VivaLaModa, the indie quarterly fashion and handmade magazine, has just made issue #11 available for free online.  This winter edition continues the popular Project Reconstruction and brings you some fabulous winter accessories.

Get ready, set, sew!  Season 8 of Project Runway, the show I love to hate hate to love but can’t seem to stop watching, is back this Thursday, July 29th at 9pm on Lifetime with a newly expanded 90 minute format.  Set your DVR!

The latest issue of VivaLaModa Handmade Fashion magazine, issue #9, is now available online for free.  This issue includes a bunch of super talented clothing designers who have each reconstructed a mens shirt for the magazine’s Project Reconstruction spread.  All of the designs will be auctioned off next month with the proceeds going to the CARE charity for Haiti.  In the meanwhile, you can vote for your favorite design and one of you lucky voters will win the design of their choice.  Check out the magazine today and vote for your favorite design – it’s all for a good cause!

Project Runway

After a long court battle between NBC Universal (the parent company of Bravo) and the Weinstein Co., which produces the “Project Runway” series, season six of the show finally aired on Lifetime on August 20th and it was the top-rated premiere in Lifetime’s history.

Ratings were also up an amazing 32% over season five’s numbers, when the show still aired on Bravo, plus fans of the show can now view current and previous episodes on MyLifetime.com.  The show has never been streamed online before since Bravo didn’t have the rights to stream full episodes.

The popularity of the show has spawned an abundance of branded products like sewing machines, kits, and sketchbooks, and the effect of the show has been tremendous for local fabric retailers and sewing classes.  The entire industry has benefited from the upsurge in the popularity of sewing and fashion design as a hobby.

Be sure to watch episode three tonight on Lifetime.  You could even enter the Project Runway giveaway where one lucky winner will receive a new outfit and one winner will receive a $100 American Express gift card.  Hurry, the contest ends September 6th!

Momiji Couture Contest

Momiji are traditional wooden Japanese dolls that have a space for secret messages inside.  LoveMomiji.com is sponsoring the Momiji Couture Contest, which takes Momiji in a creative new direction.

To enter the contest, you can use the templates they provide to create your own fabric Momiji doll using any textile method you’d like, such as embroidery, knitting, weaving, printing, and so on.  The options are only limited by your imagination!

The goal of the contest is to assemble a “catwalk of exquisite Momiji dolls” to showcase the inspiration and skills of textile artists from around the world.  A panel of experts will choose ten finalists based on overall “wow factor”, in addition to skill and craftsmanship.

The finalists’ dolls will be displayed in Los Angeles and judges will vote to select an overall winner who will be featured in Selvedge magazine and will work with a press team that will tell the world about their talent.

Get more news about the contest and keep up with official blog at http://www.momijicouturecontest.blogspot.com/.  To get the templates, meet the judges, or view more information on how to enter, visit Love Momiji.

Sew Stylish Magazine

Sew Stylish Magazine announced their Fall Fashion Contest in this month’s edition.  The contest focuses on creating designer inspired fashions and the fall 2009 issue of the magazine shows you how to create high-style designer looks with easy sewing and simple pattern work.

It’s easy to enter, just upload pictures of your design, a picture of the designer style you used for inspiration, and a description of the techniques you used to the Sew Stylish contest gallery before midnight on September 23rd. Contest entrants have a chance to win a Baby Lock Sophia Embroidery and Sewing Machine, an Ottlite Craft Plus floor lamp, and the Threads Industry Insider Techniques DVDs.

Contestants will be narrowed down to five finalists by the Sew Stylish editors, then you will get to vote on the winner.  Finalists will be chosen based on their technique, design, skill and inspiration, and the winner will be announced on or around October 5, 2009.  For more details, click here to see the official rules.

Project Runway

After a brief scare that the show might not be coming back, I’m happy to say that a new season of the hit show “Project Runway” will be starting this Thursday, August 20th.  Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn and a whole new cast of designer wannabes will be moving from Bravo to Lifetime but the format appears to be the same with the winning designer reportedly (the show hasn’t announced the prizes yet) getting $100,000 to start their own clothing line, plus their designs will appear in Elle magazine.

If you’re new to “Project Runway”, it’s kind of like “American Idol” for fashion designers.  Each week the contestants are given a design challenge and told to “make it work”!  Tim Gunn, former fashion chair at Parson’s The New School for Design, currently works at Liz Claiborne and assists the designers with their weekly challenges on the show.

Once completed, the designs are modeled for Heidi Klum and the other judges, designer Michael Kors and Marie Claire fashion director Nina Garcia.  The heart of the show, the judging stage always results in great entertainment and high drama.  Quite often the designers are as interesting and colorful as their designs and the deliberation of the judges tends to bring out their artistic temperaments when one designer is asked to leave the show each week.

Check the local listings for your station and time, and be sure to tune in this week to pick your favorite designs!

The bi-monthly online magazine, Viva La Moda, showcases innovative fashion and handmade items from around the web and beyond.  The magazine features articles about “green” products, home decor, and toys in addition to product and fashion reviews.

This month’s edition includes pin up inspired hair accessories, kids trends, summer beachcombing seaglass designs, birthstone finds for July and August birthdays, plenty of terrific vintage and handmade items, plus a neat “Shop & Tell” section where readers are invited to write in with their own reviews on handmade or vintage items they’ve bought.

The magazine is all about enjoying fashion and supporting indie designers and crafters who make things with their own hands so we’d like to encourage you to support the magazine. 

Visit Viva La Moda today and check out all the beautiful products and designs featured this month.  Be sure to subscribe while you’re there so you won’t miss future issues, and then help spread the word!