I used to be an avid reader of craft magazines and had big collections of them piled up in my sewing room. Some of them in nice, organised binders, some of them just stuffed onto shelves wherever they would fit. It eventually got to the point where I realised that they were taking up too much room and after that first look through, I wasn’t ever referring back to them so decided to have a clear out and a bit of a break from magazine buying. That was several years ago now and since then I have always walked through WH Smith and looked longingly at the sewing magazine section but then convinced myself that I don’t need to buy any and walked away empty handed!
That is….until now! I just suddenly thought that I would treat myself! And ended up buying four!! Mainly because I wanted to see what is out there now and to see which ones I might want to start buying regularly again!
I bought the first three in WH Smith and made the mistake of not taking any notice of the price until the shop assistant asked me for £30 at the till! I knew magazines were expensive but didn’t realise they had quite reached those levels! The fourth one I bought at Sainsbury’s during my weekly food shop and managed to ‘hide’ the cost of that one in amongst my groceries!
Having spent a bit of time looking through them now, I thought you might be interested in a summary to see if any of them take your fancy!
Burda Style
COST - £8.99
NUMBER OF PAGES – 66
NUMBER OF PATTERNS INCLUDED – It says 195 on the front cover!! I can see 32 main patterns so I assume they are including variations in that number.
The focus of Burda magazine is the patterns it includes. The majority of the magazine is taken up with model shots of the patterns alongside the line drawings and fabric recommendations. There are some styling options for some of them with suggested accessories and also a few short articles (for example one on the designer Lisa Corti, one on creating a tie neck collar, one on the Meindl label).
The centre of the magazine is a pull-out section with the actual pattern sheets and instructions. I know I’m not the only one to say that the pattern pages look like an absolute nightmare! – see picture below. They are all laid on top of each other in different colour lines and I take my hat off to anyone who has the patience and tenacity to trace them out! I do actually like some of the patterns in this edition but am completely put off by the pattern tracing process. If anyone has any tips on this – let me know! The instructions look similar to any of the ‘big four’ type commercial pattern companies but I haven’t actually used any so can’t comment on them with any experience.
Burda is a nice magazine but I would make sure that you do actually like the patterns that the edition contains before you buy it, or you may be a bit disappointed as there is not too much else in the magazine to keep your interest. Also do be prepared to spend a lot of time, effort and brain power tracing out your patterns!!
Threads Magazine
COST - £9.99
NUMBER OF PAGES – 82
NUMBER OF PATTERNS INCLUDED – 0
Threads is definitely a magazine for those who love detail and those that like to learn. Its full of educational articles on all aspects of sewing and is right up my street! For example this edition has a four page article on chiffon – when to chose it for your project, how to use it, the different variations of the fabric, tips on preparing it, cutting it, sewing it and pressing it. It has a lovely tutorial on how to make fabric flowers with great instructions and photos. A section dedicated to darts, how to use them to fit, an introduction to dart manipulation, how to move a dart etc. There are pattern reviews, a welt pocket tutorial, a profile on pattern designer and teacher, Brittany J Jones and so much more!
I absolutely love this magazine and felt like it was definitely worth its price tag. Its very much focused on dressmaking as opposed to general sewing but if that’s where your interests lay then I would 100% recommend it. Its one of those magazines that you won’t want to throw away but instead keep in your sewing room to refer back to when you want to master a tricky technique or just want some general sewing inspiration. The only small downside is that due to the fact that it’s a magazine produced in the USA, quite a few of the adverts are for local USA based companies, so if you are in the UK, its quite a trip to go and visit them! But the magazine is so full of sewing goodness that I’m sure you won’t be looking at the adverts!
Simply Sewing
COST - £11.99
NUMBER OF PAGES – 82
NUMBER OF PATTERNS INCLUDED – 4 full patterns in envelopes plus multiple other projects in the magazine itself including ‘drafts your owns’
Simply Sewing is a modern, bright and fun magazine that is jammed packed with sewing inspiration. The majority of the issue that I read was oriented towards dressmaking but there were other more general sewing articles in there too. I really liked the fact that there were two self-draft projects in there for a nice halterneck dress and a camisole top which I fancy trying. Plus a refashion project to make a sun top from an old shirt. There were interesting articles on the textile brand, Lamazi Fabrics, bespoke tailoring with Patrick Grant and the career of Claire-Louise Hardie, expert sewing teacher and author. At the end of the magazine there is a useful section on sewing 101s - how to measure yourself correctly, how to trace and use a pattern, etc.
The patterns that are included were really varied – a summer dress, a cover up, a pair of casual trousers and a tote bag and I can definitely see myself using them all at some point. There were competitions to enter and discounts for fabric shops so all in all, Simply Sewing is a great magazine with a whole lot of sewing motivation that can’t fail to get you inspired.
Love Sewing Magazine
COST - £11.99
NUMBER OF PAGES – 82
NUMBER OF PATTERNS INCLUDED – 2 full envelope patterns together with multiple other patterns that can be downloaded free of charge
I would say that Love Sewing Magazine is very similar to Simply Sewing above. Its predominantly about dressmaking but with some other sewing projects sprinkled in. I enjoyed the article on the Great British Sewing Bee which had interviews with two of the contestants and the Day in the Life of Josie from Fabric Godmother was also an interesting read. I think my favourite thing about this magazine is the model shots throughout of different patterns with the pattern number at the side. I’ve seen at least two lovely dresses from this which I want to add onto my ‘to-sew’ list! As with Simply Sewing, Love Sewing is a really colourful, fashionable magazine with a lot of creative projects to spark your sewing interest!
I said at the start of this post that I was surprised at the cost of magazines now but having read these ones and now seen what is included, I do actually think they are good value for money. Take for example just one of the patterns included with Love Sewing – a Vogue pattern – V1934. If you were to buy this individually online, it costs £18.50! So with that knowledge, to pay £11.99 for a magazine, that pattern, plus one more actually seems quite reasonable!
So there we go, four sewing magazines for you to consider! Although I did enjoy reading them all, I know the one I will be reaching for again and that’s definitely Threads!
Which magazines do you read? If you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments below!
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