Claire B. Shaeffer is pleased you have watched her workshop on couture sewing. Now you’ll want to put into practice the many basic techniques you’ve learned for sewing haute couture. She encourages you to keep making samples. You will grow more comfortable and gain invaluable experience with every project. Soon you’ll be moving on to full garment sewing. 

Throughout the series, you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge, including marking techniques, a wide range of hand-sewing methods, machine sewing, shrinking and stretching fabric to create shape, inserting stays, and more. Claire suggests that, even if you don’t have time to make all your garments with these techniques, it’s helpful to apply them where it is most important.

For more information about couture sewing, see Claire’s revised and updated book, Couture Sewing Techniques (The Taunton Press, 2011), available at bookstores and online.

For more information about and articles by Claire B. Shaeffer, published in Threads magazine and online, click here.