Saturday Notes - Au Bonheur, Where Art Thou!

Edited to Add: It's Official

I love you guys!

I woke up this morning and really enjoyed reading your comments on last night's post and on the post before. You really know how to make me smile. Thanks soooo much for your insights on your experiences with your own sewing rooms!!

Several of you asked about the independent pattern company Au Bonheur des Petites Mains. Actually, I was planning to bring that up, but hadn't gotten around to it yet.

I think the news is not good.

• The last time they put up patterns for sale (which was last spring - in early April), they immediately took some of them down again. A few people who ordered quickly, managed to get them, but most (like me) were out of luck, as those patterns never reappeared.
• Over the last six months or so, they have closed two of their stores in France.
• Their website has consistently been down for some time now. I've been checking and checking.
• They have not answered any email I have sent to the address that, in the past, they used for correspondence. But my emails have not been returned as invalid, either. So, either it's unmonitored, or it's unmonitored by anyone that speaks English.
• I was on their mailing list. The last bulk email they sent out was on 6/21/2011. I dumped the text into Google translate. It says is that they are having a big sale, which is possibly right before they dissolved (if, in fact, they have dissolved). Here is the original French, for those of you who can shed more light on this mystery.
  

  Mesdames, Messieurs, Chers Clients
   
  Votre magasin « Au Bonheur des Petites Mains » de CERNAY
  vous propose ses
  
  SOLDES de FOLIE
  Des centaines d'articles soldes entre 50 et 80%
  
     Apartir du mercredi 22 juin 9h00 et pendant toute la duree legale des soldes
  
  aux heures habituelles d'ouverture du magasin.
  (9h-12h et 14h-18h jeudi et vendredi
  samedi 9h-12h et 14h-17h)
  
    Rappel: nous ne prenons toujours pas la Carte Bleue,
  donc paiement en especes ou par cheque
  
  A tres bientot
  dans votre magasin de CERNAY
  8A rue de La Sauge
  68 700 CERNAY
  03 89 37 44 60
  
  Vous recevez ce message en tant qu'ancien client de www.patron-de-couture.fr 
  Si vous ne desirez plus recevoir nos messages, cliquez ici
  Conformement a la loi informatique et libertes du 6 janvier 1978 (art. 27), vous disposez d'un droit d'acces et de rectification des donnees vous concernant.   
  
  Copyright © patron-de-couture.fr  - Tous droits reserves
  

I think they are gone which, if true, is a real shame. I am so glad I bought as many patterns as I did.

In fact, Dorothy just posted an Au Bonheur's t-shirt review on Pattern Review that is so amazing, I am sure that many have been trying to buy the pattern and are wondering what the heck is up. I've included the picture here so you can drool some more.

Don't you just want to climb into this picture and have some tea and scones with Dorothy and talk sewing?

Both of these t-shirts are from pattern 60005, T-shirt Effet Asymmetric. I never bought this pattern, thinking it would not work on my bust but, after seeing Dorothy's, I am rethinking that idea. Lucky for me, Dorothy is in my sewing group and may let me borrow the pattern.

Pure gorgeousness, Dorothy! Though, to be honest, if you were wearing the proverbial gunny sac, you would still be pure gorgeousness! (And if I had better Photoshop skillz, I just might prove that point. ;) )

If you have any further information on the status of this company, please post it here. I am sad if a source of such creativity has dried up forever!

Here are some related links you might find useful:

• My Au Bonheur posts on this blog.
• All Au Bonheur reviews on Pattern Review. (You have to have a Pattern Review account to see these, but the free account works fine.)
• Au Bonheur's size chart, converted to Imperial measurements by moi.

Edited to Add: It's Official!

Thanks to Véro, who commented on this post, we have confirmation that Au Bonheurs liquidated their business on August 7th. Thanks so much for investigating this, Véro! I wish the designers all the best. If anyone hears that any of these designers have resurfaced and are designing for another pattern line, please let me know!!!