 A few years ago, there was a fashion-makeove televisionserie in which a candidate was given a completely new wardrobe if she agreed to get rid of her existing clothes. (shoes, bags, accessories). The clothes were destroyed in a shredder. The candidate was almost crying, but she liked the idea of getting a new wardrobe and style. The TV viewers watched in disgus: all her clothes were pulverized.... Zero waste, please The candidate didn't exactly have a sophisticated style, but maybe someone else would have been happy with the clothes. Or it could have been a small effort to bring the clothes to a thrift store. Or maybe a lot of clothes could have been given a second life through creative upcycling by seamstresses like us and you. Nowadays, most people bring their clothes to thrift stores or Humanitas containers. But a lot of clothing are still thrown away, which is a real pity and a waste of materials. At H&M, a different kind of shredder has been born for recycling instead of destruction! Hip hip hooray for LOOOP! Since October 2020, H&M has a new recycling device named: LOOOP. LOOOP is made to clean the clothes, shred them into fibers. The fibers are used to spun threads, which can be used to create new sweaters, jackets, bags, scarves, etc. The system does not use chemicals and water and is therefore very environmentally friendly. H&M and sustainable fashion H&M is innovative and shows a lot of respect for the concept of sustainability. They have been collecting clothes for a few years. And now LOOOP has been developed. The aim is to recycle all materials by 2030 and to purchase them sustainably. We think this is a great news and that is why we give LOOOP extra attention on our website. For more information about how Looop works: https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/life/culture/inside-h-m/meet-the-machine-turning-old-into-new.html. 
Breaking the pattern; 'A modern way to sew' is a book written by the Finnish sisters Saara and Laura Huhta. They founded the Finnish sewing pattern label "Named" and are successful. Named delivers two collections per year and encourages people to sew their own clothes. The sisters are very convincing and have a great taste of (Scandinavian) style.
"The aim of the collections is to bring a new perspective to making one’s own clothes and to support ethical and ecological consuming in contrast to a clothing industry focused on fast fashion."
For the beginner
The book is written for the novice seamstress. The book is divided into an introduction, projects and additional information. The introduction contains twenty pages of basic information you need to know before getting started. Everything is clearly explained and substantiated with excellent drawings and beautiful photos. Next are the projects: ten sewing patterns explained in detail with instructions and photos. In the extra information you can read how to adjust a sewing pattern, there is a glossary and extra information about suppliers and web shops. Beautiful sewing patterns The sewing patterns are printed on loose pattern sheets added in an envelope in the book. The pattern sheets are reasonably clear but will be a puzzle for the absolute beginner. If you follow the instructions step-by-step, you can do it. We think it is a pity the pattern sheets are not numbered and that the sewing patterns in the book are not described with a number referring the pattern sheets. You have to unfold all the pattern sheets to find the right sewing pattern. Fortunately the pattern sheets are chronological. For example, pattern 1 is not on the same sheet as pattern 9. 
A true workshop!
The book is a great tool to learn about sewing techniques. The sewing patterns start with a simple bag. You do not need a lot of sewing skills to get the jb done. The book finish with a walkloden coat which really a lot of sewing experience. The sewing techniques are explained per sewing pattern and are building up your skills. The instructions are worked out in approximately 10-15 pages per pattern and also offer variations for the pattern. Scandinavian style is stylish The strength of this book and the sewing patterns lies in the beautiful simplicity that is visually presented very appealing. Most sewing magazines often pop to a lot of sewing patterns, styles and often the clothes don't seem very easy to create. This book radiates tranquility, simplicity and minimalism. The style of Scandinavia. When you see the sewing patterns, you immediately think: Yes I can! You can also adjust the clothing to your own taste by, for example, choosing a printed fabric instead of a plain fabric, or by applying variations in decoration and style. 
To try out the sewing patterns we made the bag "Nummi" in two variations and the dress "Utu". The bag has a lovely pattern and is really easy to make. Goodbye big plastic shopping bag from the supermarkets, hello! home-made spacious shopping bag from Scandinavia.
With the bag you can vary as much as you want: add sturdy fabric as a bottom, make inner pockets for mobile and wallet or embellish the bag with passe-partouts like we did with a textile print from Mindfuldrawing. The dress is a fun pattern for a beginner. We did discover a mistake: the side of the front piece is the number of centimeters shorter that the pleat takes up. Fortunately, this error can be solved by shortening the bottom of the back piece by two centimeters. The dress has a tight fit. Note this if you prefer a comfortable dress instead of a tight-fitting dress. Also note: the seam allowances are 1 centimeter. This is stated in the introduction to the book. Not the 1.5 centimeters as usual with Burda patterns or seam allowances included as with Vogue, New Look, Simplicity, Butterick and most other brands. Conclusion: The book is an absolute must-have for a friend who likes to be creative. Bur including all those beautiful sewing patterns, the book is very valuable. The sewing patterns are timeless and very stylish. 
Photo: www.metmuseum.org
This week, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA, opens a new exhibition about fashion "Over time: fashion and duration". It shows fashion trends from 1870 until now. It is amazing to notice how fashion has developed and yet the past and present are looking very similar.
The performance presents itself in a timeline of two galleries. A clock indicates 60 minutes and works symbolically. Every minute represents a fashion trend over the past 150 years. The present is placed next to the past and indicates 'Duration' (the duration). The garments are very similar in structure, shapes and concept. The present and the past have been perfectly matched. The clothing is black so that the emphasis stays on the silhouette and you are not distracted by color and fabric design. At the end a white dress from Viktor & Rolf, 2020, made of patchwork and upcycled materials appears. This symbolizes the future: sustainability as a concept.
Enjoying the exhibition at home
Due to the corona restrictions it is impossible for most of us, to visit this exhibition in New York. Nevertheless, we think it is worth mentioning and offer an alternative by enjoying the above video for a few minutes. And do you want to continue to support art? Then you can always order the accompanying book in the museum shop. Not a bargain, but a unique book for the real fashion lover and book collector. 
 'In the Bubble: Fashion's Cocooning Shapes Stage a Spring 2021 Comeback '. We are a bit shocked by the new trend spotted by Vogue. Vogue has an article about the new spring fashion. The trends of the catwalk are discussed which are often translated in the mass market fashion for the general public a few weeks later. The bubble is becoming a trend. Living in a bubble We hear more and more about this term. People are feeling like the live in a bubble. This means: the social contacts are limited by the quarantine or other measures to contain the spread of the corona virus. We all keep our distance and avoid birthdays, parties and events for a while. This feels like you are living in a bubble. Fortunately, we can all maintain contacts from our study- or living room and have the feeling we are not alone. Many of us are also lucky enough to be able to continue working digitally from home. Nevertheless, what may be a relief for some (a lot of the social pressure has disappeared and traffic jams are a problem of the past), is a complete disaster for others. Feeling isolated is a bad feeling... But what does this have to do with fashion?  Home clothing is not Haute couture We stay at home and why would we dress neatly when our colleagues or friends only see you, on your screen behind the pc. up to your waist? Most people have barely made any effort to dress themselves for eight months now. Why should you? In comfortable clothing you feel better and you work without any 'clothing' stress. Sweatpants under your neat blouse? Nobody will even notice. But according to Vogue, fashion designers have gone a step further. We live in 'a bubble', well then we will also dress like a bubble. Beautiful photos of Haute couture are shown from the fifties. Grotesque shapes and the puff sleeves seems to be a new trend. And the variations on this theme for the spring of 2021. But would it work? Aren't we taking up a bit too much space on our small screen with Zoom when we start wearing inflated clothes? You will get noticed for sure... >) Maybe in time the crinoline, the Victorian crinoline, will be back on the streets again. If you do go out while wearing a crinoline, it will be sure people will keeping distance. After all, the crinoline was also intended to keep social distance in the past, but the motifs were based on other considerations. Not for fear of a virus infection....  New 'bubble' sewing patterns. A new sustainable future We are curious what fashion will bring us next spring. We encourage every initiative with regard to sustainability, zero waste materials, recycling and upcycling. We are already seeing 'Bubble' and 'comfy' clothing in the fall of 2020 and we have 'spotted' in new sewing patterns and magazines. They look great and wearable for everyone. But we still love our beautiful Chanel-style jacket. Bet you will also stand out on Zoom or if you are skyping with your employer, friends or family. We will not talk about those sweatpants underneath, nobody sees them anyway;>)  
The little black dress is written by Simon Henry. The beautiful, large book is about the little black dress and offers sewing patterns and many instructions. It is informative and a nice coffee table book.
The versatile little black dress No woman in the world should be without a little black dress! And that's an understatement... The little black dress is always chic, always classy and ideal for styling for different occasions: an evening party, a formal business-meeting or just a nice casual day. Add some accessories, handbags, a coat, shoes or boots or combine it with sneakers. Everything is possible and timeless beautiful. But where to find a little black dress that really fits? Here you have the answer: make one yourself! A tailor-made Little Black Dress ('LBD') could be yours. The back page of the book promises it is possible even though you do not have any experience with sewing. Expert dressmaker Simon Henry will guide you through the process of making the perfect little black dress. 
Do you need any sewing experience?
Unfortunately we do not agree with the book about the required sewing-level. It takes some knowledge of sewing and some experience in cutting the pattern, shaping it on a dressform and sewing your own tailor-made little black dress. But we agree everything about the great guide the book offers. The pictures of the instructions are loud and clear. The drawings are perfect and the back ground information is really very nice. All the other photographs of the book are stunning and the layout of the whole book is really worth every penny. We definitely recommend this book. But make sure it will not be your first project, otherwise it probably won't work. Unless you are really very talented. 
Good!
A little less good:
Good luck! We are sure wyou will create a perfect-fitting LBD and would like to see the results. Feel free to send photos of your creation! 
Model: Marga van der Vet, Photography: Erik Bolding (The Netherlands)
 Butterick B6378 is a blouse that fits comfortably, has something extra and is also beautiful to wear under a Chanel-Style jacket or with the jacket draped over your shoulders. The Butterick B6378 is a great blouse, with or without a nice bow and quite easy to make. Butterick B6378 The Butterick B6378 is not that different from the Butterick 6710. The only difference is a yoke at the shoulders and the opening at the front. The Butterick B6378 sewing pattern is a pattern for a blouse in four variations. The variation is in the length of the sleeves and in the bow. The bow in Model B is long and wide. With Model A, the bow is not around the neck but is located at the tunic opening. In Model D it is just a string and Model C has quite different collar. Due to these variations, the blouses look completely different. Which fabric is this sewing pattern suitable for? The recommended fabrics are: Georgette, Challis, Crepe, Rayon. We made the blouse in dark blue viscose/cotton and light pink silk. The dark blue blouse (see below) we have added 'Chanel trims' to the tunic-like opening of the neck and at the bottom of the sleeves. This gives the blouse a real chic look. We made the light pink silk blouse according to Model B. However, we left the sleeves loose in the seam instead of elastic sleeve openings. This gives the blouse a different look. The 'Silky satin' was bought at Driessenstoffen.nl  Sewing level: 'easy' The sewing pattern is suitable for the novice seamstress. Indeed, we think that the blouse pattern is 'easy to sew'. The sewing pattern has no pitfalls or difficulties. But the bow from Model B. is not thàt easy to sew. Follow the instructions carefully so that you sew it by hand on the inside and not on the right side of the fabric. Pros:
Cons:
Summarized:
Butterick B6378 is just like the Butterick 6710 is an easy pattern to make a classic blouse. This blouse looks great under a 'Chanel-style' jacket because the bow makes the - often collarless - Chanel-Style jacket even more beautiful and classic. The blouse can also be worn casually with jeans or pleated trousers, for example. The instructions are very comprehensive and clear. You can also vary enough with the pattern. For us, this tunic-like blouse falls under "The classics" because the design is timeless and a real must-have for someone who likes basic ánd classic style.  Vogue V8959 is a sewingpattern of a cape. Last Saturday we read in the Volkskrant magazine (Dutch) that capes are very trendy and there were capes all over on the latest catwalks. Time to start to sew a cape! And of course we created the cape in 'Chanel style'! Vogue V8959 Sewing pattern Vogue V8959 is a timeless classic. The sewing pattern is a pattern for a lined, wide cape in three different lengths, with a round collar and side seams and a back seam. The sides have openings as armholes. The cape has a front closure, which is closed with buttons or one button at the top. Recommended fabrics: wool, wool mixes, tweeds, brocade and tafetta. Bouclé can be added to this list as well. This fabric is very suitable for a cape. The fabric is nice and warm and often very suitable for a cape. The cape then appears less massive (if the cape is made from uni colored fabric) due to the different shades of bouclé yarns. Sewing level Sewing level: VERY EASY is recommended. We do not think the cape is a great project for absolute beginners. But with a little help from someone else, a beginner can make this cape. However, don't underestimate it, because cutting the fabric, sewing the collar and sleeve openings and making the finishing touches requires a little sewing experience. Quilting the lining We quilted the cape in Chanel style. This means that we have sewn the silk lining on the inside of bouclé fabric. A very time-consuming job, but the cape is now truely Haute couture according to the vision of Claire Shaeffer. She explains this nicely in all her books about Couture techniques and specifically in the book "The couture cardgan jacket". We made the cape from black / gray / white bouclé fabric and a light gray silk lining fabric. There is a trespa wool trims around the entire cape that gives the cape a beautiful finish. Pros:
Cons:
 Summarized:
Vogue V8959 is a great sewing pattern to make a cape in 'Chanel-Style' jacket according to the vision of Coco Chanel and explained by Claire Shaeffer. (in the instructions for this pattern and in all of her books). Capes are also very trendy this season again and great outerwear for autumn and winter. If you make the cape of a neutral color, it will also match ány outfit. |
All about creating your own Chanel-Style jacket, Chanel-lovers information, Historic Costumes, Couture & Sewing book reviews and tutorials.
By: Marga van der Vet,
50+ model
Content creator
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