14 Comments
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Sarita's avatar

I read every bit you wrote and cannot express enough appreciation for this brilliant overview of couture.

As a child, I dreamt of my wedding dress arriving by boat from France standing in a single container stuffed with tissue. Or one day I might be issued into an Atelier in Paris and swept upstairs for a fitting.

You beautifully portray the couture pattern museum as a sort of seed bank, keeping the bespoke alive for future resurrection.

Thank you exponentially, Jane. Your interest, knowledge and stellar ability to write, generates awe.

Kylie's avatar

Hear, hear.

Especially the first and last sentences.

Jane makes me wonder about sewing on a deeper level, and her posts, informative as they are, always have an approachable, kind and warm tone to them. Plus the work that goes into them! Wow!

Jane Henry's avatar

Oh Kylie! Your words truly make my heart smile. It means everything to me that these posts make you think a little differently about sewing, and that I get to share my love and joy of sewing with you. Thank you always. 🙏

Jane Henry's avatar

Oh Sari! I absolutely love the dream you painted - of Parisian ateliers and a couture wedding gown, tissue-stuffed and lovingly hand-crafted. Fantasy made real! That is couture. And your description of the museum as a “seed bank” keeping bespoke alive… that is such a beautiful way to put it. 🩷 Thank you for your words, they mean everything to me. 🙏

Debra Emig's avatar

What a great post!

Jane Henry's avatar

Thank you Debra! ❤️

yvette chilcott's avatar

This is an amazing post, a work of love. Thank you, I enjoyed it.

Jane Henry's avatar

thank you, yvette! i’m so glad you enjoyed it. 💗

Miki @ WildCress's avatar

Thank you for this wonderful post! Every time I look at couture collections I get really inspired. I can second the book Couture Sewing Techniques by Shaeffer -- there's now a newer edition (2021)!

Jane Henry's avatar

thank you, Miki! me too! there’s something about couture’s fantasy of fashion feeling so real and tangible that gets me. and thank you for letting me know about the newer edition! 💗

Sarah L. Crowder's avatar

Fascinating and informative! Thank you so much for this post. I had no idea that museum existed!

Jane Henry's avatar

hi Sarah, my pleasure! i’m so glad you enjoyed it. i had no idea either, and i was so excited when i learned it was close enough to visit. ☺️

Debra Emig's avatar

I never knew there was a pattern museum.

Jane Henry's avatar

I felt the same way! I was thrilled to visit it, especially since it’s so close to LA.