Approachable sewing magazine
Review by Sewist on 18 Aug 2019 review stating Approachable sewing magazine Sew News has fun, crafty ideas for fashion-oriented, youthful sewers. Decent commitment to racial diversity and all body types, including maternity clothing and menswear. People looking for more advanced projects might be disappointed, although an advanced sewer can use the projects to mentor beginners. I can totally see a Girl Scout troop running with this, for instance.
I'm a first time subscriber to Sew News, beginning in March 2019. It's now August, and I have a few issues under my belt. I hadn't heard of it before, and it was on sale, so it seemed like a low risk. I also subscribed to Threads, which I'd heard of, and was quite a bit more money.
Sew News is the more approachable of the two, the Lucky to Threads magazine's Vogue. It has easy projects that even beginning to intermediate level sewers can finish in an afternoon. Another reviewer mentioned this as a negative, and I hear their wanting more of a challenge. If you are looking for advanced sewing projects, or non-Burda projectsâ??it's clearly put out or at least largely supported by Burda Styleâ??this isn't the magazine for you. I live in a 1-BR apartment, so I don't have a sewing room, and I like Burda patterns, so I like Sew News.
Each issue has a sew-along which I haven't done yet, but it sounds fun. You download the pattern and login to the website, like an online class. It's included with your subscription.
I also like the profiles of different sewers and designers, and the focus on sustainability and upcycling. It's frustrating when making your own clothing costs more money and possibly takes a bigger toll on the environment than buying new ones, and I'm glad they're giving tips on how to have less of an impact on the planet.
Each issue has had a profile of a man who sews, which is cool, especially since I thought I knew all three of them, and a "Meet the Maker" section. The gear review includes craft stuff like feminist cross stitch kits (I'm definitely going to do mine some day), and sewing notions.
The most relevant sewing to me is the instructions on how to modify patterns to get runway styles. The articles use existing Burda patterns, but there's no reason a decent pattern-maker can't make or adjust her own or ones from goodwill. The instructions are written to be universal, using whichever Burda pattern as an example. The February/March issue has instructions for turning a jacket into a cape-sleeved blazer. The adjustment uses the grainline on the existing pattern as a guide to extend the length and width of the sleeve, which can be done with any pattern, and by drawing a straight line from the center of the armscye on a pattern without a grainline, which wasn't mentioned. It's a flattering, on-trend cut, and an easy adjustment.
The June/July issue shows building a jumpsuit from different patterns, in this case culottes and a tank top, which I especially loved, because at 5'7" I'm relatively tall, and with a long torso and a C-cup, I can never find jumpsuits! Everyone looks so cute in them but me! I lose competitive romper season every year! It's a nightmare! Not this time! I've been meaning to make this all summer long. Oops.
There's also been some nice pieces on embellishing and upcycling old clothes, which is always welcome, including ideas I hadn't thought of, like using leather patches for shoulder embellishing. I gave the directions for sewing sequins to a friend of mine who is interested in drag, and he loved it â?? he didn't know that they could be sewn on, and I kept trying to explain couture, and it wasn't working. The subscription was worth it for that alone.
Each issue also has ideas for housewares and wallets or purses. Flipping through them for this review I saw a travel wallet that I could have used on my last camping trip, and I plan to make for next weekend.
Great magazine for beginning and intermediate sewers. Skews toward the younger and craftier, which doesn't mean that you won't get anything out of it if that's not you, I just think that's who it's aimed at.
On Sew News