I’ve got a bumper stack of Manequim magazines to show you! A few turned around the same time in December due to the holiday post office disruption, and then the summer styles didn’t really inspire me to review these right away, and then the flu struck me down for a full fortnight… but it means you get to see a bunch of Brazilian summer fashions all at once!
There actually should’ve been a fourth issue here, too, but the other November issue (629) never turned up, and was presumably lost in the post. Bummer. I don’t really understand why Manequim always do two issues in November, but it seems that this one was lost for a lot of people – when I requested a replacement, they didn’t have any more in stock, so my subscription was extended instead. I’ve since seen that Melissa‘s copy of this issue was also lost but turned up months later, so I still live in hope! In any case, if you want to see photos, you’ll have to check out her review…
November 2011 (630)
I quite like this teeshirt with the draped hem, though I have no idea why they decided to hide its defining aspect by tucking it in…
I really like the cut of this relaxed tee, especially the shoulder seaming, but I’d love to see this in an unexpected fabric, like a silk crepe or linen instead of the usual jersey.
Manequim and Patrones tend to produce a fair amount of bikini patterns each year, but I hardly ever see interesting one-piece patterns – I really like the gathered detail on the straps here, though I think most women would want to raise the neckline a bit.
And finally, I really like the asymmetric mesh insert on this otherwise basic teeshirt pattern – it’d be a great use for swiss dot or stretch lace, too (like I’m so fond of!).
December 2011 (631)
The way the model is standing pulls this sheath dress in a rather distorted way, but I like the sleek lines in the tech drawing.
If it were hot and summery here now, I’d be all over this floaty, chiffon top with its cute ruffle sleeves…
These look like a great pair of basic trousers – I’ve not tried any of Manequim’s trouser patterns yet, but the fact that this one is multi-sized is a big plus, especially for anyone who’s different sizes at the waist and hips!
Speaking of Plus, the larger ladies get some amazing evening gowns in this issue, and omg one of them is actually a free download, too!
January 2012 (632)
This issue is actually my favourite of the three!
In the “Inspired by soap stars” section, I rather like this Grecian-styled draped dress, and unlike a lot of maxidresses, I think this one could be shortened without ruining the look.
I really like the tech drawing for this little blue sheath dress. The feature was entirely miniskirts, but it’d be really easy to extend the hemline on this to add some extra coverage. I mean, how many of us really like our cheeks bare when we sit down? (if you’re keeping track, I’m in the “Not me!” camp!)
The Designer inspiration this month is Celine, and I quite liked the linear colourblocking on this top, though the sleeves/bands remind me a lot of the original sleeves on the Burda September cover dress (which I made twice and loved, but I never used the sleeve flap/bands).
This skirt remind me a lot of the La Mia Boutique pleated skirt I made last year – it’s even got pockets hidden in some of the pleats, too! The main difference here is that the front is open, though, but it’d probably give more walking ease than my LMB skirt.
This one-shoulder dress is by far my favourite pattern in all these magazines! I absolutely love the way the back extends over and the pleating and overlay hide the seam. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that the dress is is the same muted, pale gold colour as my high school prom dress, either! This is only available in a 40, but it would be pretty straightforward to morph the shoulder detail onto a size 44 dress elsewhere in my magazine archive, even adding a standard strap to the other side if I wanted!
And finally, this blue top doesn’t look like much until you check out the tech drawing – the sleeves are ever-so-slightly different, but I think it’d be enough to really dress up your average pair of jeans.
Phew! That was a lot of Manequim! Next up, I’ve got some updates on garments, both in-progress and coming up, plus a quick rundown on the January KnipMode.