A little history of sewing

The first truly practical sewing machine is attributed to a French tailor from the Lyon region, Barthélemy Thimonnier. In 1830, he filed the first patent for his "sewing trade", also known as sewing mechanics. The ancestor of the machine is thus launched!

A source of inspiration, and even a marketing tool for brands (Shu Uemura, Opel...), Choupette is worth its weight in gold!

Highly publicized in the media, the feline is said to have generated several million euros thanks to its image. Since his first public appearance, Choupette has been on the covers of fashion magazines: Grazia, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue. Muse of numerous advertising campaigns and head of an Instagram account with over 100,000 subscribers, she has become Karl Lagerfeld's muse, inspiring him to create several capsule collections in his honour.

Today, Choupette Lagerfeld lives with her housekeeper Françoise, heiress of part of Karl's fortune. She was bequeathed a large sum of money and received a house to take care of Choupette. An alternative found by Karl himself, since French law does not allow a citizen to inherit his pet.

Before the bobbin, sewing machines could benefit from a two-thread movement thanks to the shuttle. This small iron part was used to wind the thread bobbin and it was then fitted with the bobbin (a small spool) to drive the mechanical movement.

Question 4: How do you verify that a fabric is silk?

Answer: By trying to ignite it...

To recognize your silk fabric, or your fabric in general, you must first understand it. Silk is a fibre of animal origin from the cocoon produced by silkworms. It is a precious, fragile and sometimes expensive fabric, which is therefore often imitated. However, real silk is easily recognizable. At first, to the touch, one realizes that silk has a less regular aspect, depending on the thickness of the thread. It is soft with satin reflections, unlike synthetic fabrics.

But to make sure you have a silk fabric, there is a more radical method. Simply lightly burn one of thread the fabric and the silk will immediately stop burning when the flame is removed. On the contrary, if the fabric is synthetic, it will still burn even after the flame is removed. 

And since it's not always easy to recognize a fabric without the label, here are some fibres that tend to burn differently. 

• Wool burns slowly by sizzling,
• The cotton burns quickly, leaving a thin stream of ashes,
• The acetate melts into a small black ball,
• Nylon melts into a hard ball.

Haute Couture is a true French exception, it embodies tradition, know-how and contemporary creation. Innovative, it now incorporates manufacturing techniques at the cutting edge of innovation.

The creation of Haute Couture is often associated with Charles Frederick Worth, a couturier of English origin living in Paris. Avant-garde, C.F. Worth opened his own couture boutique in the mid-19th century and innovated by introducing new and highly original business practices. It is to him that we owe the birth of the fashion show on live models or the concept of "collection".

This couturier is also at the origin of the creation of the first Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, and thus of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture that we know today.

Haute Couture is a very controlled appellation, only the houses benefiting from the appellation sit in the Chambre Syndicales. Over time, the appellation has become more and more legally closed and the houses must be approved each year by a commission of the Ministry of Industry.

It is in part thanks to Worth that Haute Couture has such an international reputation and that it contributes to making Paris a world fashion capital that promotes handcraft, and in particular French know-how.

Jacquard is a complex fabric, often decorated with designs made on the weaving machine. It was invented in 1800 by Joseph Marie Charles dit Jacquard, in Lyon. It is also to this inventor that we owe the mechanical loom known as the Jacquard loom, developed in the years that followed.

Today, Jacquard looms are still used to make complex patterns such as brocade or damask. They are also used to produce many patterned fabrics for clothing, furniture or household linen.

Ultra-chic and plush, jacquard is back in fashion! Our "cocoa" jacquard fabric, for example, will allow you to make an elegant bag or a pretty jacket inspired by "haute couture".

Let it be said, sewing is not (or no longer) reserved for women. And when OSS 117 claims his talents as a dressmaker, it makes us smile and at the same time it makes us happy! 

Question 8: What type of sewing does this section correspond to?

English stitching is a special sewing technique that allows garments to have very clean finishes with no visible edges on the reverse side.

It is very practical for making a garment that needs invisible finishes (jacket or open shirt for example) or sewn in a very thin, transparent or very frayed fabric.

To make it, the fabric must first be sewn back to back. Then, a second seam must be sewn right sides together, enclosing the margin of the previous seam.

Question 9: In which Disney can you find this little seamstress mouse?

 Answer Foot number 2

The invisible closure is often scary, yet it is one of the most practical types of zip with the cleanest finishes. To be able to sew this type of closure, you need to use a special foot that allows the closure to be sewn without having to build, thanks to its 2 grooves pushing back the tongue.

A little intriguing, the invisible closure makes many people hesitate! But if you're meticulous and on the right foot, you can put it down with your eyes closed...…