The break with... Auguste & September

Hello hello! This little break with Perrine dates back to July last year... How can I tell you except that we were a little... overwhelmed, explaining such a late publication. I hope Perrine will forgive us ;-) "better late than never" and we thank her enormously for taking part in our little game / break! Without further ado... Discover the break with... Auguste & Septembre!

- Can you quickly introduce yourself in a tweet (less than 280 characters) emoticons accepted:

My name is Perrine, I like reading, writing, sewing, eating macaroons, letting off steam with sports but not all at the same time.

-August & September, what is it?

A little nod to the months of birth of my children, the eldest being born in August and the second in September. I like this nickname all the more because it is also the fruit of a family brainstorming session with my brothers and sister. And I had precise specifications, they were very good!

-What does sewing represent for you?

A valve, a pressure relief chamber but also a source of self-confidence. If I deeply love my job, I sometimes suffer from a lack of recognition or a feeling of uselessness, so it makes me proud to master something manual, to wear what I made with my little hands and to realize that I have progressed and am still progressing. It is also the way to wear what I want and what I desire.

-Tell us about your worst sewing experience.

Both the worst and the best is possible? My mother is part of a Breton dance circle and asked me to help her make her traditional costume. Without a pattern, with somewhat vague instructions but precise criteria to respect (dress with pleats on the sleeve head, square neckline and offset gathers, bodice with high lace collar, 3 different petticoats...) needless to say that I complained a lot a lot a lot (sorry mom), cut and re-cut, sewed and unsewed, broke needles, complained again... But in the end I am so happy to see her in it, that she likes it, that she can show off during performances and that her friends are jealous :)

-You who are a teacher, if you had to give an assessment to Atelier 27?

Congratulations, you have been able to use your talents and your seriousness to offer a neat and quality work. We encourage you to continue in this direction by focusing your efforts on generous donations of fabrics to Auguste & Septembre (isn't that too much?).

-If you were at the head of Atelier 27, what project would you like to launch?

A range of plain fabrics in lots of beautiful colours and basic materials (cotton satin, tencel, viscose twill) to create a wardrobe that you can really wear every day.

-Your favorite boss?

Torture to choose!!! Can I say two?

* The Guinguette dress from Cousette, in a short or long version, in winter or summer fabric, it’s really my favorite!

* The Albane shirt that I had the chance to create in partnership with Chez Machine.

But I am also a fan of Slow Sunday and Atelier Scammit for their timeless and elegant patterns with impeccable finishes.

-A fabric that doesn't deserve to exist?

Synthetic stuff that makes you sweat and your hair static. Does that have a name?

-What is your favorite music for sewing?

I listen to a lot of podcasts when I sew (generation xx, le gratin, affaires sensibles, how i built this...). But on the music side it's Bowie, Velvet, Blondie and co.

-How do you see yourself in 27 years?

Like now, 27 years older... Well, close to retirement, and maybe a grandmother then... This is a horrible question, are you aware of that?

-If you had the superpower to skip one annoying step in sewing, which one would it be?

The assembly of the sleeves. However, I find that it is after this step that we really see what the garment will look like, that it begins to hold up... But really, absorbing the bulk and assembling the sleeve... it's not what I prefer (a nice understatement, isn't it?).

-You are given an elephant, you can neither sell it nor get rid of it, what do you do with it?

"I climb on his trunk, a bit like a swing and we go on a trip to all the cities of the world... I talk and he listens to me while eating peanuts. As he is very big everyone lets us pass. It would make a nice children's story: "The little girl and the elephant"."

I totally agree with you ;-)!

-For you, what is the future of fashion?

"Clean, simple-chic and responsible, whether in terms of design, manufacturing or the environment."

-A really cool Insta account to follow

"I don't know if this is too cool but I recently discovered the Archer & Olive account as part of my "bullet journal" craze, I'm a fan of her illustrations. Rachel Ryle's little animations are great too.

For the style I love Poupée Rousse.

There are so many in fact... I am curious about everything and I follow (in addition to DIY obviously) "green plants" accounts as well as beauty or lifestyle ones. I love pretty photos, it's inspiring."

-A person you would like us to interview?

Marielle from Annexe dilettante, my absolute sewing idol!

Complete the following sentence:

“Sewing is life because…”

When you keep your fingers busy you clear your head and afterwards you feel zen and proud of yourself!

Thank you! Perrine

Many thanks to Perrine for taking the time to answer our questions and share her usual good humor :-)