My grandmother (who probably made this exact same skirt) as she would have been in her late 20s then. She always amazed me, she didn't even need a pattern. She would lay down a piece of newspaper, lay you down on it and trace around you with a magic marker. In 3 or 4 hours, she would have the fished product ready for you, straight off the tredle singer in the basement! 0_0 How is that even possible? Well, she had been making all of her own clothes for 50 years, even underwear. Woman prided themselves on homemaking skills back then! You are certainly brave to take on a daunting project like this!! It looks great too! Good job!
My grandmother also. Sewing in this way was a skill passed down out of necessity. Most people didn't have the financial resources (or the proximity if they lived in rural areas) for store bought clothing (a luxury). Now we shop online. I learned to sew but not at that skill level. Our grandmothers were remarkable connections to a time gone by!
@@elizabethhunley4020 sure, because all women have to have exactly the same feminist mindset. How dare women in this day and age do *and* enjoy anything involved with homemaking. They should all be mindless drones building an empty career and doing absolutely nothing that could potentially benefit someone else, especially if they are male because women are supposed to hate men now, right?
@@toffee2547 I have no issue with people having skills, I have an issue with the "women should pride themselves on being homemakers, because that is what gives them value" mindset. I think every individual should make their own choices about what skills they prioritize. The issue I have is with generalizations about an entire generation, as if we're somehow worse because not everyone prioritizes skills inside the home. It was a comment about that, not a personal attack on anyone.
My mother made clothes professionally from 1945 till 2010. Her trade was nearer to tailoring than dress making. Her advice on cutting was to " pakabinti ruozas " which I translate as " Hanging stretching ". She says you should layout your pattern to get the approximate area of fabric. Then cut that piece and "hang" it from a frame for several days in the direction of wear. A gentle steam before hanging also if fabric crushed. She says this prevented the fabric from changing shape during sewing and wear. Also the fabric deformed slightly during the time it was on the Bail/bolt. She says you cut the bet strip incorrectly it should be cut along the " ataudai " - horizontal threads you had it following the vertical threads "metmenis" . From her description they used to hang a lot of fabric at one time on a frame. Cutting two lengths at a time clamping at the top so that a 1cm diameter stick could be placed in the hanging loop to help straighten the fabric and act as a gentle weight. The people who trained her probably started during the Edwardian times and may have made similar clothes. For give me if you already know all of this.
Very interesting Tamas. It is all of these little details that make the garments so beautiful. We skip a lot of these steps in our modern sewing. Perhaps because we have fabrics with mixed fibers now, instead of all natural as in the past. (man made polyester blends, rayon, and such).
Hi Angela! A little tip... to make pressed wool stay in its place use block of wood (or I sometimes use a ceramic tile) and put it to a fabric right after ironing and let it absorb all the heat from the fabric. Press this wooden block harder for thicker fabrics :) I used to work in a historic costume sewing studio and we mostly worked with wool, that is the trick I've always used on hem lines. I love how your skirt turned out! I love Edwardian era dresses and Road to Avonlea is like my favourite tv series ever :)
Good tip, I've never tried that. I was going to say vinegar-water spray to help get a crisp pleat in difficult fabric as an alternative to using steam.
I love how this skirt turned out. I know my great granny wore a skirt like this. LOL. I have a tin type of her in her wedding dress, the skirt was gored almost like this, but from and earlier era. Watching you struggle with the wool, I wanted to help you with pressing techniques specific to wool. I would love to see you make specific videos exploring techinique refinement and experimentation to get the best result. Have you ever worked with worsted wool suiting? Or wool gabardine? Or even wool crepe?
Most people don't realize that in history up to the 20th century apx 90 percent of women sewed the majority of family garments . Thereby any pattern wording was clear . Many sewed with no patterns my grandmother did , I really enjoy your talent in all garment making . Happy Easter season
I don't know how old you are, but you look really young to me, and I cannot help but say that your parents must be so proud of you! I never had a daughter, had two sons, but you are just a gem!
I was going to tell you about a clapper, but I see that other people addressed it in comments below. That is how I was taught to work with a wool fabric in home ec class in the 60s. Once a wool fabric is heavily steamed and clapped, it is left to cool before being moved, so that fibers are set. Remember this is a hair fiber . Also a bit of vinegar in your ironing water does help to set pleats. Inside seam finishes are not mentioned because they are thought to be so obviously understood by anyone constructing a garment.
Oops! I hit send before completing explanation of hair fiber. It acts just like setting curls in your own hair. You add damp to soften the cuticle. And hold it in place preferably with some heat, until the desired shape is set. As the garment is worn, it will become limp. That is why wool garments are often lined to hold their shape.
Also, in the case of not having enough fabric to make a 3-inch hem, a faced hem would have been used, stitching a 3 1/2" piece of fabric at the desired garment length. Fold up on stitched line, then sew an invisible hem 1/2" inside the faced piece. The weight of this extra fabric is needed for the garment to drape correctly. Again, this is what was taught in the 60s. I do not know if it is historically correct.
I applaud your perseverance. Even after many decades of sewing , these patterns confuse me. Your video was concise and easy to follow. Keep up the good work.
I bought your Renaissance dress pattern today. The poor lady at JOANN had to go on a treasure hunt in the storage room to find the box with the new patterns.
Angela, at 9:36 where you had difficulty getting the fold set in that stubborn wool, if you had a tailor's clapper it would have helped. You press then after you move to the next section place the clapper over the hot, steamy area and the wood holds it in and really gives a good set to the fold. This was so interesting to watch and learn from all your tips about working with vitange patterns. Your skirt turned out beautifully and the whole outfit is charming. Looking forward to the next video! Thank you, Angela...you are so talented and great at putting together your videos.
Seriously, get yourself a roller cutter! It saves so much time! I got it to do quilting and now use it for so many other applications, including (believe it or not) for cutting leather. I will never use scissors to cut out a pattern again. I've gotten so efficient with the roller cutter, I barely use scissors at all to get even the fine details cut out. You do a great job on the video of telling us what we need to know, without wasting time on unnecessary chit chat. Can you tell I like efficiency?! lol!! ;)
This is really beautifully done! The earliest authentic patterns I have experience with are from my nana's collection from the 1920's or so, so it's interesting to see how even the patterns themselves looked back even earlier :)
Thank you so much for the video! I got so excited because I was not expecting it so soon after the announcement. I'm looking forward to the next parts of the series! Your videos always make my day & inspire me to work on my own projects!
I love sewing and just taking it up more seriously but I honestly didn't understand half of what you were saying haha. I have a lot to learn. Your very talented.
Everyone sewed back then. Ready to wear clothing was rare and expensive. What I loved is that the perforations on the pattern are quite intuitive, even for those of us who are used to using such different instructions...
Epic in every possible aspect. I, too, am very fond of this period of clothing. I am excited for the continuation of the series of videos. Wishing you well.
As you are putting this together , 2 thoughts came to mind with the way it is being seamed togethet, I was thnking how beautiful that skirt would be made.out of denim. The next thought was:... I LOVE THAT SKIRT! I do. I would love to make one of them. It looks easy and with all those semi feld seams would be so so prefect for my style. That is the era of which I love most. I love the blouse to . Excellent choices of pairing. Love it. Oh went to the site to invest... not so easy , it may be my browser.
Hello, Thank you...I am 58 years old, my Mother taught me how to sew among other crafts. At 9 years old I got my first sewing machine. I also love to make costumes and Period clothing. I mostly had patterns from Halloween which I would change to suit the outfits I found in books or saw in movies...I stayed away from zippers and snaps to use ribbons...I also loved making my own patterns or mix match what I had to get what I wanted...Fantasy, kids, belly dancing, and so on are also very fun...
Very interesting video. I like the pace at which you show and describe everything. Your instructions were perfectly clear and I understood everything you were doing. It was wonderful to see how a vintage pattern compares with what we have available today. It seems that there were many more home sewers in that decade than now, as indicated by the assumed sewing experience. Good job! I am anxious to see more videos like this one.
Gosh I love your videos! You are so knowledgable and personable. Thank you for sharing your sewing adventures with us. Can’t wait to see where this series takes us all next!
It looks/sounds like you need a clapper. (No, I'm not talking about the light thingy). It is a piece of wood that you press down onto your pleat, seam, etc. after you have ironed it to make the edge nice and crisp. You just need to hold it down for a few seconds immediately after lifting your iron. You can purchase them anywhere you buy sewing supplies, but I made mine with some oak from the lumber yard. It is approximately 1.5" x 3" x 8". I'd go measure it for you, but I haven't found it yet since we moved. Still loving your videos!
Loved that little voiceover outtake. The skirt came out so beautiful, despite being so stubborn. The pointed gores and pleats add such a nice subtle interest.
So happy your new system is letting you upload so regularly! Love getting to see more stuff from you! This skirt and ensemble are stunning :D great job!
I am surprised by the pointed gores above the box pleats in this pattern. I never would have imagined something like this today! But having seen how beautiful the results came out, I'm considering it for future skirts of my own. Seeing your construction technique for lapped seams helped immensely.
You did a beautiful job on that skirt. I have been sewing for years and I don't know if I could have done such a good job. I really enjoyed this video!
The skirt turned out beautiful! Just an idea for the future videos, maybe when reading the pattern instructions the text could also show on screen, for a non-native English speaker most of it just turned as big of a jumble of unfamiliar words, especially with the condensed phrasing 😅
CheekyLittleBliker from my understanding this series is all about how they used to make patterns and their construction into clothes, so I just suggested how maybe make hearing about the process easier 😄
I really admire and envy you for doing these projects. I know I would have had so much fun with this. Wool generally needs high heat. One thing you may want to consider is using starch. It was used a great deal in that era and on up into the 1970's. It may have helped keep the wool in place and not so easy to wrinkle. On the hem, a trick I have used is to add material to the area to give the length and weight that an item like this needs. The added material is kept on the underside, so it is never seen. Sometimes alittle piece meal is what is needed to get the desired result. And they did alot of that back then. :)
Have you tried using a wooden block to press down the edges when you're trying to pleat? It's a handy costumer's trick. Steam and iron a fabric edge and then quickly put an unfinished block of wood over the edge and then press it down until the fabric cools. The wood absorbs the moisture that would otherwise linger in the wool and soften the crease, and by pressing down on the fabric until it cools you also help set the crease (just like waiting until hot rollers cool to take them out helps set your hair).
I honestly love your content!! I recently started a Fashion design course here in New Zealand and I can't wait till I'm proficient enough to follow your tutorials.... Thank you for producing quality content....
If it's difficult for the seams to lay flat ,I put a pressing cloth(any white cotton fabric) over them (after pressing) and put something heavy on them until cooled(it only takes a minute) .Once cold the fabric "remembers "to stay flat. I loved this,as I love all your vlogs.
WOW! Absolutely amazing! I bet you'd have a huge following that would buy a printable version of the skirt pattern if you drafted it. And with your step by step video insturctions could adapt the skirt to suit their needs!
I love the videos and watch while I am sewing. You might try a tailors Clapper for getting your seams to lay flat after ironing, simply press the clapper on the seam right after removing the iron, hold down for 30 seconds and the seam lays flat. This works really well on polyester satin too.
I made a similar skirt from a Folkwear pattern, many years ago. It was beautiful and extremely flattering. I believe there were only five gores, and I made it in the shorter version .
for the fitting,i do believe people from that era were shorter.our "modern" bodies are probably very far from the era's standards. Plus women wore corsets tightening their waists to the point of either breaking ribs or causing infections.i guess the fittings and patterns must have been made according to the beauty standards of that time:super tight and close fitted..and for the instructions,i think most women knew how to sew,it was an obligation.i've just discovered your channel.your creations are amazing.i'm french so maybe "la belle couture" is in my blood even though modern day french haute couture looks like poo poo to me now.i subscribed right away!bravo à vous mademoiselle!c'est magnifique!
Wool will hold creases if you can hold it down until it cools. You can get fancy weights called "clappers" for this, but a well-sanded chunk of 2x4 works just as well.
I love this skirt and want to make one for myself. It is interesting that all of the seams are lapped. That technique is rarely used today. In my experience it works very well for pointed seams like the gores of this skirt joining the pleated sections.
Thanks for sharing. This is a beautiful design! :) Tip: When tackling stubborn wool, try pressing with a damp cloth in stead of using water or steam directly on your fabric. For some reason it works a lot better, it seems. :) God sewing job, girl! :)
I have a very similar pattern of a Edwardian skirt to make, guess they didn't gave too many instructions cause by that time every young lady was teached since younger age how to sew cause not everyone had the money to go to a dressmaker to make their clothes (I remember my great-grandmother and my grandmother making their own clothes, but then I'm also much older than you ;-) ) Thanks for the video, made me want to do that skirt now =D xoxo from UK
Pretty. Very pretty. Try covering your ironing board with aluminum foil under the cover. It bounces the heat you use back through the fabric. You should also consider getting a gravity feed iron or a Rowenta.
mspatti I'm "mature" (lol) so the concept of patreon accounts makes me a little nervous but I overrode my distrust of technology and did my little bit towards the cause. I don't want her to quit or get discouraged bc she has such heart and talent.
This skirt is gorgeous! I recently made a 10 gore shirt from the same era and felt like I was drowning under the fabric towards the end. Oh boy, they're big skirts!
To put the historical context to the patterns, you are correct that you need to know how to sew. All purchase agreements of the time, when you bought a sewing machine, came with in house instruction on how to use your machine. This varied from manufacture to manufacture. My 1883 Singer IM for instance came with a 2 year apprenticeship included in the price. That is the Manufacture version of the Singer Improved Family machine that came with an instruction booklet and sales office instruction. Part of that instruction in house, is finishing, like the bottom hems etc... left out of the instructions in the pattern.
Great series. Nice job. Wool is a curly animal fiber which does not crease so actually makes it less prone to wrinkles. It wants to spring back to its original shape. I process and spin lots and lots of wool and depending on sheep breed, each wool behaves slightly differently.
Good to know. Wisdom from a professional who knows wool well. As a knitter who loves to knit with wool, I know there are many grades of wool, which makes a difference in the yarn (feel, weight, drape, scratchiness level, etc.). I didn't realize that it also applies to fabric. I'm a sewer too, but don't use much wool in my sewing.
Avi Bonn Wool is wonderful. I even wear ultra thin wool jersey in summer. My husband who is always burning up loves his wool tshirts. They are warm in winter but cool in summer as wool wicks moisture so keeps you dry and cool. Natural flame retardant. The fabrics in Joanns are disapponting. Either super dark men's worsted spun suiting or woolen spun sweater stuff not really suitable for skirts. Will pill lots. Worsted is a type of spinning and not same as worsted weight knitting yarn. Do give wool a try. Just do not expect it to behave like crisp plant fiber fabrics. If you pull up a weed it bends and stays bent ie wrinkled. If you use fluffy wool that has its own hair memory, that will be more difficult unless you use low curl sheep long wool breeds like English leicester, cotswold. Todays generic wool dumps all breeds and all crap quality together and get inferior product. In the past, wool had more classifcations. I have a historical spinning youtube channel where I will discuss these topics.
I must say that you are very brave to tackle such a pattern. Pressing wool is much easier with a pressing cloth. It allows the steam from the iron to penetrate the wool, then, before moving the pressed piece, use a wooden clapper to finish the pressing. The clapper allows the wool to cool, thus setting the edge. Both of these items would have been part of the seamstress' tool kit in the era of your skirt. They are still a necessary part and are available at most places that carry sewing notions.
Hi Angela I am going to rewatch the sewing through the decades series. I had been thinking about you and praying that you are well. Since I haven't seen a new video in months I got a little worried. Hope to hear from you soon.
What a lovely skirt! You are really more experienced than I, so I hope you will forgive a piece of unsolicited advice. I've seen tailors use a piece of wood baton (broken piece of cutting board) to clamp onto a freshly steamed fold/pleat, to get the wool to take the fold. Don't ask me why that works, and I've never done it myself, but it might be worth a try. Also, cause I'm old, I remember both the perferations, but also the generic hemming advice, which was the old fashioned turn up twice method, so probably why they don't specify. My grandmother was a dressmaker/designer, sadly passed now, but a wealth of knowledge.
You did a great job. I know that it was difficult with the material but think how much longer it would have taken without the sewing machine Wow , no even I don't want to think about that
This pattern and others like it are made by historical pattern companies just modernize instructions and printing. Plus they would have used a heavier ribbon for the hem and as a stay at he the waistband and feld seams or French seam through out the skirt. Beautiful skirt, kind a wish we could still dress that way.
I wish you were making videos about 15 years ago. I kinda accidentally bought a van load of patterns for $10 and I had brand new patterns from the 1920's to 90's in every size. I sold them at yard sales for 5-25 cents donated the really old ones to a local college theater dept
Very interesting sewing through the 20th century. PLEASE slow down heaps while you talk us through the remainder of this project. Looking 4ward to next vid.
Hi Angela: My name is Jazmín, I'm from Argentina, and I love your videos and I do not miss any of them, I see in them that you do not only make garments from 40, 50, 60, etc, but also from the early 1900s, and I would love that you teach us to do particular dresses that I have seen in a Mexican telenovela called Corazon Salvaje of the year 1993, where the protagonist named Monica wears a range of beautiful dresses, I would like to learn how to make their patterns; I send you a huge kiss and eagerly await your next video. PD: sorry my english is not very good.
Things to consider regarding the sizing with a pattern of this era. Women wore corsets which would give them a much smaller waist . As well, most patterns of this time were designed for shorter women. Wish that were the way now as I am 5"2" and have to alter everything to fit.
Angela this looks amazing!!!! Video was also lovely and fun. I only wish you had used a different color fabric since it was hard to see all the lovely pleated details in the video
I’m sure you’ve had this comment multiple times, but I can’t find an explanation, so I’m sorry for possibly making you answer again! What is your reasoning for pinning with thumbtacks and what kind of table are you using to cut your fabric on? It seems to work well and I’m not experienced so I don’t know if that’s a common practice or just a personal decision.
This is an incredibly late reply and not from Ms. Clayton, but in regards to the table she's using thumbtacks with: it's likely a cork slab or roll. The tacks are commonly used in the fashion production industry for use with flat and draped patterning.
Historical fashion combines two of my favorite things, history & fashion. I have a question from watching this video what is your table made of? I notice you were sticking pins straight down which locks the material down. Genius
My grandmother (who probably made this exact same skirt) as she would have been in her late 20s then. She always amazed me, she didn't even need a pattern. She would lay down a piece of newspaper, lay you down on it and trace around you with a magic marker. In 3 or 4 hours, she would have the fished product ready for you, straight off the tredle singer in the basement! 0_0 How is that even possible?
Well, she had been making all of her own clothes for 50 years, even underwear. Woman prided themselves on homemaking skills
back then!
You are certainly brave to take on a daunting project like this!! It looks great too! Good job!
My grandmother also. Sewing in this way was a skill passed down out of necessity. Most people didn't have the financial resources (or the proximity if they lived in rural areas) for store bought clothing (a luxury). Now we shop online. I learned to sew but not at that skill level. Our grandmothers were remarkable connections to a time gone by!
@@YT4Me57 had an aunt that made all her 6 kids clothes.
I just threw up in my mouth a bit at the internalized sexism in that comment.
@@elizabethhunley4020 sure, because all women have to have exactly the same feminist mindset. How dare women in this day and age do *and* enjoy anything involved with homemaking. They should all be mindless drones building an empty career and doing absolutely nothing that could potentially benefit someone else, especially if they are male because women are supposed to hate men now, right?
@@toffee2547 I have no issue with people having skills, I have an issue with the "women should pride themselves on being homemakers, because that is what gives them value" mindset. I think every individual should make their own choices about what skills they prioritize. The issue I have is with generalizations about an entire generation, as if we're somehow worse because not everyone prioritizes skills inside the home. It was a comment about that, not a personal attack on anyone.
My mother made clothes professionally from 1945 till 2010. Her trade was nearer to tailoring than dress making.
Her advice on cutting was to " pakabinti ruozas " which I translate as " Hanging stretching ". She says you should layout your pattern to get the approximate area of fabric. Then cut that piece and "hang" it from a frame for several days in the direction of wear. A gentle steam before hanging also if fabric crushed. She says this prevented the fabric from changing shape during sewing and wear. Also the fabric deformed slightly during the time it was on the Bail/bolt.
She says you cut the bet strip incorrectly it should be cut along the " ataudai " - horizontal threads you had it following the vertical threads "metmenis" .
From her description they used to hang a lot of fabric at one time on a frame. Cutting two lengths at a time clamping at the top so that a 1cm diameter stick could be placed in the hanging loop to help straighten the fabric and act as a gentle weight.
The people who trained her probably started during the Edwardian times and may have made similar clothes. For give me if you already know all of this.
Very interesting Tamas. It is all of these little details that make the garments so beautiful. We skip a lot of these steps in our modern sewing. Perhaps because we have fabrics with mixed fibers now, instead of all natural as in the past. (man made polyester blends, rayon, and such).
Is it possible to create a book with her instructions and tips? I wish I had spent more time with my grandmother when she sewed. Thank you
Yes please try to find a book describing what she states so I can visualize it better
Hi Angela! A little tip... to make pressed wool stay in its place use block of wood (or I sometimes use a ceramic tile) and put it to a fabric right after ironing and let it absorb all the heat from the fabric. Press this wooden block harder for thicker fabrics :) I used to work in a historic costume sewing studio and we mostly worked with wool, that is the trick I've always used on hem lines. I love how your skirt turned out! I love Edwardian era dresses and Road to Avonlea is like my favourite tv series ever :)
Good tip, I've never tried that. I was going to say vinegar-water spray to help get a crisp pleat in difficult fabric as an alternative to using steam.
Oop, I just commented this too! Going to go delete mine. Such a good trick. Helps me all the time!
Yes, I just purchased one of those pressing blocks. I love it. The right tools make all the difference.
Thanks for posting this comment! So helpful.
I love how this skirt turned out. I know my great granny wore a skirt like this. LOL. I have a tin type of her in her wedding dress, the skirt was gored almost like this, but from and earlier era. Watching you struggle with the wool, I wanted to help you with pressing techniques specific to wool. I would love to see you make specific videos exploring techinique refinement and experimentation to get the best result.
Have you ever worked with worsted wool suiting? Or wool gabardine? Or even wool crepe?
Most people don't realize that in history up to the 20th century apx 90 percent of women sewed the majority of family garments . Thereby any pattern wording was clear . Many sewed with no patterns my grandmother did , I really enjoy your talent in all garment making . Happy Easter season
I don't know how old you are, but you look really young to me, and I cannot help but say that your parents must be so proud of you! I never had a daughter, had two sons, but you are just a gem!
I was going to tell you about a clapper, but I see that other people addressed it in comments below. That is how I was taught to work with a wool fabric in home ec class in the 60s. Once a wool fabric is heavily steamed and clapped, it is left to cool before being moved, so that fibers are set. Remember this is a hair fiber . Also a bit of vinegar in your ironing water does help to set pleats. Inside seam finishes are not mentioned because they are thought to be so obviously understood by anyone constructing a garment.
Oops! I hit send before completing explanation of hair fiber. It acts just like setting curls in your own hair. You add damp to soften the cuticle. And hold it in place preferably with some heat, until the desired shape is set. As the garment is worn, it will become limp. That is why wool garments are often lined to hold their shape.
Also, in the case of not having enough fabric to make a 3-inch hem, a faced hem would have been used, stitching a 3 1/2" piece of fabric at the desired garment length. Fold up on stitched line, then sew an invisible hem 1/2" inside the faced piece. The weight of this extra fabric is needed for the garment to drape correctly. Again, this is what was taught in the 60s. I do not know if it is historically correct.
I applaud your perseverance. Even after many decades of sewing , these patterns confuse me. Your video was concise and easy to follow. Keep up the good work.
I bought your Renaissance dress pattern today. The poor lady at JOANN had to go on a treasure hunt in the storage room to find the box with the new patterns.
Angela, at 9:36 where you had difficulty getting the fold set in that stubborn wool, if you had a tailor's clapper it would have helped. You press then after you move to the next section place the clapper over the hot, steamy area and the wood holds it in and really gives a good set to the fold. This was so interesting to watch and learn from all your tips about working with vitange patterns. Your skirt turned out beautifully and the whole outfit is charming. Looking forward to the next video! Thank you, Angela...you are so talented and great at putting together your videos.
Molly Smith what a nice informative gracious response!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who will sit on the cutting table to get a better angle for layouts and cutting!
Seriously, get yourself a roller cutter! It saves so much time! I got it to do quilting and now use it for so many other applications, including (believe it or not) for cutting leather. I will never use scissors to cut out a pattern again. I've gotten so efficient with the roller cutter, I barely use scissors at all to get even the fine details cut out. You do a great job on the video of telling us what we need to know, without wasting time on unnecessary chit chat. Can you tell I like efficiency?! lol!! ;)
I like the way you address all of the issues that someone would encounter when they purchase a pattern THANK YOU
This is really beautifully done! The earliest authentic patterns I have experience with are from my nana's collection from the 1920's or so, so it's interesting to see how even the patterns themselves looked back even earlier :)
I love hearing all of the quirks when you're recording your voiceovers!!
Me too! makes it fun, and almost like you are there.
It's amazing that the pattern survived over 100 years!
Your Excitement doing these Vintage Patterns makes these recent videos even more so enjoyable, love sharing your enthusiasm!!!
Thank you so much for the video! I got so excited because I was not expecting it so soon after the announcement. I'm looking forward to the next parts of the series!
Your videos always make my day & inspire me to work on my own projects!
You need a wooden clapper. You press and steal the fabric then put the wooden clapper down. It is almost magic!
I love sewing and just taking it up more seriously but I honestly didn't understand half of what you were saying haha. I have a lot to learn. Your very talented.
What an effort! Bravo! Looks fab and its great to know that one person on youtube has finally had a crack at a 19th century (ish) skirt!! Ta love.
Bernadette Banner also did a late 19th century skirt.
Everyone sewed back then. Ready to wear clothing was rare and expensive. What I loved is that the perforations on the pattern are quite intuitive, even for those of us who are used to using such different instructions...
Epic in every possible aspect. I, too, am very fond of this period of clothing. I am excited for the continuation of the series of videos. Wishing you well.
What a beautiful skirt. And the shirt too. I wonder if one could get away with wearing this to work 😛 like a business suit 🙂
If made shorter this skirt is sill in fashion. Perfect for work.
Yes
It depends on the job.
As you are putting this together , 2 thoughts came to mind with the way it is being seamed togethet, I was thnking how beautiful that skirt would be made.out of denim. The next thought was:... I LOVE THAT SKIRT! I do. I would love to make one of them. It looks easy and with all those semi feld seams would be so so prefect for my style. That is the era of which I love most. I love the blouse to . Excellent choices of pairing. Love it.
Oh went to the site to invest... not so easy , it may be my browser.
Oh this is the very first to go into my favorite's list on you tube that isn't music.
Hello, Thank you...I am 58 years old, my Mother taught me how to sew among other crafts. At 9 years old I got my first sewing machine. I also love to make costumes and Period clothing. I mostly had patterns from Halloween which I would change to suit the outfits I found in books or saw in movies...I stayed away from zippers and snaps to use ribbons...I also loved making my own patterns or mix match what I had to get what I wanted...Fantasy, kids, belly dancing, and so on are also very fun...
Very interesting video. I like the pace at which you show and describe everything. Your instructions were perfectly clear and I understood everything you were doing. It was wonderful to see how a vintage pattern compares with what we have available today. It seems that there were many more home sewers in that decade than now, as indicated by the assumed sewing experience. Good job! I am anxious to see more videos like this one.
Gosh I love your videos! You are so knowledgable and personable. Thank you for sharing your sewing adventures with us. Can’t wait to see where this series takes us all next!
It looks/sounds like you need a clapper. (No, I'm not talking about the light thingy). It is a piece of wood that you press down onto your pleat, seam, etc. after you have ironed it to make the edge nice and crisp. You just need to hold it down for a few seconds immediately after lifting your iron. You can purchase them anywhere you buy sewing supplies, but I made mine with some oak from the lumber yard. It is approximately 1.5" x 3" x 8". I'd go measure it for you, but I haven't found it yet since we moved. Still loving your videos!
That skirt is so elegant. Good job!
the skirt turned out nice.....beautiful job with minimal instructions........I am really enjoying this series.....keep up the good vids.
Loved that little voiceover outtake. The skirt came out so beautiful, despite being so stubborn. The pointed gores and pleats add such a nice subtle interest.
So happy your new system is letting you upload so regularly! Love getting to see more stuff from you! This skirt and ensemble are stunning :D great job!
I am surprised by the pointed gores above the box pleats in this pattern. I never would have imagined something like this today! But having seen how beautiful the results came out, I'm considering it for future skirts of my own. Seeing your construction technique for lapped seams helped immensely.
I'm loving this series. Please continue, I'll be waiting for the next video!
You did a beautiful job on that skirt. I have been sewing for years and I don't know if I could have done such a good job. I really enjoyed this video!
The skirt turned out beautiful! Just an idea for the future videos, maybe when reading the pattern instructions the text could also show on screen, for a non-native English speaker most of it just turned as big of a jumble of unfamiliar words, especially with the condensed phrasing 😅
SwimmingInSunlight even for English speakers this would be helpful!
True but this isn’t meant to be a tutorial more so just to be a fun sew with me Vídeo
CheekyLittleBliker from my understanding this series is all about how they used to make patterns and their construction into clothes, so I just suggested how maybe make hearing about the process easier 😄
It has closed captions. Try that. It should help.
I'm not sure why I find it so amusing to have you talking to us quite normally in that insane and gorgeous hat at the beginning, but I love it!
I really admire and envy you for doing these projects. I know I would have had so much fun with this. Wool generally needs high heat. One thing you may want to consider is using starch. It was used a great deal in that era and on up into the 1970's. It may have helped keep the wool in place and not so easy to wrinkle. On the hem, a trick I have used is to add material to the area to give the length and weight that an item like this needs. The added material is kept on the underside, so it is never seen. Sometimes alittle piece meal is what is needed to get the desired result. And they did alot of that back then. :)
Have you tried using a wooden block to press down the edges when you're trying to pleat? It's a handy costumer's trick. Steam and iron a fabric edge and then quickly put an unfinished block of wood over the edge and then press it down until the fabric cools. The wood absorbs the moisture that would otherwise linger in the wool and soften the crease, and by pressing down on the fabric until it cools you also help set the crease (just like waiting until hot rollers cool to take them out helps set your hair).
Very well done on a not so easy project. You looked just like a Gibson Girl in your skirt, blouse and hat. Again very well done.
The skirt turned out beautifully! And what fun to say it's from an actual pattern from that time!
Congratulations on the beginning of a beautiful series! I hope it goes even better of what you imagine!
I honestly love your content!! I recently started a Fashion design course here in New Zealand and I can't wait till I'm proficient enough to follow your tutorials.... Thank you for producing quality content....
The blooper parts of the voiceovers are always the best bits :)
If it's difficult for the seams to lay flat ,I put a pressing cloth(any white cotton fabric) over them (after pressing) and put something heavy on them until cooled(it only takes a minute) .Once cold the fabric "remembers "to stay flat. I loved this,as I love all your vlogs.
WOW! Absolutely amazing! I bet you'd have a huge following that would buy a printable version of the skirt pattern if you drafted it. And with your step by step video insturctions could adapt the skirt to suit their needs!
I love the videos and watch while I am sewing. You might try a tailors Clapper for getting your seams to lay flat after ironing, simply press the clapper on the seam right after removing the iron, hold down for 30 seconds and the seam lays flat. This works really well on polyester satin too.
Love this skirt so much and can not wait to see more from this series x
I made a similar skirt from a Folkwear pattern, many years ago. It was beautiful and extremely flattering. I believe there were only five gores, and I made it in the shorter version .
for the fitting,i do believe people from that era were shorter.our "modern" bodies are probably very far from the era's standards. Plus women wore corsets tightening their waists to the point of either breaking ribs or causing infections.i guess the fittings and patterns must have been made according to the beauty standards of that time:super tight and close fitted..and for the instructions,i think most women knew how to sew,it was an obligation.i've just discovered your channel.your creations are amazing.i'm french so maybe "la belle couture" is in my blood even though modern day french haute couture looks like poo poo to me now.i subscribed right away!bravo à vous mademoiselle!c'est magnifique!
Wool will hold creases if you can hold it down until it cools. You can get fancy weights called "clappers" for this, but a well-sanded chunk of 2x4 works just as well.
That shirt looks really intersting. I can't wait to see the video on it.
I love this skirt and want to make one for myself. It is interesting that all of the seams are lapped. That technique is rarely used today. In my experience it works very well for pointed seams like the gores of this skirt joining the pleated sections.
Thanks for sharing. This is a beautiful design! :) Tip: When tackling stubborn wool, try pressing with a damp cloth in stead of using water or steam directly on your fabric. For some reason it works a lot better, it seems. :) God sewing job, girl! :)
I have a very similar pattern of a Edwardian skirt to make, guess they didn't gave too many instructions cause by that time every young lady was teached since younger age how to sew cause not everyone had the money to go to a dressmaker to make their clothes (I remember my great-grandmother and my grandmother making their own clothes, but then I'm also much older than you ;-) ) Thanks for the video, made me want to do that skirt now =D xoxo from UK
Linda Passos taught
Linda Passos *Taught
I absolutely love your tutorials!!! I would love to learn how to sew garment’s like you!!
Pretty. Very pretty. Try covering your ironing board with aluminum foil under the cover. It bounces the heat you use back through the fabric. You should also consider getting a gravity feed iron or a Rowenta.
Maybe the patreon coud have a funraiser for these things? I agree, the gradual upgrade of her tools would be fun to watch.
mspatti I'm "mature" (lol) so the concept of patreon accounts makes me a little nervous but I overrode my distrust of technology and did my little bit towards the cause. I don't want her to quit or get discouraged bc she has such heart and talent.
This skirt is gorgeous! I recently made a 10 gore shirt from the same era and felt like I was drowning under the fabric towards the end. Oh boy, they're big skirts!
Interesting construction of the seams! Lovely skirt! The hat is very becoming!
i don't know anything about sewing but this is was still interesting to watch, thanks for uploading
To put the historical context to the patterns, you are correct that you need to know how to sew. All purchase agreements of the time, when you bought a sewing machine, came with in house instruction on how to use your machine. This varied from manufacture to manufacture. My 1883 Singer IM for instance came with a 2 year apprenticeship included in the price. That is the Manufacture version of the Singer Improved Family machine that came with an instruction booklet and sales office instruction. Part of that instruction in house, is finishing, like the bottom hems etc... left out of the instructions in the pattern.
I love the details on the skirt! Those little panels...
I love the folding over the edge and stitching on top of the other piece instead of sewing right side together.
I'm new to sewing, so I'm enjoying watching these videos
Same herr
Great series. Nice job. Wool is a curly animal fiber which does not crease so actually makes it less prone to wrinkles. It wants to spring back to its original shape. I process and spin lots and lots of wool and depending on sheep breed, each wool behaves slightly differently.
Good to know. Wisdom from a professional who knows wool well. As a knitter who loves to knit with wool, I know there are many grades of wool, which makes a difference in the yarn (feel, weight, drape, scratchiness level, etc.). I didn't realize that it also applies to fabric. I'm a sewer too, but don't use much wool in my sewing.
Avi Bonn Wool is wonderful. I even wear ultra thin wool jersey in summer. My husband who is always burning up loves his wool tshirts. They are warm in winter but cool in summer as wool wicks moisture so keeps you dry and cool. Natural flame retardant. The fabrics in Joanns are disapponting. Either super dark men's worsted spun suiting or woolen spun sweater stuff not really suitable for skirts. Will pill lots. Worsted is a type of spinning and not same as worsted weight knitting yarn. Do give wool a try. Just do not expect it to behave like crisp plant fiber fabrics. If you pull up a weed it bends and stays bent ie wrinkled. If you use fluffy wool that has its own hair memory, that will be more difficult unless you use low curl sheep long wool breeds like English leicester, cotswold. Todays generic wool dumps all breeds and all crap quality together and get inferior product. In the past, wool had more classifcations. I have a historical spinning youtube channel where I will discuss these topics.
I must say that you are very brave to tackle such a pattern. Pressing wool is much easier with a pressing cloth. It allows the steam from the iron to penetrate the wool, then, before moving the pressed piece, use a wooden clapper to finish the pressing. The clapper allows the wool to cool, thus setting the edge. Both of these items would have been part of the seamstress' tool kit in the era of your skirt. They are still a necessary part and are available at most places that carry sewing notions.
I truly admire you :) but I admit I got distracted one moment seeing your beautiful unicorn iron board
Hi Angela I am going to rewatch the sewing through the decades series. I had been thinking about you and praying that you are well. Since I haven't seen a new video in months I got a little worried. Hope to hear from you soon.
Gorgeous skirt Angela, very smart looking ,cannot wait for the blouse 😘
What a lovely skirt! You are really more experienced than I, so I hope you will forgive a piece of unsolicited advice. I've seen tailors use a piece of wood baton (broken piece of cutting board) to clamp onto a freshly steamed fold/pleat, to get the wool to take the fold. Don't ask me why that works, and I've never done it myself, but it might be worth a try. Also, cause I'm old, I remember both the perferations, but also the generic hemming advice, which was the old fashioned turn up twice method, so probably why they don't specify. My grandmother was a dressmaker/designer, sadly passed now, but a wealth of knowledge.
Loving this series! Can't wait for more videos.
The little voice over bloopers were so cute!
I loved this video! Keep on going!
i know i am never going to sew that but i so enjoy watching your projects!
Such a beautiful outfit !! can't wait to see the next one !!
You did a great job. I know that it was difficult with the material but think how much longer it would have taken without the sewing machine Wow , no even I don't want to think about that
I also prepared the side gore panels!
This pattern and others like it are made by historical pattern companies just modernize instructions and printing. Plus they would have used a heavier ribbon for the hem and as a stay at he the waistband and feld seams or French seam through out the skirt. Beautiful skirt, kind a wish we could still dress that way.
Cannot wait to see the one about your shirt!!!
GIIIIIIRRRRRRLLLL!! This is STUNNING!
Wow. I loved the detail in this video. You really put a lot into your videos. Love it!
This was very interesting.. hats off to you.. and your patience..
Mary Poppins vibes all the way! I love it!
Great start to the series! Looking forward for the rest of the videos to come
I wish you were making videos about 15 years ago. I kinda accidentally bought a van load of patterns for $10 and I had brand new patterns from the 1920's to 90's in every size. I sold them at yard sales for 5-25 cents donated the really old ones to a local college theater dept
Very interesting sewing through the 20th century. PLEASE slow down heaps while you talk us through the remainder of this project. Looking 4ward to next vid.
Hi Angela:
My name is Jazmín, I'm from Argentina, and I love your videos and I do not miss any of them, I see in them that you do not only make garments from 40, 50, 60, etc, but also from the early 1900s, and I would love that you teach us to do particular dresses that I have seen in a Mexican telenovela called Corazon Salvaje of the year 1993, where the protagonist named Monica wears a range of beautiful dresses, I would like to learn how to make their patterns; I send you a huge kiss and eagerly await your next video.
PD: sorry my english is not very good.
You are very talented and you did a great job.
Wow you have so much patients the end result ist beautiful loved it.
This video is so interesting as it is so old pattern. You did so great job, you look beatiful in this assamble.
Things to consider regarding the sizing with a pattern of this era. Women wore corsets which would give them a much smaller waist . As well, most patterns of this time were designed for shorter women. Wish that were the way now as I am 5"2" and have to alter everything to fit.
Turned out beautiful!
Angela this looks amazing!!!! Video was also lovely and fun. I only wish you had used a different color fabric since it was hard to see all the lovely pleated details in the video
You're so freaking talented!!! :)
Great start on your new series, thank you.
I’m sure you’ve had this comment multiple times, but I can’t find an explanation, so I’m sorry for possibly making you answer again! What is your reasoning for pinning with thumbtacks and what kind of table are you using to cut your fabric on? It seems to work well and I’m not experienced so I don’t know if that’s a common practice or just a personal decision.
This is an incredibly late reply and not from Ms. Clayton, but in regards to the table she's using thumbtacks with: it's likely a cork slab or roll. The tacks are commonly used in the fashion production industry for use with flat and draped patterning.
I loved your skirt. I too have to make length alterations. My son calls me Shorty as I am the shortest in the family, only 6'0"
Also you can face the hem with a wide cross cut coton fake hem to prevent wear of the fabric and make it 'slide' over shoes ,,
Historical fashion combines two of my favorite things, history & fashion. I have a question from watching this video what is your table made of? I notice you were sticking pins straight down which locks the material down. Genius
Very labor intensive, very nice.
Great job. Very interesting to watch.
The finished result is beautiful!