SEWING CHANEL-STYLE

Couture Sewing Techniques - review

1/17/2022

Couture Sewing Techniques is not a Dummies handbook for absolute beginners. It is an advanced guide for seamstress with a lot of experience who want to learn the real couture sewing techniques. The book is ideal as a finishing touch for your projects or as a deepening of your knowledge and techniques.

The kitchen princess & Spoonflower

1/14/2022

Once upon a time there was a kitchen princess who wanted a special kitchen apron. She wanted an exclusive lady-like apron. No problem because:

Spoonflower has a beautiful fabric that you could even wear to a gala
KNIP-Mode has a beautiful sewing pattern for a kitchen apron with many extras

and after some magic with the sewing machine, a kitchen apron, an oven glove and a tea towel was created for the kitchen princess, which met all her wishes.

Heavy Duty Sewing - book review

1/12/2022

Heavy-Duty Sewing is an English book by Anton Sandqvist, who is known for his outdoor brand: Sandqvist. In this book you can read everything about making products that are robust and strong, because they are made of heavy and sturdy fabrics. We mention: canvas, leather, strong cotton and heavier woven wool fabrics. Anton Sandqvist 'does magic' with these fabrics and is making beautiful backpacks, bags, toiletry bags, baskets and practical holders for knives and kitchen utensils.

It is a beautiful book in terms of design that exudes Scandinavia in every photo. And it is a big challenge to go for sturdy, stiff fabrics and to make usable stuff from them.

But we do have a little bit of criticism, and we'll explain that in this blog.

Chanel's former rolemodel: Christy Turlington is still beautiful!

1/3/2022

Remember beautiful Christy Turlington as the Chanel Model of the 80's? She was amazing and she still is! At the age of 53 years, she looks more radiant and natural than ever.

Read the article:

Vogue
At 53, Christy Turlington
Only Gets More Beautiful

Free Embroidery Patterns

12/30/2021

If you like to sew with an embroidery machine or a sewing- and embroidery machine, the included patterns are limited. There is an offer of embroidery patterns on the Internet, but you will have to pay for most of them.

FREE embroidery patterns are available as well, but not easy to find. Below our update of the links of websites from which you can download free embroidery patterns.

There is a new fabric in town: Tyvek!

12/25/2021

Have you already heard about Tyvek fabric? Or also called: Tyvek paper? It is the latest fabric and it is slowly entering the fabric world. As a seamstress you will be surprised if you have bought this 'fabric'. It looks like paper and comes in a roll! Help! Did I made a mistake with the order? No, you can do more with the fabric than you thought. You can sew and even iron the fabric or paper.

In this blog: What is Tyvek and what can you make from Tyvek fabric?

Sewing the Grace Kelly Style

12/16/2021

Grace Patricia Kelly ((November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who married Prince Rainer III of Monaco in 1956. She died at age 52 of a fatal car accident in 1982. Grace Kelly is an icon to this day because of its style, which is characterized by elegance and timeless class.

Hèrmes even named a handbag after her: The Kelly Bag. The bag is extremely expensive, has waiting lists for potential buyers and, like Grace Kelly, is 'sophisticated' in every little detail.

Do you want to be as stylish as Grace Kelly? That seems almost impossible, but it is certainly not. There are many sewing patterns available that work well with the Kelly-Style. We have made an overview.

In a world of Kardashians,
be a Grace Kelly!

Chanel 2021/22 Métiers d’art Show

12/8/2021

CHANEL

The CHANEL 2021/22 Métiers d’art show by Virginie Viard took place inside ??19M, the new Parisian building created by CHANEL dedicated to the Fashion Métiers d’art. The model, musician and CHANEL ambassador Soo Joo Park AKA Ether joined Daniel Lopatin on stage after walking the show to sing the finale song of the artist’s exclusive soundtrack especially composed for the collection.

New Look 6598 with the ideal collar!

12/3/2021

Are you struggling to make a nice collar for a blouse or shirt? It happens to almost every seamstress. It takes years of sewing experience to make a perfect beautiful collar. Keep practicing! It will work out some day...

But you can also opt for a different type of collar or blouse. New Look 6598 is a nice blouse with a different collar, namely a 'wing collar'. Not only does this look neat and clean, but it's also an easy collar to make!

Couture Sewing, Tailoring Techniques, review

11/19/2021

Couture Sewing, Tailoring Techniques by Claire Shaeffer

This book is about tailoring techniques and sewing secrets of such renowned designers as Chanel, Dior, and Balenciaga. Get an insider's view of the couture industry. Author and fashion expert Claire B. Shaeffer shares garment tailoring techniques, construction methods, and even short cuts used in the finest European ateliers of Paris, Rome and London.

Shaeffer presents viewers with an in-depth tailoring workshop, demonstrating key techniques such as converting darts to ease, creating a patch pocket, interfacing a hem, stitching a fly zipper, and making a bound buttonhole.

The art of growing up

11/10/2021

We enjoyed the book: The older but better but older, the Art of growing up. It is an amazingly funny and lovely pocketbook.

The Bestselling authors of How to Be Parisian are telling us the inspiring story about the Parisian art of growing up. Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas are very relaxed about getting older and giving a lot of tips and tricks of how to deal with it.

Forget about 'looking like your daughter' but be happy to grow old. We all have to deal with it and it is not a shame to be old.

We love the book, just like the other books about the Parisian Style of Fashion and Lifestyle.

Vintage coats: Vogue V1738, Vogue V1669 and Simplicity 8509

11/3/2021

Vintage coats are always beautiful, elegant and stylish. And... they are never 'outdated' because most models are timeless and very classy. It is now the perfect time to make and wear a vintage coat. There are beautiful sewing patterns and woolen fabrics for sale at the fabric shops.
We will discuss three sewing patterns which stand out in terms of elegance and style!

How to recognize authentic Chanel Buttons?

11/3/2021

It will be bloody perfect to use real Vintage Chanel buttons for your DIY couture-garment. But how to recognize these beautiful buttons-jewels? 'Buttons-jewels' says it all: most real authentic Chanel buttons are really jewels !

Read all about these beauties:

Couture, the art of fine sewing

10/28/2021

Couture : The art of fine sewing

Couture, couture and couture. Roberta Carr loves it and explains a lot. The drawings in the book are beautiful and makes the readers want to know more and create more themselves.
The book is about how to approach a sewing technique, or a way of accomplishing a particular look.
The book explains the sewing techniques perfectly in every little detail but also tell the reader WHY it should be done this way and why this techniques works best. Sometimes it even provides alternatives.
Seamstresses create beautiful clothing by analyzing problems and choosing from alternative techniques, and then selecting the best solutions to create their version of perfection.

Vogue V9264, the perfect and easy party dress!

10/26/2021

Do you want to create a comfortable but tight dress for the holidays? Vogue Very Easy V9264 is an ideal sewing pattern. The dress is quite tight because of the high stretch content of the fabric. If you buy a thicker fabric, such as Bengaline fabric, it falls very nicely. Do you dare? There are still a few weeks to go, so make this dress and you'll be the star of the holidays!

The Ten Best Sewing patterns - Chanel-Style jacket

10/12/2021

What's the BEST sewing pattern is to make a Chanel-style jacket? This question is difficult to answer. It all depends on what kind of fabric you are going to work with, what you expect about the shape of the jacket and what's your sewing level... In this blog we are going to answer the question and clarify our choice. However, we will clearly indicate about the end result and why we rate the sewing pattern in the top ten of our choice!

Virginie Viard and Good Morning Vogue

10/9/2021

0n the Latest Episode of ‘Good Morning Vogue,’ a New Allure: How Virginie Viard Is Making Chanel Her Own
by Laird Borrelli-Persson

The Shirtmaking Workbook - review

9/26/2021

The Shirtmaking Workbook is an instruction book about making shirts and blouses. It was written by David Page Coffin and has many photos with details and descriptions. Do you really want to learn how to make the perfect blouse? This book is your ideal guide. Or do you just want to know a little more about how shirts and blouses are made in general? It will be great as well.

How to make a corset belt?

9/22/2021

We used the sewing pattern McCalls M4681 to make this corset belt in Burlesque-style. The blog on the Dutch page: you will find a lot of pictures. We made a step-by-step instructions gallery about the making off the corset belt.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

Butterick B6388; nice pants!

9/17/2021

Looking for lovely casual pants that you can actually wear at any occasion? Then take a look at Butterick B6388. This sewing pattern offers comfortable pants that will quickly become your favorite pants.

Once upon a time...

9/12/2021

#CHANEL #CHANELFashion
"Once Upon A Time..." by Karl Lagerfeld – CHANEL

How to make a Medieval corset

9/10/2021

How to make a Medieval corset? It's less difficult than you think. In our Dutch blog an extensive description of the sewing pattern Simplicity 8162 and sewing instructions for a Medieval corset.
We also tell you all about Medieval corsets. Their function, colors, the materials and especially the fact that it was mainly worn over the clothes.

In addition, many photos and the result.

The blog is only available in the Dutch language, but we hope it is good enough to understand. The pictures already contain a lot of information and Google translations might help you with the text.

Beautiful buttons

9/2/2021

How to recognize real authentic Chanel Buttons?

If you just made your own Chanel-Style jacket, (and it looks like a real Chanel jacket!!!), it will be bloody perfect to use authentic Vintage Chanel buttons for it. You are going to buy them online, or perhaps you have found them on a vintage market.... Are they real? How do you recognize these beautiful button-jewels?

Neue Mode M23079; a nice stepped jacket

8/28/2021

Quilted ór 'stepped'fabrics are always 'very 'Chanel-like'. This is mainly because Coco Cahnel liked to work with stepped fabrics. The fabrics are also a bit the same style as the beautiful stepped classic Chanel 2.55 bag. Thats is why we went looking for a sewing pattern for a stepped jacket!

How to photograph your self made clothes

8/23/2021

After you have made a garment, you want to show it to the outside world. Taking pictures for your Social Media, maybe for an online store or just for yourself. But how do you photograph your clothes in the best way? Many ways are passing by on the Internet.
We have some give tips and tricks for you!

Flat lay pictures:
Flat-lay pictures are photos of clothing or products which are lying flat on a table or on the floor. You will look up from above. This way of photographing clothes has great advantages because you can arrange the clothes exactly as you want. Various tutorials can be found on YouTube on how to do this best.

A disadvantage is the fact you do not see the clothes 'dressed'. It does not give a clear picture of the shape and as a viewer you may have to imagine how it will look in real life. The clothing is probably arranged in a way: making the sleeves appear narrower, creating a waist that is not there or making the entire garment look better than it actually is.

One of the reasons for taking flat-lay pictures is often the fact people don't want to be shown in the picture, for several reasons. For example because of privacy or because of the size of the garment. This way of presenting is also often popular because the photos are styled and look great.

Tip: add items that emphasize the clothing style to the pictures. A chic perfume bottle, a nice cup of coffee or a serious book. Jewelry or accessories. Styling the clothes in this way makes the photo more attractive for the viewers.

Detail photos:
Detail photos are ideal to show if the garment has really specific or intricate details. This is especially important for seamstresses. Examples: sleeve ends, collars, slits or interesting buttons and pleats. Of course, the photos do not show the entire garment, but they are interesting to show to the outside world.

'The devil is in the detail'

Mannequins:
Mannequin-photos are pictures taken by using the sewing mannequin or a shop window mannequin. That sounds easier than it is. It is not easy to make a good mannequin-photo. See photo above: the mannequin is not the right size and because of this, the jacket hangs limply on all sides and the jacket looks plump. A sewing doll has to be a bit correct in size.

You can adjust most sewing mannequins yourself, but a shop window mannequin often only has one size. On clothing websites, the clothes are often pinned and deformed until it fits nicely on the mannequin. That makes sense (see photo above) but not really the goal for a seamstress. After all, you want to show how the jacket turned out and without 'shaping' it for the photo.

Tips:

Use a white or uni-colored background. A sewing mannequin standing in front of your open closet looks very unprofessional.
If you want better light, take the mannequin outside and find a quiet background. With natural light, the clothes often look better than with artificial light and a lot of shade.
Make sure the sleeves are even and see if you can create a space between the body and the sleeves. This way you can better show what the shape of the model is like.
Sometimes it looks better if you put socks in the upper arms, the sleeves look more like they would on a real human model. However, don't overdo it, otherwise the jacket will soon look as if it was made for a bodybuilder.

If the details are invisible: zoom in and take extra photos! And of course: make sure you have a mannequin that is correct in terms of dimensions/sizes.

Clothing presentation on a real person:
If you prefer not to choose a sewing of shop window mannequin but want to show the clothing yourself (or on another), make sure you look your best. Ask the amateur photographer to take the photos from a favorable angle; at a distance, not too close and preferably at sitting height. In this way it will not look like you are having tiny legs and the clothes will look better in proportion. You can still crop in height or width.

Take several photos and move around slowly. You can later choose the most favorable photo on which the clothes are the best (and you!) Complicated poses such as professional models often are doing is not necessary and might look a little bit 'over-done'.

A professional photo shoot:
You might consider to book a professional photographer for a photoshoot and make an appointment in his studio. If you have a budget for it and a lot of clothes ready for the photoshoot! The big advantage is the result: professional pictures and your website will upgrade in terms of appearance.

You don't have to be a professional model. A good photographer will give clear instructions and there is often a mirror in the studio so that you can see how your pose and the clothes at its best!

Tips:

Make agreements with the photographer regarding the number of photos you will receive and whether photos may need to be edited afterwards.
Think carefully about whether you prefer quiet studio photos or photos taken outside in, for example, a shopping street or a beautiful avenue, garden or other setting.
Also think in advance whether you want a make-up artist. A makeup artist will make sure you look your best and that you don't have shiny skin in the photo.
Bring as much as possible clothes with you and make sure they are perfectly in order in advance. No stains, loose threads or zippers that run smoothly.
Transport the clothes on hangers. This prevents unnecessary wrinkles that look untidy in the photo.
Also bring pins to make clothing even better fitting.
Think about the styling in advance. Which clothing fits best together and you may need accessories.
But be sparing with accessories. Too many jewellery, scarves, caps and large earrings distract too much from the clothing.

Professional photos are always edited. This does not mean that they will suddenly look unreal or artificial. As photo above: it is often mainly the light and contrast edited to make the photo look better.
In addition, some details of the clothes may be edited too.

Photo manipulations:
Sometimes photos are edited in such a way that the background is replaced by a suitable background or a background that gives the photo extra allure. You can do this yourself with photo editing programs such as Photoshop or Gimp. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube and if you study them, you will get skills to change photos yourself.

An other advantage: you will be able to partially manipulate photos if, for example, you want to eliminate disturbing elements in the photo or add texts.

For seamstresses it is great to be able to edit photos yourself. For example, you can use arrows to indicate the details or process comments in the photo.

Summarized:
Presenting and photographing your self made clothing is quite a job. Everyone likes to do it in his or her own way and often makes a conscious choice. Presenting self made clothes doesn't have to look super professional and no one expects it to look like a catwalk.

Going to a professional photographer offers many benefits and is often well worth the money. But if this does not fit within your budget and objective, it is not a disaster. Seamstresses prefer to see each other's sewing process, the difficulties of the sewing project and the results.

Whether you choose flat-lay pictures, presentation on a sewing mannequin, photos taken by your partner or by a professional photographer, be proud of all your work!

<<Previous

How to make a 'Chanel-Style' jacket

Couture Sewing Techniques - review

The kitchen princess & Spoonflower

Heavy Duty Sewing - book review

Chanel's former rolemodel: Christy Turlington is still beautiful!

Vogue
At 53, Christy Turlington
Only Gets More Beautiful

Free Embroidery Patterns

There is a new fabric in town: Tyvek!

Sewing the Grace Kelly Style

Chanel 2021/22 Métiers d’art Show

New Look 6598 with the ideal collar!

Couture Sewing, Tailoring Techniques, review

The art of growing up

Vintage coats: Vogue V1738, Vogue V1669 and Simplicity 8509

How to recognize authentic Chanel Buttons?

Couture, the art of fine sewing

Vogue V9264, the perfect and easy party dress!

The Ten Best Sewing patterns - Chanel-Style jacket

Virginie Viard and Good Morning Vogue

The Shirtmaking Workbook - review

How to make a corset belt?

Butterick B6388; nice pants!

Once upon a time...

How to make a Medieval corset

Beautiful buttons

How to recognize real authentic Chanel Buttons?

Neue Mode M23079; a nice stepped jacket

How to photograph your self made clothes

Creative Community:

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Pardon my English
This website is made by Dutch people. English is not our native language.We are sorry if there are language errors or imperfections.
Thanks!

Archives

How to make a 'Chanel-Style' jacket

How to recognize real authentic Chanel Buttons?

Creative Community:

Categories:

Pardon my EnglishThis website is made by Dutch people. English is not our native language.We are sorry if there are language errors or imperfections.Thanks!

Archives

Pardon my English
This website is made by Dutch people. English is not our native language.We are sorry if there are language errors or imperfections.
Thanks!