Thank you for a delightful video chat. It was a lovely tease, that makes me want to sew 17th-18th century clothes. I do SCA garb, and all I can ever hope for is a carving, or paintings, as my garb choices are at present, 950AD. I appreciated the little details. ie, you get as close as possible whether it is fabric or lace, or even the pattern. I also appreciated the message of just keep trying, and don't let the 'hurdles' stop you.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Pre-1600 does present some challenges! I'm guessing that if you're interested in the authenticity of 10th century dress, you need to rely on scholars, right? And their works are so often less easily available to the general public. But yes, you're exactly right: whatever has captured your attention, don't give up on trying to find out more. Keep digging. Sometimes it's that curiosity that -- should you discover *no one* has actually researched that one thing properly before -- pushes many of us to pursue post-grad degrees. ;)
@@TimesmithDressHistory It is challenging. It's also fun. :) I've been a seamstress for 30+ years. Figuring out details on clothing when an extant piece might be a rag from a bog, or an ice field find can be frustrating. You can only hope that good pictures are taken, and that the curator might have some interest or knowledge of clothing or fabric. When the Viking exhibition was in Denver, we spent as much time as possible looking at every scrap. Something that I have been looking into is whether the 'apron dresses of the Varangian culture were the predecessors of the Russian Sarafan. While I may never have a degree to go with my knowledge, I certainly have fun, and share when possible.
There are some nice 13thC extant items in the museum in Assissi, you can see them as well as later clothing as well, all mediaeval. In a local museum there are a number of beautiful lace dresses and accessories all hand made using locally made Carrickmacross lace. I don't really like Victorian dresses but the lace is really beautifu
Questions and compromises -- that is truly what it's about. Purple-- my latest quest has been for a matching lavender -- i only need a yard, and I have acquired 5 different shades of purple, and none the lavender I need. I noticed that Disney's evil queen from Snow White is also wearing three different shades of purple. I told my husband that this is why she is so concerned about her looks, and why she's so grouchy. It has taken me two years to get the courage to try the current skirt I'm replicating. I don't know how long it would take me to gain courage if I had to confront a museum about it.
Oh my goodness, I was that way about the green in my tartan! The struggle is real! It occurs to me, though... if you're looking for the right purple to match an extant? Someone in the museum might be able to help. Also - depending on the era of the original and the dyes used, the shade of colour the textile is NOW might be quite different from what it was when new. Sometimes, it's a nice learning experience to try and 'wind back the clock', to make a gown that reveals what the extant might have look when new. :)
That is true, isn't it, the purple buried in the seam may be a very different shade. Compromise. And having to be satisfied with what you can do. Thank you for this.
I was so excited to see this on the schedule! I was supposed to be going to costume college for the first time this year, and wanted to go to this lecture. I was very interested in the reconstruction project, and considered flying to Scotland at the time to see the demonstration (I had neither the time nor the money at the time, so it was definitely not going to happen). And this was so interesting! I think my biggest takeaway is to just Do the Thing! Call the museum/collection, and ask questions even if you don't feel qualified. Thank you for this!
Hey Shoshi, it would have been so great to meet you in Edinburgh or indeed in LA! Yes, that's the key takeaway. Getting started is the scariest and hardest part of it all. So, just start. Just make that first call, send that first email. Projects like this are very rewarding. Don't cheat yourself of incredible opportunities to explore, learn and succeed, by not starting!
The response to this video has been tremendous! We knew there are a lot of you out there, just like us, who have a special soft spot in your heart for one (or more!) gowns in a museum, and we wanted to reach out and show you that YOU *CAN* DO THIS THING, TOO! If we've encouraged you to take the plunge and start planning your project - please let us know! Feel free to tag us on Instagram so we can follow, cheer you on, answer any questions you might want to ask. I'm @timesmithdressmaking and Sarah is @founding.mother. See you soon!
"It's purple" - that's all the reason anyone needs! I'm the same, I wear purple every day, my bedroom is all shades of purple, but I don't wear it for historical costuming (for obvious reason).
I think Sarah caught your comment over on Facebook and replied to you there - I'll just come on here to say, if your costuming activities are for an era where we have evidence of purple, totally go for it. And if your period has no evidence for use of purple, then go ahead and use it whenever you don't have authenticity goals or guidelines that you need to meet. Do what makes you happy. (Sometimes it's the striving for authenticity that is what will make you most happy with a particular project but for many of us, most of the time that's not the primary consideration.)
Have been thinking about the gown worn by St. Claire of Assissi because it is somehow begging to be replicated. This has given me the lead to go ahead and try. Then there is that fabulous netted dress in the Cairo Museum which has been yelling my name now for years. Replicas here I come.
@@TimesmithDressHistory give me a couple of weeks to finish current projects and save up then an order for natural coloured linen will hit the online shop I use and a careful, as far as possible using the available photos, replica of the garb belonging to St. Claire will follow. Only thing is it looks to be short even for me at 1.5m so I am not sure if it's an outer or under dress. She is reputed to have been as poor as her brother but even so I would expect them to wear two layers at least. The mesh dress involves learning macrame first, it appears to be carefully netted and is the single best reason to wear ancient Egyptian garb I know of. A truly beautiful item.
Yay! If you decide to share your journey on any kind of social media, please do let us know or tag us - we'd love to cheer you on and help out any way we can!
I’m a little late to watch this, but would still like to add my response: How very inspiring! History and sewing, the perfect combination. Thank you so much for sharing your respective insights.
This was lovely! I followed along with the Isabella project, and really enjoyed this opportunity to learn more about it. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!
I came back and caught up. Thank you for taking the time to talk about these two fantastic dress projects and processes you went throguh. It was really inspiring.
@@TimesmithDressHistory Would it be ok for me to message/link you when I start sharing info about my project? I would love to keep you in the loop for it : )
@@cheerful_something_something Oh, please please do! Feel free to PM/DM me on Facebook or Instagram, and please tag me on anything you're sharing publicly. I'd love to cheer you on!
I loves me some purple, as well! And TARTAN. OH, goodness me!!! I plan, eventually, to purchase the McFadden tartan cloth & just sew the gown!!! (I’m a hand weaver without a loom, so I ALWAYS think I should weave the bloody cloth!!!). Damned miserable chronic illness. Doctors keep telling me I’m going to die. Then, after I sell my loom, I get better.
Well, we all die sometime, right? I'm guessing doctors' estimates as to *when* can be taken with a grain of salt. ;) I love your passion. Keep looking forward, Jenn. And I want to see that McFadden gown *when* you make it, okay?
Sarah bought directly from a weaver in Cambodia that the Etsy seller introduced her to. Details in the description! :) But you're right that the Etsy seller had other silks so hopefully Sarah can share that with you.
Thank you for a delightful video chat. It was a lovely tease, that makes me want to sew 17th-18th century clothes. I do SCA garb, and all I can ever hope for is a carving, or paintings, as my garb choices are at present, 950AD. I appreciated the little details. ie, you get as close as possible whether it is fabric or lace, or even the pattern. I also appreciated the message of just keep trying, and don't let the 'hurdles' stop you.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Pre-1600 does present some challenges! I'm guessing that if you're interested in the authenticity of 10th century dress, you need to rely on scholars, right? And their works are so often less easily available to the general public. But yes, you're exactly right: whatever has captured your attention, don't give up on trying to find out more. Keep digging. Sometimes it's that curiosity that -- should you discover *no one* has actually researched that one thing properly before -- pushes many of us to pursue post-grad degrees. ;)
@@TimesmithDressHistory It is challenging. It's also fun. :) I've been a seamstress for 30+ years. Figuring out details on clothing when an extant piece might be a rag from a bog, or an ice field find can be frustrating. You can only hope that good pictures are taken, and that the curator might have some interest or knowledge of clothing or fabric. When the Viking exhibition was in Denver, we spent as much time as possible looking at every scrap. Something that I have been looking into is whether the 'apron dresses of the Varangian culture were the predecessors of the Russian Sarafan. While I may never have a degree to go with my knowledge, I certainly have fun, and share when possible.
There are some nice 13thC extant items in the museum in Assissi, you can see them as well as later clothing as well, all mediaeval.
In a local museum there are a number of beautiful lace dresses and accessories all hand made using locally made Carrickmacross lace. I don't really like Victorian dresses but the lace is really beautifu
@@MayYourGodGoWithYou I will look into that. Thank you.
Questions and compromises -- that is truly what it's about. Purple-- my latest quest has been for a matching lavender -- i only need a yard, and I have acquired 5 different shades of purple, and none the lavender I need. I noticed that Disney's evil queen from Snow White is also wearing three different shades of purple. I told my husband that this is why she is so concerned about her looks, and why she's so grouchy. It has taken me two years to get the courage to try the current skirt I'm replicating. I don't know how long it would take me to gain courage if I had to confront a museum about it.
Oh my goodness, I was that way about the green in my tartan! The struggle is real! It occurs to me, though... if you're looking for the right purple to match an extant? Someone in the museum might be able to help. Also - depending on the era of the original and the dyes used, the shade of colour the textile is NOW might be quite different from what it was when new. Sometimes, it's a nice learning experience to try and 'wind back the clock', to make a gown that reveals what the extant might have look when new. :)
That is true, isn't it, the purple buried in the seam may be a very different shade. Compromise. And having to be satisfied with what you can do. Thank you for this.
It's interesting that almost every person that presents specifies that they aren't confident in their skills. Really enjoyed your presentation.
You're right! If you put off starting something brand new until you feel "ready", you'll never start. Just #dothething. ;)
I was so excited to see this on the schedule! I was supposed to be going to costume college for the first time this year, and wanted to go to this lecture. I was very interested in the reconstruction project, and considered flying to Scotland at the time to see the demonstration (I had neither the time nor the money at the time, so it was definitely not going to happen). And this was so interesting! I think my biggest takeaway is to just Do the Thing! Call the museum/collection, and ask questions even if you don't feel qualified. Thank you for this!
Hey Shoshi, it would have been so great to meet you in Edinburgh or indeed in LA! Yes, that's the key takeaway. Getting started is the scariest and hardest part of it all. So, just start. Just make that first call, send that first email. Projects like this are very rewarding. Don't cheat yourself of incredible opportunities to explore, learn and succeed, by not starting!
The response to this video has been tremendous! We knew there are a lot of you out there, just like us, who have a special soft spot in your heart for one (or more!) gowns in a museum, and we wanted to reach out and show you that YOU *CAN* DO THIS THING, TOO! If we've encouraged you to take the plunge and start planning your project - please let us know! Feel free to tag us on Instagram so we can follow, cheer you on, answer any questions you might want to ask. I'm @timesmithdressmaking and Sarah is @founding.mother. See you soon!
"It's purple" - that's all the reason anyone needs!
I'm the same, I wear purple every day, my bedroom is all shades of purple, but I don't wear it for historical costuming (for obvious reason).
I think Sarah caught your comment over on Facebook and replied to you there - I'll just come on here to say, if your costuming activities are for an era where we have evidence of purple, totally go for it. And if your period has no evidence for use of purple, then go ahead and use it whenever you don't have authenticity goals or guidelines that you need to meet. Do what makes you happy. (Sometimes it's the striving for authenticity that is what will make you most happy with a particular project but for many of us, most of the time that's not the primary consideration.)
if I could paint walls they would be purple.
Have been thinking about the gown worn by St. Claire of Assissi because it is somehow begging to be replicated. This has given me the lead to go ahead and try. Then there is that fabulous netted dress in the Cairo Museum which has been yelling my name now for years. Replicas here I come.
Oh, wow! Close your eyes and pick one, then just do it!
@@TimesmithDressHistory give me a couple of weeks to finish current projects and save up then an order for natural coloured linen will hit the online shop I use and a careful, as far as possible using the available photos, replica of the garb belonging to St. Claire will follow. Only thing is it looks to be short even for me at 1.5m so I am not sure if it's an outer or under dress. She is reputed to have been as poor as her brother but even so I would expect them to wear two layers at least.
The mesh dress involves learning macrame first, it appears to be carefully netted and is the single best reason to wear ancient Egyptian garb I know of. A truly beautiful item.
Gotta love a stripe! Beautiful dresses and such an interesting story. You would definitely get a Blue Peter badge for perseverance:-)
Ha! I've been in the UK just long enough to understand the reference!
You ladies are inspiring. I have pictures of an 18th century gown that I'm working to recreate, so hearing your recreation journey is helpful.
Yay! If you decide to share your journey on any kind of social media, please do let us know or tag us - we'd love to cheer you on and help out any way we can!
@@TimesmithDressHistory - This is my "Isabella"- pin.it/592MDiK I think it's amazing.
you’re a wonderful set of the most delightful beings! Thank you!
Wow, thank you!
I’m a little late to watch this, but would still like to add my response: How very inspiring! History and sewing, the perfect combination. Thank you so much for sharing your respective insights.
Never too late! I won't be taking this video down. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I love how your personalities showed through in this video.
We held nothing back! LOL
This was lovely! I followed along with the Isabella project, and really enjoyed this opportunity to learn more about it. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!
Awesome! Thank you!
Lovely! and inspirational.
Thanks!
Really enjoyed this. Thank you❤️
You are so welcome!
Thank you so much for all the wonderfull information
You're very welcome! Thanks so much for coming!
I came back and caught up. Thank you for taking the time to talk about these two fantastic dress projects and processes you went throguh. It was really inspiring.
Thanks so much for coming, and for chatting with us. Our goal is to inspire so your comment means a lot.
@@TimesmithDressHistory Would it be ok for me to message/link you when I start sharing info about my project? I would love to keep you in the loop for it : )
@@cheerful_something_something Oh, please please do! Feel free to PM/DM me on Facebook or Instagram, and please tag me on anything you're sharing publicly. I'd love to cheer you on!
I loves me some purple, as well! And TARTAN. OH, goodness me!!! I plan, eventually, to purchase the McFadden tartan cloth & just sew the gown!!! (I’m a hand weaver without a loom, so I ALWAYS think I should weave the bloody cloth!!!). Damned miserable chronic illness. Doctors keep telling me I’m going to die. Then, after I sell my loom, I get better.
Well, we all die sometime, right? I'm guessing doctors' estimates as to *when* can be taken with a grain of salt. ;) I love your passion. Keep looking forward, Jenn. And I want to see that McFadden gown *when* you make it, okay?
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching! Hope we've inspired you to pursue your dream.
Do you still have the Etsy store you bought from? I'm in Australia and I'd *love* a good silk fabric store that's in the country.
Sarah bought directly from a weaver in Cambodia that the Etsy seller introduced her to. Details in the description! :)
But you're right that the Etsy seller had other silks so hopefully Sarah can share that with you.
I'm going to have to Google who abigail Adams was now.
You'll love Sarah's Instagram account @founding.mother :)