Hello, my name is Hester and I live in the Netherlands. Sewing is my great hobby, I sew since I was fifteen. I remember that I bought a Simplicity pattern, I just did what the instructions told me to do and there it was, my first dress! At the moment I am following a course to become what we call tailleuse. I already passed my modinette exam. When I am a tailleuse I can go further with passing exams. I learn to draw patterns and a lot of other things. I just do this for fun, I do not have much time because I work in the court for four days. I am married and I have three children. The middle ons lives at the moment in the USA. She is a exchange student. She is a bit unhappy so if you know a nice family in Grosse Point, Mi, that is willing to take her into the house, I keep myself recommended (is that a good expression in English? In Dutch it is ! ; ) )
In Holland I am a member of a virtual sewingclub and the ones that have a subscription on Threads like me, are very enthusiastic about it. I have bought old numbers via Ebay and also via the Taunton Press because I really love the magazine and I would like to have them all since it started! We do not have such a magazine here.
Well I hope I have told enough about myself. If anyone has questions, pleas ask them!
Hester
Replies
Hi Hester! Nice to meet you! I am originally from about 30 kilometers from Grosse Pointe, Michigan! I'm sorry your daughter is not happy there. Sometimes the cultural differences are really hard to be comfortable with. I currently live in Sweden. I have been lucky in that I've gotten to go to The Nederlands quite a bit in the last year or so. I have spent a little bit of time in Maastricht. I loved it there. Welcome to Threads. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here - you will enjoy their company!
Welcome!
JT
Hi, my name is Laurie. I would just like to say welcome! I live in the USA, and I would like to add that in when I traveled to Aruba and St. Maarten, I met many people from the Netherlands, and they were always incredibly friendly. I was amazed at how educated, intelligent and outgoing the children were. I met a family with four girls ages four through ten, and each child spoke four different languages.
Glad to have you here!
Hi, Hester. Congratulations on your accomplishments in sewing. What is a modinette? My husband and I spent a wonderful few days in Amsterdam many years ago and were struck with the good humor and friendliness and apparent openness of the people there. I hope your daughter's experience in the US will improve.
Thanks for all your friendly words about the Netherlands! I think it is a great country and I regret it that sometimes we have a bad press just because we try to be modern and realistic.
Modinette is the basis. You learn how to draw skirts, blouses, trousers babystuff etc. For tailleuse I am learning how to adapt those patterns to different kind of figures. I really low to draw patterns and to learn how it all works.
In the Netherlands the shops that sell fabric are decreasing but we still have a lot of markets where you can buy fabric. I think you in the USA are much more inventive in making notions than we are here. Several times I have ordered notions in the USA.Hester
A warm and friendly welcome. My name is Lee and I come from Australia, I hope over time we will all become good friends.
I would love to say Welcome to threads too!! I am also fairly new and I just wanted to let you know you will be so amazed on all the ideas, suggestions and wonderful conversation throughout. It is really enjoyable to me to hear from those who are not in the USA. The love of sewing is our threads to each other!! That is so exciting about all your doing in this hobby of yours. Actually it seams to me that you might just turn your great passion into something you may want to do more of!! I live in Washington State, So that is the Northwest here in the USA. So I am no where near your daughter. Has she been here long? I totally agree with the others. This could be a huge adjustment for her!! Unlike the rest I haven't been your way however my Husband is in the Air Force and travels everywhere! So he has been your way...I just get to see pictures and such. We have 2 daughters. 10 years and 5 years. They also are really getting into sewing and I think that is wonderful!Does your Daughter who is over here now does she sew?Anyway welcome and I will enjoy seeing you around here with all your ideas and suggestions. We learn from each other and laugh along the way!!Connie
welcome to the sew and sew room you can enter in if you don`t mind the threads all over as you very well know that is how my sewing room looks as I am in a middle of a sew mathron hope to talk to you soon I am a grandmother of three and I sew for them as long as they pick out the pattern so I know that they will ware it have a great day and a good evening
thanks for the warm welcome, I'll be following your progress with interest.
Lee
Hi Hester,Welcome to the discussions. I was wondering about this expression you used. "I keep myself recommended". What exactly does that mean? I'm just curious. I haven't heard it before now. Does that mean you would recommend someone for her to stay with?Marcy
oh oh that is difficult! It is something like: I keep myself available to hear it or I present myself as a candidate to hear it. Is this clear? If not I have to ask it to someone who teaches English here.I am curious what the right expression is in English. I can talk it and I can read it but to write it that is something different.Hester
I think in casual english we would say "I'll keep my ears open". which is not literally true, ears do not open or close! the general idea is one of attention to the possibilities available.
B
I understand now. I think I would say, "I'll be waiting to hear from you". It is very interesting learning different expressions. I only know English. I should learn another language. I'm sure I will learn ####lot from you and others on this discussion group. I need to learn Spanish, because there are many Mexicans here now.Thank you for answering.Marcy
As soon as I meet a english teacher I will ask. I have become curious myself now!!Hester
welcome!!
it's nice to see how all over the world people just keep sewing and are looking for more ideas.
I'm from Israel and love sewing- it really relaxes me and since i don't have much time to sew i enjoy planning all the things i'm going to sew.my mother sews as does my grandmother who lives in Michigin and now my 6 year old daughter really wants to learn to sew on the machine.good luck and enjoy!
Raya
Hi Raya,
I read somewhere that a child at six years of age is the best time to teach them. I hope she soaks it up like a sponge.Marcy
hi you will have fun teaching her the fine art of sewing my granddaughter made her first quilt and she is also six and my other gr.daughhter nine made a baby quilt and gave it a way as a gift and now she is learning to Knit and she said she will have her scarf done by christmasand she is working hard on it
Hello, Hester! I am glad to meet you. Please do not feel you have to apologize for your country. I admire your country's free-thinking attitudes! It's great to hear from other sewers around the world. You have been teaching yourself? There are many DVDs for sale by Taunton Press that might help you.
If your daughter is not happy, I think she should contact her student exchange program to see if she could move to a different home. Perhaps there is someone at her school who can help. (I think what you meant to say was "I am open to suggestions", meaning you welcome any ideas anyone has that would help your daughter.)
Welcome!
Thanks for your kind words. The problem with my daughter is that she already tried all those things, but it doesn't work. She is not that person that easily makes contact and if she meets people she likes she it to shy to arrange that she can stay in there home for ca. 7 months.It is quite difficult for us to be so far away and have her on the phone crying all the time. Hester
Hello and welcome, Hester. We visited good friends in Leiderdorp a few years ago and really loved our time in the Netherlands. The expression you translated as "I keep myself recommended." - how would you say it in Dutch?
I hope your daughter is feeling better.
Katina
Hi Hester.
i live in Tasmania. an island discoved by the dutch in 1642,
My husband is dutch and came from Tilburg, I learnt to sew from my mother in law but she was a tailoress who attended college for sewing in Tilburg and travelled to france before the war, she loved the fashion there, She had her own store that was originaly owned by her Tante. She designed and cut and had quite a few ladies working for her.
I did not sew when she was with us very much as she was so good. She could draw on her note book and go home and make the item never ever needed a pattern.
We where in Tilburg last year it was my husbands first trip home. We loved the Netherlands and hope to make another trip in a year or two.
I have started sewing again as i have a beautiful grandson 9 month old.
But i mainly patchwork. I have just bought a new embroidery machine.
Denise
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