Back around 1990 we moved from a town to a village on the North York Moors, just 9 miles from Whitby. This magazine seemed appropriate.
I have had a subscription on and off for the best part of 20 years!!!!
For quite some time I feel that the magazine is really focussed on wealthy individuals who can :-
- spend £54 on a metre of fabric from which they will make bunting
- renovate a house with a massive budget
- have no clutter
- pay through the nose for a piece of tat
- spend on an outfit what we would spend on food in a month
Reading Jo's blog here made me think. I vow every year to do more sewing. I never get round to it - but this magazine could be a good starting point.
This morning I stopped my Country Living subscription and started one for Stich and Sew. Now the nights are drawing in I will endeavour to learn a few more skills and make use of my sewing machines.
Watch this space!
I know that feeling, of thinking it must be nice to be able to spend £120 on a candle! I'm not bitter, not really anyway. I do wonder who buys these things though.
ReplyDeleteIronically November's issue arrived today. The feature on the rustic woollen collection made me smile - the model was pushing a wheelbarrow in designer gear and gloves costing £85, coat £300!!!!!!!!!! As if!
DeleteWouldn't it be great to see an article about what scruffy clothes real people wear when they do the gardening. I'd look a real sight in my combat trousers and thermal long sleeved vest. Might not be quite so aspirational though I guess so they might not sell many copies.
DeleteAye I can imagine the local farmers reaction! You have to laugh!
DeleteI'd like to see that model hacking back berberis, as I was doing today. I was wearing a T shirt with holes in it and coffee stains on the front. Which, as it turns out, was stupid. It should have had long sleeves, as the scratches will now verify!
DeleteExactly Jessica - was it your £250 T-shirt? Hmm I thought not! Dxx
DeleteGood Luck with the stitching Denise, some issues of these magazines, do feel a bit stale, I have the Country Living one, but was given the Homes and Antiques and Country Homes and Interiors as gifts, they all offer something a bit different. I often pick up an occasional copy of The Simple Things too, when you visit WH Smith, the choice now is a mindfield though.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy reading "Coast" magazine last time I was at the Doctor's surgery but felt it was more or less the same expensive features - coastal rather than rural.
DeleteI look forward to seeing what it inspires you to make. I don't spend very much on magazines these days, though I do like to buy one every now and again, it's just that most of them are so expensive. I spend time reading blogs and get inspiration from there, so magazines tend to go unread. Thanks for the mention.
ReplyDeleteI agree Jo - blogs can inspire, often I feel overwhelmed by the talent out there. We are all good at different things, in my case my stationery but I do hamper to do more sewing and your post did inspire me dear! Dxx
DeleteNever read them as they have a fantasy view of living in the country.
ReplyDeleteJane x
So very true Jane xxx We live in a farming community so see the real country life every day and it's not all £450 wool blankets! As if!
DeleteI rarely buy magazines for the reasons you state. I can find out what I need on the Internet . . .
ReplyDeleteAgree J, xxx Am looking forward to my sewing expedition though xxx will give it a couple of months.
Deleteget that needle and thread flying girl, I'm dying to see what you make! x
ReplyDeleteWatch this space Kath! lol! It may be a while but definitely fired up!
DeleteI agree about Country Living - I couldn't put my finger on it but you have hit the nail so to speak. I was thinking of giving it up this year then hubby got me a subscription at Xmas. I did give up Country Homes though as very similar I think I even wrote a post about getting out last years month by month as the articles from last year are still as relevant and probably similar to this. I think we like minded bloggers should start our own down to earth version!
ReplyDeleteAgree entirely...funnily enough was thinking about it this weekend.
DeleteI used to sew a lot when the children were small....... and knit too. Everyone did then.
ReplyDeleteI don't buy a regular magazine.
Maggie x
Nuts in May
Maggie I am determined to "do" something sewingwise this winter.
DeleteI cancelled my CL membership for exactly the same reason. I would look forward to it arriving but then just flip through and look at the gorgeous photos but hardly read anything as there was nothing much of interest or nothing new. It was the Christmas issue which really did it for me, just under half the pages were adverts!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with you new magazine and I hope it gives you lots of inspiration
Lisa x
Well it's on a trial basis Lisa - will give it 3 months then see. If I haven't got anything to "show" the subscription will stop.
DeleteThe only time I buy a magazine is when they're offering a free mascara or some other gift that I can use as they are generally full of advertisements with nothing valuable to read.
ReplyDeleteGood point Pearl. x
DeleteThe only thing with buying something like stitch and sew or whatever is that these magazines make me feel (a) guilty that I am slobbing around doing nothing, and (b) inadequate because if I tried to do something it would never turn out right or look like the picture. Therefore I continue to slob around and buy Elle Decoration and pretend that I am living in a white Scandinavian warehouse conversion with the perfect minimalist furniture that I just happened to find on a rubbish tip.
ReplyDeleteIndeedy Rachel - chortle.
DeleteI have cut my subscriptions by 80%....as you say nothing new. And to add to that the magazines are about 75% advertisements....and when I added the yearly price well just seemed wasteful. I'll look to the internet and use the money saved to "make" with....Lots of fabric I think.
ReplyDeleteWill watch your efforts Linda - you inspire me. lol!
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