I'm delighted to be part of a world blog tour to help launch the English edition of Dutch sewing magazine La Maison Victor. Until now the magazine has only been available in French or Dutch, so this will come as welcome news to its many fans. Bloggers in the launch countries (UK, US, Canada and Australia) have each been asked to make up a pattern from the magazine and blog about it. Today it's my turn!
I have to say, I fell heavily for the magazine as soon as I received my copy. It has a modern, stylish feel to it and the projects are beautifully photographed and designed. It's packed full of content too, with eight sewing patterns to choose from: three children's patterns, four women's (two dresses, a skirt and a top) and one men's pattern. There's also a knitting pattern for a short summer sweater.
I chose the Malia Top purely because it looked the easiest to sew and I didn't have a great deal of time to spare. It's a simple, sleeveless tank and as I'm currently on a roll with this style I thought it would be good to add another pattern to the mix.
I chose the Malia Top purely because it looked the easiest to sew and I didn't have a great deal of time to spare. It's a simple, sleeveless tank and as I'm currently on a roll with this style I thought it would be good to add another pattern to the mix.
Patterns are included in a separate pull-out section in the middle of the magazine and need to be traced as there are several pieces on each sheet. There's a handy information box for each pattern which highlights the pattern pieces needed and the sheets they're printed on. I found this really helpful when tracing the pieces. Seam allowances also need to be added, but as I only had two main pattern pieces (the bias strips for the neckline and armholes didn't require them), this didn't take long to do. Instructions are comprehensive and detailed - refreshingly different from Burda instructions which have always made zero sense to me.
For fabric I wanted something light and floaty and this navy Swiss dot cotton in my stash was perfect. I deliberately chose a solid colour as I wanted to accentuate the bust gathers. The fabric is very light and delicate so I used French seams throughout.
For fabric I wanted something light and floaty and this navy Swiss dot cotton in my stash was perfect. I deliberately chose a solid colour as I wanted to accentuate the bust gathers. The fabric is very light and delicate so I used French seams throughout.
The only shaping on the Malia top are the bust darts which are gathered underneath. This is a really pretty and unusual feature but I'm still undecided about whether I like it or not. The darts also sit a little too high on me which doesn't help! The jury's out...
The sizing wasn't too bad (I made a size 10), although I could probably have given myself a bit more room at the bust. The neckline and armholes are finished with self bias strips, which fit exactly. This doesn't leave any room for error, so next time I'll be adding a couple of centimetres to both these pieces. Other than omitting the hem seam allowance I made no changes to the pattern, so overall it was a very quick and easy top to sew.
I'll definitely be looking out for future editions of La Maison Victor as the patterns are easy to work with and the designs very wearable. The magazine should be available in WH Smiths and major supermarkets from this week or can be ordered online from this site along with fabric kits for each project.
That's it from me, in the meantime don't forget to check out the other UK participants blogging their projects this week:
5th July Katie at What Katie Sews
6th July Clare-Louise at The Thrifty Stitcher
8th July Laura at The Petite Passions
A copy of La Maison Victor was given to me free of charge to review. All views my own.
