My grandmother was a expert seamstress and in a letter I have that she sent to her sister, she writes about sewing a "simple" white lace shirtwaist blouse. she wrote she could only sew the pintucks and 32 hand sewed button holes in the morning when her eyes weren't so tried and the light in her sewing room was stronger. Looking at the date on the letter I calculated she was fourteen at the time.
@@margaretcorns2350 The issue here is more likely that this person literally doesn't know the drill, not that they don't know what the phrase means. Someone who, in their own words, is watching this "exclusively for the aesthetic" rather than for instructions probably isn't well-versed in sewing these kinds of garments and may not even be a regular viewer of the channel, and so they don't know Bernadette's process well enough to understand routine steps without further elaboration.
The amount of labor Bernadette puts into her work is pretty mind-blowing. Sewing all those little strips of lace together. Mad like a fox, she is, sheesh.
And sooooo many tiny, tiny tucks all pinned & stitched individually in place, white-on-white! Just WOW... 🤯 Imagining the eyestrain alone blows my mind, let alone the level of patience required! The result is stunning - hugely inspiring. I really enjoy the pleasantly recursive nature of handsewing whilst watching these vids; not sure my skills are quite up to tackling this level of complexity just yet alas, but it's nice to have something to aspire to!! 😜
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agreed, she also perfectly illustrates why these pieces were and are priceless... the complete opposite of our ready-made clothes are now... anyone has even a clue how long this took her?
I'm Finnish and autistic and I really mean it when I say this doesn't happen often, but I got teary eyed watching this level of detail. I live for details. First I saw that frilly victorian underwear video and after that i came back for this. It feels like I'm doing it myself when I'm watching you sewing by hand. I could watch it for hours. Every stitch gives me as much joy as a hug from a close friend. Thank you!
I am lucky enough to be the owner of two beautiful Edwardian blouses, plus a pair of side buttoning drawers, trimmed with deep lace, a flounced petticoat and a plain 'nursing' nightgown. All made by my Grandmother, who was a trained court dressmaker. Watching this really brings it home to me how much work must have gone into those garments!
@@RosequartzDivination Haven't really got the space to do this to advantage. Most of the time they are wrapped up in tissue paper in a chest, although they are often taken out and admired : ) One of these days I should make plans for their long term future and preservation.
If you need "invisible" eyes for your hooks do little thread loops covered with a buttonhole stitch. They are very strong, almost invisible, historically approved and the colour is always perfect!
@Julia I've started doing these to fasten my hand-knitted cotton cardigans lately (loops to fasten over buttons as I didn't include any button-holes when originally knitting, whoops!) and have been very impressed by how strong they are! Not sure how resistant to wear they may prove, but the ability to closely match colour by selecting specific thread is great, think it creates a much more polished look than being limited to just chrome or black hooks/eyes?
So like the accidental side effect of this video is that I now want a lacy edwardian poncho :3 I also want a floaty edwardian crop top 😅 my motivation to actually make my Miss Frizzle yellow lingerie split skirt is returning though XD
That sounds amazing and also kind of broke my mind as I tried to imagine it. And now I want to knit a Liz. I am so here for Edwardian Miss Frizzle advocating for the women in universities and universal suffrage.
I'm slowly working on a late Victorian/early Edwardian Miss Frizzle, (complete with eclectic school mistress vibe). A split skirt sounds right up Miss F's alley. If you end up making it please share some photos, I'd love to see it. 😁
@@bernadettebanner the question I have is how do you manage to do up the blouse by yourself? I often wonder what women who had no maid did to get ready. Especially if they never married or had children. Maybe there was some nifty way of doing it 🤔
My grandmother’s wedding dress had a blouse very similar to this. She called it a shirtwaist. I don’t think of turn-of-the-century wedding costumes as being two pieces, but hers certainly was. It most definitely was not a gown. To see how much went into making just the top is awe inspiring. Wow!
Basically all women's blouses at the turn of the century were called Shirtwaist to Define them as different from Men shirts which were considered underwear and not a really decent to go showing. Women would still typically have a shift and Corset or bra in the 1890s underneath their Shirtwaist. Pretty much more like how we would treat a woman's blouse today. Except the choice were almost all white until you get up to the very wealthy. At least that's what I found
It was absolutely, definitely and categorically worth the wait! It's stunning! Great work. Thanks for powering through this part of the project (which you mentioned is no longer as exciting to you as when you'd started it). :)
Can I just say that watching Bernadette hand sew and take that tiny piece of thread and pass the needle backwards through the loop to create a knot has just permanently altered the way I want to do my own hand sewing now
me too!!! I oftentimes find myself seeing until there's too little thread to knot off - and then get frustrated with it and myself. Now I am excited to pick up my next project!!!!!
@@angelwhispers2060 yes I pre-ordered it, but I'm guessing Book Depository (England based) is slower than normal on the international deliveries to New Zealand.... I'm patiently waiting!!! Haha
Anybody else fascinated by Bernadette's stitch control? One of my objections to hand sewing modern garments by machine is that they looked, well, homemade (not a compliment in my case). After watching a lot of these videos and practicing, I'm realizing it is possible to learn to hand-sew couture-quality clothing at home, without a machine. So encouraging to see her work out the method, re-do things to get them just right, and keep her cool while doing it. Once I gave up the sewing machine I started to enjoy sewing again as a meditative and creative experience, which I can adapt to my hand strength and health on any given day. Got to LOL about reading from past centuries and changing one's mind... Thank you for the detail and explanations for us hobby sewists.
Bernadette: *actually passes over 4 threads and pick up 2 for every. single. gather.* Me: "oh yeah, I'd totally do that, no problem, I'm super patient." Every gathered sleeve I've ever made: " *liar* "
The fire alight in my soul for a lingerie dress burns stronger than ever. This blouse is indeed a confection of laced floof. So complicated but by golly is it worth it. It will be so exciting to see it all come together. That yoke is beyond beautiful 💙
Beautiful. I’m just here to encourage the procrastinators - I just finished knitting a wool cardigan I started 40 years ago. It turned out beautifully. I then used fabric I bought 40 years ago to make a sweatshirt - nothing as elegant as BB but I’m just saying if you fall in love with a project and then life distracts you, don’t despair.
I started my very first cosplay project (before I even considered doing cosplay, I was just like "this is cool. I want it" ) several years ago, pre-covid, i would say in my early 20's or before, and I only finished it a couple days ago, with a several years break, except now I'm way more skilled (in cosplay and otherwise) and I'm also nearing 30's.
Georgeous and informative as always. I work in a bookshop in Australia. Yesterday (Friday 27th of May), a colleague stode up to the counter and said "This came for you!" I am now the proud and delighted owner of a copy of "Make, Sew and Mend..." by Bernadette Banner! Thank you!
That is really cool that you now own her book, Ms. Nana Anna! 😍😍By the way, we called my maternal Grandmother, "Nana" and I have a sweet 28-year old niece named "Anna" who will be wed this October!!! 💖💖
Bernadette: “I need to stop changing my ideas and work on the original plan” Also Bernadette, not even five seconds later: “ok so-” This is about how my writing process goes so I can totally relate 😂😂
If u feel like you can do it, then u can really do it. There's no limitation in human's ability, it's just the mind that does the game. Start sewing & I promise you can do it much better
I’ve been sewing for over 30 years, I have been paid to sew, I know I’m an average seamstress but, in comparison to Bernadette, I might as well be new. Her skills are so far above average, I am in complete awe! She makes me want to put way more effort into my own projects.
Is it just me or would anyone else love like a full on hour long video of just watching Bernadette hand sewing, and either soft music in the background or having her telling simple stories like how/why she got into sewing. I find watching her sewing is just so satisfying and calming
This is gorgeous. These are also heirloom sewing techniques used on the finest baby garments meant to be handed down in families. From the 1970s onward, Martha Pullen, Margaret Boyles, Grace Knott, and so many others transferred the French hand sewing traditions to modern machine sewing and updated English geometric smocking as well. Most of those grand old ladies have retired or passed on now, but it gives me great joy to see a few young ones keeping the traditions alive.
I went down the lace Edwardian blouse rabbit hole back in the early 1980s. It did teach me a lot about dealing with lace though and I used what I learned to make my own wedding gown from a large antique lace panel I found at an estate sale.
I have a graduation photo of myself wearing a blouse like that. Stevie Nicks inspired store bought fashion of my fancy days at school. I also have beaded bags lace gloves, and shawls. ahhh. the 1980's
That sounds so amazing! I adore historical lace (have repurposed a lot of thrift-store doilies & runner edgings as lace trims for new garments I sew 🤭) and the look of these lace-insert shirtwaists is absolutely gorgeous! Can't help worrying about their ability to withstand wear and ongoing tensions across shoulders & bustline though, especially on a figure less waif-like than Bernadette's....? The lace sections seem so delicate and liable to tear! Did you have to reinforce yours at all at the seams...?
Been doing that since I was 17. Also good when hiding pulls. You put the needle in where the pull goes in the top of the fabric, thread the pull into the eye, pull both down into the fabric gently.
Even though I don't wear Victorian western clothing, I do wear clothing that do use lots of laces for my Santera clothing, which requires stitching and maintenance to keep the tradition going and watching your videos really helps me with maintaining the clothing and accessories of my traditional religious garments from falling at the seams. Also, coming up ideas to update some of the garments. Thank you so much for these videos. ASE!
If you have a channel, it would be so interesting to see how you make and maintain your religious items, worn and used. this is only if it's open to being seen by non-practitioners, of course. Utmost respect to your tradition and practice.
I can barely wrap my head around the sheer quantity of gathering, and of course all stroked and secured in place! To do that at all (let alone getting yourself to return to the project after a big break) takes serious fortitude. As usual your story-telling is exquisite, I especially found the transition from NY to London to be seamless and simple--easy to accept and move on because it wasn't jarring at all despite switching to a new space. bravo on that! Finally, my more casual commentary: 1. The thing with having a signature font is now I hear your voice when reading that font 2. I love love love your grey shawl, it's so HUGE and cozy looking, did you get it second hand or is there a lovely craftsperson whose website I can patronize?
Watching Bernadette wrapped in her exquisite shawl reminded me of my own lovely hand woven Cambodian shawl tucked away in a drawer. I was thrilled to have been able to meet the young lady who crafted the shawl as she was weaving another shawl. Warp and weft are in two different colours so the shawl shimmers in light. 🍄🍄 Thank you again for the lovely video.
13:05 MADE ME SCREAM - I dread coming up short on thread when attempting to tie-off, and this simple technique we see you using here just changed my life!
I cut off the thread on the eye of the needle,put the needle away...then those two separate Cotton strands are tied into a knot ,twice,to ensure security...
Bernadette, speaking to the camera: "You're going to kill me, but..." ~Flips open magazine full of new blouse designs Me, a fellow neurodivergent brain: *le sigh* lol In all seriousness though, this turned out so lovely and it's such great inspiration to see someone go back and tackle projects that weren't working out for whatever reason and persevere to see them through. Enamored, as always, with the intense level of detail in your work!
That lace insertion technique is mind blowingly simpler than what I would have done! I would have traced the lace, cut the fabric and stitched the lace back in- way too much room for error! And way more labor intensive.
My 24 year old wants to sew up a few tops from my "accumulated" 1960s to 1970s patterns.... But cropped. Hard to imagine some of the blouses required a 22 inch zipper in order to accomplish the body hugging form with nubby polyester fabrics. Where is she even going to find that fabric?
Even if my reasons for leaving a project alone for a year are infinitely worse than, I don't know WRITING A BOOK, it makes me so happy to see someone else do it as well. Which makes this project valuable even though it doesn't excite you as much anymore! So thank you for making me feel better about my not-forgotten-forgotten projects! PS. Your book is on my birthday wishlist, looking forward to reading it when university is done for the year! Although I'm not sure how "relaxing" it'll be for a history student...
I love how up front you are about putting aside work and coming back to it. I often feel guilty about stopping in the middle of a project, but it happens to everyone! Love the results!
My grandmother and great grandmother were seamstresses and have some of the things they made still and it's amazing how perfect and store bought they look. I could never be so meticulous
Wow! Well done! The yoke itself would be an interesting decorative piece on top of a solid color item. I like the little diamond of pin-tuck, it just sits right for some reason. I have not yet attempted a menswear dress shirt, but now I kind of want to make one and add a bit of cheeky insertion lace like on your upper sleeves. No one will know if I don't take the jacket off... 😋
That sounds so fun! I frankly think we need to bring back lace wearing for all peoples. It's so beautiful and such a skill... whether its people who make bobbin lace, the card lace factories in France, those who knit or crochet lace... its all so beautiful. Everyone should wear lace!
I hate the 20th century thing of some stuff being for women only. In the 18th and 19th centuries that I work in that didn't happen. If a man wanted a pink suit trimmed with lace and an embroidered waistcoat he wore it and nobody batted an eye. That's how it still should be. In some ways the 20th century has taken a step back in terms of equality.
Bernadette: i’m pulling the thread for even rectangles, to create a cutting lines. me: *tears fabric apart and assumes that everything is even rectangles from now on*
I'm not even through half of the video but I feel the need to say this the amount of dedication and patience you need to construct this garments always makes me appreciate my wardrobe so much more Bernadette!
Oh my goodness! I watched this video with a simpering grin on my face THE WHOLE TIME (my face hurts!) The "reveal' at the end brought tears to my eyes. I just love seeing all the care and detail. Also, I have the privilege of working with some historical clothing in volunteering for my local history museum. Videos like this bring those to life in a whole new way. Thank you!
Sometimes taking a break from a project is the best thing you can do to have time to refuel the passion for it. This turned out absolutely gorgeous and it is going to big a big contributor towards the complete Mary Poppins outfit.
This was absolutely worth the wait ✨oh and it’s nice to know that you are in fact human and did not measure absolutely accurately all these pintucks 😅 (although, in general, it is precisely your patience and actual enjoyment of all the fiddly parts and small details that is one of the most inspiring aspects of your videos for me)
@@ragnkja yep I learned that the hard way the first time I tried to make pleats - my first attempt at measuring everything resulted in much more unevenness than when I just eyeballed it afterwards 🤪
@@MarialenaSarakatsianou Yep. I used to be a picture framer. My roommates bought a huge mirror with a thick filigree frame and hung it in the livingroom. I knew instantly they hung it wrong. They had measured carefully... from the floor up. I said no, it is too high on one side by about 1/8 inch. Because the eye tracks from the ceiling, not the floor. They thought I was crazy until I adjusted the hanger on one side. I don't know if I still have that skill many years later. But it taught me that the measuring tape is an assistant to the master eye... not the other way around.
@@RuiNa42 Looking around me, it’s rare for things to be placed such that the floor is the nearest reference edge. Other than a few low windowsills and the bases of the bookcases, everything is more reasonably referenced against the ceiling or a secondary line.
@@ragnkja I think the problem comes from assuming the floor and ceiling are parallel, as are all the other reference lines. But even if the builder had superpowers and accomplishes this miracle, houses are just a lot squishier than we think of them. Which is great in an earthquake. A bit of give will save your life. But it does mean you might want to carefully consider your reference eyeline. How to bring this back on topic??? Ah! The moral of the story is that life should come with one of those tags on it saying this fabric is hand dyed and that variation is part of it's beauty, not an imperfection.
Gorgeous work! I know you've been saying that this project doesn't excite you as much when you first started it but the results are still impressive. Also a lovely look back into the past one year ago - miss the old place. Waiting to see final results!
This is so like my Mam's wedding dress, it was a combination of two Edwardian style patterns made by my Paternal Grandma who was an unreal seamstress. It was milk coloured and Mam made it into two Christening gowns for my sister and and I. Mam and Dad got married in March 1975 and it snowed, their pictures are magical 🤍🤍
This video was especially pleasing to me; it took me back to a place in my own time… I created an Edwardian blouse in the 80’s, using my grandmother’s blouse as the pattern (this original was too fragile for me to functionally use). Although the lace available to me was inferior to hers, the result was pleasing and unique. This project gave me the confidence to design/create my own wedding dress.
Among the things I love about "Make, Sew, and Mend" is the quality of the paper. It is a positive joy to handle. I also celebrate every 'whilst'. Thank you.
this video couldn't have come at a more perfect opportunity, since i am attempting to recreate my grandmother Edwardian blouse from a 1912 photo that i have of her. She was 18 year old at the time. Your blouse is stunningly beautiful . You have help solve many of my questions; and on a side note - i love your book.
I wasn't expecting to laugh so much, but "Fossilized" definitely made me laugh out loud. It applies to too many of my projects that had to be put away with the loss of daylight over the winter.
i was watching this the other day and it filled me with a need too sew something. now i'm neck deep into sewing a dress for one of my dolls. ms Banner thank you for the sewing madness.
Note to the captioner: The Polari word at 18:48 is spelt “zhooshing”, alternatively “zhuzhing” or “zhushing”. As I’m watching this, there are also quite a few words that are the wrong homophone or near-homophone, such as “cotton wool” instead of “cotton voile”, but I assume those will get fixed.
apparently that 'zhuzh' word is also sometimes spelled 'tszuj'! i'm not sure how accurate it is, but it's probably got some pretty interesting history either way
Regarding the stays in the neckband, I remember reading something as a child (maybe Agatha Christie's autobiography), where a more mature lady criticised young women for wearing the new Peter Pan collar, seeing a lack of character in choosing the more comfortable, flat-lying Peter Pan collar over the traditional high collar, despite the red marks the stays left in the wearers neck.
My friends mother had a lace collor on her wedding head and her neck was rubbed raw over the course of the day. So as stunning as these blouses are I don’t think I could deal with a that lace.
Hi, Bernadette. You are a mad woman. Bloody Brilliant. Your editing is Peak. How do you pick such perfect music too? I'm in awe of you. You are an artist. I accidentally learned how to sew over the years because of you. AND Thank You. You mean a lot to more people than you know.
This is late coming, I know, but a great hint is to machine-sew TWO gathering rows, one on either side of your seam line. Gather the rows simultaneously, pulling the bobbin threads and pushing the fabric along slowly and with patience (you have LOTS of that) along the thread. This will give you regular, straight gathers that will sit beautifully in the seams and give a nice even 'flooff' to your fabric. Once I discovered this method, I found I was simply unable to do it any other way! :) I've been recommending your channel to all my friends. Your work is exquisite and I love your methods!
Many years ago I took classes in this style of sewing which in this day in time is called heirloom sewing. We learned how to attach lace to lace or attach each strip of lace to entredeux then to the next piece of lace or strip of fabric. Best classes I ever took.
What a beautiful labor of love! Seriously, it's a huge scale project with all the hand sewing and piecing together. I almost wonder if some of those lace inserts back in the day where scrap lace because of some of the sizes and pieces. It would certainly be a great way to reuse a lot of lace.
Hey Bernadette, recently in a museum I learned that there are child-sized antique sewing machines that look exactly like normal sized antique sewing machines and are also fully functional (or at least used to be). They were used to get children, or rather girls, interested in sewing from a very young age and I thought maybe this is a research-rabbit-hole you´d be interested in :)
I have 4 singer model 20’s (in four different variations) from going down this rabbit hole and i love them all dearly but man can they all be temperamental.
Ooh but this is a triumph. I hope that the joy of seeing this coming together so beautifully has fuelled your enthusiasm again! (I know how it is when a project languishes for Very Good Reasons and then rather haunts you..)
The project turned out gorgeous, even though it was really, worth it hard work. Now you could say that your almost entire consumption of the fabric you purchased was being economical and that you KNEW that you were going to need all of that fabric to complete the project. Which most of us are over shoppers and you were just being incredibly accurate.
I applaud your patience in not only creating your masterpieces, but providing entertaining videos to share your sewing journey. “Thank you,” doesn’t sufficiently convey enough appreciation.
Starting a project, abandoning it for weeks/months/years, picking it up again and then deciding you want to change the design is so relatable it hurts. Glad to see it all worked out in the end!
I received your book yesterday. The first evening was filled with candle-lit, biscuit-nourished devouring of your fantastic work! 🥰 Looking forward to continuing as soon as I can, since you've really outdone yourself with the precision in writing and design!
My favorite thing about your problem solving is imagining this exact thing happening in the time period with an equally frustrated young woman bemoaning the math of fashion. Stunning blouse overall and once again so incredibly aesthetically pleasing from start to finish!
I've been watching Bernadette for a while now. Every episode I learn something new about sewing and clothing history. It's always fascinating. Thank you for the great content.
I bet it feels incredible to have this blouse finally done! The blouse looks lovely and it'll be so comfortable for summer. Although I don't envy you the ironing of those pintucks! It always seems to me that unfinished projects, particularly the sort that are frustration-inducing, are a mental load we makers carry around. It's good to deal with them, whether that be by finishing them or by making the decision to quit the project altogether.
I literally found this channel a year ago as you created the first handful of installments, and ever since, I've wondered "BUT THE LINGERIE GOWN???" whenever a new project comes up. I've been on the edge of my seat for months, going through the motions of confusion, loss, wondering if the finale was reserved to the patrons (or Disney stopped you from posting the last phase), grieving that the project will never come agaaain and then now, after so much time, we have the next chapter. Your content is amazing, I am so happy that this project wasn't abandoned, and we get to see the end product soon!
I've been watching your videos for literal years but still cannot believe how beautifully this came out. You'd think I'd just expect it now, but this honestly took my breath away. Stunning
I love this! - I made a Christening gown with similar techniques. I totally made it up as I went along but really enjoyed making fabric from lace and tucks. Love your videos!
It's definitely worth the wait, so gorgeous! I would love a video on selecting lace, what makes good lace, what to avoid, where to find period appropriate lace and so on.
There's are other costubers here on UA-cam that make lace from digitized patterns ! Check out DSA Threads, and Minjalinjee (not sure if I spelled the 2nd one correctly?). I think DSA Threads sells as well ?
@@m.maclellan7147 Thank you for the recommendations! Always love finding interesting new costubers to follow, but YT itself isn't always great at recommending similarly themed channels, so these in-comments references are a big help! 🙏
BB : Is there a place (link website etc... ) where us men watching can find people such as you that would create attire from classical time periods? I had a long coat(outerwear) that certainly tailor made. It was some sort of crushed wool I believe. It had the insignia of the tailor that made it and the customer for whom it was made in the left inner pocket. I've never owned a finer piece and which to again.. Thanks!
Seconding Zack Pinsent; additionally, female costubers have been known to cover menswear from time to time! Bernadette herself has a very good tutorial for an 18th-century shirt, and Morgan Donner did a whole series on constructing a late medieval working man’s outfit. Also, American Duchess, which comes up a lot in these videos, does some really nice men’s shoes as well.
Although not necessarily vintage, the gentleman who runs The Sew Box makes beautifully tailored men's clothing. I'm certain you could glean a copious amount of info from his videos. I know he has does dress shirts, vests and welt pockets. ua-cam.com/video/RurxWl8TLPU/v-deo.html
I love that you've come back to this project, sometimes the magic of editing makes it appear that everything is a weekend project but that isn't true. Sometimes you have to step away from a project for a week or two or 52... anyway point is some of the joy of sewing is found in the slow projects that take however long they need to take.. also I'm soothing myself because I have dtess that's been 90% complete for 3 years now...#slowsewing
as someone who has issues processing/understanding things (esp. verbally/audio), i really appreciate you putting subtitles on your videos. it’s very helpful and not a step that many creators think to do, but means a lot to some fans, myself included :))))
I have a blouse that I held onto for 3 years now, leftover from my retail days, that is just a white button down. I've been keeping it for the day I eventually turn it into a lacy Victorian/Edwardian style blouse. This sewing tutorial could not have come at a better time!
I have a dream of making myself an Edwardian wedding dress but I have no clue how to sew and I feel this is going to be a wild adventure. Thank you for making these videos, because it's equally as inspiring as it is educational!
Watching you develop as an artisan (filmmaker, seamstress, creator) over the past couple of years has been such a joy. Whatever you're doing in your next move, good luck. I'm looking forward to whatever ideas move your career into new places with new projects. Congratulations on your achievements. You've earned every applause and reward. You inspired many.
Perfect timing, Bernadette! I am currently designing a lingerie dress for a friend, and your video is very timely indeed - so helpful. Thank you again!
I don’t know anything about sewing. But I absolutely love your videos. When you talk about calculating measurements makes me realize how terrible I am at math. 😭 but your videos are so amazing. I love anything to do with history; sewing, cooking, cleaning - all of it.
Just lovely 🥰 the insertion lace is so delicate and beautiful. It's hard to appreciate how much hand sewing must have gone into just the blouse alone. FYI: Singer did make an attachment for marking and sewing pintucks. I haven't had a reason to use mine for a project yet, but it's really an amazing bit of ingeniouity.
when you pointed out that you had eyes instead of bars when looking for closures I was in full metalwork hobbyist mode going "just change the shape!" because apparently I forget that not everyone has 20million sets of pliers and wire shaping jigs hidden in their home and is willing to do fiddly alterations to a couple dozen tiny pieces of metal when the alterations need to be consistent...
Love you and all your journeys into hand and vintage sewing techniques!!!! It has absolutely inspired both my daughter and me to new heights and abilities in hand sewing!!! I was taught by my southern grandmother, (born in 1899!!!) whose hand stitches were extraordinarily small, uniform and beautiful. So happy to pass this tradition on to my daughter, the next generation, born in 1999!!! All love and gratitude to you!!!
I recently got a Singer 66 treadle from 1927 and it came with a pintuck-measurer-foot-thingy! I'm always pleasantly surprised with the amount of solutions they came for such problems
Our ancestors weren’t stupid! I’m amazed at all the accessories that were available. I’ve fallen in love with my antique hemmer foot. I just got my granny’s 1927 treadle back in working order and am loving playing with it.
I found on ebay a Ruffler for my old sewing machine. looks cross between a sextant and a theodalite,with equally complicated instructions. havnt tried it yet!
This has come at the right time for me. My Gothic lingerie dress is sat in my sewing area all ready to mock up and cut out. Seeing the work it takes makes me think I need more lace...and more than 10 metres of fabric.
Ye gods! You have the patience of a saint. All that white, hand stitching, pin tucks, etc. I applaud your dedication. With your voice and music this is the perfect ASMR to soothe the jangled nerves. Thank you
It’s truly beautiful Bernadette. So much exquisite hand sewing, stroking and loving that fabric to become what you want it to be. So delighted with the outcome you have gotten to so far with this delightful gown. It’s such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing this journey thus far.
Your sewing is just beautiful. Must be so rewarding once you finish each garment. Really I'm in ore watching you sew. When actually I'm meant to be doing my groceries. And I thank you for sharing your amazing talent for us. About 45 years ago I did training on full garment construction and to this day I so regret not doing pattern drafting. But always great to see someone doing it. And do it well. Stay Safe and Happy sewing everyone.
gosh, i just love this! you’re such an expert at finicky hand work 😊, and i’m a real sucker for lace anywhere, anytime. had to stop in the middle of the vid and pull out some petit pointe just to stop my fingers twitching! extra congrats for using almost every square cm of those 10 yards in the skirt/blouse soon to be dress!!!
My grandmother was a expert seamstress and in a letter I have that she sent to her sister, she writes about sewing a "simple" white lace shirtwaist blouse. she wrote she could only sew the pintucks and 32 hand sewed button holes in the morning when her eyes weren't so tried and the light in her sewing room was stronger. Looking at the date on the letter I calculated she was fourteen at the time.
Your grandmother sounds so talented. From the past tense I imagine she’s no longer with you, so my condolences. May she rest in peace
Wow xxx
@@HurriyetAlc-gm7kcso true
how wonderful it must have been to see her work! she sounds remarkable
32 hand sewed button holes. Oh the arthritis!
Bernadette: "You know the drill."
Me, watching exclusively for the aesthetic: "I absolutely do not know the drill"
Same!😂👏
When she says you know the drill it means you know what to do next - like soldiers who are drilled over and over till they know what they have to do
@@margaretcorns2350 The issue here is more likely that this person literally doesn't know the drill, not that they don't know what the phrase means. Someone who, in their own words, is watching this "exclusively for the aesthetic" rather than for instructions probably isn't well-versed in sewing these kinds of garments and may not even be a regular viewer of the channel, and so they don't know Bernadette's process well enough to understand routine steps without further elaboration.
Literally go watch her historically accurately Sherlock series and you will most definitely understand the drill at that point
@@SeymourDisapproves this is worded SO eloquently, woah😯
The amount of labor Bernadette puts into her work is pretty mind-blowing. Sewing all those little strips of lace together. Mad like a fox, she is, sheesh.
Yes. I love this particular video because it shows how perfection doesn't come easily even to someone as experienced as her.
Hollywood could never
And sooooo many tiny, tiny tucks all pinned & stitched individually in place, white-on-white! Just WOW... 🤯 Imagining the eyestrain alone blows my mind, let alone the level of patience required!
The result is stunning - hugely inspiring. I really enjoy the pleasantly recursive nature of handsewing whilst watching these vids; not sure my skills are quite up to tackling this level of complexity just yet alas, but it's nice to have something to aspire to!! 😜
Tam anlamıyla anlamıyla bu yüzden bu yüzden çok fazla düşünüyorum tabi bu da bi imtihan işte bir şeyler ama bu tt tut tu ya tabi tt tt tt ama ama trt Tut tt Tut ret etme kendini o o yüzden sen de de de bana karşı bi haller var var ya ters tt tt t t bu ama tamam mı ben de seni çok çok çok çok ttt tuttum tuttu ve ve çok mutluyum ve ve bu çok güzel bir tt oldu oldu oldu oldu oldu bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti t bitti bu bitti bitti bitti bitti Tut tt bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti artık bitti bitti bitti bitti rte rte rte bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti bitti nmlpd rz
agreed, she also perfectly illustrates why these pieces were and are priceless... the complete opposite of our ready-made clothes are now... anyone has even a clue how long this took her?
"Wrote a book" 😂 that's some extreme procrastination!
This blouse is beautiful. Absolutely worth the year gap in the making process 💜
I'm Finnish and autistic and I really mean it when I say this doesn't happen often, but I got teary eyed watching this level of detail. I live for details. First I saw that frilly victorian underwear video and after that i came back for this. It feels like I'm doing it myself when I'm watching you sewing by hand. I could watch it for hours. Every stitch gives me as much joy as a hug from a close friend. Thank you!
I am lucky enough to be the owner of two beautiful Edwardian blouses, plus a pair of side buttoning drawers, trimmed with deep lace, a flounced petticoat and a plain 'nursing' nightgown. All made by my Grandmother, who was a trained court dressmaker. Watching this really brings it home to me how much work must have gone into those garments!
Wow you are lucky! Do you display them anywhere?
@@RosequartzDivination Haven't really got the space to do this to advantage. Most of the time they are wrapped up in tissue paper in a chest, although they are often taken out and admired : ) One of these days I should make plans for their long term future and preservation.
@@chrisfalconer4983 it would be LOVELY to see pictures of them somehow!
@@chrisfalconer4983 I would love to see pictures or videos of them! If you ever post them let me know 😊
Wow 😎 your grandmother is great, my great grandmother would had worked the same lines when she made wedding dresses 👍
If you need "invisible" eyes for your hooks do little thread loops covered with a buttonhole stitch. They are very strong, almost invisible, historically approved and the colour is always perfect!
Fabulous! But anybody else think "how the heck is she going to fasten all of those teeny weeny hooks in her back all by herself?"
@@marieclaudebedard6728 you only unhook the top (few) and the bottom (few), leaving the middle done. That way you can dress yourself. I hope it helps
@@marieclaudebedard6728 maid. Obviously.
@@sarahwithstars
Or a family member or a coworker.
@Julia I've started doing these to fasten my hand-knitted cotton cardigans lately (loops to fasten over buttons as I didn't include any button-holes when originally knitting, whoops!) and have been very impressed by how strong they are! Not sure how resistant to wear they may prove, but the ability to closely match colour by selecting specific thread is great, think it creates a much more polished look than being limited to just chrome or black hooks/eyes?
So like the accidental side effect of this video is that I now want a lacy edwardian poncho :3 I also want a floaty edwardian crop top 😅 my motivation to actually make my Miss Frizzle yellow lingerie split skirt is returning though XD
Me tooo! Lacy Edwardian poncho is calling to me like nobody's business..
YES YES please 👀👀
That sounds amazing and also kind of broke my mind as I tried to imagine it. And now I want to knit a Liz. I am so here for Edwardian Miss Frizzle advocating for the women in universities and universal suffrage.
I'm slowly working on a late Victorian/early Edwardian Miss Frizzle, (complete with eclectic school mistress vibe).
A split skirt sounds right up Miss F's alley. If you end up making it please share some photos, I'd love to see it. 😁
@@bernadettebanner the question I have is how do you manage to do up the blouse by yourself? I often wonder what women who had no maid did to get ready. Especially if they never married or had children.
Maybe there was some nifty way of doing it 🤔
this blouse could absolutely be worn today with like different bottoms and be passed off as something super modern! it’s so gorgeous!
Jean jacket, bell bottoms, and wild, fluffy hair.
My grandmother’s wedding dress had a blouse very similar to this. She called it a shirtwaist. I don’t think of turn-of-the-century wedding costumes as being two pieces, but hers certainly was. It most definitely was not a gown. To see how much went into making just the top is awe inspiring. Wow!
Basically all women's blouses at the turn of the century were called Shirtwaist to Define them as different from Men shirts which were considered underwear and not a really decent to go showing. Women would still typically have a shift and Corset or bra in the 1890s underneath their Shirtwaist. Pretty much more like how we would treat a woman's blouse today. Except the choice were almost all white until you get up to the very wealthy. At least that's what I found
@@angelwhispers2060 She was a corset girl, and what a figure it gave her!
Ho trovato una camiciola da notte con alcuni intarsi simili...❤️🎶
It was absolutely, definitely and categorically worth the wait! It's stunning! Great work. Thanks for powering through this part of the project (which you mentioned is no longer as exciting to you as when you'd started it). :)
agreed!
It’s also a great example to us of saving a cursed project!
Gorgeous handiwork, beautifully edited video. Superb ❤
@@MeloniousThunk the filming... the editing
....it is everything!!! IMO
I just
“Upper body floof” is my new favorite clothing category, since it theoretically can encompass a spectrum from lace all the way to muppet fur.
Can I just say that watching Bernadette hand sew and take that tiny piece of thread and pass the needle backwards through the loop to create a knot has just permanently altered the way I want to do my own hand sewing now
me too!!! I oftentimes find myself seeing until there's too little thread to knot off - and then get frustrated with it and myself.
Now I am excited to pick up my next project!!!!!
She also has a book out called make sew and mend that goes over hand-sewing techniques in more detail
@@angelwhispers2060 actually, when I left this comment, I remembered that I had an Amazon gift card and immediately ran and bought her book!
@@angelwhispers2060 yes I pre-ordered it, but I'm guessing Book Depository (England based) is slower than normal on the international deliveries to New Zealand.... I'm patiently waiting!!! Haha
RIGHT
Anybody else fascinated by Bernadette's stitch control? One of my objections to hand sewing modern garments by machine is that they looked, well, homemade (not a compliment in my case). After watching a lot of these videos and practicing, I'm realizing it is possible to learn to hand-sew couture-quality clothing at home, without a machine. So encouraging to see her work out the method, re-do things to get them just right, and keep her cool while doing it. Once I gave up the sewing machine I started to enjoy sewing again as a meditative and creative experience, which I can adapt to my hand strength and health on any given day. Got to LOL about reading from past centuries and changing one's mind... Thank you for the detail and explanations for us hobby sewists.
Bernadette: *actually passes over 4 threads and pick up 2 for every. single. gather.*
Me: "oh yeah, I'd totally do that, no problem, I'm super patient."
Every gathered sleeve I've ever made: " *liar* "
The fire alight in my soul for a lingerie dress burns stronger than ever. This blouse is indeed a confection of laced floof. So complicated but by golly is it worth it. It will be so exciting to see it all come together. That yoke is beyond beautiful 💙
Beautiful. I’m just here to encourage the procrastinators - I just finished knitting a wool cardigan I started 40 years ago. It turned out beautifully. I then used fabric I bought 40 years ago to make a sweatshirt - nothing as elegant as BB but I’m just saying if you fall in love with a project and then life distracts you, don’t despair.
Oh I'm inspired now👍 I have a tapestry I started just as long ago ..oops😉
I started my very first cosplay project (before I even considered doing cosplay, I was just like "this is cool. I want it" ) several years ago, pre-covid, i would say in my early 20's or before, and I only finished it a couple days ago, with a several years break, except now I'm way more skilled (in cosplay and otherwise) and I'm also nearing 30's.
Georgeous and informative as always. I work in a bookshop in Australia. Yesterday (Friday 27th of May), a colleague stode up to the counter and said "This came for you!" I am now the proud and delighted owner of a copy of "Make, Sew and Mend..." by Bernadette Banner! Thank you!
That is really cool that you now own her book, Ms. Nana Anna! 😍😍By the way, we called my maternal Grandmother, "Nana" and I have a sweet 28-year old niece named "Anna" who will be wed this October!!! 💖💖
Bernadette: “I need to stop changing my ideas and work on the original plan”
Also Bernadette, not even five seconds later: “ok so-”
This is about how my writing process goes so I can totally relate 😂😂
Me too😅
I think we all can😆😅
Lol SAME!!!! 😅
Freedom of artistry!
Me making cosplays be like
my toxic trait is thinking i could do this without prior sewing knowledge whatsoever
Gotta start somewhere lol.
mine is thinking that I can do this in less than a week, sewing experience notwithstanding asdfghjkl
If u feel like you can do it, then u can really do it. There's no limitation in human's ability, it's just the mind that does the game. Start sewing & I promise you can do it much better
I’ve been sewing for over 30 years, I have been paid to sew, I know I’m an average seamstress but, in comparison to Bernadette, I might as well be new. Her skills are so far above average, I am in complete awe! She makes me want to put way more effort into my own projects.
Start with something simpler. I sew. This is complicated
Is it just me or would anyone else love like a full on hour long video of just watching Bernadette hand sewing, and either soft music in the background or having her telling simple stories like how/why she got into sewing. I find watching her sewing is just so satisfying and calming
I need this nowww haha
I would absolutely watch this
Yes! Lofi Victorian Seamstress!
This is gorgeous. These are also heirloom sewing techniques used on the finest baby garments meant to be handed down in families. From the 1970s onward, Martha Pullen, Margaret Boyles, Grace Knott, and so many others transferred the French hand sewing traditions to modern machine sewing and updated English geometric smocking as well. Most of those grand old ladies have retired or passed on now, but it gives me great joy to see a few young ones keeping the traditions alive.
I have heard of Martha but not the others. Tfs
I remember sewing little garments like this, as many did, back in the 80s for our children. My eyes can't handle it as well now.
I went down the lace Edwardian blouse rabbit hole back in the early 1980s. It did teach me a lot about dealing with lace though and I used what I learned to make my own wedding gown from a large antique lace panel I found at an estate sale.
I have a graduation photo of myself wearing a blouse like that. Stevie Nicks inspired store bought fashion of my fancy days at school. I also have beaded bags lace gloves, and shawls. ahhh. the 1980's
That sounds so amazing! I adore historical lace (have repurposed a lot of thrift-store doilies & runner edgings as lace trims for new garments I sew 🤭) and the look of these lace-insert shirtwaists is absolutely gorgeous!
Can't help worrying about their ability to withstand wear and ongoing tensions across shoulders & bustline though, especially on a figure less waif-like than Bernadette's....? The lace sections seem so delicate and liable to tear! Did you have to reinforce yours at all at the seams...?
13:08 is genius! I've spent my whole life trying to put the pointy end through the loop to tie off my thread 🤦♂
I often do. And tail backside first if I don´t find a blunt needle when I need one.... ☺
yes!!! i gasped when i saw this!!
I rewound to watch again. The number of times I've had to rethread a needle coz I just had to get those last 2 stitches.
Been doing that since I was 17. Also good when hiding pulls. You put the needle in where the pull goes in the top of the fabric, thread the pull into the eye, pull both down into the fabric gently.
Even though I don't wear Victorian western clothing, I do wear clothing that do use lots of laces for my Santera clothing, which requires stitching and maintenance to keep the tradition going and watching your videos really helps me with maintaining the clothing and accessories of my traditional religious garments from falling at the seams. Also, coming up ideas to update some of the garments. Thank you so much for these videos. ASE!
If you have a channel, it would be so interesting to see how you make and maintain your religious items, worn and used.
this is only if it's open to being seen by non-practitioners, of course. Utmost respect to your tradition and practice.
I can barely wrap my head around the sheer quantity of gathering, and of course all stroked and secured in place! To do that at all (let alone getting yourself to return to the project after a big break) takes serious fortitude.
As usual your story-telling is exquisite, I especially found the transition from NY to London to be seamless and simple--easy to accept and move on because it wasn't jarring at all despite switching to a new space. bravo on that!
Finally, my more casual commentary: 1. The thing with having a signature font is now I hear your voice when reading that font 2. I love love love your grey shawl, it's so HUGE and cozy looking, did you get it second hand or is there a lovely craftsperson whose website I can patronize?
Watching Bernadette wrapped in her exquisite shawl reminded me of my own lovely hand woven Cambodian shawl tucked away in a drawer. I was thrilled to have been able to meet the young lady who crafted the shawl as she was weaving another shawl. Warp and weft are in two different colours so the shawl shimmers in light. 🍄🍄 Thank you again for the lovely video.
Also, Upper Body Floof is how I'm calling all white, frilly blouses from now on 😎
13:05 MADE ME SCREAM - I dread coming up short on thread when attempting to tie-off, and this simple technique we see you using here just changed my life!
I saw that too! "Oh... that's how you tie off when you have less than a needle's length of thread left!"
Well spotted!
I cut off the thread on the eye of the needle,put the needle away...then those two separate Cotton strands are tied into a knot ,twice,to ensure security...
I do this and I still usually end up too short T-T
Bernadette, speaking to the camera: "You're going to kill me, but..."
~Flips open magazine full of new blouse designs
Me, a fellow neurodivergent brain: *le sigh* lol
In all seriousness though, this turned out so lovely and it's such great inspiration to see someone go back and tackle projects that weren't working out for whatever reason and persevere to see them through. Enamored, as always, with the intense level of detail in your work!
That lace insertion technique is mind blowingly simpler than what I would have done! I would have traced the lace, cut the fabric and stitched the lace back in- way too much room for error! And way more labor intensive.
I can't wait to see the entire dress. But I would also wear this blouse with jeans and sandals and a fabulous pair of earrings. Just gorgeous!
If you put a light colored tank under it the lace would really pop
Idem...
Sameee
I am here for edwardian crop top season! Absolutely stunning work!
My 24 year old wants to sew up a few tops from my "accumulated" 1960s to 1970s patterns.... But cropped. Hard to imagine some of the blouses required a 22 inch zipper in order to accomplish the body hugging form with nubby polyester fabrics. Where is she even going to find that fabric?
Gotta stay ahead of the trends! It could take over modern fashion!
Even if my reasons for leaving a project alone for a year are infinitely worse than, I don't know WRITING A BOOK, it makes me so happy to see someone else do it as well. Which makes this project valuable even though it doesn't excite you as much anymore! So thank you for making me feel better about my not-forgotten-forgotten projects!
PS. Your book is on my birthday wishlist, looking forward to reading it when university is done for the year! Although I'm not sure how "relaxing" it'll be for a history student...
Your reasons are yours, as long as they are valid to you it doesn't matter if they're valid to somebody else.
I love how up front you are about putting aside work and coming back to it. I often feel guilty about stopping in the middle of a project, but it happens to everyone! Love the results!
My grandmother and great grandmother were seamstresses and have some of the things they made still and it's amazing how perfect and store bought they look. I could never be so meticulous
Wow! Well done! The yoke itself would be an interesting decorative piece on top of a solid color item. I like the little diamond of pin-tuck, it just sits right for some reason.
I have not yet attempted a menswear dress shirt, but now I kind of want to make one and add a bit of cheeky insertion lace like on your upper sleeves. No one will know if I don't take the jacket off... 😋
That sounds like a FANTASTIC idea! Do it!! :)
That sounds so fun! I frankly think we need to bring back lace wearing for all peoples. It's so beautiful and such a skill... whether its people who make bobbin lace, the card lace factories in France, those who knit or crochet lace... its all so beautiful. Everyone should wear lace!
I hate the 20th century thing of some stuff being for women only. In the 18th and 19th centuries that I work in that didn't happen. If a man wanted a pink suit trimmed with lace and an embroidered waistcoat he wore it and nobody batted an eye. That's how it still should be. In some ways the 20th century has taken a step back in terms of equality.
Do it! Styles are all over the place now and you can always forge your own trail. A lace inset would be perfectly in vogue with a tuxedo shirt, too.
@@Asri_ vertical lace inserts on either side of the button placket of a men's dress shirt! Yes please!
Bernadette: i’m pulling the thread for even rectangles, to create a cutting lines.
me: *tears fabric apart and assumes that everything is even rectangles from now on*
Ah, "Chaos Sewing" ! My favorite 😍
but pulling a thread is really a hack, much easier than tracing a line or something BVJBVJBGFG
Me: *tears fabric only to realize that the grain wasn't straight and I now have a collection of parallelograms*
Also me: *weeps *
Tis I!
@@emilyrln **p a r a l l e l o g r a m s e w i n g**
I'm not even through half of the video but I feel the need to say this the amount of dedication and patience you need to construct this garments always makes me appreciate my wardrobe so much more Bernadette!
Oh my goodness! I watched this video with a simpering grin on my face THE WHOLE TIME (my face hurts!) The "reveal' at the end brought tears to my eyes. I just love seeing all the care and detail. Also, I have the privilege of working with some historical clothing in volunteering for my local history museum. Videos like this bring those to life in a whole new way. Thank you!
I'm always floored by the skill on display. As a novice I look forward to being able to take inspiration from historical sewing into my own work.
Sometimes taking a break from a project is the best thing you can do to have time to refuel the passion for it. This turned out absolutely gorgeous and it is going to big a big contributor towards the complete Mary Poppins outfit.
This was absolutely worth the wait ✨oh and it’s nice to know that you are in fact human and did not measure absolutely accurately all these pintucks 😅 (although, in general, it is precisely your patience and actual enjoyment of all the fiddly parts and small details that is one of the most inspiring aspects of your videos for me)
If it looks even, it is even.
@@ragnkja yep I learned that the hard way the first time I tried to make pleats - my first attempt at measuring everything resulted in much more unevenness than when I just eyeballed it afterwards 🤪
@@MarialenaSarakatsianou Yep. I used to be a picture framer. My roommates bought a huge mirror with a thick filigree frame and hung it in the livingroom. I knew instantly they hung it wrong. They had measured carefully... from the floor up. I said no, it is too high on one side by about 1/8 inch. Because the eye tracks from the ceiling, not the floor. They thought I was crazy until I adjusted the hanger on one side.
I don't know if I still have that skill many years later. But it taught me that the measuring tape is an assistant to the master eye... not the other way around.
@@RuiNa42
Looking around me, it’s rare for things to be placed such that the floor is the nearest reference edge. Other than a few low windowsills and the bases of the bookcases, everything is more reasonably referenced against the ceiling or a secondary line.
@@ragnkja I think the problem comes from assuming the floor and ceiling are parallel, as are all the other reference lines. But even if the builder had superpowers and accomplishes this miracle, houses are just a lot squishier than we think of them. Which is great in an earthquake. A bit of give will save your life. But it does mean you might want to carefully consider your reference eyeline.
How to bring this back on topic??? Ah! The moral of the story is that life should come with one of those tags on it saying this fabric is hand dyed and that variation is part of it's beauty, not an imperfection.
Gorgeous work! I know you've been saying that this project doesn't excite you as much when you first started it but the results are still impressive. Also a lovely look back into the past one year ago - miss the old place. Waiting to see final results!
This is so like my Mam's wedding dress, it was a combination of two Edwardian style patterns made by my Paternal Grandma who was an unreal seamstress. It was milk coloured and Mam made it into two Christening gowns for my sister and and I. Mam and Dad got married in March 1975 and it snowed, their pictures are magical 🤍🤍
This video was especially pleasing to me; it took me back to a place in my own time… I created an Edwardian blouse in the 80’s, using my grandmother’s blouse as the pattern (this original was too fragile for me to functionally use). Although the lace available to me was inferior to hers, the result was pleasing and unique. This project gave me the confidence to design/create my own wedding dress.
Among the things I love about "Make, Sew, and Mend" is the quality of the paper. It is a positive joy to handle. I also celebrate every 'whilst'. Thank you.
this video couldn't have come at a more perfect opportunity, since i am attempting to recreate my grandmother Edwardian blouse from a 1912 photo that i have of her. She was 18 year old at the time. Your blouse is stunningly beautiful . You have help solve many of my questions; and on a side note - i love your book.
I wasn't expecting to laugh so much, but "Fossilized" definitely made me laugh out loud. It applies to too many of my projects that had to be put away with the loss of daylight over the winter.
Same here🤣🤣🤣
Sheer poetry watching you sew. Can't ven begin to imagine the hard work and conviction this requires.
i was watching this the other day and it filled me with a need too sew something. now i'm neck deep into sewing a dress for one of my dolls. ms Banner thank you for the sewing madness.
Note to the captioner: The Polari word at 18:48 is spelt “zhooshing”, alternatively “zhuzhing” or “zhushing”. As I’m watching this, there are also quite a few words that are the wrong homophone or near-homophone, such as “cotton wool” instead of “cotton voile”, but I assume those will get fixed.
Captions have not yet been proofed by my team so these will be fixed soon. :)
Thank you so much! I have been puzzling over the spelling for ages!
apparently that 'zhuzh' word is also sometimes spelled 'tszuj'! i'm not sure how accurate it is, but it's probably got some pretty interesting history either way
Regarding the stays in the neckband, I remember reading something as a child (maybe Agatha Christie's autobiography), where a more mature lady criticised young women for wearing the new Peter Pan collar, seeing a lack of character in choosing the more comfortable, flat-lying Peter Pan collar over the traditional high collar, despite the red marks the stays left in the wearers neck.
My friends mother had a lace collor on her wedding head and her neck was rubbed raw over the course of the day. So as stunning as these blouses are I don’t think I could deal with a that lace.
Hi, Bernadette. You are a mad woman. Bloody Brilliant. Your editing is Peak. How do you pick such perfect music too? I'm in awe of you. You are an artist. I accidentally learned how to sew over the years because of you. AND Thank You. You mean a lot to more people than you know.
Hello 👋 how are you doing??
This is late coming, I know, but a great hint is to machine-sew TWO gathering rows, one on either side of your seam line. Gather the rows simultaneously, pulling the bobbin threads and pushing the fabric along slowly and with patience (you have LOTS of that) along the thread. This will give you regular, straight gathers that will sit beautifully in the seams and give a nice even 'flooff' to your fabric. Once I discovered this method, I found I was simply unable to do it any other way! :)
I've been recommending your channel to all my friends. Your work is exquisite and I love your methods!
Much kudos to the captioner! Not just for spelling the unusual words, but for the music descriptions.
Many years ago I took classes in this style of sewing which in this day in time is called heirloom sewing. We learned how to attach lace to lace or attach each strip of lace to entredeux then to the next piece of lace or strip of fabric. Best classes I ever took.
Okay but now the idea of an Edwardian crop top has invaded my mind and I have a feeling it will simply not leave.
This is gorgeous!
What a beautiful labor of love! Seriously, it's a huge scale project with all the hand sewing and piecing together. I almost wonder if some of those lace inserts back in the day where scrap lace because of some of the sizes and pieces. It would certainly be a great way to reuse a lot of lace.
This whole series was a delightful meditation in beauty and artistry. Thank you!
I absolutely love your channel and I admire your respect and knowledge of the history of these garments and practices!
Hey Bernadette,
recently in a museum I learned that there are child-sized antique sewing machines that look exactly like normal sized antique sewing machines and are also fully functional (or at least used to be). They were used to get children, or rather girls, interested in sewing from a very young age and I thought maybe this is a research-rabbit-hole you´d be interested in :)
Yes I have one. My granny gave it to me. Although it produced a nice top stitch, the underneath was a mess. I really need to have a good look at it.
I would love to see these little machines
@@Bane_Amesta do you have an email or are you on facebook
@@kathrynabbott5032 I was given one as a child too as my family have been seamstresses and tailors for over 200 years!
I have 4 singer model 20’s (in four different variations) from going down this rabbit hole and i love them all dearly but man can they all be temperamental.
Ooh but this is a triumph. I hope that the joy of seeing this coming together so beautifully has fuelled your enthusiasm again! (I know how it is when a project languishes for Very Good Reasons and then rather haunts you..)
The project turned out gorgeous, even though it was really, worth it hard work. Now you could say that your almost entire consumption of the fabric you purchased was being economical and that you KNEW that you were going to need all of that fabric to complete the project. Which most of us are over shoppers and you were just being incredibly accurate.
I applaud your patience in not only creating your masterpieces, but providing entertaining videos to share your sewing journey. “Thank you,” doesn’t sufficiently convey enough appreciation.
С ума сойти!Ручная работа!Мастер кайфует от процесса ювелирного исполнения!Моему восхищению,нет предела!BEAUTIFUL!!!BRAVO!!!😍😍😍
Starting a project, abandoning it for weeks/months/years, picking it up again and then deciding you want to change the design is so relatable it hurts. Glad to see it all worked out in the end!
I'm nearly salivating at how gorgeous this piece is.
I received your book yesterday.
The first evening was filled with candle-lit, biscuit-nourished devouring of your fantastic work! 🥰 Looking forward to continuing as soon as I can, since you've really outdone yourself with the precision in writing and design!
My favorite thing about your problem solving is imagining this exact thing happening in the time period with an equally frustrated young woman bemoaning the math of fashion. Stunning blouse overall and once again so incredibly aesthetically pleasing from start to finish!
I've been watching Bernadette for a while now. Every episode I learn something new about sewing and clothing history. It's always fascinating. Thank you for the great content.
I bet it feels incredible to have this blouse finally done! The blouse looks lovely and it'll be so comfortable for summer. Although I don't envy you the ironing of those pintucks!
It always seems to me that unfinished projects, particularly the sort that are frustration-inducing, are a mental load we makers carry around. It's good to deal with them, whether that be by finishing them or by making the decision to quit the project altogether.
I literally found this channel a year ago as you created the first handful of installments, and ever since, I've wondered "BUT THE LINGERIE GOWN???" whenever a new project comes up. I've been on the edge of my seat for months, going through the motions of confusion, loss, wondering if the finale was reserved to the patrons (or Disney stopped you from posting the last phase), grieving that the project will never come agaaain and then now, after so much time, we have the next chapter.
Your content is amazing, I am so happy that this project wasn't abandoned, and we get to see the end product soon!
I've been watching your videos for literal years but still cannot believe how beautifully this came out. You'd think I'd just expect it now, but this honestly took my breath away. Stunning
вы очень похожи на леди прошлого времени. прекрасный образ и манеры. а также приятное и понятное объяснение того, что вы делаете)
I love this! - I made a Christening gown with similar techniques. I totally made it up as I went along but really enjoyed making fabric from lace and tucks. Love your videos!
It's definitely worth the wait, so gorgeous! I would love a video on selecting lace, what makes good lace, what to avoid, where to find period appropriate lace and so on.
There's are other costubers here on UA-cam that make lace from digitized patterns ! Check out DSA Threads, and Minjalinjee (not sure if I spelled the 2nd one correctly?). I think DSA Threads sells as well ?
@@m.maclellan7147 Thank you for the recommendations! Always love finding interesting new costubers to follow, but YT itself isn't always great at recommending similarly themed channels, so these in-comments references are a big help! 🙏
BB : Is there a place (link website etc... ) where us men watching can find people such as you that would create attire from classical time periods?
I had a long coat(outerwear) that certainly tailor made. It was some sort of crushed wool I believe. It had the insignia of the tailor that made it and the customer for whom it was made in the left inner pocket. I've never owned a finer piece and which to again.. Thanks!
Zack Pinsent (@Pinsent Tailoring) does mens tailoring from the regency
Vintagebursche is a channel that specialises in classic menswear.
Seconding Zack Pinsent; additionally, female costubers have been known to cover menswear from time to time! Bernadette herself has a very good tutorial for an 18th-century shirt, and Morgan Donner did a whole series on constructing a late medieval working man’s outfit. Also, American Duchess, which comes up a lot in these videos, does some really nice men’s shoes as well.
+1 to Zack Pinsent, he is one fine gentleman and an amazing tailor.
Although not necessarily vintage, the gentleman who runs The Sew Box makes beautifully tailored men's clothing. I'm certain you could glean a copious amount of info from his videos. I know he has does dress shirts, vests and welt pockets.
ua-cam.com/video/RurxWl8TLPU/v-deo.html
I love that you've come back to this project, sometimes the magic of editing makes it appear that everything is a weekend project but that isn't true. Sometimes you have to step away from a project for a week or two or 52... anyway point is some of the joy of sewing is found in the slow projects that take however long they need to take.. also I'm soothing myself because I have dtess that's been 90% complete for 3 years now...#slowsewing
as someone who has issues processing/understanding things (esp. verbally/audio), i really appreciate you putting subtitles on your videos. it’s very helpful and not a step that many creators think to do, but means a lot to some fans, myself included :))))
I have a blouse that I held onto for 3 years now, leftover from my retail days, that is just a white button down. I've been keeping it for the day I eventually turn it into a lacy Victorian/Edwardian style blouse. This sewing tutorial could not have come at a better time!
I have a dream of making myself an Edwardian wedding dress but I have no clue how to sew and I feel this is going to be a wild adventure. Thank you for making these videos, because it's equally as inspiring as it is educational!
Watching you develop as an artisan (filmmaker, seamstress, creator) over the past couple of years has been such a joy. Whatever you're doing in your next move, good luck. I'm looking forward to whatever ideas move your career into new places with new projects. Congratulations on your achievements. You've earned every applause and reward. You inspired many.
It's been such an amazing journey so far ❤️
Perfect timing, Bernadette! I am currently designing a lingerie dress for a friend, and your video is very timely indeed - so helpful. Thank you again!
I have to tell you.. you may not have seen it.. but you’re captioned subtitle person has a great sense of humor
The result of the blouse gave me literal shivers. Utterly beautiful!
I don’t know anything about sewing. But I absolutely love your videos. When you talk about calculating measurements makes me realize how terrible I am at math. 😭 but your videos are so amazing. I love anything to do with history; sewing, cooking, cleaning - all of it.
Just lovely 🥰 the insertion lace is so delicate and beautiful. It's hard to appreciate how much hand sewing must have gone into just the blouse alone.
FYI: Singer did make an attachment for marking and sewing pintucks. I haven't had a reason to use mine for a project yet, but it's really an amazing bit of ingeniouity.
when you pointed out that you had eyes instead of bars when looking for closures I was in full metalwork hobbyist mode going "just change the shape!" because apparently I forget that not everyone has 20million sets of pliers and wire shaping jigs hidden in their home and is willing to do fiddly alterations to a couple dozen tiny pieces of metal when the alterations need to be consistent...
6:30 insect pins, GENIUS!!
Love you and all your journeys into hand and vintage sewing techniques!!!!
It has absolutely inspired both my daughter and me to new heights and abilities in hand sewing!!!
I was taught by my southern grandmother, (born in 1899!!!) whose hand stitches were extraordinarily small, uniform and beautiful. So happy to pass this tradition on to my daughter, the next generation, born in 1999!!!
All love and gratitude to you!!!
I recently got a Singer 66 treadle from 1927 and it came with a pintuck-measurer-foot-thingy! I'm always pleasantly surprised with the amount of solutions they came for such problems
Our ancestors weren’t stupid! I’m amazed at all the accessories that were available. I’ve fallen in love with my antique hemmer foot. I just got my granny’s 1927 treadle back in working order and am loving playing with it.
I found on ebay a Ruffler for my old sewing machine. looks cross between a sextant and a theodalite,with equally complicated instructions. havnt tried it yet!
@@pheart2381 you will be fascinated watching the ruffle in action. It is quite a contraption!
This has come at the right time for me. My Gothic lingerie dress is sat in my sewing area all ready to mock up and cut out. Seeing the work it takes makes me think I need more lace...and more than 10 metres of fabric.
Thank you, for beauty in ugly times, for lovely inspirational pictures, for lovely storytelling, and a informative gorgeous book!❤️
Ye gods! You have the patience of a saint. All that white, hand stitching, pin tucks, etc. I applaud your dedication. With your voice and music this is the perfect ASMR to soothe the jangled nerves. Thank you
It’s truly beautiful Bernadette. So much exquisite hand sewing, stroking and loving that fabric to become what you want it to be. So delighted with the outcome you have gotten to so far with this delightful gown. It’s such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing this journey thus far.
Amazingly beautiful! It’s so relaxing to watch you sew all those perfect tiny stitches. 🌷
Hello 👋 how are you doing??
The see-through-ness of the lace on the glass table at around 2:40-ish made it look like the lace was floating and it was so magical! 🥰
Your sewing is just beautiful. Must be so rewarding once you finish each garment. Really I'm in ore watching you sew. When actually I'm meant to be doing my groceries. And I thank you for sharing your amazing talent for us. About 45 years ago I did training on full garment construction and to this day I so regret not doing pattern drafting. But always great to see someone doing it. And do it well. Stay Safe and Happy sewing everyone.
Truly a beautiful work of art. Clothing back then was meticulously made and crafted to fit the individual well.
gosh, i just love this! you’re such an expert at finicky hand work 😊, and i’m a real sucker for lace anywhere, anytime. had to stop in the middle of the vid and pull out some petit pointe just to stop my fingers twitching! extra congrats for using almost every square cm of those 10 yards in the skirt/blouse soon to be dress!!!
Hello 👋 how are you doing?