with a blog all available at http://www.RughookingMagazine.com
Another magazine that is very well worth looking at is Workbox, which has recently changed its name to Be Creative .. with Workbox and an annual magazine of the best articles Be Inspired … with Workbox now into vol.3 last year. A good cross section of interest to everyone.
My favorite magazine now is Fashion Textile–available from OPR in NYC. I get so many ideas from it in each issue
HALI Magazine is an incredible periodical which should be included.
http://www.Hali.com
Here is the description from their website: Hali is an international magazine published four times per year, covering the textile arts of all cultures and periods in an eclectic mixture of articles which range from sumptuously illustrated original scholarly features to lively, provocative reviews of exhibitions and books. Through our unprecedented access to the best public and private collections of art around the world, HALI allows unique insight in the role that textiles have played through the history of human race.
Wild Fibers
http://www.wildfibersmagazine.com/ is also a great resource for fiber enthusiasts. In my opinion It is like the National Geographic of fiber from around the world. Beautiful photography , well written articles excellent mission.
And it seems the current issue of TEXTILE FORUM MAGAZINE is the last. In attempting subscribe recently this note came up:
“With great regret we have been informed by the publisher that this will be the final issue of this periodical. Back issues are available on a first-come basis. Please contact us if you would like any back issues. We have back issues going back to 1994.”
Thanks Janice.
I love the Wild Fibres magazine but did not know about Hali. Thanks for the heads-up!
I’m looking for textile magazines that are based in Italy, particularly any close to Milan. Does anybody have any ideas and names of them?
My Summer reading list just got longer :D. Thanks for sharing these gorgeous resources, I am looking forward to the eye-candy and great info that I am sure I’ll find!
Love this list. Thank you. I am also grateful to all the comments about other magazines I did not know about.
Do you know about the Inspirations Magazine? It is an embroidery magazine produced in Australia but available globally.They publish quarterly. Have a look here: http://www.inspirationsmagazine.com.au
Inspirations magazine out of Australia is spectacular.
Rather late to this comment stream but many of the American published magazines are good for the more project based readers of this site, look at Cloth, Paper, Scissors, Quilt Art and the whole family of publications from Interweave, and again a family of publications from Stampington, just google both. Also inspirational for the textile artist working to to their own agenda.
There are also some Australian magazines which are very inspirational for textile artists – Textile Fibre Forum magazine, Embellish magazine, and Felt magazine – all available from ArtWear Publications, http://www.artwearpublications.com.au
There is another fantastic textile resource worth mentioning ‘The Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers’.
http://www.thejournalforwsd.org.uk
Uppercase magazine is my favorite for creative inspiration. A quarterly book, it connects me with a wide range of artists leading creative lives. Janine also publishes books of passion and sends weekly newsletter. http://www.uppercasemagazine.com.
I am a production weaver with 35 years experience looking for a few new clients. I weave material for handwoven clothing designers who no longer have the time to weave material themselves. I used to advertise in Fiberarts, but alas, they are no more. Can you advise me on where I might advertise my services. It’s been a while since I’ve had to advertise.
Its great source of new ideas and what going on in the Textile world. thanks
Australian magazine ‘Embellish’ is all about a wide range of surface design, natural dying and lots more – It covers a heap of techniques … it’s great, and it’s run by a few wonderful ladies…it’s just the ‘best’! .
They do 3 other magazines ; ‘Felt Magazine’, ‘Textile Froum’ magazine and ‘Vintage Made’ magazine …all available across the world.
Oh la la la la…. Je suis jalouse !!!! Jalouse au plus haut point !!!! Nous n’avons rien du tout en France. Seule la fédération du patchwork édite un magazine intéressant qui traite d’art textile. C’est la seule source que nous ayons…. Et impossible de trouver des distributeurs Français qui fassent le lien avec les éditeurs Américains ou Anglais et qui reçoivent alors le paiement en euros. Les échanges commerciaux avec les pays étrangers, et a fortiori ne faisant pas partie de l’Union Européenne, sont très compliqués au niveau de nos banques. Donc impossible pour nous d’acquérir ces ouvrages. C’est pour cela que je suis jalouse au plus haut point !!!
Its a great information thankyou so much for sharing this. Its really very helpful for textile lovers
Ihave recently had my work in the Australian magazine INSPIRATIONS.
I rather fall between 2 Stools for exhibiting
I am a botanical artist showing plants from bud to seedcase and dying .
Then I expanded my interest to work in wallhangings using appliqué ,machine stitching and embroidery based on botanical plants and their inspiration
The details of my work is in information in my website
I am searching for exposure of my work
It is specialised mostly to botany