It’s been a little quiet around here, but only because I’ve been working away! I have a couple upcoming patterns that should be ready for release in a few weeks, plus a few other projects I’ve been working on, so I don’t have so many finished things to show off at the moment. I figured I’d take this opportunity, when I’m mid-project on so many projects, to share a little bit about an independent magazine I totally fell for while in New Zealand.

I found my way into a textiles bookshop while in Wellington (I know – it was just as dreamy as it sounds) called Minerva, and I walked away with a copy of a little publication called Extra Curricular. It’s an independent quarterly magazine focused on creative folks and the way that people bring creativity into their lives. I picked up a slightly older issue, because I was especially interested in the self-publishing featurette inside, but I can tell that any issue I picked up would’ve made me fall in love with them. The content is really fantastic, inspiring, and well-curated.

On a purely aesthetics level, it’s great too. Smaller in size than a typical magazine (I believe it’s just shy of A5) with matte paper and full color throughout – well laid out, good font choices, crisp photos. Rounded corners complement the aesthetic without feeling trendy. I’d be hard pressed to ask for more.

I learned about some fantastic stuff in one little issue, particularly Conversations with Creative Women (though I wish the hard copy wasn’t sold out!), the photography of Elle Sendall, and there was a short feature on The Hungry Girls’ Cookbook (I had actually picked up volume 3 a few days before in Sydney). The issue also featured how-tos, a few recipes, and so many interviews with creative folks that felt more like stories than magazine interviews. The focus on supporting local creatives in and from New Zealand and Australia came through strongly.

Sometimes you come across something that drives you to want to be better at what you do, and Extra Curricular is one of those things. It’s a very personable publication, and I just might have to order myself a subscription.

The most recent issue (#11) came out a few weeks ago and you can pick up your own copy here.