Sew Beautiful

Sew Beautiful magazine is one of the few American magazines devoted to heirloom sewing, smocking and the fine needle arts. Without a doubt, SB boasts the most attractively photographed articles, projects and layouts. Each issue features exquisite examples of heirloom-quality garments, pillows, notions, etc. all lavishly displayed in charming settings. This publication is a visual pleasure to leaf through.

So what's the problem why not the full five stars? Well...

Since I took up smocking and needle arts in 1997 I have subscribed to SB for one year and bought issues off the stand intermittently since. As a beginner and an intermediate level sew-er, I rarely find anything do-able in the pages of SB. The projects, patterns and features are really geared toward quite advanced heirloom sewers/needleworkers. It can be quite overwhelming, even intimidating, to admire for instance a lovely christening gown ensemble that requires high-level handstitching skills, and several tricks on the sewing machine that I can't begin to fathom without hours of instruction. Often, obscure specialized tools and machine feet are required. And how many beginners want to practice on the hard-to-find and pricey fabrics and trims so casually recommended, like swiss nelona and dupioni silk? Alternatives like plain old imperial batiste and cotton floss are so seldom mentioned as to give the reader the impression that they just aren't suitable for heirloom sewing. After my subscription ran out I was left with the feeling that I may never "catch up" enough (or be wealthy enough) to attempt most of the gorgeous items in SB.

I have seen a few other magazines that address this problem by providing illustrated, step-by-step guides in the back sections to the handwork stitches that are required for the projects. This is very practical and reassuring for newbies. One Australian magazine even has kits available by mail order or internet for all their charming projects. It would be great to see more of that in SB, as well as more projects that you don't have to have advanced skills to attempt.

On the whole, SB is nicely done and I could recommend it for the more advanced level smockers and needleworkers.

-Andrea, aka Merribelle.

Okay, I will agree with the previous two reviews about both the elitist attitude (extremely expensive materials, not for beginners) and that the clothes are pretty out of date and in most of the country your daughter would be snickered at for wearing a lace tea-gown outside the house. But I still love this magazine.

There are beginner's projects that come along every once and a while: there was a multi-issue album quilt last year that explained all of the techniques perfectly (it would be great if they could sell that as a stand-alone pattern, it was a wonderful introduction). It's true that not every issue has them, but if you look on the newsstand you can usually find if the new issue has one. The thing is that it's a magazine for people who enjoy heirloom sewing: knitting magazines don't have explicit instructions on how to purl, quilting magazines don't show you how to use a rotary cutter. Sew Beautiful just assumes that you have a working knowledge of heirloom sewing: and they do have a very quick primer on lace sewing techniques in the center pullout.

If you're interested in learning heirloom techniques, I still recommend purchasing this magazine, even if only a few issues at a newstand. You'll be introduced to a lot of the most popular designers and their techniques, and you'll find out the best resources (shops, classes, books) to learn. It's also a great aspirational magazine, and though I would never dress my kids in most of the clothes that grace their pages, a lot of the details can easily be adapted to more play-friendly clothes.

One tip: if you buy the magazine and use the pull-out card to buy a subscription, it only costs $25 a year, as opposed to Amazon's $35 a year.

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IMHO, the biggest flaw in SB is that it focuses too tightly on children's clothing. Otherwise I enjoy it immensely. I often look to it for inspiration when I'm planning a new garment for myself. If your mind is open to possibilities there is plenty here to give you ideas and new techniques. My suggestion is not to take this as a project magazine to be interpreted literally. I always see the projects as examples of ways you can use the techniques in your own sewing.

I would have to disagree with previous reviewers who complain the materials are "extremely " expensive. They are not *cheap*, but they certainly are not the most expensive of fabrics. If you know fabric you will realize that the materials are in the lower middle of the road... not the cheapest junk available but nowhere near the price of couture quality yard goods. Most of what's needed can be found at your local big box fabric store, and if you use the 50% off coupon wisely you can get your silk dupioni and handkerchief linen for less than you'd pay for cotton at a local quilt shop.

The styles in SB reflect a cultural difference between the Old South and trendy new fashion. It might look odd to some but people in Martha's culture actually dress themselves and their children in this way. It can either be viewed as "timeless" or "out-of-date", but your carefully wrought heirlooms won't look passe in 5 years either. That's the main problem with current style... too much of it and it's dated in a few years. It seems to me that rather than "elitist", SB leans more towards old school conservative. If you are looking for fashion, then Threads should be your go-to magazine. If you are looking for classic "heirloom sewing", SB is it.

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The magazine opens with a letter from the publisher and a Bible verse. If that's going to bother you, find another magazine.

This magazine has some nice techniques--smocking, heirloom sewing--but if you aren't sewing for children, then this IS NOT be the magazine for you. In the magazine in front of me, ONE article isn't about sewing for children or children's toys. The other issues have been the same. I'm cancelling my subscription today. It's not a bad magazine--it just isn't at all what I ws looking for.

If you are a Christian and want to sew heirloom stuff for your children or grandchildren, I would highly recommend it. The kids' clothes are cute if sometimes old-fashioned or impractical. The instructions are clear and well-illustrated. There is a free pattern in every issue--for children.

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I am enjoying my subscription to this magazine. I love looking at others creativity and getting inspiration from it to sew something I am proud of. The magazine is well put together and not overly full of advertising. I always look forward to getting it in the mail.

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Pop Star

Popstar would be a great choice for concerned parents wondering what subscription to get for their ten-year-old kid, because unlike many celebrity news magazines (even more teen-oriented ones), Popstar is most likely the safest one out there. It covers a great deal of celebrities that aren't huge yet, and tons of stuff about favorites like Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Raven, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the cast of Harry Potter, Good Charlotte, etc. There are thousands of pinups and huge posters in each issue that will satisfy any music/TV/movie fan.

Another thing I like about this magazine is that it's legnthy (each issue is 100 pagees), and there aren't any advertisements, either. The magazine has frequent exclusive interviews and pictures with celebrities that can't be found anywhere else. Additionally, Popstar covers the month's best CDs, new artists to watch out for, embarrasing moments stories, horoscopes, a bit of fashion and beauty, and more. For those who want an interesting, informational celeb magazine, Popstar would be a great choice.

I think it was a little better in 2004 but it's still a nice mag! For those who love Celeberity gossip (like myself) except I wish it would "grow up" a bitbut I still wanna subscription for it!!!!!!!! The quizzes are really cool plus theres no health crap like in SEVENTEENso I'd reccomend this.

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I bought this subscription as a gift for my 10 year old daughter who just loves these types of magazines. This one seems to be the best of the bunch with lots of posters and all her favorite stars (everyone affliated with Disney or Teen Nick). At the time of purchase it was the best deal for the amount of issues received.

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This is a great magazine. My 9 year old loves it. I highly recommend it as a first time subscription through amazon. BUT about 6 months into your subscription you'll get emailed from amazon asking to renew it. Don't do it!! I ended up with a double subscription and had to call customer service at the magazine to change it to a 'renew'.

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Okay, I don't care if you are a guy or a girl you will all love this magazine! I don't care what the others say! This does have life stories (embarrassing moments and things like that) They even include the stars in those. Also they have fasion tips and horoscopes (the horoscopes are more for the girls though).Also they give you advice on great CDs and movie that are out there! You learn all about what the star are up to and there are tons of cool contests. I really love all the pictures and posters. I also love that they talk about stars that aren't the biggest names yet like Stevie Brock, Chris Trousdale, Jesse McCartney, and Greg Raposo(just to name a few!) This magazine has it all and I absoulutly love it! I have NEVER missed an issue!

Nail It!

This is the perfect magazine for the nail polish lover. The trends are easy to understand and incorporate. Tutorials are easy to follow. The pictures are gorgeous.

Interview Magazine

I know "Interview" has been around awhile, but I just recently got into it. In short, if you're into the arts, it's your magazine. It touches on music, movies, fashion, and everything inbetween. And often the interviews of celebrities are done by other celebs, like "Jim Jarmusch" doing a Q&A with "The White Stripes", just like they're sitting in a room chatting, very casual. I like that. Also the photography is tops, and often takes up the whole page (good mini-posters). They're good about not exposing the same old people too, lots of fresh faces, usually cool. Hey, if it's good enough for "Andy Warhol", it can't be bad, huh?

Interview is a small magazine with big ambitions. All the latest news in entertainment, fashion, and politics can be found within it's colorful pages. The photography is amazing, and grand in scale, although the magazine is packed full of ads (which are equally as colorful I might add). This is NOT entertainment weeklyInterview is the indi-film of magazines, and the people and films it covers are not usually those found in typical magazines. Instead of focusing on the actor du jour, Interview covers the up & coming, the soon to be, and the undiscovered. The interview formats are fascenating and unique, as most are done by celebrities, of celebrities. If one is looking for typical hollywood gossip, Warhol's masterpiece is not for them. At such a cheap price, Interview is a gem that is yet undiscovered by many. I highly recommend it!

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Interview has been hit with a number of production problems over the last couple of years. The dual editors Glenn O'Brien and Fabien Baron coulnd't agree on content so Baron leaves in January of 09. Art directors M/M Paris come in for three issues but leave when they aren't paid. O'Brienn leaves in the summer of '09 and Baron comes back. The result? Well, the magazine never comes on time (up to 2 Months late, if at all!) There is also a lot of doubling up the months, instead of October and November issues there is one October/November issue combo, same with December and January.

And this is written on February 7, and still no February issue of the magazine has been mailed.

So subscribe at your own risk, because who knows if Interview is going to be around long enough to fulfill your subscription. And at $6 an issue, it is really not worth buying it on the newsstand.

And to update, it is now March 15 and I have received no February issue OR March issue.

Here is Interview's response:

"We regret to inform you that our February issue will be delivered late

due to production delays.

Please allow until March 10, 2010 for delivery of this issue.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.

Second Update: May 2nd

No February Issue. No March Issue. No April Issue. No May issue.

Called up Interview and cancelled my subscription and demanded a full refund for services not rendered.

FINAL UPDATE: I asked for a complete refund and GOT IT! They are a lot faster mailing out their refund checks than their magazine!!!!!

So again, do not waste your money on a subscription to Interviewyou will not be mailed any magazines.

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OK. For those of you who continue to believe that New York is the center of the United States, Hell, the world, who forgot the map CNN kept flashing with the two different colors after the election that MIGHT infer there are several schools of thought about the polycentric views of the US, for those of you who can take a little criticism from the midwest, the dark states, middle earth, the Elba of the 21st century, you're not.

There's a whole world out here. People have jobs. Yes, it's true. We work, send our kids to school, even go to church on Sundays. And on other days too. We vote. Oh, yeah, you already know that.

So having an interview with an actor who goes on about how he meditates, is a vegan and thinks about trees and birds when he has a particularly stressful scene with Ashley or Uma or Diane, you know, it just doesn't carry a lot of weight with the serfs. But . . . .

It's a great magazine. Andy lives. Photography is tight and realistic. The ads are sexy and provocative. The sidebars interesting and insightful. It's wordly. It covers music as well as RS. It's (don't get all riled up now) a fun magazine to read.

However, the interviews which we are led to believe are the heart and soul of the magazine, seem to be along the lines of 'damn, it's so good to be me and I guess you're OK too.' Or, 'I see you're wearing a $15,000 Versace with a plunging neckline and . . . you've selected old, black, Converse All Stars to wear with it! How Noveau! How tasteful!'

Come on. Where's the bite? Where's the interview with Alex Rodriguez that says 'how come you went to therapy . . . it's only New York?' or with Marv Alpert 'hey what's on your fashion agenda now?'

Chris Berman from ESPN says he was on Maui a couple of years back and he was walking with his kids one dawn and he ran into Steven Stills with his kids. Now that's a conversation I would have liked to hear, not one that ends up with me thinking the two parties to the conversation (it sure isn't an interview see Columbia University's Interviewing 101 in their School of Journalism) are off to pick out furniture.

It's New York. Show your teeth. Flex. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury

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Interview is one of my favorite magazines. The interviews are always good. I think that the interviews are more candid since it's done by peers. I also think that the photo shoots in the Interview are some of the best around.

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Brides

Even though I'm in the wedding industry, there are a lot of things about getting married that I didn't know. I have found this magazine great for ideas from the big stuff down to the very smallest detail.

I get Martha Stewart's, Brides, and Bridal Guide magazines. (I'm a magazine addict... and there was a magazine sale on Amazon...) The price for Brides magazine is pretty good, and I like that you get 12 a year. (Martha is only 4 and Bridal Guide is 6.) I can't say that it has really outstanding articles; a majority of the magazine is ads -but I basically look through the ads/pictures to get ideas for what I want and rip them out when I find something I like.

The articles that they do have, I have found pretty helpful or at the very least entertaining. I think that their articles are better than Bridal Guide at least. Martha Stewart I feel is more crafty, but if you sign up to her wedding newsletter... you basically get the magazine in pieces through email for free anyway...

They have the basics advise column, new/fun highlights, seasonal wedding spreads, male editor doing 1 task for his wedding a month, honeymoon planning section, and then usually a main article about one topic a magazine (i.e. picking your dress, choosing an officiant, etc.). I agree with a post I saw where it feels somewhat to be the same kind of stuff every month due to the majority of pages being ads, but I would say a lot of the ads change pictures month-to-month, so I still didn't mind. If you're looking for some really intense/in-depth articles I can't say this is the place to look.... but I don't think any wedding magazine will give you that.

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I get it, some people like luxury a lot, and I don't mind paying for quality, but when you start recommending 200.00 per person gifts for each wedding guest you've gone overboard. Unfortunately most of this magazine is ads for overpriced coture dresses that are just plain ugly, and that is my review from more than 6 issues in.

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As with all Bridal magazines, this one is FULL of ads which can get a little bit old. But, aside from Martha Stewart Weddings, it seems to have the most variety from edition to edition. Definitely worth the subscription as opposed to Modern Bride.

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Way too many ads. I felt that this magazine didn't really have any great articles. Out of a 1 year subscription I maybe got 3 good and useful articles out of it.

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Quiltmaker (1-year auto-renewal)

In my opinion Quiltmaker is a magazine I won't ever be without. If I could only have one quilt magazine subscription, it would be Quiltmaker. I love it and would recommend it to every quilt maker.

As an intermediate quiltmaker, I found that the patterns were all manageable. There are a lot of patterns for specific themes, but they could be changed to suite. Not a lot of OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WOWWWWWWWW, but good clear instructions.

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This is a wonderful magazine. I have always found it to be up to date with new ideas in patterns and methods.

Wonderful explicit magazine and it is a fun magazine.

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I sent my granny a year subscription to Quiltmaker and she loved it. It has beautiful quits & patterns in there. Highly recommended to anyone who loves designing quilts.

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I ordered this magazine because my favorite designer has a column in it. I have tried many of her blocks and in the latest issue she has a whole quilt pattern in it. I can't wait to start it.

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Woodturning

* I buy all the woodturning magazines and feel this is the best one coming out of Europe!

* Most articles provide many pictures to make sure you do it right.

* I read it from cover to cover.

* The price is very high, wish it cost less.

Outstanding in every way.

Recommend it for anyone interested in woodturning, especially for wood turners, and anyone interested in wood turned pieces.

Very educational, interesting, and lovely to look at.

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