Ottobre is a wonderful pattern design magazine that many people don't know about. I stumbled upon them when I joined an online sewing group and all the ladies there were going on and on about them. After seeing some of the wonderful things they had made I just knew I had to give this new to me pattern a try. I talked my husband into ordering me a years subscription for Christmas. The ladies on my group tried to fair warn me that when I first received my pattern magazine I would be a little overwhelmed. Never had I seen a pattern that came in the form of a magazine, and the pattern pieces had to be traced by hand. Even worse the sheets you trace from look like a road map with many different colors and lines going in all different directions. Of course I was shocked and walked away from the magazine before I even gave it a chance, how in the world did anyone trace these patterns out and end up with a usable item in the end?

I'm sure your all now wondering where I get the idea that this could even have a good or wonderful to it? Well lets start with the "bad". First the pattern pieces must be traced out, and you are also required to add your own seam allowance something most of us are not used to having to do. The pieces are all color coded on a sheet of paper, you must find the number and color of that piece and then trace it while ignoring all of the other lines that cross over it. This isn't to big of a deal for me as I have learned how to just focus on that one color but it has taken me a while to get to that point. Another bad aspect is that the instructions for putting the item together are very minimal and there are no step by step pictures to help you along the way. I will be honest if you are a beginner you might as well put it down and don't plan on coming back until you have the basics of sewing and putting a garment together down pat. Sometimes I still don't understand what they are wanting me to do and I have to figure out my own way of doing it, but most of the time its not to bad.

Now comes the "good" part. All of there items are modern and up to date! I have yet to receive one of there magazines and wonder why I spent the money on them. There are a ton of patterns to choose from in every issue, and I pick out at lease 4 of them right away to get to work on. The clothes are so wonderfully desigened that I often get asked where I bought my sons clothes at as antoher Mom wants a shirt just like it for her child only to hear the normal response of "There is no way that you made that!"

As for the "wonderful" just grab yourself an Ottobre and make just one item out of it. I can assure you that once you are done you wont even have to ask me what is so wonderful about it! The look on my daughter's face every time I finish up something for her says it to me over and over again "This Magazine is WONDERFUL!"