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Saturday, August 18, 2007

Sew Stylish & What Was I Thinking!

ETA: I realize that the Sew Stylish magazine has only one more issue...I am just so thrilled with this particular issue!

Let's just get the "What Was I Thinking" portion of this post out of the way first! By me admitting that Marji was right...I can not possibly work the hours I work and attempt to do a sewing activity every evening...c'mon I am just burnt out at the end of the day. Especially if you add work related social activities and then just social activities to the end of my days. And all of this just confirms that my preferred method of sewing ~ in large blocks of time on the weekends works best for me and that I should stick with it! Nice experiment, it failed, move on!


'Cause what was I thinking! *LOL*

Next....



Ohmygosh! I bought a copy of the Fall 2007 issue of Sew Stylish on Tuesday afternoon and have been carting it around with me all week. I left it home on Thursday morning and felt like I left something vital at home, like my cell phone or my watch! I have to say that this is the best sewing magazine issue that I have read in a long time. It is chock full of helpful sewing advice and sewing inspiration. If you have not purchased a copy yet, please run don't walk to your local bookstore or newsstand and get a copy!

There are several things that I like about this issue but my favorite is the 11 outfits from one pattern. They just worked the mess out of this pattern! First the pattern is Simplicity 3631:



Now many people on the sewing boards have talked about this pattern. It even made the "must buy" list of several bloggers that I admire. I have looked at it a time or two and admired it but I just didn't see its potential.
From this pattern, the editors of Sew Stylish made:

1. A pin striped skirt suit that consists of a jacket with an altered sleeve, a bow-tie short sleeve blouse and a straight skirt.

2. A short sleeve yoked button front jacket w/tie, pleated short skirt

3. Jeans with a bow-tie blouse and a jacket with a hem ruffle and a sleeve ruffle.

4. Pencil leg pants with a tie front long sleeve blouse and a belt (instructions in the mag)

5. Coat with a dress made using the coat pattern (too kewl!)

6. Sleeveless LBD

7. Highwaisted skirt with yoked blouse that has short puffy sleeves

8. Straight skirt with funky pockets and sleeveless Peter Pan collared top

9. Calf length pants with a cuff and a short sleeveless tank top

10. Straight skirt with a knit top with amazing elbow length dolman sleeves and elasticized hems

11. A color blocked top with banded high waisted pants

Not only is the pattern emphasized but how to make all of the changes are detailed too! They give you the instructions on how to make all the changes - can we say taking sewing to the next level! I also love how they organized the portions of the magazine making it so easy to move from the beginning of the sewing process to the end!

Pattern Principles
Construction Zone
Great Fit
Designer Secrets
Hot Stuff Bonuses

And I love the clarity of the pictures, the reprinting of several great articles from Theads and did I say this before but once again the detailed instructions! The sad thing is that they won't be producing this magazine after the next issue any more... Hopefully, this means that each additional issue they produce will have this same awesome quality of information and inspiration!

So go and purchase a copy of the magazine and get the pattern too because even if you don't fit into the pattern's size range, the mag gives clear and easily understandable instructions on how to grade up the pattern.

Yes, I am gushing! Yes, I am inspired! And yes this has moved my sewing into a whole new dimension. Ummmm what are you still doing sitting here reading this post! Go out and get a copy ~ now!

15 comments:

  1. I love this issue too! OMG, I bought it on Tuesday at Barnes & Noble and I was trying to read it everytime I stopped at a traffic light! LOL The part that's really ticking me off is they put out a great issue and now they're not going to publish it anymore.

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  2. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one carting this issue around all over! I love this magazine, the best one yet, and I'm now EXTREMELY disappointed there wont be any more (if they all would be likethis one, I'd definitely subscribe).

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  3. I felt the same as you two ladies
    when I picked up this issue. I went to Joannes yesterday to buy the pattern,99cents, but they were out of it in my size. I've decided to buy the featured pattern at Walmart at their discount if I must.

    Michelle Inspired to sew not just lurk.

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  4. Hey, I have a subscription and haven't even received this issue yet ! That's not how it's supposed to be.............

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  5. I went to Borders yesterday to get the giantic September Vogue issue, and picked this up out of curiousity as well. I'm sooo glad I did!! Even though I've read all the reprints in Threads, it was nice to have them all in one place for to go with this pattern (which I plan to use a lot this fall/winter).

    Great concept to show how to change up a pattern--I hope Threads will adopt this concept for a future issue.

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  6. This issue is FANTASTIC!!!!!!! I am making this one VERY soon, like hopefully within the next week. I LOVE this pattern and this issue! I hate they aren't going to publish it anymore!

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  7. I'm with ya! This issue was so fantastic! I wasn't sure about that Simplicity pattern either until I saw what the editors at Sew Stylish created. It is sad that the magazine won't be published any longer after such a great issue was released!

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  8. Carolyn, you make me laugh! You are such an energizing enabler, you! As it happens, I have my copy but I'm going to look it over carefully now since I just breezed thru it when I bought it. By the way, I looked at your friend Marj's blog. Just great! I enjoyed Stitches too.

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  9. I wonder if I can get it in Australia? I will pop into Borders and check my luck!

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  10. I love this issue, when I first got it, it was just after I'd heard that it won't be published any longer. I couldn't believe it because I seriously haven't been that excited by a sewing magazine since...ever! I am so incredibly impressed, it's what I've always wanted, fashion and sewing mixed together, it's like when Vogue Magazine used to have fashion editorials with Vogue patterns, oh those were the days.

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  11. I subscribed and received one issue. Yesterday I got a notice from Tauton that they would only publish one more issue then my subscription would be transferred to Threads.

    Sorry to disappoint you but I don't think the magazine is going to be published regularly.

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  12. Hi Carolyn, you got me thinking about my own "every day" sewing habit--like why do I do this to myself, LOL. I blogged about it.

    I totally understand your decision not to do the everyday thing. After all, your approach works really well for you. If it ain't broke, why fix it, right?

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  13. Carolyn,
    I saw Erica's post about this issue earlier today and thought I would stop in the newsstand to pick it up. Now, I'm impatient for tomorrow to come. I agree that it is an ordinary looking pattern at first glance.

    Funny to read about your "experiment". I think I am also a "block" sewer. It's terribly frustrating for me to only have 20-30 minutes in my sewing room. Plus, I get so dang tired in the evenings during the work-week.

    I think my minimal "free" time during the week will likely be spent reading or knitting for brief periods of time.

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  14. Well seeing how I just bought this pattern last week and reading your post, I will be running tomorrow to pick this up!

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  15. Oh boy, where have I been I'm still carting around the last issue...lol. Great dress, I'm seeing a lot of border print, especially in skirts.

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