26 May 2023

She's finally here... Sew me tender!

Hello! a little happiness never comes alone ;) the new collection is now available and it's like a first time every time... last minute photos, insomnia, stage fright .... and then badabammmm putting the patterns online!

****spoiler******tuto all fresh all beautiful in this article !!!!!!!!!!!

Every new collection is a new beginning. I always worry about whether you will like the models, whether you will still see yourself in my choices. And then especially from season to season the stakes become more important. For this latest collection I have crossed the milestone of custom packaging (no more sticking stickers in front of Netflix ;) ). Because I really believe in my beautiful story, and the possibility to be really and totally creative and entrepreneurial is gradually emerging. It's a question of courage above all, the courage to let go, to look at your life in the face. When, like me, one discovers a devouring passion "late in life", when this passion becomes a second profession, it gradually takes up all the space. And now I'm at a crossroads, I'll have to let go of the rope with one hand to take my chance at full throttle. Because living with regrets is still a pity. I don't have a big announcement to make, I still haven't taken that final step, and I'm still juggling between my job as a dental surgeon and my job as a sewing pattern designer. And if you want to know more about my day-to-day creative and entrepreneurial experience, you can listen to this the podcast that Louise de Cornelia dixit is dedicated to entrepreneurship in the sewing world.

But the welcome you give to my collections and my work is always so crazy, your presence and all your messages on instagram re-invigorates me and comforts me in the idea that I may have found my place. So THANK YOU, thank you to answer present, thank you of your trust, thank you to allow myself to believe in my dream a little more every day. And of course, a special thank you to my testers for their sharing and support, and a big thank you to Zoé and Yannick who tested, approved and injected a huge dose of Love in this new collection !!!! Zoé is my good sewing friend, we shared our booths at the CSF last year, we're doing it again this year. And when I told her about my men's pattern project, she supported me and above all she decided to follow me and to propose at Eglantine and Zoé a perfect choice of cotton for my patterns.... You can't imagine how rare and precious kindness and sharing is, and that Zoé takes this "risk" with me means so much to me! And they are just perfect to embody Sew me tender!

I hope with all my heart that I would have been able to seduce you with this new collection. As always, it answers the crucial question of "what would I like to wear this winter". And I wanted an easy wardrobe, comfortable but still feminine pieces. About men's shirt Sparrow you already know everything ;) I'll let you reread it. the previous article where I detail this first Maison Fauve piece for the men. The small details are particularly worked: beautiful cuffs, a buttoning under paw, and its collar...; Thanks to Matthieu and Yannick for their patience and ... what handsome models ;)

The shirt Swallow I've had a few "classic" shirts in my head for a while...I have a few "classic" shirts that I bought in stores, and although I like the idea of the slim-fitted shirt, I notice that I don't wear them very much. So I've been thinking about what I don't like about these shirts: the strong line, the tight shoulders, I find myself too dressed up when I put them on. So I chose a line less close to the body and the ease is brought by the gathered back under yoke (friends who like piping hello!), I lowered the shoulder line (I know not everyone is a fan, but it's something that I find brings modernity), and then I gave it the same little broken collar so distinctive and common with the men's shirt Sparrow. And so that your pattern (and your wardrobe) can follow you through the seasons, I chose to offer 3 sleeve finishes (3/4, long, and a sleeveless version where the armholes and thus the bust have been reworked). I show you here the 3/4 sleeve version with a sleeve strap, made in a very nice viscose twill from Eglantine and Zoé. It's clearly a perfect fabric for my pretty blouse, because it's very soft (very soft!!!). And Zoé offers you a viscose version and a cotton version (she's so beautiful my friend!).

The blouse or dress Sybil it's clearly the room where it feels good. So feminine by its cleavage, yet comfortable. Its beautiful fullness makes it spectacular in a patterned fabric! And having sewn it in many fabrics, I really think that viscose remains the material of choice because its fluidity calms the fullness of the bottom of the dress under the empire waist, the gathers are less marked. I show you these few pictures taken during my girlfriend's shooting Ilabella for its winter jewelry collection. And you can see that on the tunic, I chose here to sandwich between the bust and the lining a little tie instead of putting buttons (yes yes I'm a softie of the style). And I think it fits well with this beautiful and very colourful fabric from Eglantine and Zoé. The dress version is not left on the printed side (my husband hates it, I love it so much!!!!). It's a viscose Rifle paper bought from Personal motive.

Sailor overalls...what could be nicer than overalls, and what overalls! In trousers or shorts, it is distinguished by its knotted shoulder detail, its front buttoning, and the short or trouser version allows you to consider multiple versions. I've also worn it a lot since this summer and it's really the fun part of the wardrobe: easy to sew, pleasant to wear, and very adapted to everyday life.

The month of November promises to be busy, between the preparation of the CSF, the finalization of the pattern tests for sizes 48 to 56 and a special pro event to which I will come back to. I'll put online tutorials for the patterns as I go along. But I don't want to leave you helpless in front of two patterns in particular, my pretty lovebirds Sparrow and Swallow! This blouse duo is the starting point of this Sew me tender collection. Thought with my lover, these two models are quite technical and I preferred for these patterns to focus on the most delicate points: the English stitching which ensures your shirts a very clean finish, the pointed sleeve tab of the men's shirt, and the hidden button placket on both models. To make it very "loud", I used high-contrast samples so that the pictures are as clear and readable as possible. These little tutorials are a complement to your brochure (on which I made a lot of diagrams).

Flat Felted Seam:

the two patterns have that in common, a flat felted seam finish. So I propose to use this very simple assembly method which ensures a very clean finish. Instead of assembling your pieces right side against right side, you position them back to back and you stitch at 0.5 cm from the edge.

Trim lightly to reduce seam creases and open your seam with an iron.

Fold your pieces of fabric upside down and stitch 1 cm from the edge. Your first stitch will then be enclosed in the second. Press the seam on the wrong side of the fabric well.

In order to properly flatten your seams, you will topstitch the seam margins on the right side.

Here is the result obtained on the blouse's right side.

And here's what you'll have inside your garment.

the pointed tab:

is a complex technique, I recommend that you practice it once or twice on a sample before you start your sleeve. Your plan has a marker drawing of the future slot that you are going to transfer on the back of your sleeve. You mark on your 2 pieces folds with an iron according to the photos below:

Mark the top of the slit on the back of your sleeve with a thread that protrudes at each corner or with an erasable marker and position your pieces edge to edge right next to the pieces of the length of the point on the back of the sleeve, along the path of the slit. Stitch 1 cm from the edges of each piece until you reach the end of the slit mark. Open the slit as described in the diagram.

Turn your pieces over by the slit on the right side of the sleeve.

on your underneath piece shape the folds according to the iron marks as shown in the diagram: make a seam allowance on edge 1 and fold this strip on edge 2 of the slit. The seam allowances will be enclosed in the strip like a bias. Then sew the strip right-side up, stitching 2 mm from the edge and stopping at the end of the slit.

The point: the point is folded a first time to bring it back to the seam line of the under flap strip. We mark with an iron. Then fold the strip a second time so as to bring edge 3 back, having taken care to make a seam allowance, on edge 4 of the slit. The objective is that the point covers the under flap in equal width.

Return to iron the tips of the capuchin leg, superimpose the strips and pin to mark the top of the slit before sewing. Then make the seam that will fix the point flap: start from the bottom of the sleeve, taking care not to sew the under flap with the top flap. Once you have reached the pin, sew the two pieces together, this time by stitching. Make the point, go down and stop the seam always at the pin mark. Keeping the needle stitched into the fabric, make a pretty X to finish the flap.

the Fly Front Placket:

-the front bust part supporting the buttons (right or left depending on whether you sew Swallow or Sparrow): your pattern shows fold marks of what will be your future button placket supporting the buttons. Model your folds as shown in the photos by folding the fabric back to back and making a small fold of 1 cm on the free edge which will be sewn in topstitching. Stitch the seam on the right side that fixes your tab.

-the front bust which will support the buttonholes hidden under the placket: first make up your buttonhole placket which will hide your buttonholes. Your pattern has fold marks for this tab, trace the folds with an erasable pen. Sew your button placket right sides together on the middle of the front at 1 cm, press with iron.

Follow the line of your folds by marking them well with an iron (fold backwards against the back, then backwards against the front and then backwards against back...like an accordion) and fold the free edge of your piece by 1 cm.

Sew the topstitch on the right side of the bust to fix. Make all your buttonholes. Attach your button placket by stitching along the C mark. I hope these tutorials, which cover the most technical points, have helped you. Others will follow, I promise ;) Find the patterns of the new collection on the online shop here. Have a great weekend! Emilie.

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