While we were relaxing in the Loire Valley in France a few weeks ago, I took the opportunity to hit up some of the big hypermarchés’ magazine sections and flip through all the sewing magazines! I saw the usual suspects like Burda, Elena Couture, and Fait Main but also a fair amount of new(ish) ones, too. I was unimpressed by the several magazines which simply reprint Big Four patterns (I understand the economics, but I’m not tempted in the slightest), but excited to see Fashion Style (the French language version of KnipMode, which I’ll share in a future post), and also Couture Actuelle, the French language version of Patrones, and of course, La Maison Victor!
After I’d heard that their first English language issue didn’t contain all of the patterns included in the standard French/Dutch/German editions (boo!), I figured I’d buy the French edition while I could, even if it turns out this gets released in English later. But I’ve since seen on their social media that their next English edition won’t be out til the new year, so I feel justified in buying this in French (especially since their illustrations are so good!).
First up is an easy-to wear woven dress with dolman sleeves and a belt, styled very trendily with a great monochrome print and trucker hat. This one would be easy for beginners to sew, and you could always add some in-seam pockets if you wished, too.
Omg this coat! I love this coat so so much! I love the “mullet” hem, the concealed zipper (& snap) closure, the pockets, that hood, everything!
I’ve even got the perfect fabric in my stash to make it, too, so watch this space!
This sleeveless knit top is one that would also be very easy to sew but would be extremely versatile for Fall (or Spring) layering. It also wouldn’t need much fabric, either…
I don’t normally go for button-down shirts, but I like the unusual button placket on this blouse – those bands are actually angled to create a V-neck!
Moving into the several kids patterns in this issue are these sweet little joggers (sweatpants) for babies and toddlers.
La Maison Victor sell much of the fabric they use in their samples, and if this quilted sweatshirting wasn’t €30/m it’d be mine already! It’s also worth noting that their girls and boys patterns go up to height 172, which would fit most tweens and some teens, too.
This boys parka is probably the most involved pattern in the whole issue, but look at those details! And that dinosaur fabric is just perfect.
And finally, the one menswear pattern of the issue is this shirt with quite a few interesting details – Western-style chest pockets, in-seam pockets, and lots of topstitching details. It kinda straddles the line between a shirt and a jacket…
Has anyone else got this issue? If you know anyone travelling to France in the next few weeks, the WH Smiths on the Calais side of Eurotunnel always stocks La Mia Boutique (or at least it has reliably everytime I’ve been through!). I’m actually itching to take a day trip to Paris soon to see the Dior exhibit in the next month or two, so I might get lucky and find the next issue on newsstands by then!