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Inspiration, Magazine

Manequim September 2011

After August’s silk blouse bonanza, I was expecting September’s issue of the Brazilian pattern magazine Manequim to be a disappointment in comparison, but hoo boy, was I wrong! This is a fantastic issue, as evidenced by my enthusiasm with the scanner…

First off there’s a pattern for a simple leather envelope clutch. My friend Cindy recently sent me a tutorial for a similar leather clutch bag, so the need for a pattern is really up for debate!

What a great jacket with such interesting seaming! I’m not so convinced about the dropped waist sheath dress though…

No, not deja vu just yet – I wanted to show you the tech drawings for the cover look, as the skirt is just lovely!

I know there are instructions for a similar twist dress in one of the Pattern Magic books, but I really like that Manequim took an extra step in the instructions for this dress and gave a secondary drawing showing how the pieces fit together. It’s almost like they saw what I did for the Vogue DKNY top and thought they’d do the same!

Inspiration, Magazine

My Image Fall/Winter 2011

The newest issue of My Image Magazine came out a few weeks ago, and since I’ve liked their previous two issues so much, I went any bought this new one without much hesitation! Besides the fact that they’re a new magazine with a great small business story, they’re always really friendly over email, and keen to improve things like translation and note any corrections on their website. In other words, they’re exactly the sort of company I want to support! I’ve only made one of their patterns so far, but there’s quite a few in this issue which are begging to be made!

And scroll down to the bottom for an exclusive discount for FehrTrade readers, too!

My Image is published twice a year, so this is the Fall/Winter issue:

First off, I really like this colourblocked knit dress! They have you use two different knits in the pattern layout, and I like the effect here with a print and a matching solid. I also really like the floppy collar and the skirt shape (which kinda reminds me of my Manequim egg skirt!).

Inspiration, Magazine

KnipMode September 2011

The latest issue of KnipMode arrived last week, and included inside was a letter to the subscribers from the new editor. I could really only make out something about Marion magazine from my (admitted) inability to read Dutch, so I actually transcribed the whole letter through Google Translate to find out not much of anything beyond that she loved sewing from an early age, trained at fashion school, worked at Marion, and is excited to be joining the great team at KnipMode. Yawn. So no real news there at all…

I’m kinda nervous that she may try to make big changes and ruin a good thing, because 2010 was an awesome year for Knip, and these last two issues under her control have been largely mediocre.

But let’s take a look at my own favourites this month anyway…

The first pattern to greet me is for some great trousers with kneepad detail- hey! wait a minute – didn’t we just have these in the last issue??? I’ve put August’s on the right here for comparison:

This jacket with its cute peplum ruffles might be my favourite in this issue, but I don’t really wear blazer-type jackets all that often so I’m not terribly likely to make this if I’m being honest.

Inspiration, Magazine

KnipMode August 2011

As a subscriber, my KnipMode issues usually arrive in the first week of the month, like clockwork. But this month, I’d heard rumours that the August issue was delayed because of a printing error, so it wouldn’t be on Dutch news-stands until 15 July, meaning I probably wouldn’t get mine until a few days later. In hindsight, a few days here nor there really wasn’t going to improve this issue, as it’s a pretty mediocre one in my opinion. Lillian mentioned there’s a new woman in charge at Knipmode, so I certainly hope this is just a one-off boring issue instead of a worrying trend…

This issue starts off with a few lively Plus patterns, the star of which are these awesome jeans! They’ve got some great seaming on the leg, and the pocket edge is bias-bound, which I think is a nice feature, too.

I know Manequim do “celebrity” fashion a lot with their Brazilian soap stars, but it’s not really anything I go for in a magazine. If it’s a good pattern, it could be on a mannequin for all I care, and well, if it’s a bad pattern, putting it on a tango-orange glamour model isn’t going to make it any better. This was the best dress of the footballer’s wives collection of Z-list Dutch “celebrity” dresses…

Inspiration, Magazine

Manequim July 2011

Hooray, the latest issue of the Brazilian pattern magazine, Manequim, has arrived! Even though our seasons are reversed, I’m finding plenty of styles in this issue that work well for English summers, even moreso than Burda magazine, which is aligned with our seasons (though is anyone else excited to see the return of Burda’s designer patterns? There were actually TWO patterns in the July issue that I’m tempted to make. Please oh please let this be the end of Burda’s slump!).

Manequim have started doing a little section at the front where they get a seamstress to help a poor damsel in distress to alter a Manequim pattern from a few months ago to suit their needs. I let out an audible squeal when I saw that this damsel loves my blouse so much she wanted help grading it down to a size 38! The skirt is apparently from an earlier issue, too, but it clearly didn’t make much of an opinion as I can’t recall it.

First off, I really like this blouse and the trousers here – it’s hard to see, but the trousers have a high-waisted band with piping that really reminds me of the waistband on my tuxedo trousers (which are stored safely in a garment bag now while we build our new bedroom and wardrobe). Both are offered in multiple sizes, too.

Inspiration, Magazine

Manequim June 2011

If you’re reading this and sweating, then you may wish to imagine yourself instead in chilly Rio de Janeiro for the latest instalment of Manequim magazine. Brrrr along with me now…

First up is a rather useful two-page spread on how to customise your accessories with fur. I quite like the idea of adding fur to existing gloves, though the way they’ve added it to a dress here seems strange. Surely it’s better to create a detachable fur collar, a’la this coat tutorial?

I really like the dress on the left, with its cool peplum side panels and the wide, cross back straps:

Inspiration, Magazine

KnipMode July 2011

Once again I’ve been a bit slow in reviewing this month’s KnipMode and Manequim magazines, but I’m only just now emerging from beneath the pile of pattern magazines. I got a bit overwhelmed there with my haul from France and my friend’s haul from Brazil, and I think I’m going to keep my pattern buying to the bare minimum for a few months so I can process through what I’ve got. So you’ll continue to see my monthly KnipModes and Manequims since I subscribe to those (I also still subscribe to Burda, but they’re less exciting and already heavily posted about online anyway) but I’m going to try not to buy anything more until the Fall Patrones issues emerge in a few months.

But KnipMode are still very much in the height of summer, and this is the vacation issue…

Ooh a swimsuit! It’s a bit more basic than the designer one featured last summer, but it’s still very wearable, and with the separate cups, it’d be very adjustable for larger busts.

Inspiration, Magazine

Figurino Moldes magazine

This is the last of the three Brazilian pattern magazines that my friend very kindly brought back from Brazil for me. I’d love to say that I saved the best for last, but, err, no. To be perfectly honest, I struggled to find anything in this magazine to scan. I don’t really want to make anything in here, and most of it isn’t really bad enough to mock, either. But I’ll do my best with what’s here.

I have no idea what month or year this issue is (or judging by the design, which decade!), but the cover says “Anno 1, Numero 8”. I even did some eBay searches to try and determine what number the latest issues are, but there seem to be a million different types of “Figurino” magazines and no consistent numbering….

Here’s a really unflattering and dated-looking lime green jumpsuit, for formal occasions where you want your skin to appear neon orange!

My first thought on seeing this was “Why is that Brazilian woman wearing an NHS nurse’s uniform?” (UK readers, you know what I mean, right??)

Inspiration, Magazine

Molde & Cia magazine – #65

Following on from yesterday’s review of the Brazilian pattern magazine Moda Moldes, I’ve got another magazine my friend brought back from her holidays in Brazil, Molde & Cia magazine.

I couldn’t find a month/year anywhere on the cover or masthead, but I believe this must also be the April 2011 issue as it shares a celebrity photo with Moda Moldes. I couldn’t find an official site for MM, but Molde & Cia have one, and its issues are much easier to find on US Ebay, too. I’d be interested to learn from any Portuguese speakers if it’s possible to order individual issues of Molde & Cia or Moda Moldes anywhere outside Brazil (that aren’t eBay), however, as Manequim requires a subscription for international customers.

Without further ado, here are my picks from this issue!

I really like the gathered bands on this mint green sundress, and it looks to be a pretty universally flattering style.

This cutaway top and skirt are based on the same model photo as seen in the same month’s Moda Moldes magazine (on the right)!