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A new trend was evident during the latest spring 2020 Paris Fashion Week. John Galliano for the Maison Margiela brought a spotlight on integrating used fabrics and fashion items into his haute couture ‘Recicla’ collection. (Mower) The focus was on sustainable fashion through upcycling.  John Galliano for the Maison Margiela Upcycling is simply repurposing old clothes. My generation still remembers how our mothers used to make dresses from leftover fabric, or how they fixed husband’s old shirts so they fit the son as he grows bigger. The clothes had value as they passed over from older siblings to the younger ones. That value of quality clothing disappeared over time. Buying cheap clothes for the season and discarding them or bringing them to never ending isles of thrift shops is spiraling out of control. Recycling can make you feel better, but it doesn’t solve the problem of growing landfills. Buying less and better quality clothing and upcycling old clothes may be the answer to making an impact on the environment. Garments must have value so that they are not so easily discarded. Vintage clothes are often associated with value and quality. Vintage doesn’t mean old-fashioned. Remember that fashion evolves constantly and designers often seek elegant and timeless vintage pieces for inspiration. For example, the 70s style is evident in the contemporary maxi dresses. Stella McCartney’s summer collection is a vivid example of fashion déjà vu. (McCartney)  Stella McCartney Vintage Patterns You can use vintage patterns to repurpose old clothes and remnants of fabrics and create bespoke one-of-a-kind couture garments. The first step in making a vintage garment is to discover your taste without being influenced by the latest fashion fads. Find your own unique style. As the famous designer Hubert de Givenchy said: “The secret of elegance is to look like oneself.” (Beyfus) Vintage is a broad category and it includes items from 20 to 100 years old. Ask yourself a question: do you like 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s style? What designs flatter your figure the most? Do you like particular fabrics and colour? Remember the outfit you got the most complements on. Once you discover your own style, you can start shopping for vintage patterns, fabrics and haberdashery. There are so many vintage patterns available online. You can buy Givenchy, Dior, Laroche, Alexander McQueen and other couture designer patterns. The important thing to watch out for is making sure that the patterns are complete and in good condition.  Tips & Tricks Make a copy of the pattern on Pellon 830 Easy Pattern, or a similar pattern tracing material every time you want to make modifications to the original. Don’t do the alterations on the original pattern. Label your modified pieces clearly so you don’t forget what was done. I keep my versions of the same pattern in a separate envelope with a photo on the front. Watch tutorials on how to make simple alterations, take a deep breath and give it a try. Make a mockup outfit using leftover fabric or old sheets to check for fit. Sewing using vintage patterns is not that complicated, it’s like reading a fashion history book with hands-on learning experience. When I sew with vintage patterns, I cannot wait to get to the next step to see how the designer accomplished the final look. For instance, you can master classic techniques, such as making rollaway collars and dolman-style sleeves with gussets à la Givenchy. The hallmarks of haute couture are illustrated in the instructions to vintage patterns, such as basting through construction lines and marking notches by thread, always basting before stitching and overcasting by hand among others. Create your own style Incorporate your own unique style into the vintage design by adding reused trimmings, buttons, and fabrics. You can find discounted couture fabric remnants online if you have a particular vision in mind. Alternatively, you can pull apart old clothes that no longer fit or wedding and bridesmaids pieces that have yards of fabric that you can use. Take them out of the storage bags and examine if the fabric is still in good condition, and you can use buttons, zippers, beads, lace or trimmings. Another great way to make a couture garment is to make your own fabric by stitching complementary colours together or make insets and appliqués for a striking effect. (Shaeffer) The treasure-trove of design will open right before your eyes. You can give a new life to reused fabrics and clothing by incorporating them into your limited-edition vintage garments that you will wear and treasure year after year.  Bibliography Beyfus, Drusilla. Vogue on Hubert de Givenchy. London: Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2013. Lucioni, Alessandro. https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2020-couture/maison-martin- margiela/slideshow/collection#29. 2019. McCartney, Stella. https://www.stellamccartney.com/ca/stella-mccartney/midi_cod15034082jt.html#dept=main_dresses. n.d. Mower, Sarah. https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2020-couture/maison-martin-margiela.25 September 2019. Shaeffer, Claire B. Couture Sewing Techniques. Newtown: The Taunton Press, 2011.  About the Author:
Elena Tran is a Canadian dressmaker and an entrepreneur passionate about haute couture sewing using beautiful fabrics and notions. After her career as a college administrator and mathematics professor, she pursued her interest in sewing and opened an online luxury fabric store baudekinstudio.ca. She is constantly learning and improving her craft. Her training includes lessons with the legendary couture instructor Angelina di Bello (Montreal, Canada), dressmaking program at Mohawk College (Hamilton, Canada) and online needlework courses at the Royal School of Needlework (London, UK).  THE CHANEL STYLE is very recognizable, but it is less defined as well. Previously, the association with the "Chanel" brand was mainly a a perfect picture and an identical style. Nowadays the style is less conservative and sleek. The basic elements are still present, but there is much more interpretation for individual interpretation. Basic elements Think of "Chanel" and you immediately think of the colors: black / white, beige, the Breton stripe, a touch of red and ofcourse beautiful but sober Bouclé fabrics and tweeds. The clothing is sleek, Haute couture, beautifully shaped and perfectly finished. The Chanel-jacket can best be described as square yet beautifully shaped, made of Bouclé fabrics or (Summer)-tweeds, with many fringes, bindings and striking buttons with the logo in it. Furthermore, we all immediately think of many pearls, jewelry with the logo in it and of course the famous quilted leather handbag with a long chain as handle or shoulder strap. The Zeitgeist But the Chanel style is a little more difficult to define these days. Haute couture and quality remain the keyelement, the logo is often also in sight, but otherwise it is just like anyone else's fashion house subject to the spirit of the time. A continuous renewal takes place whereby new generations, new customers are attracted to the brand. On the other hand, of course, they also try to retain regular customers and fans by continuing the timeless clothing and designs. The philosophy of Coco Chanel You can still see the vision of Coco Chanel in the contemporary collections. But the famous jacket gets longer, gets shorter, becomes a jacket or becomes a dress, etc. etc. Endless variations on an endlessly beautiful theme. This also applies to all other basic elements of the collections. Think about the little black dress, it is constantly renewing itself, but the Chanel-charcter remains. As time goes by, more and more lines are added to the clothing, experiments with other fabrics and even Chanel-jackets made of leather and plastic. Do you still recognize the typical Chanel style as an outsider? We think so and we especially like that there is a lot of variety. It is not static but the style 'goes with the flow'. How do you create the 'Chanel Style' yourself? You can rely on the sewing patterns we use and have tested for you. But after that, go for it in your own choices in fabrics and finishes. Creating the Chanel style doesn't mean sticking with the usual colors, fabrics and patterns. Perhaps the 'Chanel style' is attractive by giving it an individual twist. A few tips:
  If you are sweaty and overheated because of to the hot summer, you will not think for a moment abo ut winterfabrics. But the winterfabrics are often NOW for sale and it is time to replenish your stock. Think ahead and you will be very happy, in a few months, with the bargains you have bought now. Offers / Sale In the middle of summer, winter fabrics are often for sale. Logical, but this does not take long. As soon as we have passed the first summer months, the autumn collections of clothing are already back in the shops and the fabric shops are again concentrating on the autumn and winter fabrics. After all those thin chiffons, the tricky lycra for bathing suits and the cotton for tunics, you long for beautiful sturdy fabrics for jackets, trousers and of course: beautiful Bouclé fabrics for the Chanel-Style jackets. Where to find them? So pay particular attention, in the fabrics online stores, to the categories Sale and offers. Or select/filter 'the least popular'. In the realworld fabric shops or in the markets you will have to look at the bottom of the stacks and where nobody is stalooking for fabrics. Or ask if there are still beautiful Bouclé's or tweeds available. Sometimes they are still in the warehouse or in the car. Or you will be told when the new autumn and winter fabrics will be available. Maybe they promise to send you a mail or text message! Just ask, although you may be looked at strangely because you are a bit ahead in time... Time flies But 'time flies' and before you know it, summer is already gone and all winter fabrics are in the store, at eye-consumer-level and on the tables in between all new and popular fabrics. Or advertising at the online fabric stores: the new autumn and winter fabrics. And now they are really a lot more expensive. Even those from the years before which are timeless and still very popular. Do you really want to stay in summery spheres? Then take a look at the beautifully woven, cotton blends. Also very suitable for making summer Chanel-Style jackets!   For just once in a lifetime, we have a clutch for sale. This was made for the blog about clutch bags. SewingChanelStyle is not a commercial website and we do not have direct sales of the homemade Chanel-Style jacket. However, occasionally there is a showroom model for sale for a friends price. Are you interested? Mail us, or via our email address and the following applies: the first person to report can buy the clutch. The clutch is made of beautiful Bouclé fabric, a metal button and a silk lining. The clutch is sturdy but is also comfortable to hold. It weighs practically nothing and can hold a lot of stuff. A small inner pocket and a snap closure. Bouclé fabrics look wintery but are also very suitable for summer. The contrast with a thin chiffon or cotton fabric is always surprising and the colors can be combined endlessly. This specific checkered black and white Bouclé fabric is typical of the "Chanel style" and is especially beautiful with jeans and a white shirt or shirt. The finish is perfect. But the most striking is the incredibly beautiful Bouclé fabric: it is white, black, anthracite and a golden lurex thread. In the clutch is the label of: 'Couture Classics' by Margaretha. One-time offer, only one clutch and for: 60 euro Shipping costs abroad: in consultation There is also the possibility to make a clutch for you from your favorite fabric, we are happy to answer your questions or ideas by email.   Last week, June 13, 2020, was the day of the sewing machine! That sounds a bit old-fashioned, but it certainly isn't. The sewing machine revival is a fact! Partly thanks to the Corona crisis and all creative people who started sewing with face masks. Quilty pleasures We have written about sewing magazines (also for children: ZigZagZoom magazine!) And sewing books. We realluy appreciate these books. But also books that fall under the category: "Quilty pleasures", the so-called "must-have" books, fashion trends and tips & tricks. Green Designed fashion And suddenly there is a book "Green Designed Fashion" by Christine Anna Bierhals. It had been between my pile of "readable books" for a while. The book looks beautiful. Square format, attractive front and a bit of a combination of glossy and alternative. An eco-fashion glossary! Page by page, designers come along with photos of their ideas about fashion, trends and designs. Unknown names, but also well-known names such as Filippa K, American Apparel and Levi's. On the left page two columns with text and explanation: English and German. It is written in short pieces; how the designers are concerned with the environment and their own collections. Most excel in creativity but are also very innovative. "Sustainability" is a word that (tahanks God!) Is often mentioned, just like "environmentally friendly" and "social responsible". Each and every one explains what their emphasis is on. For one, this is mainly the choice of materials (raw materials), for the other this is support for an organization or target group. Conserving resources is a good thing The designers, from all countries of the world, are of good will and do everything to "green" their industry. A good thing, because with "fashion" we soon think of good clothes that you can no longer wear because they are so "out-dated" and are therefore no longer acceptable in the street scene. Or cheap mass production of the low-wage countries where exploitation is a fact. And especially the poor quality that ensures you will throw away the garment after five washes.  Not so joyfull... The book is easy to read and radiates hope and courage. Yupie! The world is changing for a while and we live in green cities with fresh air and we wear clothes and we are not feeling guilty. But then the downer: the book is from 2008! It is already twelve years later and nothing seems to have changed at all. In fact, the choice for the consumer has become limited between dirt-cheap mass-production clothing or expensive designer clothing. Green future? But I remain positive. It is a beautiful book, may have been very innovative in 2008 and the fact is that terms such as 'ethical trade', 'fair trade', 'sustainability' and 'organic cotton label' and 'recycling' have become concepts that everyone knows and pursues. Now we hope for a continuation of this book about all designers who have gained a foothold with their innovative ideas and have indeed reached the mass consumer. And back to the day of the sewing machine: we are increasingly producing ourselves. Sewing as a hobby is no longer old fashioned, but environmentally conscious, modern and very green!  "The basic Skirt to create the faux-wrap Couture Chanel-Style Skirt"  Butterick B5466, Easy Basic Skirt Sewing level: Easy Fabrics: Broadcloth, Damask, Satin, Jacquard, Poplin and Tweed. Notions: 7" Zipper. Also for A: Hooks & Eyes. For B: One Hook & Eye Closure. For C: One 3/4" Buckle without Prong, One Hook & Eye Closure. Skirt D, E: 9" Zipper, Hooks & Eyes. Lining.   Butterick B6382, Semi-fitted, lined jacket has neckline, pocket, sleeve and length variations. Sewing level: Easy Fabrics: Tweed, Gabardine, Bouclé and Linen. Notions: Fringes, Braid or Trims, interfacing and lining fabrics. READ OUR REVIEW!   A summer in Chanel-style How to make and wear a Chanel jacket in the summer? Hell yes ! Good plan! Nothing as chic and easy as wearing a t-shirt, top or blouse all day long and a jacket on hand to put on when things get a little chilly. We have tested a few good sewing patterns for you and give you information about the suitable fabrics. Choosing a sewing pattern - pay attention! We have already tested many sewing patterns for you and have also briefly sorted the sewing patterns by number for you. But the home page about sewing patterns that are suitable for a Chanel-Style jacket is even easier because you immediately have an overview in terms of the sewingpatterns, appearance, model etc. How to choose your right sewing pattern? This is an important page for you to make it easy to make the right choice. Do you only look at the model, or do you also have to look at the recommended sewing level and especially: the choice of fabric? First the fabric or first the sewingpattern? It often happens that you have already bought the fabric and are looking for a sewing pattern. This appears to be the case more often than the other way around. Some seamstresses do indeed first look for a sewingpattern and then buy a suitable fabric. Very sensible, but practice shows that it is often the other way around. You see a beautiful fabric in the store, whether online or at a trade fair and you immediately buy two meters of it. Enough for a jacket .... a Chanel-Style jacket .... ever. And then there is the moment when you want to get started with the material. In this case, take the fabric as a starting point and pay close attention in the description of the sewingpattern that the pattern is indeed suitable for the Two, the Jacquard or the Bouclé fabric. Summer fabrics: But now it is summer and the suitable fabrics for a Chanel-Style summer jacket are: - summer tweed - cotton-wool blend - cotton woven fabric - summer jacquard - linen - scuba or neoprene (very modern!) Make sure that the fabric breathes well and don't forget the lining: preferably silk! Read all about suitable lining fabrics here. Sewing patterns for a summer Chanel-Style jacket: We will discuss the best sewing patterns one by one for you. This week: Butterick 5712. A "very cute" summer jacket! Reasonably easy to make and perfect for a beautiful summer linen fabric! Read more on the page about this pattern here!   How to recognize real authentic Chanel Buttons? Ofcourse it will be bloody perfect to use Vintage Chanel buttons for your diy-couture-garment. But how to recognize these beautiful buttons-jewels? Chanel once started to produce buttons hand-made mainly from fabric. These couture-made fabric buttons are now very rare. These fabric buttons are often recognizable by the lion's head in the middle. A lot of buttons before the 1970s will actually have a lion’s head embossed on them. Chanel buttons are also known for their logos of the letters C, the perfume bottles and even the famous jackets. Chanel buttons are ALWAYS of quality and durable material. Metal, mother-of-pearl, rhinestones and jewels. Coco Chanel also used the Camellia flower as Theme. These Camillia flower buttons are mostly black/gold or white. Real authentic Chanel buttons are (rarely) on the market, because they are produced in small amounts and mostly made to match the unique garments. Vintage real authentic buttons are difficult to recognize because they used to match the garments perfectly. They are very expensive and for a collector of great value. New Chanel buttons do not have stamping on the back. Vintage authentic Chanel buttons have stamping on the back. New Chanel buttons are often copied in China and very similar to the real (new) Chanel buttons. Real Chanel buttons (especially the Vintage onces) are looking like little jewels. Fake or copy-Chanel buttons are often lighter, of cheaper material and less subtle. Almost any copy-Chanel button is called a real Chanel-button. It all depends on where they are for sale. Do not expect treasure authentic Chanel buttons for sale on big internet selling-markets/websites.... If you can not believe it is real.... it probaby isn't.... A great source: Vintage Chanel Buttons   A sewing machine, a piece of fabric and an idea .. these are enough to do the job..? many novice seamstress might think... . But that is unfortunately not true. With a sewingmachine, a sewingpattern and a piece of fabric, you can go a long way but you are not there yet. Let's think for a while: cooking or baking is your passion. A pan, a recipe, the ingredients and let's start cooking. But that is not the reality. In an average household you should not just open a kitchen cupboard, chances are that a load of things will look at you. As soon as cooking or baking is a passion, a lot of kitchen tools are needed and wanted. From spatulas to food processors. They make it easier for you, they give you more options and possibilities and you enjoy the cooking big time. Sewing as a hobby or passion! This also applies to sewing. No overcrowded cupboards full of stuff are needed, but we like to mention the best sewing supplies, tools or accessoires. These are simply very useful and make it easier for you. And make you enjoy sewing even more. Of course you do not have to purchase all these items immediately. But put them on your wishlist. Or buy the tools as soon as they are on sale. On the market they are sometimes in large containers, or on webshops they are listed under 'parts' or sometimes under 'haberdashery'. In this case, the following applies: cheap is expensive. It is better to buy a good good pair of scissors than ten times a bad cheap version. And the first option is also a lot more sustainable. These little sewing tools are BIG friends:
 Beautiful fabric leftovers? Do you have a few centimeters of beautiful tweeds or silk fabrics left from your project? In this chapter a few examples of how to use small pieces of fabric to make beautiful and fun accessories. Of course we know that the entire internet is already full of blogs from creative people with fantastic ideas with step-by-step guidelines to help you to make some lovely gifts for yourself or your beloved friends or family. We are not pretending to show on this website some unique projects which has not been around already. But our ideas are unique as they are just small objects which you are able to create in order to match the jackets or the skirt. When the jacket or the skirt is made for a client or a friend, it is a nice present as a personal "extra" and a very personal touch. The jacket or skirt IS already something very personal, but a small gift extra, makes it even more luxurious and personal. Apart from the fun of gratefulness when you give the little extra away, we are also very sensible for the idea of being sustainable and not just throwing away expensive beautiful materials. Tweeds, bouclé fabrics and Silk or other lining-fabrics are not always very useful to save for quilts or patchwork-projects. They are too thick, too much loose threads or silk; too delicate and difficult to match with other fabrics. So we stick to some useful ideas to make wonderful accessories from our left-overs. If you have some ideas yourself or if you want to show your project; your wonderful bag, your beautiful laptop-cover or whatever; just send it to use and we will publish it.   Haberdasheries are always needed! When you start as a seamstress, you often run into the problem that you think that a sewing machine, sewingpatterns and a piece of fabric are enoguh to do the job, but then you find out that you need much more. You need a zipper, buttons, interfacings, a hook and eye closure or perhaps bias-tape. For Chanel-Style jackets you would like trims, fringes or beautiful edges. All in all, it is often small items but large expenses. What can you do to be better prepared, have a nice stock in your house, and not have to keep looking searching and searching for these small items?   The lady-boss of the House of Chanel: Did you know that Coco Chanel was not only very different from most designers, but that she also worked very differently? She did not design on paper and did not have a sketch book. Unlike her successor, Karl Lagerfeld, who designed ALWAYS on paper. When Coco Chanel started her fashion house, she actually had very little couture sewing techniques. She had taught herself almost everything herself and worked mainly from her feeling and instinct. She had a great sense of how fabrics could be draped around the female body. Nice lady or a demanding lady-boss? When she founded her Fashion House and became more and more successful she got assistants and employees....   One of the most read blogs on this website is the article on how to recognize a real vintage Chanel jacket. Imagine; suddenly you spot a jacket between all second-hand clothing that looks like a Chanel jacket. Is it really possible? But the labels are cut out, and there are no Chanel buttons on them, but it can be a really authentic Chanel jacket ... Tricky to find out, especially since the labels and buttons can confirm the authenticity of a Chanel jacket. But there are other things you can tell from it. Read our article and who knows, maybe that jacket in the mother's closet is a real Chanel jacket or you accidentally bought a real one via Marktplaats, ebay or another second-hand clothing online store. Let us know, we would like to sympathize!  How to recognize Vintage Chanel couture?
How do you know you have find a real Vintage couture piece of art or just a fake copy? On first sight they look exactly the same, they feels the same and it seems too good to be true. It is quite difficult. These days fakes are on first sight as good as the real onces. There is a whole (black) market on luxury brands on couture, jewelry, toys, games and even make-up. Even Vintage and authentic goods are made with such an knowledge and technical materials; it seems almost impossible to recognize real Vintage these days. We talk about couture on this website/blog and specific the French Chanel Couture. More specific the famous jacket and skirt. READ MORE:  We love this little book about the 50 modeclassics, their history and styling tips. Unfortunatly it is written in the Dutch and German language. For those who can read it: herby the book review and hopefully you will enjoy it anyway... Book review   Oh HOW WE LOVE Chanel Vintage ! Do you want to join us? @ SewingChanelStyle on Pinterest -> Chanel Vintage ! Join our Pinterest Collection and help us to collect the most beautiful pictures ever! Together we will honor these wonderfull pictures forever !  The Lora dress by La Maison Victor has quickly become a classic. The Lora dress was in one of the magazines in recent years and was sewn with enthusiasm by many seamstresses and shown in photos. Why was the dress so popular? Mainly because of the feminine shape that is just right in all sizes. From size 30 to size 48; the dress is beautiful and flatters the feminine shape through the figure seams that emphasize the waist but also hide a tummy. The magazine was no longer available. "Do you still have the pattern of the Lora dress?" was a question circulating on sewing forums. La Maison Victor must have picked it up because suddenly the pattern was available, in a beautiful edition via the website and via all other sewing pattern shops. The sewingpattern is designed in a folder, which contains a booklet with instructions and the pattern on a radar sheet. The instruction booklet comes in five languages: Dutch, French, German and English. The booklet has no less than 60 pages and is easy to read and work. The instructions are clearly explained, just like in the La Maison Victor (see our blog about sewing magazines) and we work with colors, clear drawings and schematic representation. The booklet is very complete: it even contains an explanation of sewing terms and abbreviations used. The design is beautiful and a nice handy A-5 format. Ideal gift!   Vogue V8959 is a pattern of a cape and would be part of our website under 'the Classics'. It is not really a Chanel style jacket, but fits well within the concept of our website. A timeless classic, which is also easy to make in the Chanel style. Read our review about the sewing pattern! Do we have any comments or remarks, yes one: at Vogue it falls under: VERY EASY. We doubt this. But with a little help from another, a beginner can make this cape just fine. Don't underestimate it, however, because cutting the fabric, making the collar and sleeve openings tidy and finishes in particular requires a bit of sewing experience. The cape is a wonderful piece of clothing, timeless, and ideal for all seasons. Good luck! Vogue V8959 review
How does the world of fashion look after the Pandemic?  It is clear that the world is going to change. No one had seen the size of the Pandemic approach. And no one expected this to have such an impact on the whole world, as it turns out now. We are working hard to limit the deaths and economic damage, but we are also looking into the distant future. How will we continue later? Are we all going to travel en masse again? Do we board the plane three times a year to visit sunny faraway 'bach paradises' and especially to take a lot of selfies? Or will these journeys, as before, only be possible for the rich and the famous? Do people take bicycles and trains more often, or will we soon be stuck in traffic again and will we accept air pollution and the negative effect of this on our lungs? Are we mainly going to invest in alternative energy sources or is this not a priority? Are we going to continue with the mass production of goods (clothing!), as cheaply as possible, with the expressed suppression of third world countries? How do we continue with the gap between rich and poor that is widening? Or do we take our responsibility on a global and local scale (and personally!) By dealing better with the environment, with sustainability and with the division between rich and poor? All difficult and VERY difficult questions, but I think that especially the people from the sewing world have a long and broad opinion about this. Making clothes and stuff yourself makes you more aware of the raw materials, the time it takes to make something, and the value it has personally but also economically. We wish you a lot of strength in the coming times and hope that everyone will find their (new!) way. Keep sewing and make mouth masks for each other. Help people learn to sew, help repair clothes. Stop waste ... Living more consciously, appreciating smaller things and, above all, not only thinking about your own gain. Maybe Covid taught us this. Perhaps we will soon all be more NEXT to each other to tackle the problems of the near future: climate change, migration flows and the gap between rich and poor. An interesting article from the Fashion world: Could COVID-19 Usher in a New Era of Responsibility in Fashion? An Urgent Opportunity for Sustainability and Ethics   We have tested and created the sewing pattern of the Butterick B6378. This blouse, or tunic, is easy to make and an ideal, timeless classic. The blouse is not only very casual (the tunike closure) but is also chic because of the bow and our extra added edge à la Chanel. Many blogs have been written about tunics. It is a simple garment, ideal for summer, nice and wide and easy to put on and take off quickly. However, we have the tunic more among our 'favorites' because the blouse (especially without sleeves) is ideal for under a Chanel jacket, the bow makes the round neck, often without a collar, more 'complete' and looks very young (er) but also chic and timeless. The blouse can be made in many types of fabric. However, we recommend especially supple fabrics, such as viscose, georgette and chiffon. A polin cotton or linen is possible, but the blouse will then look a bit 'bulky' very quickly. The ultimate in chic: white silk!   Shopping until you drop? Theslogan certainly does not apply now. But for seamstresses and creative people, it probably didn't apply at all. The average seamstress probably loves shopping, but we often hear that they are very critical about the quality of clothing. Or they think: Oh, I will do a better job! Especially when it comes to cheap, mass production clothing. The finish is often lousy, the fabric is cheap and probably survives only a few washes and the clothes are by no means unique or personal. Many reasons to start (learning) sewing yourself. But where do we shop? With these search terms on Google you will find what you are looking for:
 
A Chanel-Style jacket without trims or fringes? Impossible !
Coco Chanel made her signature trims and fringes longggg time ago and they are still famous and SUPER modern ! Let's start making trims and fringes and be creative as never before!
Read the book: Making designer trims by Claire Schaeffer
 We have selected sewing patterns for reviews. These sewing patterns are all suitable for making the Chanel-style jacket. Our reviews are based on actual testing, ie: cutting, sewing, wearing the results. If you click on a sewing pattern and no new page appears: it is work in progress! Most sewingpatterns are available at SewingPatternsShop or Naaipatronen.nl. But some sewingpatterns are not for sale (anymore) or are even real collector's items, which we will mention in the blogs and reviews. Sewingpatterns reviews by number  Sewingpatterns - More info:
How to choose the right sewingpattern? Different types of sewingpatterns Which sewingpatterns did we use? More suggestions to review other Sewing Patterns or to add some ideas? Or your sewing product on review? Just contact us.  Buying a handy sewing machine is now a good plan! The worst thing in this bizarre time is that we don't know how long our #staythome will be necessary to stop the virus Corona. We look at the situation from day to day and hope that we can all go out again soon. Enjoy spring, family at home and try to enjoy the ordinary things in life. In the sewing world, there is a lot of anticipation that many people will now have time for their hobby. The fabric shops come with nice offers, the sewing magazines have interesting blogs and even patterns of mouth masks come along. Many reasons to start sewing! It might be an idea to finally make a decision and buy a sewing machine or maybe one more. Take a look at our reviews! The Toyota TSEW2 ERGONOMIC  Toyota TSEW2 Ergonomic (EN)We are happy to test the Toyota TSEW2 and came to the conclusion that this is an ideal machine for, for example, taking it to a sewingworkshops (if it continues in limited groups, or private lessons) or to sit outside. Table on the terrace or balcony, and enjoy the fresh air and creative sewing.
Making an Easter dress, sewing mouth masks or making summer clothes ... Very good things to stay positive in difficult times. This lightweight sewingmachine is just part of this. Especially as a beginner, it will be a great sewing machine and as a medium advanced seamstress you can have just as much fun with it. Read our test report and make a decision!  The Chanel booklet is a treasure. Written by; Isabel Sánchez Vegara and illustrated by Ana Albero. It summarizes her life in a nutshell and has an eye for detail and her unique style. "Gabrielle was different. While the other girls played, she liked to sew with a needle and thread" We read and see how Coco Gabrielle Chanel built her empire through her unusual and renewed style. She created outfits for women that were stylish but above all gave the woman more freedom to move. The hats were practical and minimalistic, and the corsets were banned. Coco designed clothes for the modern woman who was not standing still in life but on the move, perhaps working (this was very unusual at the time). Her choice of colors, minimalist style and specific accessories such as the famous Chanel 2.55 handbag are still very popular and expensive 'must-haves'  |
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- Sewing a Chanel Inspired Jacket
- Sewing a Chanel Inspired Skirt
- How to sew a long Chanel-style coat
- How to choose the right fabric? >
- How to choose the right combination?
- How to choose the right lining ?
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Advanced Sewing Projects
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- What is real Haute Couture?
- Haute Couture, LARP en Cosplay
- Couture Sewing Techniques
- Couture Sewing Techniques versus Basic Techniques
- The best Free Couture Sewing Techniques Tutorials
- The Pink Jacket
- The Pink Pied de Poule Jacket
- All Green jackets
- The Beige Bouclé Jacket
- The VERY BOUCLé Jacket
- The Light Blue Vintage Suit
- The Faux-Wrap Skirt
- Chanel-Style
