In the very old days, gores was a way of saying that the skirt is made of tapered fabric pieces instead of just rectangular pieces as they did 98% of the time before 1860’s and then the skirts started to be more fitted at the waist compared to the hem. The hem became wider and wider and you just can fit all that fabric width from the hem in the waist and still have the desired look at the waist. So to describe the different styles, the gored skirt came into being. It’s the same as you would call a panel skirt. That 1950’s skirt would be call a 4 gored skirt as it’s made of 4 pieces. I hope I make sense as English isn’t my first language.
Gores and fabric piecing were common way back when and around the wartime years too because of fabric shortage, people cutting garments up to make other ones because they couldn’t get hold of new fabric and narrower fabric widths played a part also. I think it’s fascinating to see examples of the ways people got around it all because they created some interesting style lines we don’t see anymore
That is true. But for a long time skirts were mainly made of rectangles, and usually (at least where I’m from) described as made of lengths of fabric. Like: this skirt is made of 4 lengths or 6 lengths, meaning the width of fabric x your wanted height of skirt. We still use this to describe how much fabric you need fx to make a blouse. The skirt lengths could be and often was pieced together. But it was the style of skirt that gave birth the the wording ‘a gored skirt’ - a skirt not made of rectangles but more like triangles. The had soooo many beautiful and intricate details on their clothes back in the day. Fun cuts and elegant designs. Even the worker girls/women clothes had beautiful details.
I like the 8366 modern sweat jk w bustier details. To find the right fabric will be the key with your recommendations. Fun 8358 Laura Ashley Vintage wrap dress. I might just want it to collect lol . I love , Lindsey when you have to extend your beliefs when describing vintage patterns 😂👍💗
my guess is that the Laura Ashley wrap dress measurements are correct. They are probably giving the total measurements unwrapped and the reason they do that is b/c when you overlap the dress, it's somewhat adjustable since you can pull it tighter or looser around your body. so it's hard to give "wrapped" measurements. haven't seen the actual pattern yet but i think that's the most logical answer to me.
The good thing about the bows at the back of that 1st dress is adjustable fit. I also think it's a hem band. It's a very cute dress and I would like to make it. A straight hem is parallel to the floor. I like the corset jacket. That pink fabric the model is wearing looks a little too thin and skimpy to support all of those design lines. The athletic wear pattern with the bell bottom pants and top is just gorgeous. A sleeve that is so tight that it requires a zipper also needs an elbow dart.
My favorite from this early spring collection is McCall's M8361. I envision shiny satin ribbon with a feminine floral & vine print on cream or ivory background--perfect for my teenage granddaughter. Junior High Prom? Thank you, Lindsey. Always glad to see your videos. ~ L
Love those flared leggings, and that cut out top that goes with is cute too. That dress 8359 gives me Rapunzel vibes. I think it is the bodice with those gathers and that flowing skirt that has lots of movement. Beautiful dress.
when the first Brandy Joan appeared on the screen I thought: Nashville! Then the second pattern confirmed it. Nothing for me here, but the video was super fun!
I used to make Laura Ashley dresses for my 5 year old daughter. My goal was to get her to wear them for at least as many hours as it took me to make them.
I usually have to narrow the shoulders 2" on me for big 4 and straighten them. Everyone who I have helped that is plus size has had to take them in some amount. Also I love we are finally getting plus size patterns! Now I am being greedy and wish they would put out the vintage ones in the same size band, because its a known thing they redraft them. The laura Ashley one was so cute!
I love your seasonal pattern drop review! You should have heard me saying yoke..yoke...yoke...yoke. And with the last vintage...its a jacket...no its a jacket....square collar stays...its a jacket😂
Hiya, just chiming in about the shoulder on plus size. No I don't usually narrow the shoulders, but I do have to make massive full bust adjustments. So I am wondering if that might be what is going on, that the size might be to big for her to fit her bust without making an adjustment.
Hi Lindsey! If we were actually sitting beside each other at the pattern table, we would be laughing so much!! I agree with you about the pattern envelope needing to be correct! There is no way the "corset" (I really think they are leaning in to the trend...it really should be "Princess seam") patterns have that much ease! Also, so crazy that Brandi puts boning in that boho dress but not the off-the-shoulders jumper. That's going to be a much more complicated fitting -- no one likes to tug at their clothes all day. Really, the only thing here for me is the fitted althleisure. I'll pick it up when on sale.
I think the reason they list the waist so big on the prairie dress is because, technically, it can be stretched out to the point that there are no ruffles. It can go as wide as the elastic will go without breaking.
Yeah, I'm definitely getting those flared leggings. I wore the last pair I had out. So comfortable. Though as much as I love that Laura Ashley dress, 7 yards of fabric is quite an investment for a dress that can best be described as peasant style. It would certainly be easy to sew but maybe I just need more details if I'm going to invest 7 yards of fabric.
Back in the 70's, we measured hems from the floor up, not by the pattern. That way, if you have a full butt or a full chest, the hem didn't ride up on you. We took a yardstick and measured up from the floor to make sure the hem was even all the way around, parallel to the floor. No need for pattern adjustments that way.
I need a size 14 pattern for my shoulders and then a 18/20 W for the rest of my top. Do we see the issue? I would have to buy two pattern envelopes or do a ton of alterations. I do not usually need to do this for indie patterns. I might need to make the waist more straight but that is pretty easy.
Yup. They assume you keep growing in the shoulders, like we’re football players or something. Having a different block for the larger sizes is supposed to fix those errors that crop up in proportional grading.
Interesting designs. I like the top and leggings but I would straighten the leg to just a gentle flare. I think I would end up tripping over it otherwise. Love your videos.
My one caveat about your presentation of patterns is how knit picky you are about the fit of the models. The patterns are made and then they find models that are a close fit. It doesn’t mean that there is a problem with the pattern. For most of us alterations are always required. But I still enjoy these videos.
That's odd, we didn't hear anything about Laura Ashley in the 1970's, at least in the USA. I was a teen, and believe me, we all kept up with the latest styles. That dress style was called prairie dresses in those days, not Laura Ashley.
1 The joke of the jumpsuit from Brandi Joan seems a lot bigger on the model than on the line drawing. 2 I think the skirt of the 50’s dress with the ‘frame’ (!) is cut on the bias. 3 Why on earth would you wear that first dress with the naked waist with long sleeves? That’s really weird.
I like it but with some modifications for sure. No to puffed sleeves for a start and I’d take the fullness out of the back bodice too, maybe leave the sleeves off altogether and maybe even the collar. I’d like the skirt to be gathered all around the waist though and am envisioning it as a maxi length in a lightweight, floaty fabric with a short lining and a rolled hem, fabric choice would be vital. As is, no, but I like the bones of it and can picture a lot of changes that could definitely improve it but would make it a completely different pattern 😂
There are some really fun designs - but the pattern drafting falls short! Vintage patterns have an understanding of drafting and fit that seem to be disappearing from modern pattern lexicon. That strapless denim jumpsuit, for instance: so sexy and fun but the back is a disaster. The first dress with the exposed sides and the bows in back: so cute and flirty, but the bow ties just look sloppy. Maybe if they closed instead with hook and eyes and had a decorative bow sewn on top. The weird back and neck and shoulder issues are the result of the drafter not understanding the human body and not having the expertise to make the fabric conform to its contours. I'm digging the 80's & 90's Renaissance though! It's going to be a sexy summer and I'm all in, lol! Nice to see life and creativity in fashion after the COVID doldrums.
Elastic thread? That is also not real smocking. Real smocking has functionally embroidered cartridge pleats that have some mechanical stretch. It’s very fussy and historic way of controlling fabric volume. The elastic thread is a more comercial form of imitation smocking than the channeled elastic. It was such a little patch on that corset jumpsuit that I thought maybe it was going to teach real smocking for a moment, then you said elastic thread. I suppose you’d need elastic for recovery with a fit like the model had.
I think the pattern companies have gone downhill over the decades, as home sewing has become the exception rather than the norm. The fact that they give Mimi G. seemingly free reign in so many areas is indicative of their lack of true talent left in the industry. I like Mimi G., but I think her sewing skills are sloppy and she has brought race into the world of sewing. Her latest Know Me line is clearly targeted at blacks and she works almost exclusively with blacks in all of her work. Then there's her fabric store, Melanated Fabrics, which speaks for itself and only serves to further divide along racial lines. I'd love for her to fade away. She's not good for the industry.
In the very old days, gores was a way of saying that the skirt is made of tapered fabric pieces instead of just rectangular pieces as they did 98% of the time before 1860’s and then the skirts started to be more fitted at the waist compared to the hem. The hem became wider and wider and you just can fit all that fabric width from the hem in the waist and still have the desired look at the waist. So to describe the different styles, the gored skirt came into being. It’s the same as you would call a panel skirt. That 1950’s skirt would be call a 4 gored skirt as it’s made of 4 pieces. I hope I make sense as English isn’t my first language.
Gores and fabric piecing were common way back when and around the wartime years too because of fabric shortage, people cutting garments up to make other ones because they couldn’t get hold of new fabric and narrower fabric widths played a part also. I think it’s fascinating to see examples of the ways people got around it all because they created some interesting style lines we don’t see anymore
That is true. But for a long time skirts were mainly made of rectangles, and usually (at least where I’m from) described as made of lengths of fabric. Like: this skirt is made of 4 lengths or 6 lengths, meaning the width of fabric x your wanted height of skirt. We still use this to describe how much fabric you need fx to make a blouse. The skirt lengths could be and often was pieced together. But it was the style of skirt that gave birth the the wording ‘a gored skirt’ - a skirt not made of rectangles but more like triangles.
The had soooo many beautiful and intricate details on their clothes back in the day. Fun cuts and elegant designs. Even the worker girls/women clothes had beautiful details.
It make’s perfect sense. Also a lot of my mum’s vintage fabrics are 90cm/1yd wide so I wonder if this played a role in how patterns were designed.
That crossover detail athletic top would make the cutest swim top!
I was on vacation when you posted these. I am really looking forward to this review.
I love your detailed reviews. It makes me look at patterns more carefully.
Oh thank you! I’m so glad you like them! I like all your comments back!! Like a chat with a buddy!
I like the 8366 modern sweat jk w bustier details. To find the right fabric will be the key with your recommendations. Fun 8358 Laura Ashley Vintage wrap dress. I might just want it to collect lol . I love , Lindsey when you have to extend your beliefs when describing vintage patterns 😂👍💗
my guess is that the Laura Ashley wrap dress measurements are correct. They are probably giving the total measurements unwrapped and the reason they do that is b/c when you overlap the dress, it's somewhat adjustable since you can pull it tighter or looser around your body. so it's hard to give "wrapped" measurements. haven't seen the actual pattern yet but i think that's the most logical answer to me.
You may be thinking of "godet"? vs "gored". Not much for me here. But it's been fun!
The good thing about the bows at the back of that 1st dress is adjustable fit. I also think it's a hem band. It's a very cute dress and I would like to make it. A straight hem is parallel to the floor. I like the corset jacket. That pink fabric the model is wearing looks a little too thin and skimpy to support all of those design lines. The athletic wear pattern with the bell bottom pants and top is just gorgeous. A sleeve that is so tight that it requires a zipper also needs an elbow dart.
Definately agree with your comments about womens and misses shoulders. I generally make a smaller size at the shoulders.
My favorite from this early spring collection is McCall's M8361. I envision shiny satin ribbon with a feminine floral & vine print on cream or ivory background--perfect for my teenage granddaughter. Junior High Prom? Thank you, Lindsey. Always glad to see your videos. ~ L
Those milkmaid dresses (Brandi Joan) are everywhere.
Love those flared leggings, and that cut out top that goes with is cute too. That dress 8359 gives me Rapunzel vibes. I think it is the bodice with those gathers and that flowing skirt that has lots of movement. Beautiful dress.
Regarding first dress , it's giving Zimmerman vibes . I think that's the designer that you
maybe referring to . 😊
when the first Brandy Joan appeared on the screen I thought: Nashville! Then the second pattern confirmed it. Nothing for me here, but the video was super fun!
I think you are going to have to see a vintage pattern... That would be fun!
McCall's 8368 -------- The elephant bell bottoms were popular in 1970. So 50 years later they're back again. Wow!
Love 8369! Deffo something to get
I used to make Laura Ashley dresses for my 5 year old daughter. My goal was to get her to wear them for at least as many hours as it took me to make them.
Gored refers to the uneven hem at the bottom of the skirt. There are triangles rather than a straight hem.
I usually have to narrow the shoulders 2" on me for big 4 and straighten them. Everyone who I have helped that is plus size has had to take them in some amount. Also I love we are finally getting plus size patterns! Now I am being greedy and wish they would put out the vintage ones in the same size band, because its a known thing they redraft them. The laura Ashley one was so cute!
I love your seasonal pattern drop review! You should have heard me saying yoke..yoke...yoke...yoke. And with the last vintage...its a jacket...no its a jacket....square collar stays...its a jacket😂
The first dress cutout might work better if the front and back were switched--the bows in the front and the casing in the back.
thanks! So excited for your videos!
Hiya, just chiming in about the shoulder on plus size. No I don't usually narrow the shoulders, but I do have to make massive full bust adjustments. So I am wondering if that might be what is going on, that the size might be to big for her to fit her bust without making an adjustment.
Hi Lindsey! If we were actually sitting beside each other at the pattern table, we would be laughing so much!! I agree with you about the pattern envelope needing to be correct! There is no way the "corset" (I really think they are leaning in to the trend...it really should be "Princess seam") patterns have that much ease! Also, so crazy that Brandi puts boning in that boho dress but not the off-the-shoulders jumper. That's going to be a much more complicated fitting -- no one likes to tug at their clothes all day. Really, the only thing here for me is the fitted althleisure. I'll pick it up when on sale.
I think the reason they list the waist so big on the prairie dress is because, technically, it can be stretched out to the point that there are no ruffles. It can go as wide as the elastic will go without breaking.
Thank you
Picture frame 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 that bit made me laugh abit too much lol
Yeah, I'm definitely getting those flared leggings. I wore the last pair I had out. So comfortable. Though as much as I love that Laura Ashley dress, 7 yards of fabric is quite an investment for a dress that can best be described as peasant style. It would certainly be easy to sew but maybe I just need more details if I'm going to invest 7 yards of fabric.
M8361 you have to have a friend to wear this dress 😉
I like the men's jacket. Kind of looks safari-ish, I wish they would have a woman's pattern like that.
Back in the 70's, we measured hems from the floor up, not by the pattern. That way, if you have a full butt or a full chest, the hem didn't ride up on you. We took a yardstick and measured up from the floor to make sure the hem was even all the way around, parallel to the floor. No need for pattern adjustments that way.
Love the look of the front of Brandi Joan's jumpsuit. But the back??? What happened?
I need a size 14 pattern for my shoulders and then a 18/20 W for the rest of my top. Do we see the issue? I would have to buy two pattern envelopes or do a ton of alterations. I do not usually need to do this for indie patterns. I might need to make the waist more straight but that is pretty easy.
Yup. They assume you keep growing in the shoulders, like we’re football players or something. Having a different block for the larger sizes is supposed to fix those errors that crop up in proportional grading.
Interesting designs. I like the top and leggings but I would straighten the leg to just a gentle flare. I think I would end up tripping over it otherwise. Love your videos.
Gores = panels the triangle inset you're referring to are called godets
My one caveat about your presentation of patterns is how knit picky you are about the fit of the models. The patterns are made and then they find models that are a close fit. It doesn’t mean that there is a problem with the pattern. For most of us alterations are always required. But I still enjoy these videos.
I’m sure she knows they are fit models, she is just pointing out fitting issues in general.
I agree till a certain extent. I appreciate she pointing out fit issues. It reminds and helps me to focus on that when sewing for myself.
The 50's dress is gored. The pieces coming to a point is called a godet.
Is it possible to go through your UA-cam videos and take down the pattern reviews of the big 4 that are more than a year old?
That's odd, we didn't hear anything about Laura Ashley in the 1970's, at least in the USA. I was a teen, and believe me, we all kept up with the latest styles. That dress style was called prairie dresses in those days, not Laura Ashley.
I ONLY love the last 50s one 😂
FARM RIO they have best florals
Godet is the inset
My shoulders as a plus size woman are definitely more narrow than standard sizing.
8358 in chambray
Not a very desirable line up, thanks for the update
Yes, the shoulders are too wide for me on the plus size patterns. I thought it was just me.
1 The joke of the jumpsuit from Brandi Joan seems a lot bigger on the model than on the line drawing.
2 I think the skirt of the 50’s dress with the ‘frame’ (!) is cut on the bias.
3 Why on earth would you wear that first dress with the naked waist with long sleeves? That’s really weird.
Why wear a naked waist with long sleeves? Flirtyness!!!!
Think you're confusing gored and godet.
I absolutely hate the very first pattern. I can't imagine anyone anywhere that would want to wear something so fussy and homemade looking
I like it but with some modifications for sure. No to puffed sleeves for a start and I’d take the fullness out of the back bodice too, maybe leave the sleeves off altogether and maybe even the collar. I’d like the skirt to be gathered all around the waist though and am envisioning it as a maxi length in a lightweight, floaty fabric with a short lining and a rolled hem, fabric choice would be vital.
As is, no, but I like the bones of it and can picture a lot of changes that could definitely improve it but would make it a completely different pattern 😂
There are some really fun designs - but the pattern drafting falls short! Vintage patterns have an understanding of drafting and fit that seem to be disappearing from modern pattern lexicon. That strapless denim jumpsuit, for instance: so sexy and fun but the back is a disaster. The first dress with the exposed sides and the bows in back: so cute and flirty, but the bow ties just look sloppy. Maybe if they closed instead with hook and eyes and had a decorative bow sewn on top. The weird back and neck and shoulder issues are the result of the drafter not understanding the human body and not having the expertise to make the fabric conform to its contours. I'm digging the 80's & 90's Renaissance though! It's going to be a sexy summer and I'm all in, lol! Nice to see life and creativity in fashion after the COVID doldrums.
That's not smocking, it's shirring.
Elastic thread? That is also not real smocking. Real smocking has functionally embroidered cartridge pleats that have some mechanical stretch. It’s very fussy and historic way of controlling fabric volume. The elastic thread is a more comercial form of imitation smocking than the channeled elastic. It was such a little patch on that corset jumpsuit that I thought maybe it was going to teach real smocking for a moment, then you said elastic thread. I suppose you’d need elastic for recovery with a fit like the model had.
I think the pattern companies have gone downhill over the decades, as home sewing has become the exception rather than the norm. The fact that they give Mimi G. seemingly free reign in so many areas is indicative of their lack of true talent left in the industry. I like Mimi G., but I think her sewing skills are sloppy and she has brought race into the world of sewing. Her latest Know Me line is clearly targeted at blacks and she works almost exclusively with blacks in all of her work. Then there's her fabric store, Melanated Fabrics, which speaks for itself and only serves to further divide along racial lines. I'd love for her to fade away. She's not good for the industry.
Weird much??? Some of those pictures…