VFG member Claire Shaeffer is a highly respected teacher and researcher of sewing techniques, particularly couture sewing. She is also a prolific writer, with many influential books to her credit.
Claire was a recent guest on Sewing with Threads, the Threads magazine podcast. See her (yes, see her—the podcast is recorded in video form) talk about her over two thousand-item couture collection, which includes pieces by Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Schiaparelli, Balmain, and Balenciaga. She also shares some of her other favorite things—no hesitation in naming her favorite fabric!
Claire has a way of making even advanced sewing seem doable for the home sewer, and she shares her philosophy that the ability to sew gives a person independence. She says, “If you are a person who makes garments, you can create whatever you want. You can’t make an expensive automobile, but you can make a very expensive dress at a fraction of the cost.”
September is National Sewing Month, and there’s never been a better time to start, or improve one’s sewing—take it from Claire!
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Written by Maggie Wilds/denisebrain
