Pages

Wednesday 28 March 2018

Review Knipmode April 2018



Spoiler alert! We all know pattern magazines can be hit or miss. This month's Knipmode is so boring, I completely forgot to post a review. So please skip this if you've got better things to do, like sewing a pretty pattern!


Pattern overview Knipmode 4/2018

The first thing you'll notice is that the patterns don't look very seasonal appropriate. So much so that the thought occurred to me that this was a bunch of leftover patterns of any sort. We may not have the warmest of climates, but we're certainly looking forward to catching some rays of sunshine in April and we're all hoping for glorious weather on King's Day!



The fabrics and (lack of) colours add to the autumnal vibe. (Maybe the text editor missed the briefing as the text on the cover mentions "Ready for colour')


The second thing that caught my eye were the slapdash designs with heavy leaning on elastics and drawstrings for adding shape to simple rectangles.




Or how about these skirts?





Maybe the design budget was tight. Someone clever got really creative by merging jacket 13 and pants 12 into a jumpsuit. Check, another pattern done!

1 + 1 = ?






Oi, maybe the budget for sample sewing was a little tight as well!
I double checked the technical drawing to see if the wavy hem was part of the design, but nope.

It will come as no surprise that this issue was not received very well by the readers. When subscribers showed their disappointment on social media Knipmode's staff replied by asking which specific garment would make the complainers happy. I don't think it's as simple as that. When I speak for myself I can really enjoy a magazine that doesn't offer a pattern I want to make, as long as I can look at interesting seam lines, pretty details or beautiful fabrics. For me this issue fails on all aspects.

In an attempt to end at a positive note I tried to give the cover dress the benefit of the doubt.



On closer look I find this dress lacks refinement. Is it the front curve of the collar that looks off? The sleeves? The odd spacing of the buttons? Nice idea, clunky execution.
I've made a Knipmode jacket with a similar collar in 1990. It had two tiny release pleats in the collar, just above the top button, giving the front neckline a subtle curve. How I would love to see that focus on detail return!

So, no. This issue isn't for me. Fingers crossed for a better one in May because I really want to get started on sewing my spring collection!

Disclaimer (just in case anyone thinks I was sponsored to write this review ;))
This post contains no affiliate links, I paid for my copy of Knipmode and all opinions are my own.


10 comments:

  1. Agree, disappointing issue. Hope the next one is better. On the season: I've been to a fabric market and was disappointed by the lack of colour. It didn't have the usual spring "vibe" to it. Lots of black and white, navy etc. I love that, but had come to the market to buy colour, being fed up with my own black and white closet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At the end of February I was at the fabric market and I assumed every seller just sneaked in some leftover winter fabrics because spring was nowhere near. If that seriously was all new collection I won't be buying much this season!

      Delete
  2. I’ve noticed the emphasis on elastics in other pattern lines as well. It was McCalls’ spring line, I think, that made me comment to my mother (she trained in fashion design in Paris) that everything looked like a Laura Ashley lampshade. Pretty floral prints done up in elasticated off-the-shoulder and drawstring-waisted and randomly-ruffled. So apparently this is 2018’s maxi dress.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree! I think there's a market for a lot of different patterns, even the Laura Ashley lampshade style looks good on some of us. If only the collections were more balanced and differentiated.

      Delete
  3. Oh wow, that is disappointing. Yeesh. :/ Usually I want all the issues but not this one...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On the upside I can now spend my time on perfecting the fit of the Ames jeans, instead of being distracted by new and shiny patterns!

      Delete
  4. Ummm...I liked this issue. I must say that I'm from the southern hemisphere going into autumn so that might explain it. I made top 19 and will make the dress version too. It looks great but needs to be lengthened. I also like top 16 and the trousers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe I'll eat my words in autumn as I do like top 16, just not right now. I often find that whenever a top is made from part of a dress pattern it turns out very short!

      Delete
  5. Oh, I also thought this issue was pretty darn lacklustre as well! The only garments that really interested me at all were skirt #10 and maybe top #19 - but that makes sense given that in Australia and it's starting to cool down. As a spring collection it's not great though. And I'm not a fan of drawstrings or elastic for shaping either!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. The dress version of top #19 showed up in my IG feed (by @vladivos) and it looked really nice!

      Delete