Mind the signs - My Image Winter 2010/2011 #1003

Pattern Description: Long cardigan with V-neck, patch pockets and curved bands on front. Buttons are for effect only (no buttonholes).

Pattern Sizing: 36-44 (similar to Burda sizing).

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, pretty much. Look at the line drawing to the left of the image if you want more detail; I love color and print almost as much as the people at My Image, so it may be hard to see.

Were the instructions easy to follow? My Image has instructions in 4 languages, German, Dutch, French and near-English. By that I mean they get occasional words off, like having several different words for the bands/facings (rushes, edgings and facings), but on the other hand, they number the steps in their instructions and keep them pretty brief, so it's still hard to get confused. Considering that most of the time we have to sew WITHOUT instructions if we're using Burda, this is a step up, albeit a small one. Translation has gotten better in the newer issues.

My favorite line from the instructions: Mind the signs. By which I believe they meant, match your numbers, markings and notches, or else who knows what garment you'll end up with. But "mind the signs" just sounds better.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I just thought it was a pretty, practical pattern. I had recently purchased 2 yards of this gorgeous sweater knit from Gorgeous Fabrics, and I no sooner opened the magazine than the fabric started yelling from the back room, "Me! Me! Pick me!" So I did. And it was right.

Fabric Used: Sweater knit from Gorgeous Fabrics, underlined in chocolate brown lining fabric and with 5 wooden buttons I picked up on a vacation probably 15 years ago. The knit was beautiful, and from the outside looks almost like boucle, but it's fuzzy as anything when cut, and the underside kept catching on my rings as I was handling it, so I decided the best way to make it last (and also not stretch with wearing), was to line it. I can always hand wash it. In the end, rather than lining it, I underlined, basting all the lining pieces to the wrong side of the sweater knit and neatening all the seams with zigzag stitching.

I've included photo of the inside showing the lining and the rust-colored grosgrain ribbon I used for instead of seam binding for the inside bands and the hems. Every time I thought I was done with this project I decided to add one more step.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Just extra width to the seam allowances, in case I needed it. The pattern is recommended for stretch fabrics, and while this sweater knit has some give, I wouldn't call it stretchy. So that was my "just in case" move.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would definitely sew this again, once I find another fabric that demands it. It's cute, it's a great base pattern for a beautiful fabric, and it didn't take that long to put together (especially if you don't go to the unnecessary work of lining it and adding a ton of hand stitching). Highly recommended, especially if you've sewn a similar garment before - their instructions might be a little rough for a beginner.

 

Conclusion: If you can get past the busy fabrics and rocky instructions, My Image has some great patterns. I have 4 issues now, and their instructions have gotten better. Their patterns don't need improvement.

Full patternreview with a few more photos here.

Autumn Camouflage - My Image Spring/Summer 2011 #1115

I posted the full patternreview for this dress, which has a few more details and a bit less about the profanity involved in creating it - since most of my issues were self-created, it didn't seem fair to really dump on the pattern, which is actually quite nice.

As I said in the review, I don't think I'll make it again, but that's mainly because it's a pretty distinctive look. 

It's as cold as February here today, so the dress did not get taken out for a test drive.  I'm out of practice with winter; getting outside at 6:30 a.m. to give the chickens their water (I take it in otherwise it freezes overnight) has been downright painful. 

Photos will arrive when warmer weather does.  The photo here is from My Image, and proves that I'm not the only one out there who likes a loud print.

My Image - Fall/Winter

I just received the Fall/Winter issue of My Image pattern magazine, and I'm pretty pleased with the contents.

For those unfamiliar with My Image, it's a fairly recent entry in the European pattern magazine race, but it's moving up quickly in my estimation.

Like Ottobre, they're no Burda, but then again, that's not a bad thing.  Their clothes are wearable, not cut too low, and their models are pretty close to reality (though not as close as Ottobre's).

Their instructions are a little terse, and their English is a bit stilted, but for anyone who has tried to wrap their head around Burda's English, MI is a breeze.  And their pattern sheets are on bright white paper with nice, readable multi-colored lines.  You'll only have eyestrain at the end, not an actual migraine.

Even though I love warm weather and summer clothes, I like cold weather sewing better.  Cold weather sewing is about jackets and linings and weightier fabrics; it's about not taking shortcuts and making quick knit pieces to get me in and out of the workroom quickly.  

There are a few pieces in My Image that I'm looking forward to trying - a jacket, a short coat and one (or more) of the dresses.  And the slouchy drape necked top fills the space left by quick summer sewing: quick winter sewing.

My Image M1114 Skirt

It's Sunday night. It's raining. I'm tired and feeling somewhat lazy, so here's the patternreview for the skirt. I'll talk more aboaut it later, but for now, my eyes are crossing.

Pattern Description: Fly-front jeans-style mini-skirt, with pieced front, back yoke and back pockets.

Pattern Sizing:I made a 38. My Image's sizes run pretty close to Burda's, but maybe a little bigger. In a woven skirt in Burda, I'd cut a 40 and probably use wider seam allowances.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? It looks like the drawing. The two photos of the skirt in the magazine used dark fabric and dark stitching, so you really couldn't see the style lines very well. I also made some changes, noted below.

Were the instructions easy to follow? They weren't too bad. I didn't really use them, being so accustomed by Burda to not bothering until I'm in over my head. But I did read them over, and while their English is a little stilted, and some of the wording is odd (front and back "pass" instead of "yoke"), they made enough sense.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I thought it was a cute pattern. I liked the piecing, and it seemed like a good piece to try out a new pattern magazine.

Fabric Used: Khaki cotton twill. I wanted to use denim, and topstitch it properly (as in, topstitch it visibly), but I wouldn't get too much wear out of a denim skirt. Khaki twill seemed like a good compromise - jeans-like enough, but I'll be able to wear it to work if I dressed it right.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: First off, this skirt is REALLY short. Really. Short. I added 4" to the length, and it's still above my knees. And I'm 5'3". Did I say it was short?

My changes, aside from adding the length: since I wasn't doing it in denim, I really didn't want to do the fly front. I don't like fly fronts on skirts, since I sit most of the day. Pants don't ride up, but skirts do. So that was my first change, moving it to a side invisible zipper.

I probably should have then cut the front yoke and the center front panel on the fold, but I didn't, for two reasons. Reason one: I forgot. Reason two, after I remembered: I'm not big on those inset corners, and I knew if I had to do two of them identically on one piece, I'd be guaranteed to mess one up. Repeatedly. And the center seam actually works for me, with all the other seams.

My third change: see that horizontal line at the bottom of the center front panels? That's what they call a "design opportunity." Otherwise known as I added 4" to both side front panels and the skirt backs, but for some reason the pattern drawing in my head (the inaccurate one) didn't remind me to cut that central piece longer. So that's the length the whole skirt would have been, and I don't think my 47 year old thighs should be loose on an unsuspecting world without a little warning.

Fourth change: I left off the back pockets, which were just a little too jeans-style to me. I thought about changing the pockets or maybe adding flaps, but then I decided that the front pockets, which I didn't even notice in the photos or pattern drawing, were enough pockets for me. I really like them - they're my favorite part of the skirt, and I didn't even know they were there when I made it!

Last change: the traditional jeans-style waistband also didn't make much sense without the fly front. I cut a straight waistband, interfaced it, sewed it right sides together with the skirt, pressed it up and then stitched in the ditch to make a narrow waistband. My original idea was to do a faced waist, but this seemed like a good compromise.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I don't know if I'll make this particular skirt again, since it's pretty recognizable, but I'd recommend it. And it served its purpose well, which was to give me an idea of how My Image's pattern draft stacks up to Burda's and whether I'd want to make more of their patterns.

Conclusion: Cute little skirt, probably not for work everyday, but instead of jeans on a casual Friday, and definitely on the weekends.

My Image FYI

I've had a few comments about whether or not My Image has plus patterns - turns out they do, they just don't separate them the way BWOF does.

The information sheet in the magazines gives measurements for sizes 34 through 48, though when I checked the individual patterns, most of them are sized at 36-46. Still, that's a better range than Burda's 36-44. I just looked up the centimeter-to-inches conversion, and here's the size range:

From 34-48:

bust: 32.5 - 44.5; waist: 25.5 - 38; hip: 36.25 - 46.

I started in on the skirt tonight. I haven't gotten enough done yet to actually check the fit - there are a lot of pieces here, and a LOT of topstitching, so all I have together at this point is most of the skirt front.

Tomorrow is another day. A day followed by a weekend.

New kid on the block

So while I may not be the last to climb on the My Image bandwagon, I feel like I'm a little behind the curve here. Melissa and NancyK have both mentioned it recently, and I know I've seen talk on other blogs as well.

The other day, I finally got my hands on a copy (thank you, Andrea!), and I understand the enthusiasm. The styles in the magazine are almost as good as BWOF when they're good, and better by far than BWOF at their more lackluster. The photography is more catalog quality than fashion magazine, and the models are, too. They look much more "average" than the tall - or photoshop-lengthened - BWOF models. I don't think this is a bad thing at all.















Other than their obvious affinity for loud prints which obscure style lines, I have no real commentary on their styling. (And I'm not really one who should talk about prints, but we won't go there right now.)

Quite a few patterns struck me in that first issue, but aside from knit tops, skirts are always a safe place to start. There's a pieced skirt that's calling to me. I've included the entire line drawing sheet here (click to enlarge) and it's #1114 at the bottom. Both versions in the magazine are done in denim, and the topstitching isn't done in a contrast color so you can't see the lines of the piecing. I'm thinking about doing mine in khaki, with contrast thread, and changing from a fly front to a side zip, both to make it more work-friendly and also because I just don't like fly front skirts.

I traced the pieces off, but it was after 10:00 p.m. (well after), and I know better by now. I can continue sewing after 10:00 if my head's clear and all is going well, but I can't start anything challenging, even relatively simple cutting, that late. I'm bound to screw something up.

Sometimes it's just better to turn off the machine and go read sewing books. I got a new one recently I'm really enjoying. Review to follow shortly.