 Maybe you recently started sewing face masks, or you used to sew. Cushion covers, baby clothes or maybe a skirt. You think about yourself as an absolute beginner. You would like to make all those beautiful clothes in sewing magazines, but you are hesitating.... Do not hesitate but buy a sewing pattern of a garment piece that you would like to make, and we will help you step-by-step to realize your sewing project. Superb sewing patterns An other situation: Sewing patterns always look beautiful. Usually the model on the front of the envelope, looks super slim, she is a great model and the clothes seem easy to make. If the sewing pattern is indicated as 'Easy', or it is exactly what you want, you buy it! But you have not started yet this sewing project "I will never be able to make it", you think and you regret the impulse purchase. But it will work and we help with step-by-step information.  1. Read the back of the pattern first Most sewing patterns have all the important information on the back of the envelope, which contains the pattern. The recommended fabric is indicated and the quantity you need. Stick to this advice, because if you choose a different type of fabric, it is more likely that the sewing project will fail. Tip: always buy half a meter of extra fabric. This allows you to correct mistakes such as incorrectly cut pattern parts or frayed edges that you cut or sewed too narrow. Moreover, it is useful to always keep a piece of extra fabric in any case in case your jacket breaks or a cup of coffee goes over it while wearing it. Furthermore, the desired sewing level is often indicated on the envelop. Keep this in mind because as a beginner it is really not advisable to make a garment that requires a lot more sewing experience. If you are in a sewing class or you follow a workshop, you have a helping hand. But if this is not the case: stick to your sewing level and do not overestimate your experience. Notions are also mentioned on the back of the envelope. You may need a zipper, buttons, an eye-hook closure and extra interfacings to reinforce collars and front panels.  2. The instructions of a sewing pattern The envelope contains the sewing pattern itself and the work description/instructions. The work description usually consists of 2 to 3 large sheets. Take a look at the instructions before you start cutting. You may feel like cutting out the pattern parts immediately, but it really pays off if you look at the work description first. If the sewing pattern is a multi-pattern, for example a jacket consisting of two models, or a skirt, pants and blouse as a total outfit, then each model has a letter. For example, if you only want to make jacket A, you can see below the drawing which pattern parts you need. Please check carefully, on the 'body measurements' which size suits you best. Below this chapter, there is an explanation of the symbols on the sewing pattern and the work description sheets. Read this also carefully. For example, how is the right side (outside) and wrong side (= inside) of the fabric indicated? And how can you see the grainline? This is indicated on the sewing pattern part with an arrow. Always align the arrow with the thread direction of the fabric. Examples of how to place the cut out sewing pattern parts on the fabric are also important. This is also handy to check if youdid not missed any pattern parts and especially how to do this most conveniently. . Do not forget that 'cutting' is a specialty and at the Haute couture fashion houses the couturiers put their scissors in very expensive fabrics. They don't just do this. The pattern parts are carefully placed on the fabric and cut out. The cutting schemes on sewing patterns for the consumer market are usually devised by a computer with a calculation program. Sometimes it may seem very unfavorable, but the thread direction is ALWAYS dominating and it is always correct.  Let's start!
Apart from the descriptions of terms and extra sewing instructions, the sewing instructions now follow each pattern part. When in doubt, take a look back at the definitions and always keep the paper at hand. You have already cut out the pattern parts from the paper and onto the fabric. You have already copied all the important points, stars and arrows on the fabric by means of pins or chalk. But it could still be that you missed a symbol ... Tip: Wait a while before neatly folding the pattern up again and putting it back in the envelope, but keep it handy. Your review: The garment is ready and your sewing project is complete. If you have taken it all step-by-step, you have probably succeeded in making a beautiful, fitting piece of clothing! Tip: Process your notes and any comments and remarks on an A4 piece and put them in the sewing pattern. You can also make notes with pencil on the sewing pattern. Either way, should you ever use the sewing pattern again, you will have notes that you might have forgotten otherwise. For example: the sleeves are a bit too tinarrow. Or: the fabric turned out to be too 'loose' and the jacket therefore looked a bit sloppy. Now you know that next time you will have to adjust the sleeves slightly and go for a slightly stiffer fabric. More info:  A Chanel-style jacket made from fabric leftovers? Yes, that's possible. Even though the remnants are really very small. With a little more than a meter of fabric (in total!) you can create the small jacket. Read our instructions and tips in this blog. Fabric leftovers and sustainability We do not like waste fabrics. We have often come up with ideas to do something with fabric leftovers. We have also already talked about patchwork. Sewing pieces of fabric together to finally make something beautiful out of the 'patchwork blanket' is a great trend! Above all, it shows that you are carefull with raw materials (and the environment), you do not like to waste fabrics and are very creative! And now you atre creating a really chic 'Chanel-Style' jacket from fabric leftovers. Like this jacket!  Sewing pattern with princess lines We have opted for a sewing pattern with princess lines. We had found a sewing pattern ourselves in the old 'Thuismode' workshops. This jacket is short, has princess lines and requires none lining. Ideal for our project. Alternatives: Make sure the sewing pattern contains these elements:
This allows you to work with small pieces of fabric to create the chic little jacket.  Our Chanel-style 'remnants' jacket We used Bouclé fabric leftovers which all match in terms of color and consistency. The fabric should not be too firm, neither too loose. We made the back pieces of gray bouclé fabric and the fabric we liked the most: the large pattern parts of the sleeves and the middle back part. We made the front panels from the fabric that we liked the most and we had two remnants left for the smaller parts of the sleeves. The fringes are made of the front panel fabric and we have made long thin fringes. Because the jacket is not lined, we finished the bottom, sleeves and front panel with a bias band (on the inside) and the fringes on the outside. If you have less fabric, you can also choose to leave the front panels open. This always goes well with a Chanel-style jackets and makes the fringes look even better. We did not use facings or interfacings. Because we did not use a lining, the jacket is extra warm but also vulnerable. Pay close attention to this when wearing the jacket and especially what you wear underneath. A t-shirt prevents damage; a blouse can sometimes pull threads of the bouclé fabric through the buttons and cuffs.  Conclusion:
You can do a lot with fabric leftovers. Mix the fabrics and feel free to make something unique. It's nice when the colors match well, in our case: blue, gray, red and pink, but feel free to go bold(er). Keep this rule in mind: make sure that the fabrics match together in terms of structure and composition. (A pied-de-poule fabric or a checkered fabric would be too much of a good thing ...) If you 'style' the jacket with plain pants, skirt and a simple white shirt underneath; then a 'color shock' is very chique and modern. Do you still have some fabric leftovers? Create a clutch (see our green clutch) or make some extra fringes. The thicker and longer the fringes, the more beautiful and the more 'Chanel style'! Good luck!  Do you have a few centimeters of beautiful tweeds or silk fabrics left from your project? In this blog we present a few examples of how to use small pieces of fabric to make beautiful and fun accessories. we do not like the idea of throwing away fabrics... even if they are little pieces. Do you agree? Beautiful fabrics Of course we know that the entire internet already contains a lot 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. A little (extra) personal gift 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.  About patchwork It is possible to make lovely patchwork from fabrics as tweed and wool. Use some interfacing on the wrong side when the threads are very loose. If you iron it, it will stay together and it will work out much better. We have created some patchwork-blankets out of tweed fabrics. The blanket will be very heavy for sure, but choosing a light-weight woolen fabric as back-fabric would be a good idea. No inside extra fiber needed for sure.... Bouclé fabrics and silks are nice to save for small bags, make-up bags, eye glasses cases, scarfs, just some beautiful tablecloths or small cloths to use in in the wardrobe closet. It is nice to work with bindings or to create the fringes. Speaking about fringes; bouclé fabrics are also very nice to save for fringes-projects. You you can tear the fabric apart and make braids with the threads or or cut them into narrow strips, sew them and unravel them. Beautiful examples are explained in the book: 'Making Designers Trims' by Claire Schaeffer. Whatever you decide to do.. Beautiful and expensive fabrics are worth to save or to up-use for other projects. Cheap and fabrics you do not like, are perfect to save for projects when you need interfacings to bulk the fabric or just to practise a sewing technique. If you save fabrics; be sure they are be sure that they are well preserved so they will not stink, mold or moths are ruining the fabrics. If you buy second-hand fabrics; be careful they are stored right. It is not very nice to buy fabrics from people who smoke in their studio's or galleries. The smell will not disappear.... Last but not least: Trade or give fabrics to others. We have received out-dated and old-fashioned fabrics which were great for vintage projects and accessories. Nobody has the same style and taste. It is also very likely fanrics are beautiful for combinations with other fabrics, which you probably did not see on first sight. Take a look around at patchwork-works. Combinations are often very beautiful, but you would never buy the fabric on its own. Patchwork blankets and accessories are always nice. And even if they are totally out-dated or too ugly to enjoy; the dog will love it in its dog basket....  1. A real tailor's ham 2. Glasses cases A nice gift from a tiny bit of tweed and fabric which was left over after sewing the Chanel-Style Brown tweed jacket. This handy pocket is made for your eye-glasses or your phone; although for most phones it might be a bit too small. You only have to cut out two pieces of fabric sizes: 10 cm (4"inch) x 15 cm (7"inch) and the same from the silk lining. The top of one of the small sides: round as half-circles. Sew the part apart from each other and quilt them as your jackets. Close three sides by hand with the same sewing-technique as sewing the seams of the jacket. Top-stitch the half circles. Attach a closure or a button. If you want the glasses case to be soft and protective for your glasses; attach a fiber interfacing before starting the quilting process. The best tutorial: Sew a Glasses Case 3. Practicing quilting turned into small bag: When starting to sew a Chanel Style or Inspired jacket, it is a real good advice to practice a bit on a piece of fabric and the lining behind it. This is the quilting part and once you started to quilt the lining for a jacket, you will repeat it over and over. Why ? Simply because it wears wonderful and it is a complete different and slow way of sewing, but much rewarding as well. Sometimes the "practice-piece-of-fabric" looks good and you do not want to throw it away.... And now you know what works best; hand sewing, sewing the lining silk (inside)-side up or the tweed-side fabric up... A small bag; made from a "practicing fabric" and the silk lining quilted on the inside. Use: glasses case, handy-case, make-up bag... whatever, it is a nice bag and always handy.  4. Make-up bag from Tweed fabric, silk lining and a metal gold zipper: 5. Glasses case from Silk fabric, lined with fleece: Silk and lined with fleece Glasses case. We do not want to throw the silk away and it does not work for a quilt or Patchwork piece-of-art. Make-up bags, mobile bags or glasses cases are always good. 6. Chanel-look hats and tweed-hats A very simple sewing pattern will be very useful to create hats from fabrics-remnants. You only need a little faric to make these lovely hats. Silk lining will even make them better and sophisticated. Here are our options. Sewing pattern: Simplicity 6745 7. Little 'Chanel-Style' lady-vest A vest does not need so much fabric. You can even decide to make the backside of elastic material or some different fabric. So you just need a very small amount of fabric. Sewing this in the same technique as a Chanel-jacket, makes it look beautiful on the inside too. Sewingpattern: New Look 6914 works well! More ideas? Sure!  When you plans your meals, it's often not just about the evening diner or a few days ahead, but you also need the basics. Butter, eggs, sugar, toilet paper and garbage bags.... These are the 'things' you don't want to miss at home. The necessarry basics of the kitchen or a householding. It is quite similarly with sewing; you need the 'basics' as well, as the beautiful fabrics. Cheap or expensive? You are working on a sewing project and suddenly you notice that you do not have interfacing in stock. Now you cannot reinforce the front pieces or the collar and you can not go on with your sewing project. Running to the stores (if these are nearby...) or even ordering online quickly often costs more money (and time). If you already bought this interfacing with your previous order, you would not have to stop the sewing project... Alternatives are not always the solution Then reinforce the collar with a scrap of fabric? Sometimes it works, but not always. Or use a different color thread that does not match the fabric but seems acceptable? Fine, but you might regret it later and think: "Oh damn, I should have had a thread that is matching the fabric..." Tips & Tricks The tip for every seamstress: make sure you always have the basics at home, or better said: in your studio or sewing studio. Check your stock regularly and supplement it if necessary. Or add it when you spot a great offer somewhere. After all, there are enough basic necessities that you almost always need. It is better not to pass an advantageous offer, because we said it already: if you need it, a quick purchase is often twice as expensive.  But what are those basic necessities? We have made a list for you. Bring it with you when you go to a fabric store, the market or a fabric fair. The same goes of course for online fabric stores, sewing machine stores and haberdashery stores. Also keep an eye on the offers there. Threads (make sure you always have black, white and beige in stock) Vlieseline and interfacing (in anthracite and white) Pattern paper (normal paper doesn't work, neither does toilet paper ...) Buttons, snaps, eyelets and hooks (really you can't have enough of those!) Sewing machine needles (the latter always breaks off on a Sunday if you've just planned a 'sewing day'). Also make sure you have a stock of jeans needles, stretch needles and assortment. Sewing machine lights (always handy to have one in stock!) Tape measures and scissors! (You can't have enough of that either, because there are often roommates who borrow them 'temporarily' or they disappear without a trace in another dimension ... Clothes hangers (order in the chaos!) Lining fabrics (elastic and non-elastic. Have a few yards of each in stock in easy basic colors like beige, off-white or a dark color) Last but not least: buy sewing machine accessories: extra sewing machine feet, bobbins, a sewing machine bag, etc. These always come in handy and you need more often than you think!  Also read:
 Social trends and fashion trends follow each other rapidly. But who is actually 'making' these trends is and how is it predicted? Where do trends come from? And who would have thought in 2020 the face mask would appear on the streets and even become a fashion accessory? Nobody right? What is a trend? When you talk about trends, the description quickly reveals: a trend watcher, trendsetters or trend followers. Some people live for trends and always seem to be at the forefront of trends. They have had solar panels on their roof for twenty years, did not like greetings with kisses and already walked barefoot in their shoes. So these people are the trendsetters! And then suddenly everybody seems to follow them. Trend followers are happy to participate as soon as possible. Because they don't want to stay behind (these people are called latecomers) or they don't participate at all (loners). As soon as everybody follows a trend, the trend is a fact. And we all suddenly walk with low-waist jeans, clogs and the same haircut. Trend followers do not want to stay behind Trend followers are carefully watching trendsetters and 'copy' them. Is this a sign of insecurity, afraid of deviating from the norm? This will certainly play a role in the lives of younger people. They like to belong to a group and conform to the rules of conduct and codes. Whether or not formal or informal (= unwritten 'rules'). The latecomers and loners But there are also loners and latecomers. You see this more often in people from their thirties. The loners determine their own style, deliberately no longer participate in trends or are simply not interested in (fashion-)trends at all. The latecomers are 'against' any trend, but perhaps also because of 'laziness'; if there are no more older models of jeans available, then let's buy the low-waist jeans. Who cares? And if you receive a subsidy for solar panels or the entire neighborhood participates, than... why not ...?  Originals To make it even more fun: the originals are people who deliberately do not participate in trends, but determine everything themselves, make or create their own trends and like to stand out because of their unique, own style. Everyone probably knows for example the one woman in the neighborhood, who has been wearing long skirts for years, who seems to have stepped out of the seventies, has her own vegetable garden, goes shopping on a scooter and is vegetarian when it suits her. She does not participate in trends, does not live by dogma's and she has her own unique lifestyle. Unlike the loners, the originals are often people who protest against the current norm. And because of their own style and individuality, they also form a group to a certain extent. Where do trends come from? Trends are often predicted by trend watchers. These are people who have made their profession of picking up movements, visions and changes in society and making predictions. They are hired by all kinds of companies. These trend watchers are on top of politics, are in the middle of life and are very sensitive to details that can have major consequences. Foresight and a vision are their 'skills'. They translate them into any upcoming trends. They like to call themselves visionars or futurists. Trend watchers are well paid for their lectures and companies often cling to defined concepts which they translate into new products or services. Are trend watchers able to predict everything? No absolutely not. Often enough, unexpected things happen in society on a global level. This can be of short-term significance or become a major game-changer. Sometimes the whole world is shocked by an event, but a month later you don't hear about it. While other events take place that have major consequences for everyone, in every corner of society. Think of the pandemic and climate change. What do trends mean for (DIY) fashion? We suddenly work at home en masse and fashion is adapting. How necessary is it to wear a suit behind Zoom? Today's designers have already incorporated the new trend into their collections. Fashion is becoming more comfortable, fresher, more monotonous in color (prints are much too busy on small screens) and a combination of comfortable / business-like design is being designed. After six months, everyone is fed up with those comfortable sweatpants, and people are longing for easy but representative fashion. Self-made fashion is often influenced by the sewing magazines and sewing patterns which are showing the new trends. Fabric stores also release fashion fabrics that come directly from the new trends on the catwalk. But seamstresses also often choose their own style and 'play' with (vintage) patterns of all times. This is mainly because the creativity of seamstresses is not limited to the trends dictated by others. Moreover: if you can make something unique and give a personal touch to a garment, then you do it , right? And trends are also born by seamstresses, just think of the upcycling of clothing and the homemade masks, who were already created by seamstress before they were for sale in stores.  Skepticism and the sign of the times
Predicting the future and trends is magic or just the sign of the times. Especially when it turns out that the unexpected 'game changers' play such an important role in responses to trends. You may ask yourself how important it is to participate in fashion trends. (You cannot escape social trends; no one lives in a cabin in the woods or is invisible by the Tax Authorities. We all participate in the spirit of the times that determines how we behave, what we eat, how we work, spend our leisure time and we eat.) Your own style Apart from that ... it is more fun to discover ans create your own style! Whether you are a trendsetter, a trend follower, a latecomer or a loner; your own choice comes first and what you create and wear. Women who are enjoying to sew their own clothes or being creative in some other way, have known this for a long time. Whether you participate in a fashion trend or not; your creativity is your own style! 
'Femmes fatales' is a beautiful book about strong women in fashion. Nowadays women in the fashion world have a lots of influence, but this was not always the case. From pioneers to "Boss ladies"; this book is an ode to these strong women!
'Femmes fatales' is a coffee table book pur sang The book was published by Waanders Publishers in Zwolle, the Netherlands in collaboration with Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, the Netherlands. The book was part of the exhibition: "Femme fatales, strong women in fashion" in 2018-2019. The book is bilingual, Dutch and English. Unfortunately, the translator is not listed. The book is a large format book and is very beautiful because of the layout, photos and the mix of photos and text. It contains essays and interviews with the big names in the fashion world such as Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lavin, Elsa Schiaparelli, Fong-Leng and Agnés B. Some of the interviews are quotes from interviews from the past. The photos are a collection of photos from the history of fashion through to modern fashion photos, which are like fashion photos should be: striking, creative and above all very unique. And a coffee table book like this should be, because the content will never get boring and the book is a real eye-catcher. Strong women in fashion The essay: "From pioneers to Boss ladies" is really worth reading! Women fashion designers were pioneers and did not have an easy time in a world dominated by men. For a long time, the women were called "seamstresses", even though they were the designers and their collections were very good. The fashion world has long been strongly gendered. Still, a few women managed to become designers and to become "leading ladies" of the fashion houses. This was not only due to their talent and ambitions but also because they approached fashion in a different way than their male competitors. They respected the female body more and took their curves as concept. Coco Chanel is a good example of this: her famous jacket was mainly designed with the idea that women could dress beautifully and move easilly. These times, comfort in outfits was not a priority at all... "Only a man who never was intimate with a woman could design something that uncomfortable"
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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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