Are you familiar with this painting? It's called The Romanian Blouse and was created by Henri Matisse in 1940. I have been drawn to it for ages. I have this print hanging in my house. In fact, I have a lot of Matisse's artwork hanging in my home. I'm a big fan. When looking at this painting, one cannot help but notice the woman's beautiful blouse. For several years I tried to buy a blouse like the one in Matisse's painting. I attempted to shop for a Romanian Blouse at flea markets, estate sales, antique shops, and even on eBay. But I never found one. One day as I sat in my home looking at the Matisse print on my wall, it occurred to me that I should have a blouse like that tailor made for me. In fact, I should have a lot of blouses like this one made for me. In early 2018, I set out on a quest to find a person who could make me a Romanian Blouse, or at least a simplified version of one. I did a Google search for tailors near me and then I went to visit these stores and talk with the owners about my desire to have a blouse made. The tailors I met were grumpy and rude. Maybe they have to deal with annoying people all day. Who knows. I just found the tailors to be harsh and judgmental about my idea. The tailors' shops were kind of like fast food restaurants: busy, crowded, loud, hot, and uncomfortable. Many of the shop owners were foreigners and we had difficulty communicating. I began to doubt if I'd ever find someone who would make a bespoke blouse for me. One day it occurred to me to tweak my Google search and look for a seamstress near me. Bam! A new result popped up. I got in my car and drove over to the shop as fast as I could. From the outside, the seamstress's shop looked quite different than the tailor's shops. Sylvia's store was European, old school, sophisticated and welcoming. I took a deep breath and swung open the door to the store and stepped inside. A little bell rang when I opened the door. It was a wonderful feeling. There were hand sewn items everywhere, including the most beautiful pillows, potholders, skirts, and dresses. Also, there was a ton of fabric neatly stacked in every corner. The owner approached me and asked if she could help me. I said Yes! I had purchased a red and white blouse that had the billowy sleeves of Matisse's Romanian Blouse. And this blouse had a lovely neckline that was very feminine. The day I went into Sylvia's store, I was wearing this blouse. I explained to her what my dream was and that I didn't know how to begin. I knew I needed a creative partner because I had no idea how to sew. In 9th Grade I took Typing 101 rather than Home Economics, so I hadn't learned about fabrics, patterns, or sewing techniques. But hey, I could type 90 words per minute! Sylvia explained that she would need a pattern and that she could use the blouse I was wearing to make the pattern. I would just need to drop my blouse off so she could take it apart, trace the pieces on thick paper, and then reassemble my original blouse. I think Sylvia thought I'd say 'no way' to having my blouse deconstructed, but I didn't care one bit. I also believe Sylvia thought the steep price tag for making a pattern from scratch was going to be more than I was willing to pay, but nothing was going to stop me. I was a determined woman on a mission! I needed a crash course in learning about fabrics, and Sylvia patiently turned into my mentor. She taught me how to pick out fabrics for my blouses, where to buy the fabric, how many yards to purchase, how to pre-shrink the material, and so much more. She did the heavy lifting by sewing, but I had my part to do as well. A few weeks after dropping off my blouse for her to make the pattern, she called and asked me to stop by her store to try on the first prototype of the blouse she had made using muslin. Muslin is a pretty boring fabric, but when I tried on the prototype and it fit, I became teary eyed with joy and begged her to let me keep the muslin top to wear on an upcoming trip. Sylvia said this wasn't a good idea, so I reluctantly gave it back to her. Next, I nervously handed Sylvia the first fabric I purchased: it was a navy blue gingham fabric. And this became blouse number 1! In 2020 when Covid hit, Sylvia's shop, like so many small stores, went out of business. Selfishly, I was afraid she would no longer be able to make blouses for me anymore, but she quickly offered to make them out of her home, where she runs Leinweber Studio. Sylvia and I are going on 4 years of collaborating on my blouses. She's made dozens for me, and I couldn't be happier. ---------- Hashtags: #Sewing #RomanianBlouse #Matisse #Collaboration #Blouses #Teamwork #BespokeClothing #Handmade Sylvia, with two of my blousesSylvia, with bolts of fabric
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