The short history of sewing

The first truly practical sewing machine is attributed to a French tailor from the Lyon region, Barthélemy Thimonnier . It was in 1830 that he filed the first patent for his "sewing machine" also called the sewing mechanism. The ancestor of the machine was thus launched!

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

Highly publicized, the feline is said to have generated several million euros thanks to her image. Since her first public appearance, Choupette has appeared on the covers of fashion magazines: Grazia, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue . The face of numerous advertising campaigns and at the head of an Instagram account with more than 100,000 subscribers, she has become Karl Lagerfeld's muse, even inspiring him to create several collections. capsule in his honor.

Today, Choupette Lagerfeld lives with her governess Françoise, heiress to 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 allowed the thread to be wound and it then fitted with the spindle (a small spool), to activate the mechanical movement .

Question 4 : How can I check if a fabric is silk?

Answer : By trying to set it on fire

To recognize your silk fabric, or your fabric in general, you must first understand it. Silk is a fiber 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, we realize that silk has a less regular appearance, depending on the thickness of the thread. It is soft with satin reflections , unlike synthetic fabrics.

But to be sure to have a silk fabric, there is a more radical method. It is enough to lightly burn a thread of 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 having removed the flame.

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

• The wool burns slowly with a sizzle,
• Cotton burns quickly leaving a thin stream of ash,
• The acetate melts, forming a small black ball,
• The nylon melts into a hard ball.

Haute Couture is a true French exception, it embodies tradition, know-how and contemporary creation. Innovative, it now integrates 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, CF Worth opened his own couture shop in the middle of the 19th century and innovated by introducing new and very original commercial practices. It is to him that we owe the birth of the fashion show on a live mannequin or the concept of " collection ".

This designer is also at the origin of the creation of the first Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, and therefore 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 partly thanks to Worth that Haute Couture has this international reputation and that she contributes to making Paris a world capital of fashion showcasing handwork, 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 known as 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 create intricate patterns such as brocade and damask. They are also used to produce many patterned fabrics for clothing, upholstery and linens.

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

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

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

The English seam is a particular sewing technique that allows clothes to have very clean finishes, without visible edges on the reverse side .

It is very practical for making a garment that needs invisible finishing (open jacket or shirt for example) or sewn in a very fine, transparent fabric or one that frays a lot.

To make it, you must first sew the fabric wrong side to wrong side. Then, you must make a second seam right side to right side, 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 zipper often scares, but it is nevertheless one of the most practical types of zipper and with the cleanest finishes. To be able to sew this type of zipper, you must use a special foot that allows the installation of the zipper without having to baste, thanks to its 2 grooves pushing back the tab.

A little intriguing, the invisible closure makes more than one person hesitate! But if you are meticulous and have the right foot, it can be done with your eyes closed ...