Kleding Maken – De makkelijke handleiding voor Zelfmaakmode
A 1970s guide to DYI sewing that stitches dry transfer headlines with typewriter text.
The designer of this 1970s course book is uncredited, but it’s probably not a Massimo Vignelli adept. Why use fifteen different typefaces (plus some condensed and bold weights) in what could have been a straightforward course book? Did the designer finally get access to that fancy Mecanorma font catalog? Was this a first book, and was he or she eager to show off and play as much as possible? Whatever the reasons, this book was made with pleasure, and the hobbyist typographic tools (transfer lettering and IBM typewriter) echo the DIY nature of the content.
Kleding Maken – De makkelijke handleiding voor Zelfmaakmode (Making clothing – The easy guide to DIY fashion) is the name of a sewing course, broadcasted by Teleac on Dutch television in the late 1970s. The TV show came with this accompanying book and sewing patterns. It was written by Henriëtte Beukers, with photographs by her husband Henk Beukers and illustrated with flair by fashion illustrator Gerda van Gijzel (at that time known as Gerda van Tol).
Edit: Zelf Kleding Maken is a true DIY project. It was conceived, written, directed, designed photographed and layed out by Henriëtte Beukers and her husband Henk Beukers, who met at art school, and worked together ever since. In order to be able to produce this book themselves, the family bought an IBM Selectric Composer (at the cost of half a house), and with the help of their son and design student Haico and a few others, this book was produced in a few months time.
“Wat hebben we nodig?” (What do we need?) is in a filled-in version of Paperclip. The body text for the book was set with the IBM Selectric Composer, with these pages in IBM’s Century.
“Stoffen stoffen” (fabrics fabrics) set in Clarendon with effects.
“Smokken / Stofversieren” (Shirring / Decorating textiles) set in Aki Lines, an ITC original that was also available from Mecanorma.
“van knippatroon tot rok” (from pattern to skirt) set in Mecanorma’s futuristic monoline Film.
“Handige Hints” (helpful hints) is a recurring section throughout the course book. Headers and numbers set in Embrionic Triline with swashes. Body text in Univers.
“Uit de kast gehaald” (out of the closet) is another recurring section, discussing ways to reuse well-worn clothes or textile leftovers. The title is a combination of Expressa and Via Face Don. The body text is set in Theme, a typeface designed specifically for the IBM Selectric Composer.
“Doorlopende figuurnaad” (continuous tuck) is not set in Octopuss Shaded but in its near-identical and ready-filled sibling Madeleine Shaded.
“Kijken naar kleding van vroeger” (looking at clothing from bygone days). Heading in Poppl-Exquisit. For the righthand page, effort was made to make it look like a page form the past: A narrower typeface, old style fractions, and a outdated choice of words and grammar.
“Register” (Index) set in caps from Avant Garde Gothic, entries in Univers Condensed.
1 Comment on “Kleding Maken – De makkelijke handleiding voor Zelfmaakmode”
We create manuals for manufacturers. For this reason, this is an article that causes us to smile from ear to ear. Magnificent! This article also gives us an idea: devoting a blog to the evolution of manuals over the years or the like Thanks for the inspiration!
Kind regards,
The Manualise team
[translated from Dutch]