You're a Couture Aficionado if...

Source: BurdaStyle

Dear readers, last year I started my couture guest blogging series on BurdaStyle with this small quiz. Almost a year later, and I am revisiting it with a slightly edited post on my own blog. Let's call it celebrating a milestone. What milestone, you may ask? A year of intensive couture learning and ... but more about it later. For now, enjoy the quiz!

So, you are an Haute Couture aficionado if:

• ...you know the difference between even and uneven basting stitch
• ...you always have handy a spool of Japanese silk basting thread and at least one pack of the finest hand sewing needles
• ...you have more than one type of many sewing tools and can justify why you need each of them
• ...you know the difference between interlining and interfacing
• ...your F* and S* words are ‘fuse’ and 'serge'
• ...you have yards of silk organza in your fabric stash
• ...you know at least four different ways to handle darts
• ...your seam allowances are often humongous
• ...you know what beeswax is used for 
• ...sewing hand-picked zipper or hand-bound buttonholes is a breeze for you
  
• ...you often spend more time pressing than sewing
• ...every time you sew with loosely woven fabric you feel the urge to quilt the lining
• ...constructing a Chanel-inspired couture jacket is/was on your to-do list…and you can name at least five characteristic features of a couture Chanel jacket
• ...you have spent more money on sewing courses than on ready-to-wear garments
• ...your family is versed in most couture and tailoring techniques you use and can explain them to a stranger
• ...you wonder why this list is so short and are able to add at least twice as many items to it

So, are you couture aficionados, readers? If yes, feel free to continue the list!

Strapless guipure dress: hidden details / Part 1

I promised you, dear readers, the innards of my guipure dress! Below, I am posting an image of a work-in-progress shell. This is pretty much how this dress left the workroom after the Couture Sewing School in Baltimore.What's missing and will be featured in another post is an inner foundation (corselet) and lining. Here, I wanted you to see details hidden in a finished dress.

If you click on the image you will see it somewhat larger - I had to keep the file reasonably small for the web.

I know some of you wanted to know more about the engineering of such a dress. I planned an in-detail post first, but then I thought I may as well let you speak - I truly enjoy the interaction with you and believe that sometimes it is more fun to change the how-to post format and make it more like a conversation.

So, this time it is your call - ask me any questions about the shell, lace, underlining - whatever you want to be explained on this image. I will then compile a Q&A in a new post. How does it sound?

 And, of course, follow-up posts on the corselet and the final assembly are in making!

Master of Couture Embroidery Dies at 82

François Lesage,  a world master of couture embroidery, died this Thursday in Versailles, France, at age of 82. I won't bore you with an obituary since you can check this great article in New York Times yesterday. One thing I wanted to mention though is that I hope that the knowledge and wealth of experience possessed by world-class artisans, Such as Lesage himself will become more available and more appreciated with the time. I think Lesage made a great move in this direction by setting up this unique couture embroidery school, offering a variety of classes, both, long and short term.

I wanted to learn embroidery with tambour hook for a while. There are quite a few resources available on the net, but I have never thought I would be able to learn the techniques from the legendary embroidery house. But see what I discovered! Apparently, if you have a chance to visit Paris, call Lesage atelier and get a copy of this wonderful book that brings Lesage school to your home by teaching  some of the greatest techniques of the house. Thank you, François Lesage! Thank you, Chanel!

As someone who is very inspired by his work, I would like to pay tribute to him by posting links to these two videos featuring the work of his atelier for Chanel.

And this Le Monde web documentary, which features Lesage and other artisans behind Chanel. It's in French, but I think you will enjoy it without words.

What about you, readers? Have you ever tried some of the couture crafts and techniques beyond sewing? Working with feathers? Making your own accessories, hats, buttons, belts... If yes, share!

My labels have arrived!!!

Readers, holding the labels in my hand is like making the next step in my couture adventure.

I know I still have a long and exciting journey ahead of me, but I am already proud of what I have accomplished so far! And, so, I am now documenting that my garments are made by me, by hand, using couture sewing techniques, patiently and passionately!

Do you have your own labels, readers?