Hi everyone, the new content for June is live at Your Wardrobe Unlock’d now!
We’re having some issues with the email system, so I hope you see this post instead – do tell any other members you know! I’ll send the email out with news as soon as we’re up and running again.
Best wishes, Cathy
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The comments that are coming in are quite revealing! Opinion is very divided, and more than one of the four finalist gowns is causing controversy. I’ve summarised some of the best comments on the finalists page at YWU.
Meanwhile, I’ll give you my own take (and I’ll try to be impartial – I have my favourites too!) What are the possibilities and the pitfalls in each of our finalist patterns?
1780-90 Sacque gown
Compared to many 18th century gowns, this one is quite simple. Looking closely at the photograph and the pattern, you’ll notice that the sacque back is not “built in” at the back section of the gown, but is a separate drape attached at the back neck (there’s daylight between the mannequin’s back and the drape.) You could say that this doesn’t make it a “real” sacque gown, however.
The pattern includes the gown only, but of course we’ll offer some possibilities for adding underskirt, stays and so on if you would like to. Meanwhile, by shortening the skirt there are possibilities to simplify the gown into a short jacket of the type worn in period.
Overall, not a classic sacque back shape, but a relatively simple introduction to the eighteenth century look, with lots of possibilities for the ambitious.
1885 Summer Dress
If you’re looking for a pattern that’ll really test us as we write your tutorials, and give you value for your subscription, this is it. In the 1880s the Victorian quest for perfect fitting methods reached its height of bizarre complexity as they wrestled with this cuirasse bodice, closely fitted right through from neck to hip.
Meanwhile, there’s lots of draping fun to be had with the seemingly complex arrangement of layers and ruffles in the skirt, plus bustle goodness a-plenty.
For the less confident, I’d suggest playing with one half or the other of this gown, either working on fitting a bodice (I can’t help picturing it with jeans or a plain skirt) or looking into the skirt draping and modernising that arrangement of layers and ruffles to make something that’s wearable today.
Overall, this is a complex fitting challenge, but it’s also a project to really get your teeth into.
1860s Day Dress
For number of garments, you can’t beat this mix-and-match fiesta. You have skirt, day bodice, bolero jacket and an alternative evening bodice (not illustrated) – but don’t forget that you can make as many or as few elements of the pattern as you wish.
There are many possibilities for using this gown as your blank slate for embellishments, as well as for leaving it plain and concentrating on cut and fit. Again, underpinning guidance will be there in the tutorials, although all the underpinnings won’t be necessary if you think laterally enough or modernise.
Overall, a pattern with many pieces that will perhaps be overwhelming for some to pick their way through at first, but also a pattern with many, many options that can offer possibilities for everyone.
1797 Empire Gown
This seemingly inocuous gown, more than any of the other finalists, has caused the most controversy. Some of you love it, pointing to its apparent simplicity, the lack of fabric in comparison to the others, and the lack of need for underpinnings.
(That’s true – the 1797 fashionista supposedly wore no corset with her gown, but the average woman most certainly still did, leaving you with plenty of equally valid underpinning options in period.)
On the other hand, some of you dislike it intensely, fearing that it’ll make you look dumpy or that the possibilities for adapting or varying it are limited. But, as GinaB puts it, “perhaps that’s the point, we should be thinking how we can make it better, using the basic pattern?”
Overall, perhaps a simple option (or is it? Look at the pattern and see what you think), but a more difficult gown to vary.
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Have you decided what to vote for yet? Remember, you’ve only got one vote this time. The poll opens on Friday at midday GMT as before, and runs for 24 hours. I’ll email you with a reminder. Feel free to email us with your vote now if you won’t be around during that time.
In the meantime, did you start out rooting for one gown, but have changed your mind now? What made you shift your vote?
Posted in Single Pattern Project | Tagged Single Pattern Project | 13 Comments »
On Friday you’re going to have a single vote with which to pick a final pattern for our Grand YWU Single Pattern Project. So today, let me give you some context for your final choice.
When we have a winner – what then?
When we all know what the Single Pattern is going to be, the first thing that’s going to go through your mind is how you’ll interpret it. How will you tackle this pattern? What do you want to do with it? What fabric will you use? Where will you wear it? How much can you alter or change it? Will it suit you?
The one thing you must really understand is that I want this project to set you free, not restrict you. I’m not going to be drawing up a book of minutely detailed rules and no-one’s going to be marking you on how well you’ve followed them.
Design
In fact, I want this project to be freeing. I want you to be free to do an accurate historical interpretation, or to make it pure fantasy. You can go steampunk, you can go modern, you can try making it with PVC or newspaper, just to see whether it’ll work. You can also modernise it and make it something you could wear to work tomorrow, for example. The only rule is that you must be able to show that it began with our chosen pattern.
Skill level
I also want this to be a freeing project for every person, no matter what skill level you enjoy. If you’re a pro, go nuts with copious underpinnings, soutache braid or embroidery (we’ll have plenty of further ideas for you to run with).
If you’re just starting out, feel free to keep it absolutely simple, or just take a section of the pattern to concentrate on. You might want to concentrate on the bolero jacket if we choose the 1860s dress, for example, or take the 1885 bustle skirt only, or do a piece of embroidery based on what you can see on the Empire dress, if that’s our final choice.
In fact, maybe those who are more experienced will also want to take a small piece only, and completely handstitch it, for example, or use your fabric budget to make it in silk rather than compromise on fabric for the entire outfit.
Keep in mind when you’re voting that versatility is going to be the most important element of the project.
The one thing you must really understand is that I want this project to set you free, not restrict you. I’m not going to be drawing up a book of minutely detailed rules and no-one’s going to be marking you on how well you’ve followed them.
Complexity
Feel free to stretch us: perhaps you’re not confident drafting one or other of the dresses if you have fitting issues, but remember that that’s our problem when we write the tutorials – our job will be to make resizing possible regardless of your shape. In showing you how to do it, you’ll get new ideas about how to do it in future. Use this opportunity to make us show you how to do the hard stuff!
Underpinnings
This brings me to underpinnings: many of you have noticed that in reproducing one of these gowns “as is”, you’re going to need varying levels of corsetry or hoopage or bustle. For the ambitious amongst you, this will only enhance the challenge, and for some of you, the underpinnings are pre-existing in your closet. For others, this will only make the project more complex.
We will, of course, offer tutorials on making the underpinnings too, along with suggestions for those on a budget. And since there’ll need to be quite a few tutorials, plus a couple of months’ grace to let you finish your outfits, I’m not anticipating a deadline earlier than about June 2009, so there’s plenty of time!
But if you’d like to modernise the outfits, you will be able to negotiate making the outfits for a modern, uncorsetted body. This is absolutely valid: historical costume is not just there to be copied, it is also there to be studied, adapted and re-invented. What hurdles will you have to cross in making these clothes for the modern body? How do the two compare? We’ll look into this too.
Budget
This is an important element in the choice for many of you: what can you afford to make?
Points to keep in mind:
Variety: the spice of it
I hope that by now you’re beginning to see what this Single Pattern Project is really all about: variety. The more people take part in the greater a variety of ways, the more there will be for us all to enjoy and learn. By comparing our different approaches we can gain new ideas and inspiration, learn from each other and find out how vast and nuanced the construction of clothing can be. And most incredible of all is that all of it will come from a single pattern.
What else do *you* think we should keep in mind when we’re voting on Friday?
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Good morning, costume couturieres!
My word, what a weekend. The vote was so exciting to watch as you all made you preference known. Thank you for taking part!
I must confess that I got embarrassingly little done on Friday afternoon – I was far too busy hitting “refresh” on the results page… and then after I went to bed, the vote overloaded the system and shut it down! But more on that in a moment…
First one outfit raced ahead, then another took its place, then a third… but it occurred to me, and to those of you who emailed me, that the choice of patterns was so huge that many of you wouldn’t get to have much of a say in the final result. I think we all came to the same conclusion, in fact – we need a second round!
Final round
*phew* Yep, we’re going to do it all again. About a third of you voted for the winner, and a third or so voted for the second placed pattern. But even those of you who didn’t vote for either are likely to have a preference between the two, and the final result was so close that I want to give everyone a chance to pick between those top two patterns.
If we’re all going to be working hard to create our own version of a single pattern, then I want that winning pattern to be the first choice of as many of you as possible!
Double the choice
But there’s more! The vote was so popular that we overloaded the system and the vote shut down early. Some of you emailed me your votes – thank you very much for those – but I have no way of knowing whether there were more of you who found the poll closed when you came to vote, or who you are. So here’s what we’re going to do.
We’re going to double the second vote to a choice of FOUR finalists, which should give everyone a strong chance to have a say. We’re going to do the poll right there on YWU, which ensures that everyone will have a chance to make their voice heard.
Make your voice heard!
The voting form will go live later this week. Meanwhile… I’m about to give your the four finalists. What do you think of the results so far? Did your favourite make it through? Which pattern do YOU think should be our ultimate winner?
Now’s the time to start campaigning. Which of those final four patterns should win? Which do YOU want to make? Comment below, make the case for your favourite and help its chances of winning the final vote!
Posted in Single Pattern Project | Tagged Single Pattern Project | 19 Comments »
Only a few days left now before we officially open up the voting for the
winning pattern that we’ll use in our grand YWU Single Pattern Project, and
I’m delighted with the feedback I’m hearing – including some new patterns
we hadn’t spotted!
More on those in a moment…
The possibilities
You’ve been telling me how excited you are, not just about the excuse to
make a new outfit (of course!) but about the opportunity to do it together
in the supportive YWU environment. I look forward to seeing the huge
learning curve that some of you will go through as you play along with our
tutorials on scaling up and constructing an outfit that will perhaps be
outside your comfort zone. Even if you’re an old hand, the opportunity to
learn from each other how different our approaches and results can be will
be priceless, bumping us out of our ruts into a new direction, perhaps!
Enormous budgets not required!
Don’t forget that an enormous budget will not be required to get involved;
we’re not looking for a hundred identical silk dresses or velvet suits.
Being on a budget can be a huge boost to creativity, as I learnt at a
fashion show I saw many years ago. The most impressive outfit of the night
was a huge evening gown made entirely of newspaper, with overskirt made
from the pink pages of the Financial Times.
I often advocate recycling by using old linens – tablecloths and bedsheets
from your local Goodwill or charity shop – for mock-up toiles, but why not
see what you can find and re-engineer for the final version of this
project? Innovation and creativity will always win originality points, and
you’ll feel more confident trying new things if you’re doing so on easily
replaceable fabric.
Having said that, of course you’re also most welcome to use fine fabrics
too – or to mix the fine stuff with charity finds! Variety and creativity
is what the Single Pattern Project is all about, and the more of us who
take part in the more diverse ways, the better. The only rule is that we
all start with that all-important single pattern.
New pattern possibilities for the poll
Speaking of which, let me offer you a couple of new possibilities, sent in
by Lily in the USA – these will be included in the poll when it goes live
on Friday!
Firstly, a dainty early Victorian wedding gown, and secondly, a truly fabulous 1766 bridal ensemble in an unexpected colour!
Do still keeping looking around on the Tidens Tøj site – you’ve got until
midnight tomorrow (Wednesday) Pacific time to get any further suggestions
in to me if you find any more patterns alongside exhibits. Then on Friday,
look out for an email from me with a link to the poll itself!
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get started!
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Some time ago, when I made a Hubpage about corsetmaking secrets, someone asked me about binding, specifically binding the corners. I’m here today to keep my promise that I’d do a video tutorial. There’s a second video there too, which shows that final tip in more detail.
Next time I do this, I promise to get into doing corners at an angle.
* Props to Demi for camera skills – she says the blurring was deliberate, and she’s available if Tarantino calls. 
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged tips and techniques | 3 Comments »
Hi everyone,
And thank you again for your support and positive feedback on April’s issue. It’s wonderful to know that we’re having an impact on your sewing and your confidence!
Next month’s issue
Already, of course, we’re working on something even more spectacular for May, and a theme is already emerging. Let’s just say that if you’ve ever thought about going into business, or you’re just trying to get one off the ground, this issue’s just for you.
Meanwhile, those of you for whom sewing and costuming are “just for fun” will love May too, since we’re making sure we contrast the talk of work with some frivolity, some details, some trifles… (no recipes, that’s not what I meant!)
Ask the Experts
I’m throwing myself upon your mercy – I’m taking the hot seat for Ask the Experts myself this month! I’m inviting your questions on anything you’d like to ask. Don’t hold back – we’re still a small magazine and your question will be read, with a hefty chance that it’ll appear on the page! Use a false name if you feel the need, of course. “Zelda, Timbuktu” is fine – make it creative – I know you’re good at that!
Reading my bio on the magazine I realise that I haven’t actually told you much about myself, so for those of you who don’t know me, here’s a little more detail.
***
I’m an English maker of bespoke clothing. I taught myself to sew at University whilst I studied for a degree in Mathematics and Education in the early 90s, making dresses for the evening functions we had twice a year (remind me to show you photos of the general awfulness that ensued. lol) Before long people were asking me to make their ballgowns – I would take them to the store where they’d buy the fabric and a commercial pattern, and then I’d charge them the princely sum of £15 (US$30) for my trouble. I was about 18.
Teaching in the traditional sense was not for me, and I knew I’d rather be sewing, so with a fiance willing to support me, I graduated and began making wedding dresses. I made sure I met some makers I admired, asking them as many cheeky questions as I dared. I also hooked up with someone who wanted to start her own fashion label wherein I’d be “her designer,” but much drama followed and the whole thing quickly crumbled.
This was when I discovered historical costume, through movies. Being the “different” type, I wasn’t likely to make the same old ivory dresses as everyone else, and seized upon the fashions of the past as an alternative source of inspiration.
I was married myself in 1997 and took full advantage of the opportunity. We had a ten-colour theme and I made seven costumes (look here). This was when I really began to get taken seriously.
A year later I began travelling in the north-eastern US, thanks to a generous benefactor who was willing to give me a base to explore what possibilities lay there. I worked for private clients, bridal stores, a puppet theatre, a sex toy store (where I discovered the many applications of Victorian corsetry) and a vintage clothing store, gaining a lot of variety, a lot of confidence and much wider horizons.
The American adventure had to end eventually, and when it did I returned to England to continue making alternative wedding fashions and corsetry – the quality had improved considerably during my time away. I continue to make these clothes, in addition to my work for YWU, although I do limit the number of brides I take on. I find that a good command of Maths, a penchant for spending too much on books and a willingness to court potential disaster at every stitch has got me where I am today.
***
So, any questions? Go on, ask me something awkward or cheeky. Feel free either to comment or to use the Ask a Question form on the site. Thank you! Let’s make this the most fun, cheeky, in-depth Ask the Experts yet!
Best wishes,
Cathy Hay
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