After quite a stressful term at uni and before heading home for the Easter weekend I treated myself with three new sewing magazines I’ve never read before. I don’t buy a lot of magazines. They can be quite expensive and end up in the dustbin anyway. The only ones I keep are the Burdastyle magazines since you can reuse the patterns for as many times as you want and combine the different pattern parts of different issues to create new looks.

However, I recently bought three magazines that looked quite promising – Sewstylish, Threads and Cloth. In case you’re looking for new reads for the weekend, I summarised the pros and cons:

#1 Threads

“threads – for people who love to sew”

YES, that’s me!

And the magazine’s title holds its promise. It’s perfect for me!
Although there are actually no patterns included (compared to Burdastyle’s 30-40 patterns for the same price), I would say it was worth the money. This magazine was really surprising. Here’s what I liked most:

•  I love haute couture. I love looking at it, reading about it and this magazine had quite a few articles adressing haute couture techniques. Burdastyle magazine is nice, but patterns are often quite simple. Threads has some pretty good ideas and inspiration for working with lace or sculpted tucks.
• What I love about threads is that it’s a reader-written magazine. There are many very useful ideas and tips from other hobby seamstresses! Gosh, people can be so creative sometimes…! (Another pro: You can actually send in tips and get paid for it!)
• The curved tucks tutorial (see picture) was one of my favorites. The pattern in the tutorial is horrible – totally dated, but it has very great instructions – definitely going to try this! (with a different pattern!)

•  Threads has some pattern reviews (Vogue, Marfy, McCall’s, Collette, Burda) and a quite comprehensive preview of what is to come fashionwise this spring. I really liked the preview, because it’s different from those rather unsubstantial runway picture galleries you normally see in magazines. Threads also looks at fibers and fabric types used, not only colours and cuts.
• There are also quite a few tutorials and techniques explained, an article about vintage presser feet and a series about seam finishes.

What I really didn’t like was that everything about this magazine, the models, patterns, fabrics, looks a bit outdated and old-fashioned. Definitely not outdated enough to be vintage, which is a bit weird.

 #2 Sewstylish

Sewstylish – Spring 2013 Fashion Sewing Guide.

Well, well, well. I was very disappointed when I flicked through the issue. For me, it was definitely not worth the money and I regret buying it. Although it’s the same price as Burdastyle, it has not much to offer in comparison.

For whom? Definitely not for me 🙁

However, there were a few things I liked.

• really simple tutorial on cutwork
•  tutorial on how to get rid of side seams – quite interesting but very basic
•  I loved a tutorial on how to customize a peplum pattern with nicely explained instructions
• an article about serger basics (basics, again)
• What I liked best was a “project rescue” article that had helpful tips on how to deal with scorches, snags, spills etc and how to get rid of them.

All in all this magazine seemed to not go beyond basics. The “sewing school” basically just explained terms like seam allowance, stitching line, cutting line etc.

The advertised free pattern of a “designer clutch” was far from being a “designer clutch” (rather a “pretty ordinary clutch”) but the step-for-step tutorial was ok with many pictures and instructions. The pattern however was just a mini scale version you’d would have to copy and enlarge before being able to use it.

There were many styles in this magazine that had nothing to do with a “fashion sewing guide”. Some ideas  like the lace appliqué were nice but realized very poorly. The fit of the dresses overall wasn’t good and everything looked slightly outdated. Many ideas weren’t innovatice, look dated or showed a questionable fashion taste.

 

What really surprised me was that this magazine is made by the editors of threads. I really loved threads, but this one was far from being close to it.

It’s really for the very first beginner, it’s very basic and simple and contains slightly dated fashion. Definitely not made for me 🙁

This was the only style I really really loved. Assymetrical peplum:

 

#3 Cloth

“Cloth – Make it you own”

I really enjoyed reading Cloth. It contained a whole lot of ideas I wanted to “make my own”.

Here’s what I liked best:

• The magazine included a free personal sizing guide. Not totally smashing but it can be helpful to keep track of your measurements and to have them handy while sewing..
• Cloth is full of sooo soo many nice innovative, creative ideas that immediately inspired me. Nothing “ready-made” like when sewing with burdastyle and nothing I’d copy completely, but many bits and pieces that inspired me to try to step out of my comfort zone and create something myself, without a ready-made pattern.
• There were quite a few helpful tutorials: a head band, a chiffon overskirt. a bow-belt, painted/stenciled fabric, an upcycled bag – nothing great, but quite inspiring to adapt. I loved the idea of the sewn on chiffon overskirt and will definitely try to combine this with a assymmetrical dress.
• I love the article about “trash to couture”. One of my favorite blogs in Cloth  – whoop whoop! (Too bad they did not really pick her best DIYs)

What I didn’t like:

• templates and paper patterns – they come with nice tutorials + pictures, but are nothing compared to burdastyle. A very simple skirt is the only dress pattern of the five patterns that come with the magazine. Not fully satisfying but still better than the pattern in Sewstylish.
• There were a bit too many craft and accessory tutorials and ideas. I’d love to have more fashion and sewing inspiration!

But overall, worth the money.

 

I really enjoyed trying some new magazines, but I’ll probably stick to Burdastyle. Although a  Threads or Cloth will be a nice treat every once in a while.

What are the sewing magazines you like to read? Any recommendations? What are the ones you really wouldn’t recommend to buy?