You probably know Anna from Paunnet already. Not only does she write the wittiest Burda and La mia Boutique reviews but she also takes great photos of her gorgeous makes all by herself. Some weeks ago we got talking and decided to do a joint review…so you won’t read only my comments but also hers. It’s a bit like in that movie  He said, She said

Silvia: I must admit I have never sewn with chiffon nor have I ever inserted neoprene cups! Do you think that gather at the center would create too much bulk or do you think it’s a great pattern? Would love to know your thoughts.

Anna: I think this pattern has a lot of potential. I’m not a big fan of the giant jewel embellishments, but other than that I find it very chic. With the right fabric, I don’t think it would be too bulky. I find it interesting that the cup placement is marked on the pattern piece: it might not work for everybody, but it’s nice to have a guide if you’ve never worked with foam cups.

Silvia: Let’s talk about this dress….It’s rated 5 stars meaning for experts….and if you look at the bodice pleats you can really tell why. Though I think it would be too hard for me, I could easily see this pattern as a wedding dress. These patterns are made by Italian fashion designers Fabiana Ferri and Bianca Brandi.

Anna: I agree with Silvia. This dress is both hard to make and to wear (pleated bust + embellishment + ombré effect = a lot of look to pull off). Definitely not for me as well.

Silvia: I don’t understand this style…a dress with an inbuilt overall? The dress part looks nice to me…you could use the pattern to turn it into a top or lenghten the front for a full size dress…sorry but the high-low fashion is not for me. Ah…you may have to cover up that cleavage

Anna: Again, I agree. This one is a head-scratcher, and a tacky one at that. I have no idea who could wear this and wear, but I know I wouldn’t want to be with them.

Silvia: I will skip the comments on the cleavage…I am not modest when it comes to dressing but I also don’t want to flash my boobs while walking around or even worse at a meeting! Anyway…you can easily sew up the front to your taste. These dresses are very similar to me, except for the length and bodice back I don’t see any difference.

Anna: As Silvia pointed out, this is very similar to the white dress above. And yes, there’s a boobage problem. If you like such a deep neckline, you probably might want to get some fashion tape or be prepared for a wardrobe malfunction.

Silvia: When I first saw the white dress I didn’t think much of it…then I looked at the technical drawing and thought….ehi this looks like Laurel by Colette pattern Clearly presentation makes a difference but sometimes we should go beyond appearances. La mia Boutique pattern as an additional front dart which would make the dress more fitted…but you can always leave it out for a looser fit. I will certainly keep this pattern on my sewing list!

Anna:  I thought the same thing! And having the Laurel pattern, there’s no way I’ll take the time to trace this one out. It’s really cute, give it a go, Silvia!

Silvia: The red dress on the right reminds me of my failed Japanese top  I like the fabric though. If you like wide dresses this could be a nice pattern

Anna: A pretty basic tent dress… You need to be willing to sacrifice showing any kind of shape to wear something like this, which is definitely not my cup of tea.

Silvia: Nice outfit…Again these are designer patterns. I am probably biased because I like slightly flared pants…and though you may think skinny pants are the trend right now I have started to see flared pants are making a comeback. On me they create the illusion of longer legs (something I lack)

Anna: I like this too. Again, I’m not sold on the jewel embellishment, but I like the cut-outs and the silhouette overall. And, Silvia, these pants would look great on you! I love palazzo pants but I’m afraid I’m a little too curvy and not tall enough for them…

Silvia: Pity they didn’t find a model for menswear… I could have asked a couple of friends and the result would have been much better (my friends are not models but have more life than a mannequin). Now if we look beyond the photo and the fabric choice I think the pattern is one of those you could use to venture in menswear.

Anna: I agree on the mannequin, it’s really a pity for the presentation… But I don’t really have anything else to say, I’m not interested at all with sewing menswear.

Silvia: The bonus on this issue is that plus sizes go up to a size 60 (104 cm/41 inch waist – 132 cm/52 inch hip) which generally you don’t find in other magazines. I included this top because it’s a very basic pattern that could be used over and over. The other reason why I included the photo is that I find this woman really gorgeous and that color combo looks great on her. Don’t you think? She has a fashion blog called Beautiful curvy

Anna: So refreshing to see a real plus-size woman in a photoshoot for plus-size patterns! I agree with Silvia, it’s a very versatile pattern and the wide size range is definitely a plus.

You can see the full pattern list below. Just click on it to enlarge. Don’t forget to check out Anna’s blog for the second part of our La Mia Boutique review…There are some nice patterns!

And now that you have seen this issue are you ready for a preview of the next one? It will already be on sale on August 19…and I can already see 3 patterns I like…those pants with the top…and the pink blouse. Plus it will be a double issue with a whopping 80 patterns! And…hopefully I will the previously promised surprise just for you! I thought it would be worth the wait.

Disclaimer: Silvia received this copy of La Mia Boutique for review. The opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine and Anna’s.