Post by Lisa on Sept 19, 2014 19:12:50 GMT
Hello everyone and what a needed forum this is!
I have been sewing on and off over the years and have attended textile and sewing classes at university here and there. My introduction to couture garments came from looking into my grandmother's closet as a child. She had some wonderful garments from her days working as the head of the ready to wear for Marshall Field's in Chicago in the 50's and 60's. Her newer things from the 70s were polyester items from her small retirement town (gawd awful) but she had the good stuff as a working woman, entirely hand sewn silk and lace blouses from Paris etc. and I was in awe of the workmanship and how a hand sewn garment drapes.
Two years ago I took a couture sewing class at my local community college and it really made Claire Shaeffer and Susan Khalje's books make much more sense to me but I can't say I have sewn much using these techniques for myself yet but I am about to start.
My current endeavor is to get my sewing and cutting rooms into top shape. Yes, I am fortunate to have two rooms to work in as a result of getting a larger ranch style house instead of a smaller craftsman style house which I really wanted. (Damn those cash buyers!) But in the end I guess this has worked out.
So, I have thought quite a bit about the kind of workspace I would like to be in while slow sewing quality garments. My sewing room was kind of the dumping ground for donated, thrifted and furniture no longer suitable for use in other rooms and it pretty looked like a mess of......donated, thrifted and unsuitable furniture with no style at all. Lots of pictures online resemble this type of sewing room. I guess most of us prefer to spend money on fabric.
Since I don't have the budget to buy new stuff I had a good hard look at the pieces I could work with to have some style in that room and this is what I decided. The room has perfectly functional white melamine desks and bookshelves, if I got rid of the clutter, the not so cute wall decorations, (ex bathroom black wall shelves from Ikea with mason jars of buttons) and painted the whole room white, added a couple industrial lamps I would have a decent looking serious sewing workroom, rather atelier like actually without writing "atelier" on the wall. Less is more!
So, that is where I am at with my interest in couture sewing.
Thank you Marina for creating this forum. I hope it flourishes!
I have been sewing on and off over the years and have attended textile and sewing classes at university here and there. My introduction to couture garments came from looking into my grandmother's closet as a child. She had some wonderful garments from her days working as the head of the ready to wear for Marshall Field's in Chicago in the 50's and 60's. Her newer things from the 70s were polyester items from her small retirement town (gawd awful) but she had the good stuff as a working woman, entirely hand sewn silk and lace blouses from Paris etc. and I was in awe of the workmanship and how a hand sewn garment drapes.
Two years ago I took a couture sewing class at my local community college and it really made Claire Shaeffer and Susan Khalje's books make much more sense to me but I can't say I have sewn much using these techniques for myself yet but I am about to start.
My current endeavor is to get my sewing and cutting rooms into top shape. Yes, I am fortunate to have two rooms to work in as a result of getting a larger ranch style house instead of a smaller craftsman style house which I really wanted. (Damn those cash buyers!) But in the end I guess this has worked out.
So, I have thought quite a bit about the kind of workspace I would like to be in while slow sewing quality garments. My sewing room was kind of the dumping ground for donated, thrifted and furniture no longer suitable for use in other rooms and it pretty looked like a mess of......donated, thrifted and unsuitable furniture with no style at all. Lots of pictures online resemble this type of sewing room. I guess most of us prefer to spend money on fabric.
Since I don't have the budget to buy new stuff I had a good hard look at the pieces I could work with to have some style in that room and this is what I decided. The room has perfectly functional white melamine desks and bookshelves, if I got rid of the clutter, the not so cute wall decorations, (ex bathroom black wall shelves from Ikea with mason jars of buttons) and painted the whole room white, added a couple industrial lamps I would have a decent looking serious sewing workroom, rather atelier like actually without writing "atelier" on the wall. Less is more!
So, that is where I am at with my interest in couture sewing.
Thank you Marina for creating this forum. I hope it flourishes!