Sew Stylish Spring 2011

I picked up the new spring 2011 edition of "Sew Stylish" at my local Sam's Club.  It's published by Threads (Taunton Press) -- and they're dependably good when it comes to sewing magazines.  I've also checked out "Quick Stuff to Sew" but never been nearly as impressed as I have been with "Sew Stylish."

So here's what I loved --

1.  The new runway fashions they note in "Fabric Lab" on pg. 12.  I could watch runway shows all day long, but I can never remember what it was that I really liked.  This helps immensely.  No wonder I really like Anna Sui -- the denim jumper from her show is adorable!

2.  The article on Cath Kidston was great, particularly because I picked up a book by her recently called ""In Print."  She has a wonderful website!  Check it out here:  Cath Kidston

3.  Hide a Zipper Inside a Pocket.  Good to know, nice reference for later.

4.  Quilt-Fabric Fashion.  There were a few things in this that helped me, and I have to say that I love working with this kind of fabric -- because it's predictable!  The section on underlining was great.

5.  The twisted cowl tank is so pretty -- and I already have a Hot Patterns version of this.  What interested me here was the way the construction was done.  There is also a pattern in the back, in case I want to use that.

6.  "Snap to It" -- what a great idea!  I loved this!  So many ways to change up a dress, skirt, shirt, sleeves -- I am forever pulling things in to give them shape.  This was just wonderful, giving a new way to do just that with snaps.

7.  Remakes -- I love the flouncy tank.  So pretty, although I think I would do a different neckline.  And since I've made some scarf-necked cardigans lately, the one they showed was cute and easy.

8.  Although I probably will never get time to do it, the Leather and Chain bracelet is a very cute idea.  It looks easy enough for me - a non-jewelry crafty person -  to accomplish.

Lastly, I have to say that I have an infinite appreciation for the way these folks always give a little photo of the inspiration for the project.  This is usually straight off the runway, very now, very on trend.  I pay attention to what's in shops now, but this is so much more helpful when it comes to keeping up.

No matter what your level of sewing expertise, you'd do well to pick this one up.  Let me know if you do one of their projects!  I'd love to hear about it!

xoxoxoxoxo

Threads

I just picked up the new issue of "Threads" magazine. If you don't already know about Threads, then let me truly enlighten you: I've been getting this magazine since about 1980, and it is FABULOUS. Consistently! No kidding -- it's always full of at least 2 or 3 things that help me in my sewing.

In this latest issue are two really good articles for new sewers. The first is called "Make Your Mark" on pages 44-47. It details some extremely useful notions.

The second article is called "Ombre Effects." It's all about ombre dying -- the art of graduating color hue. I tried this last summer with Rose's graduation dress with some nominal success. I may try it again based on the excellent info in this article.

I have almost all my back issues of Threads, and I am so glad I kept them. The nice thing is that they show the major articles on the spine, so if I need to go back to one for reference, I don't have to look through endless pages of contents.

I hope you'll check out this latest issue. It has several other good articles as well.

xoxox