Inspiration from Sewing Magazines

Posted by Kate Pullen Apr 16, 2008

One of the interesting things about sewing magazines is looking at the photographs of latest patterns and designs. It is really useful to look at the new designs from different pattern companies and see how the trends are looking for coming months. Sometimes, however, the photographs are so highly styled it is very difficult to make out the details of the pattern. On the other side of the coin, though, when the photograph demonstrates the pattern or the design in very simple ways and when the garment has been made with plain material to show off the pattern detail, the finished effect can be boring and put sewers off trying something new.

Getting this balance right is obviously quite a challenge and can make a big difference to how we as readers see a pattern and what we think about it. A sewer often needs imagination to be able to see through a pattern as it is presented and imagine it when made in different materials or with special embellishments. One of the joys of sewing is this flexibility to be able to customize and adapt patterns and designs, however it is also nice to see the pattern as it was originally designed.

Fortunately today there are other ways of finding out about great designs and patterns. Sewing blogs and websites often show photographs of finished projects and this can be a really useful way to get ideas for how patterns look when they are completed. This also gives a sewer an insight into the clarity of the instructions and the ease of which the project is completed. Another way that the traditional crafts and technology sit comfortably side by side.