Meet …

For years I have been making grateful use of an address where you can find beautiful couture haberdashery: Beauty VOF in Haren near Groningen. In my lessons I refer to them, but I also like to share this here now, in these times when everyone relies even more on online ordering. This is not a paid collaboration, but it is one of my favourite suppliers of couture haberdashery. My studio is full of useful supplies that I have ordered from them over the course of almost twenty years. 

I asked Annette to explain some of the products in her range of haberdashery and tools, especially those of interest to readers of my blog. Here is her story. (Be sure to read through to the end: there is a wonderful offer just for you!).

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I will first introduce myself: I am Annette Baan-Potiek and I have been selling interlining, Vlieseline, haberdashery etc. for over 20 years together with my two colleagues: Henny Potiek-Aalten and Corry Potiek. You will see from our names, we are family.

Nowadays our company only operates online, even though you can pick up orders from us and we attend fairs of the Branchevereniging Mode Ambachten (BMA) and various fashion school organizations.

You can find our shop and much more info at www.beautyvof.nl

Reinforcements

In couture clothing, you usually don’t use adhesive Vlieseline but sew-in your interlining. Think for example of bridal tops (bridal corsets), which are well connected and made to measure. What do you use in those? I’ll introduce you to some alternative couture haberdashery for this:

• Bruidslaminaat as a solid interlining
• Baleinen for a smooth result
• Solid zipper, for example our blinde rits extra grof
• Plakkatoen or plakbatist to take the stretch out of the diagonal of the bridal laminate

Couture: bridal laminate in varieties

We sell three different types of bridal laminate. The most widely sold is the one-sided roughened version. The other two types are stiffer and not roughened. One is iron-on, the other is not.

You can find them in our shop in the category: Vlieseline en Tussenvoering -> Naaibaar

Select interlining

A common question is: how do you choose the right interlining?

To help you, we have a Vlieseline selection help PDF on our website. We are also in the process of entering all types of Vlieseline and interlining properties into our shop. Once this is done, choosing will be even easier. If you have chosen a few types of interlining but it is difficult to make a final decision, just order a few samples and try them out!

Choosing the right Vlieseline or interlining is not an exact science so are you still not sure? Don’t worry, just call, app or email us with your question and we will recommend one or more types.

Boning

Boning come in varieties: the metal spiral boning is the most sought after in couture. We sell boning on a roll, the end caps of which can be ordered separately. So you can easily make your own boning. Then you can also order your tunnel strap! Couture haberdashery at its best.

Do you want plastic? That’s possible too: the wrapped boning has a tuck-in edge that you use to sew them into place on the seam. There are also end caps for this.

Zippers in Couture Haberdashery

Strong zippers are also very important in fitted tops for bridal or cocktail dresses. Especially for this purpose we have the blind zipper extra chunky in our range.

For the sake of comparison, a standard blind zipper (with a thin band) is size 26, our blind zippers with the solid woven band are size 36 and the blind zipper extra coarse is size 56. 

It really doesn’t burst open when the bride puts on her dress on the big day!

Adhesive cotton or batiste is sometimes used to adhere to the diagonal of the bridal laminate. As most people have noticed, fabric on the diagonal always stretches, as does interlining. To compensate for this, you can stick a thin reinforcement ” diagonally ” over the laminate. Your model will then become firmer without becoming very stiff.

Press pads and other press materials

There are large and small press pads. Small ones are for pressing such things as sleeve heads and ironing open small pieces of round seams, usually called hand press cushion or press cushion small. The most well-known is the press cushion of Wagen.  This is considered one of the essentials in couture tools.

In “press pad large” we distinguish the bean shape (or kidney shape) and the egg shape press pad. With the bean shape you have an additional option to press open an inwardly curved seam or press a property that runs like this, with the egg shape you only have outwardly curved seams. Which one you order has to do with your preferences, both types are sold about equally. If you are looking for a tailor press pad, it will usually be one of these two versions.

Then you can also buy an egg or bean on leg. And on bok there is also in the body / pear shape press pad, an extra shape so.

In addition to press pads, there are press cloths, seam press and seam roller, and the press mat or velvet mat. The latter is also a frequently ordered item. You use it for fabrics with pile, you put the pile side on the mat, it sinks in and then you can iron your Vlieseline on it without pressing the nap. Check out all the possibilities in our shop here.

Useful Tools

Vlieseline, interlining and press pads are somewhat dry topics so I’ll close with a section on handy tools.

Lead Centimeter

A lead centimeter is used to measure lengths. Super convenient: the lead weight always hangs down tight!

Waist centimeter

When you measure someone you always place something at the waist, usually a piece of tape or elastic. How professional does it look when you use a waist centimeter? It has a hook and holes and so you attach it to the waist of the person to be measured.

Combine the waist centimeter with the centimeter with hardened piece. The hardened piece is 10cm long and when measuring someone you can get close to the private areas without your fingers being near them.

Want to know more about measuring tools? Read our blog: Measuring is knowing

Thread Magic

Thread Magic is something like beeswax but better! Prevents twisting and fraying of the thread, strengthens the yarn and is safe for all yarns, fabrics and sewing machines. In addition, it does not melt or leave marks. Ideal for sewing by hand and there is a small block for on the sewing machine with difficult to transport yarn.

Biaisband Maker

Make your own bias tape with the bias tape maker. To do this, cut a strip of  bias fabric (or do you prefer to cut the fabric?), feed it through the maker and iron it immediately. Available in different widths, between 12 and 50mm. So you’ll never have trouble finding the right color bias tape! For a beautiful couture finish.

Pins

The thinner your fabric the thinner your needle but also the thinner your pin! Everybody knows glass head pins, mostly of the brand PRYM. Great pins but sometimes they are too thick, especially beautiful, luxurious couture fabrics. So choose thinner pins from Clover or BOHIN.

PRYM pins are 30mm long and 0.6mm thick. From Clover they are 36mm long and 0.5 or 0.4mm thick. And there are extra long ones in 0.5mm thick, which are 48mm. The advantage of BOHIN and Clover is also that the points are even better finished than the PRYM pins.

Wonderclips

Pins are handy but sometimes you have a fabric you’d rather not pin, like faux leather or silk. That’s when wonder clips come in handy. They are like pegs but with flat bottoms. The flat side then lies on the machine table.

Thread Puller

You’d think, a thread puller is a thread puller…. Well nothing could be further from the truth! There are several types in thread pullers as well. First, there are special thread pullers for use with the machine. For the sewing machine there is one that you slide down the needle and when you reach the eye the thread “flops” through the needle.

For the overlock and coverlock you can use the overlock thread pullers. They look like a standard granny or wilhelmina thread ripper, but longer so you can reach it better.

You can also use the sewing machine thread ripper on the overlock, even if you have two needles in it….

Sewing by hand also becomes more difficult if you can’t get the thread through the needle anymore. So you pick up a thread-through needle. Everyone knows the flat metal things with an iron wire attached, usually you remember them from grandma.

Those are still around, but there is also a desk needle threader, you put the needle in with the eye down, you put your thread in the slot and press the lever. Pull the needle out again and there is a loop of thread through the eye that you can pull on just like that.

Careful Marking on Couture Fabrics

Drawing on fabric can be done with chalk, pencils and markers. Tailor’s chalk is the best known: these are pieces in white and in colors. There are also chalk powder holders, which is also tailor’s chalk but ground up, just like the powder that’s in the skirt sprayer. Then there are tailor’s pencils and chalk filler pencils, all of which use tailor’s chalk.

Then there are disappearing or chemical crayons and wax crayons. Wax crayons are also called grease crayons and do not go away from fabric, chemical crayons go away by themselves or with steam immediately.

The markers we have also go away on their own or with water. The purple, pink and white phantom markers disappear with light, the blue is the aqua marker you can wash out or remove with a damp cloth.

I almost forgot one more, the copy paper or textile carbon with a rade wheel, a bit old fashioned but it still works well….

Especially for you, the reader

Finally, an offer especially for readers of this blog:

Thanks for reading our story and until next time!

Greetings from Annette Baan-Potiek van Beauty VoF

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Do you have questions about couture haberdashery? Ask them in a message below! 

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Couture training

The program of workshops, master classes and training at Dutch Couture Academy is aimed at (upcoming) professionals in the fashion industry who are looking for an opportunity to specialize in couture techniques. Enthusiastic amateurs are also very welcome! In the courses, a balance is sought between technique and inspiration, between knowledge and skill and artistic expression. The discovery of one’s own handwriting is seen as crucial to the distinctive craftsmanship of each course participant.