Simplicity patterns in a magazine

I picked up the latest issue of Meine Nähmode the other day - it's a German publication that reprints some Simplicity and New Look patterns. The price list on the cover of the magazine suggests that it's available in many European countries (sorry, no US distribution - but you have all the patterns available to you any way). I've seen it sold in France under the name Tendences Couture, although the issues in France are often ones published months earlier in Germany.

They are the actual Simplicity/New Look patterns, though not all the sizes or pattern views are reproduced. The styles are usually fairly recent, though not from the latest collections, and I have come across some that have been discontinued. Yes, you have to trace them, but since they generally only include 3 sizes, it's not too bad. Most of the pattern sizes they choose are in the mid-range, from about 34/36 to 42/44 with a few patterns in each issue selected for the smaller sizes and a few selected for large or plus size. Seam allowances are included, but I have found that not all the pattern markings are reproduced, and sometimes if a pattern piece is just a square or rectangle, they'll give you the dimensions to cut and not the actually pattern piece.

The instructions in my copy are in German but thankfully they also include the illustrated instructions from Simplicity. This helps me a lot, even though they're kind of tiny.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this magazine on this blog before, because since moving to Germany, when I sew a Simplicity or New Look pattern, it's probably from this magazine and not from an individual envelope pattern. I'm not even sure if they sell Simplicity or New Look envelope patterns here and if they do, they're certainly not sold at the bargain sale prices that you get at Joann's in the U.S.

I used to buy this magazine every time it came out, which is about 5-6 times a year (the 3/2017 in the upper right of the cover does not mean March, but rather the third issue this year). But due to magazine overload I've become more selective. On a side note, the last Burda I bought was February 2017 - I'm just underwhelmed by the styles since then or have many similar patterns already.

This issue has 15 patterns and although they don't tell you the pattern numbers, I've gone through and figured them out because I add these patterns to my pattern library in OneNote (links to posts about my library are here and here) and if I provide a review on patternreview.com, I refer to the Simplicity or New Look pattern number.

There are 8 patterns from Simplicity:

1201 - Only sizes: 38/40, 42/44, 46/48, no view A or B
8049 - Only sizes: 34/36, 38/40, 42/44, no view A
8137 - Only sizes: 38, 40, 42, no view D
1355 - Only sizes: M, L, XL, all views
1203 - Only sizes: 44/46, 48/50, 52/54, no view F
8095 - Only sizes: S, M, L, all views
8086 - Only sizes: 34, 36, 38, no view A
8134 - Only sizes: 32/34, 36/38, 40/42, all views

There are 7 patterns from New Look:

6450 - Only sizes: 34/36, 38/40, 42/44, no view C or D
6453 - Only sizes: 34/36, 38/40, 42/44, no view C or D
6428 - Only sizes: 42, 44, 46, all views
6448 - Only sizes: 34/36, 38/40, 42/44, no view A or B
6451 - Only sizes: 38/40, 42/44, 46/48, no view B
6459 - Only sizes: 40, 42, 44, all views
6461 - Only sizes: 40, 42, 44, no view D

These are the patterns I was drawn to and might actually make:

There are some patterns I definitely won't make but that's the way it is with magazine patterns. All in all, it's a pretty good deal at € 5.80 (about $6.50 with the current exchange rate).