You have encouraged me so much in the last year to sew. Before, I was paralyzed by worrying that not everything would be perfect and the garment would be ruined. Watching your channel and seeing your brain work like mine does gave me the confidence to try without being 100% sure. Also, I live near enough to Remainders that it can be a day trip for me. Can't thank you enough for the confidence you have given me!
Please remember that everyone makes mistakes when learning! And you can fix most mistakes, even if the project has to go to the naughty corner for a while first l😂
Same! I've started so many more projects than I would have before. I just finished resizing and tailoring a vintage pattern and got to wear it today! Nothing is like wearing a garment that actually fits and I probably wouldn't have done them if I had found her channel!
Same here. I have a huge backlog of sewing as I've been focusing on zero stashing my yarn, but this channel always inspired me to just tackle sewing and go with the process. I'm looking forward to getting to a point with things that I really tackle all those sewing projects I've been scared to start for great of botching the cutting or whatever.
@@l.baughman1445 I mean, with embroidery I don't stab either, it's half and half stabbing vs sliding as far as I can tell in the embroidery groups I'm in.
Long stitching where it does not show is correct. Threading many needles and have them ready to go was a favorite technique of my grandmother. A sewing bird / clamp is helpful . I like to "nest" all the necessary items within reach.
@@jessicaneal8553 From what I know, they're not much used nowadays (the ones I see online seem to be either antique or victorian reproduction), but they basically are a special clamp, which on one side clamps to a table, and the other to the fabric (they're often shaped like birds, hence the name) - this creates tension in the fabric and basically acts as a third arm, which makes handsewing long seams tend to go quicker. They also seem to often have a pincushion attached for good measure.
I *LOVE* hand sewing. It's quiet, you can take it anywhere, it helps get the wiggles out. I've gotten so good at it that I I've fooled people into thinking it's machine done and I can stitch almost automatically. As long as it's a straight seam I can sew during a lecture and miss almost nothing (which is better than my default state of being). I almost never go anywhere without my sewing kit and a project.
I do the same with embroidery projects. Once I finished one project and didn't have another set up and that is when I realized how dependant I had become on getting my wiggles out with embroidery for time I needed to sit still! I now try to have at least two projects available at all times so I never have that problem again.
Hey!! 🌸 Could you share any tips, videos etc on what helped you to hand sew? :) I love sewing but haven't been able to because I can't get a sewing machine yet. I think I knew I could hand sew but I didn't fully realise until lately, and I thought a machine makes it more "proper" but I understand more now that hand sewing can be just as beautiful. I love sewing and just want to make something!! I've never actually made anything but I sometimes would add lace or little rosettes onto pillow cases etc etc and I loved it! 🌸 I love dresses and skirts and would love to make my own.
@@pinkflowerpetalsxox in my opinion the back stitch and the whip/felling stitch are the most important ones to learn. Running stitch looks like the most simple one to start with but it can be hard to get consistent stitches with at first, but back stitch has a formula for consistency built right in. So learn that, get a bit of muscle memory for it and then start practicing running stitch. They can also be combined to make the running back stitch which balances speed and strength quite nicely. Whip stitch is important because it's the most efficient stitch to hem with and also pretty simple, also you can make completely invisible hems. Bernadette Banner has a playlist of historical hand sewing techniques which I tend to go to for more complex stitches, and I believe has videos for all the stitches I mentioned above. Her medieval red gown and first pirate shirt video also have a quick explanations of a few stitches in them. If her videos don't work for you though, there are hundreds of tutorials out there that you can find just by looking up the name of the stitch. for tools the best place to start is a pack of needles, a pair of small scissors, a cheap measuring tape, paperclips (less dangerous to loose than needles and cheaper+ just as good as proper sewing clips) and a pencil case like object to keep them all in. There will be a lot of types of needles, don't be overwhelmed. Just grab a variety pack that isn't one of the circular container ones, those break easily and the needles are trash. Try to keep track of which needle is which type, this will help you figure out which type you like best. If you feel like it, make a small pin cushion as your first project, it's super simple, you can practice every stitch on it, and now you'll have a place to store your needles. For skirts and dresses I recommend starting with medieval shift patterns (if you like that style), circle skirts, and rectangle skirts. They're all super simple, have a million tutorials online already, and hard to fuck up in a completely unsalvageable manner. Edit: also remember that patterns are guidelines not rules. If you're willing to mess up and make mistakes you can alter them in any way you want. You are going to make mistakes no matter what and that is okay. It's a hard thing to learn to really believe, but it's true. I say always start with cheap fabric like muslin or thrifted bedsheets so mistakes only cost you time instead of money
For more info on hand stitching, try watching Bernadette Banner. She does historical sewing and most of that is by hand. Oh and piecing? Is always a choice and very, very traditional. Thankyou for sharing!
I was scrolling comments looking for anyone to mention Bernadette. I found her through her entirely hand making a medieval gown as that was the way it was done in that time period. She now has a book out with techniques on hand sewing. And as she says… piecing is period.
Intriguingly enough, I found this channel due to the TH-cam algorithm offering me a Stitchery video after I finished a (subscribed to) Bernadette Banner video. So if these two haven't yet "met" one another, TH-cam also thinks they should be connected.
I do viking age reenactment so I hand sew all my clothes and I usually do a running stitch with a backstitch about every 6 stitches. I flat fell all seams to one side which gives both clean seam finishes and extra strength to all seams. For hems and necklines I usually do a slip stitch or a more decorative prick stitch. I'm starting some Regency and late Victorian outfits too, and some of it will be hand sewn but not all.
@@danielletdg8423 It actually is, and the great thing about viking age era (or rather general clothes fashion before 1100s) is that it's very simple shapes and constructions, comparetively. I admit though, most of the undertunics and underdresses that i made for my viking group were sewn by machine for invisible stitches. We are nearly 20 people afterall and i made for each of us like 5 of them.
Same hat! I also do viking reenactment and have become sort of the go to person to ask for advice on sewing amongst the less experienced members. I tend to back stitch linen and sleeves, whip hems and flat fell seams when they need finishing
I have nothing to contribute to the hand sewing conversation, but I just wanted to comment my delight about how chaotically full every coffee mug is, every time 😄
I'm late to the party but here's my tips for hand sewing! For the majority of seams I use a running back stitch, stitches are about 2mm long. You just do a running stitch until your needle is full, then a single backstitch to start your next needle full of running stitches. For load bearing seams I use a back stitch. With stitch lengths of 1 to 2 mm. By load-bearing I mean anything that fits tight or holds lots of weight or has a lot of movement/pulling. So this could be around the waste area, the bust area, where the sleeves attach to the dress, where pockets attached to the dress, and usually the entire pocket bag. I also don't use my thread doubled up. I'll have the thread folded over with a few inches of just single thread near the fabric. That way I have more usable thread length, I also use cotton thread instead of polyester thread and it's much stronger. I used to also use really really long amounts of thread because I hated tying knots to start and finish my thread length. But now I do three back stitches stacked on top of each other and it's so much faster than knotting so I don't feel the need to use really long thread chunks anymore.
It looks great!!! I’m sure 1000 people have already sai, “ Put an/your hourly rate per hour on it and then you’ll see why a lot of clothes or handmade items are so expensive.” I’m a quilter and if I assigned a cost to the things that I make, eyes would water and heads would explode. But it’s personally worth every second.
The first time that I brought my handcrafts to a bazaar, I didn't know how to price them. I listed how many hours each item took and made a sign "Make an offer." and didn't sell a thing because my items were considered "too expensive."
I just want to tell you how much I appreciate the care and detail that you put into your subtitles. It's so wonderful for those of us with auditory processing issues! And I love the little secret affirmations and jokes you put in them too
It's crazy to think that all clothes were once made like this... the dress is lovely, also love to see another sewist using a double thread and a super long thread 🪡
On the subject of 'Hand sewing' .... Several years ago, I was reading a book about a sewer who's life work became the Underground Railroad. She would prepare for a sewing session by threading anywhere from five to a dozen needles onto her spool of thread. Then she would hold the spool in one hand, and the needle in the other. She would the pull the threaded needle a comfortable distance away, knot and clip her thread. Her threaded needles were then tucked into her emory. As she finished each threaded needle, she would thread the needle back onto the spool, and just keep sewing. All of her sister's friends were amazed at how fast she could work a seam.
I so often get stuck after each thread I use, because task switching is a time when I easily get stalled out and distracted ... This streamlined needle prep concept is GENIUS! Thanks for sharing this!
Remember those Tomato shaped pincushions? The ones with a weird little strawberry attached? The strawberry part is filled with emery sand. It serves as a way to sharpen needles Way back when, a pincushion and every were a common First Project for a young Sewist.
Linen is such an S-tier fabric. I love handsewing with it so much, it has such lovely body. No slipping around, no stretching, and the warp/weft are often quite easy to see which makes straighter stitching much easier (although I also frequently draw on seamlines). Plus there is literally nothing more satisfying than ironing a wrinkled up piece of linen. One pass with a hot, steamy iron, and it's perfect.
I almost did not watch this video because I thought "hand sewing is not for me", especially after a long day of babysitting and then an evening of watching softball in the freezing rain. Then I remembered that Charlie will make it fun! You never cease to amaze me! That dress is amazing. Pretty sure it needs to be framed for the amount of work you put in to it.
There have been a few occasions where people have suggested that I could take a project that I made for myself, make more of them, and sell them to other people. Every time that happens and I start thinking about the act of making, selling, and delivering the things in a timely manner, I lose all the joy that making the original one had given me. I am looking forward to showing some of my latest work at our local and state fairs this summer. I also love giving things as a gift to family and friends.
Same here. I'm always told I should start selling the dresses/cakes/etc that I make, then people are usually surprised when I tell them that would take the fun out of it. Plus, no one wants to pay a fair price for that kind of thing
One of my brother's friends says that he would buy a quilt from me. I'm willing to take commissions, but to make something without a specific recipient in mind and hope that somebody will want to pay whatever I'm asking for it is an overwhelming prospect. I currently have 3 different quilt projects in various stages going right now and all of them have a specific person they are going to. Making things for people I care about brings me some of my greatest pleasure.
@GaiaCarney I have now finished 3 of the 4 quilts I have started so far this year, plus 2 quilted pillowcases and 2 flannel baby blankets for our neighbors. 2 of the quilts I'm making, and 1 of the pillowcases will go to the fairs for competition and exhibition. Both fairs are in August, so I have time to finish the 4th quilt.
I really really love your captioning. Very few folks I watch go to the effort of putting them in, much less adding funny little things. 20:58 made me NEARLY snort coffee out of my nose, thank you for that
Someday, when my time is no longer completely entrenched in caring for 3 small humans (i.e. my kids lol), I can't wait to make my own dresses like you do. That pleated stripes dress you're wearing is absolutely gonna be on the list!!
I only have 1 tiny human under my care. Fortunately her grandmother lives near enough to visit frequently. Baby's time with GiGi is Mommy's time for sewing 😂
I have one tiny human so thankfully still have nap time and after bedtime to sew! Expecting my second in a couple months and hoping I’ll still find time to sew 😅
@DanceAddikt I manage to crochet a lot, but that's bc it takes up a lot less space and is easy to put down & pick back up, move to different spaces, etc. Sewing... not so much. My youngest is 15 months and in pure chaos gremlin mode, so. 🤪
Another hand sewist here. For seams that won't take a lot of stress, I do a running back stitch. The ones that will need to hold up under pressure, i backstitch. Usually fell mumy seams down. As for stitch length, that depends on the weight of the fabric. Lighter weights/lower thread counts get smaller stitches. As for straight seams, if i have a grain line to follow, i can keep straight, otherwise drawing my sewing lines does help. I mark my sewing lines instead of the cutting lines, and then i attach a magnet to my scissors as a seam allowance guide.
My preferred stitch for hand sewing garments is the running backstitch. Back stitch at the beginning, then 3 or 4 running stitches loaded up on the needle, sashiko style. And those 3 or 4 can be small, because I'm doing them multiple at a time.
Yes, wanted to say this as a hand sewist: sewing one stitch at a time was painful to watch! It's not generally necessary and it takes so much more effort and time. Running backstich is where it's at.
Running backstitch is 100% the way to go! When I first started sewing, I was backstitching everything and it took a thousand years. Yeah those seams are going to outlive the heat death of the universe but they really don't need to! (I do backstitch around high-strain areas like armpits... probably not necessary but I don't want to ever have to come back and mend them lol) Also agreed on loading up the needle with multiple stitches. While too thick of a needle for fabric can be a pain (you want it thin enough to glide smoothly through the fabric, it will match the thickness of the fabric), too fine/short of one means you can't get as many stitches on it, and that's a problem too.
Running backstitch is my go to as well. I do about 6 stitches per inch for things that won’t be seen or under significant strain. Stitches get shorter and running less frequent as the estimated amount of strain increases.
The one thing I ALWAYS do is basting. I baste no matter if I intend to hand or machine sew. Religiously. What a difference that makes to the whole process. If you are not basting and you have problems with wandering fabric, wonky seams, shifted grainlines etc.... BASTE!! I promise it is worth it. I think hand stitching speed comes from refining the stitches you like best. For example, I am a "Princess Stitcher" meaning I do the teeny tiny and most invisible stitches you've ever seen. I have no idea why my AuDHD brain has to have it this way, but here we are. I have spent time perfecting my back stitch and my blind hem stitch to do everything with. Just those two work for absolutely everything best for me. I have spent so much time doing these two stitches that I have become wickedly fast at them. I don't care if longer running stitches will do the job, I won't like how it looks or wears in the end.
My mother used to harp at me to baste every stitch, like she did. It would take her literally months to sew a garment! And when I was very young; she had to sew most of my clothes, I just grew so fast! By the time I was 9 I was 5’1”. My mother knew it was the only way to keep up with me. I’d grow 2-3” taller from the time she started a project to the time she finished it. When I started sewing, I always wanted to get the finished garment as soon as possible. I’d found a McCall’s pattern for a shortened “motorcycle jacket” my mother hated that pattern. I found a navy blue pin-stripe wool blend to make this jacket up in. My strait-laced mother was aghast! “How are you going to match the stripes?” she’d ask. I had a plan. I made very careful measurements with a yardstick & a felt-tip pen. Measuring carefully, my lines were straight on the shoulder seams, center back & front. I lined it with a cute fabric. Adding in a separating zip. Then I took it upstairs to show my mother. She couldn’t find a flaw in it anywhere!
For a few years I exclusively hand sewed anything I made. Including a couple of mens dress shirts. Here’s my advice about stitch length: if there will be a secondary securing stitch (i.e. top stitching, French seam, flat felled seam) then the initial line of stitching isn’t under a lot of strain. Therefore, I will use a larger back stitch or even a spaced back stitch. Large is between 1/8 and 1/4” stitches. To be honest that about covers all seams because I never left the edges unfinished if I hand sewed a garment. That would’ve been a catastrophic waste of time because it wouldn’t even last through one wash. Also top stitching on a hand sewn garment adds character so I roll with it. I even use a coordinating thread so it’s slightly more visible. ✨*design choice*✨ my top stitching I did try to make tiny and perfect. Works best with a fabric that is not super tightly woven. Linen will be perfect.
Lovely work. I watch for the sewing and talking. My little Loki (puppy) watches for the puppy content. Literally everytime your puppy is on the screen, Loki is just glued!
I love hand sewing. I didn't have a machine (or really know how to use one) when I started sewing. Honestly those were the resons I didnt start sewing when I first wanted to years before. Then one day (during that pandemic) I thought "sewing machines werent always a thing. I'll just hand sew for now". I'm so glad I didnt wait. I have a sewing machine now but I still do a lot of hand sewing. Especially for my historical makes but also my more modern cottagecore style makes will have at the very least Some hand sewing. I just love it. Feels very zen. Like when I knit, chrochet, or embroider.
I love this! I'm currently stuck to my couch due to long covid and I fill my time mostly with knitting, but I miss sewing (and also those knitting muscles are protesting) so I was thinking of sewing something by hand. What I had in mind is a lot simpler than what you made so I'm not as intimidated anymore. As soon as I feel up to cutting out some fabric I'm totally going to do it. Thank you for the inspiration :)
Stream of consciousness while video plays. Linen! that has to be linen.. yes! That's a lovely color. I hope you pre-washed it.. linen shrinks. For me, linen is best suited for a shift or shirt dress. Linen lends itself well to collars. Big project hand sewing project thought.. thread a bunch of needles before getting started.. less stopping to re-thread.
Your dress turned out absolutely lovely. You picked the perfect fabric for your first hand sewn garment. I love sewing linen. I’ve been exclusively sewing by hand for a couple of years now and working really hard at getting better at it. I still draw all my lines before stitching. I can sew straight “ish” without the drawn lines but for me, removing that need to focus on staying straight without a line makes the whole thing so much quicker that it’s worth the time spent drawing a line. Your time spent is pretty close to what it would have taken me to make a similar dress with finished seams. As for stitch length … sometimes I go for ridiculously tiny … usually though my stitches are about 1/16 of an inch. I backstitch everything above the widest part of the hips where there might be strain on the seam. Below the hips I do a running backstitch which for me is taking 3-7 stitches up on my needle and pulling it through then starting the next run a few threads behind where the last one ended. That way I have an anchoring stitch about every inch or so.
I love the close-caption of "Back to the peaceful piano music as if nothing is wrong" The dress turned out quite cute even with the impromptu alteration. Yay bonus pockets
I love how you show us the whole process including your facial expressions thinking it all through 😊 it’s so relatable and helpful ❤ Also the final result is gorgeous.
I don't know why I hate sitting at a sewing machine, but hand-sewing clothing is becoming more and more my relaxing night time hobby (when I'm not spinning yarn or weaving for relaxing).
I occasionally hand sew at historical events and I do a running stitch with the occasional backstitch. I mark two lines on my thumb to use as a guide for width of my seams instead of marking the fabric if I can't just wing it. I use tv programs as a time reference for my crochet projects, such as it took me two seasons of Grimm to crochet that. Because I do historical re-enacting, one of my mantras is " piecing is period" .
Marking your thumb is brilliant! I came to the comments with a similar tip: for years I've used 5/8" squares of cardstock (these days, laminated with scotch tape for durability). I use mostly big 4 patterns so this is the usual seam allowance, but cut to whatever you use - I also mark mine at 1/4" from one side and 3/8" from the other so I can make narrower seams. Then when I'm sewing I just hold the marker against the edge of the fabric with my left thumb.
1. Love this idea. 2. Without giving away Matt's employer, can you explain what he does? 3. Did you make the dress you are wearing? Love the way the gathering worked. ANSWERED!
I also couldn't let my curiosity be and tried to figure it out for about 15 min. It seems that he's a recording engineer and has worked on recent Beyonce albums! Really cool. This whole time I just assumed he was like a Hollywood stage hand or something
Love the stripe-pleated dress! Ever since I saw Hairspray (2007), I dreamt of a dress of the kind that one of the characters wears in the "I know where I've been" song sequence, where the stripes in a plaid are pleated so that the skirt basically has two differently coloured almost layers. It's such an amazing effect!
also, I love the pieced pockets and the way the linen dress fits you. 6-ish workdays is surprisingly little time to make it. Love all the doggo shenanigans again, too.
The dress is lovely. Good job fixing the error in cutting!! Design choice is a great way to describe a mistake. Love the cute striped dress can't wait to see how you made it! You are an inspiration!!
I love the dress you are wearing in this video! The fabric selection is so my vibe! I got to the end of the video and girl i love it! Little pockets! Adorable!
I just cut up 2 fleece throws and turnd them into underskirts by hand sewing. It didn't seen too slow. I prefer to hand sew hems on everything. I embroider all the time, so not an odd thing. Last year I started a hand sewn 3/4" hexi quilt top, I love the process. So much so it grew from ample to two bed size already.
Interesting that you sew seams the same way you do embroidery - poke from the top, grab on the bottom. I've always worked from the top and wiggled the needle from the top side up and down. That's a weird way to describe it, but you do cut down on a little on the up and down motions of your hand. If the seam isn't going to be under strain, I'd do a very small running stitch so you can do several stitches at a time. Backstitch on the stressed parts. I love the striped dress and may have to try that!
As someone who has no space to have a sewing machine setup constantly, all of my mock ups are entirely hand sewn. Only when everything’s all cut, pinned and ready to go will I take my machine over to my grandparents place and finish the garment. I’m also teaching my daughter how to sew and she is loving it! Also, go check out Bernadette Banner. She hand sews quite a lot of her garments (or uses one of her antique machines). I’ve honestly learnt more about hand sewing from her than I did anywhere else.
I’m just starting the video and I have to say, hand sewing a hem is strangely one of my favourite parts of making a dress! I don’t want to make the whole thing with hand sewing, but a hem and whip stitching in a bodice lining? Love it! And my hems are *always* huge lol minimum 5 years.
You're such an inspiration! I'm big and lumpy and have a hard time finding dresses that meet my criteria for what they cover and how they do so. I've made circle shirts before but I'm finally going to branch out into tops now because of you ❤ thanks for being awesome!
oh I feel this because I'm tall, so if it fits well it's definitely too short and if it's long enough it ends up being too big. idk who's in charge of providing the sizings but they are doing a terrible job at it 😭
That dress is brilliant Charlie! I love the extra asymmetric pockets and creative side panel. It makes it unique and very you! I'm a HUGE fan of linen clothing and I suspect you will reach for this dress an awful lot come warmer weather. Maybe not to putter around at home since you love knit fabrics so much, but to go out and about it'll be fabulous!
Oooh im here in first 12 minutes! I've often gotten so disillusioned by how long something takes to make after being inspired by seeing someone make something on youtube , and wondering if there was something wrong with me 😂
Long straight seams rarely need the security of backstitching, and there are techniques for sewing running stitches by loading a needle that can make them shockingly quick to do. So that's what I use 😊
The traditional tailors on Savile Row when seaming long seams by had would stitch 10 running stitches and then 1 ‘lock’/ back stitch. “A stitch in time, saves nine”.
I've always wanted to hand sew myself a dress. What has always stopped me is that I don't actually think I'd finish it. 😅 Your dress turned out very pretty though!!
Regarding stitch length, sew a test piece, turn it right-side out and tug on the seam. If you see gaps open up between the stitches, they're spaced too far. Also you can cover a lot more ground by using a spaced back stitch (which doesn't double-up stitch holes), and doubly so if you use the "sewing method" rather than the "stabbing method", where you push the needle down from the topside, out and in on the bottom side, and out on the topside in one move, without pulling the needle all the way through the fabric on the bottom side. The "stabbing method" is better suited for embroidery where the fabric is hooped and you can't roll/pinch it slightly to push the needle back up through the fabric in one motion. Edit: Ah, I see you did rediscover the sewing method.
I am one of those who has hand sewn many garments and continues to do so despite having both a sewing machine and surger. I just love hand sewing. For seams that don't get a lot of strain, I like a running back stitch. For areas that need more reinforcement I double my thread and back stich. I love that you did this. I love when people try this. ❤
That boggles my mind you just made your own pattern. Wow! The hand stitching is beautiful. I could never even attempt it. Beautiful job. Thank you for sharing. I am a new subscriber. I appreciate how you did this all.
Funny enough, I've recently embarked on my first fully hand-sewn garment as well!! Something I've found helpful re: needle rethreading fatigue is to thread two or three needles at one time and have them set off to the side. It makes rethreading more of its own task when it's in multiple and keeps from interrupting those nice long-seam grooves. Thanks for another delightful post!!
Gorgeous dress. I am not sure why, but I had this idea that it would be a lot more tunicy (tunic-like?) then it ended up being. The final product is so elegant! Also, I would like to say it was a treat to get to see you mug collection throughout the video!
Not super related to this video, but after many videos of you talking about Remainders, I was bemoaning the lack of a thrift fabric store in my area, but I finally FOUND one. It's a little store called Make Space Thrift and while it's much smaller than Remainders, I found some GREAT things there, and everything is $4 a yard. I'm psyched! Also I am realizing how much math and fiddling I have to do in order to make the longest skirt possible out of 2 yards of fabric lol. My respect for you and your creations has risen dramatically. Thanks for introducing me to fabric thrifting!
I just posted a video on my channel where I showed hand sewing a dress. It took me 4 days including making a patchwork skirt. The long seams were made with running back stitch. Also have you ever used a sewing ham to help speed up your sewing? It makes a big difference. I really like your channel and the way you approach things...😊
Wow, who new I would enjoy a sewing channel! The dress turned out beautifully, I’m glad you share your work “mistakes” and all. It shows that creativity can work its magic and make things better! I cannot imagine hand sewing that much with my arthritic hands! Great work! And…. Thank you for sharing your puppy with us! ❤ 🐶! He is so adorable 😊 I have a mini Aussie too, he is a red-tri and very similar in size as your sweet puppy ❤They are great companions 😊 🐶
I love hand sewing for finishing touches and doing buttons by hand, etc. I haven't sewn anything fully by hand in years. You created a beautiful dress. I love the mismatch pockets.
You are my favorite tube sewing inspiration. I love linen, ultimately, loving linen gets me to sew. I am sewing linen on antique machines, with no, or hand drawn patterns, can't math, finishing seam adventures! Thanks! That dress looks great!
1/2 cm long is a good stitch length! Way to go on your estimation. A running back stitch would be a good idea for the future. A continuous back stitch just uses up more thread... this making you have to thread more needles.
My mother teases me because while I own a sewing machine, I tend to hand sew everything. I’ve made a few historical shifts, and I actually really enjoy making stays because it’s just repetitive lines of stitching and only a limited amount of fabric. Where I know it REALLY takes time is when I make English paper piecing quilted coats. That involves hand basting the hexagons, sewing them together, quilting the layers together and then assembling the garment. I joke my quilted coats are the most expensive items in my wardrobe by a long shot (even if one is entirely made of scrap fabric 😂).
You would be correct, in my opinion!! English paper pieces made into ANYTHING is truly a labor of love. Imagining these coats (plural???) is a joy to my brain, as I’m beginning my own (albeit long term) English paper piecing project! Much love 💕
@@tarhabrown8038 good luck! My first all-over quilted project took about 4 months of consistent work. I’ve made a few with quilted patterns on the pockets/back and some fun vests out of upcycled skirts and trousers. It’s a fun way to incorporate wool into a coat without a big expense.
16:17 if _I_ say "it took me _two years_ to make this granny square blanket" I mean that it took me two years when I had _less than two hours a day to crochet_. If _you_ say it took you _two days_ to sew a piece, I can usually safely assume that you put at least as much time into it as I put into my day job in two days (that's currently 10 hours), and I can safely assume that it would probably take me closer to two _weeks_ to follow the same process. ETA: I love how your dress turned out! While I am a lot more comfortable with hand sewing than machine sewing, I would never try to hand sew a whole dress. It would take so long that I fear by the time I finished it wouldn't fit me anymore 😅.
Link is so cute in this video, his behaviors are so much like my pupper. I love watching you take on this hand sewing challenge, I don't have the dexterity to do all hand sewing. but wish I did. My current nemesis is bag making. I want all the bags but making them is a really big challenge.
For several years I avoided hand sewing as much as it was possible, but when I got interested in historical clothes 2 years ago, the hand sewing became a relaxing time and now I simply enjoy it 😊 And embroidery is amazing ❤
5:49 The striped dress is beautiful! I can't wait to see the video on how you made it. Sorry I had to say this before I finished the video and forgot to say it.
To answer your question, the smaller the stitch length, the stronger the seam, so it depends on where it's going. The bodice and waist would do well with a smaller stitch length, but the long seams of the skirt can be wider
I'm glad you remembered that you don't have to do the embroidery stabbing, I was concerned there for a bit! 😅 I have completely hand sewn a couple of simple tunic/shift dresses, but I mostly hand sew to relax by sewing something that doesn't matter at all, usually out of scraps (like a cat toy or a needle book or a bookmark).
You could speed up the hand sewing process by inserting the needle down through the fabric, and then back up, before pulling it through. In other words, always working from the top side of the fabric. ETA: glad to see that you figured that out!
I’ve never timed myself sewing anything. I rarely sit down and sew a garment in one go. I try and catch sewing time in between life things so it’s hard to keep track. After watching this I am definitely going to try and time my next garment!
The discussion of time to make handcrafted projects (especially sewing and embroidery) being so much more than a lot of people realize. I'm currently clocking in and out keeping track of hours on a cross stitched tapestry and have almost hit the 500 hour mark, but I'm probably under halfway done. At one point I decided to compare how much I could do in 1 hour, 10 hours, and 100 hours of stitching. While making it I've had multiple people ask if I'd ever sell it/make a commissioned one and I always want to laugh because to pay myself a fair hourly wage it would end up being tens of thousands of dollars and I know no one would be genuinely interested in paying that much.
I love that you posted this video lol I have been interested in learning to hand sew before I go and make the decision to buy a sewing machine. And I was curious about making a simple top by hand sewing but was wondering how complicated it would be lol so this is perfect for me!
I had this lovely dress in 1978 except POCKETS! (And linen couldn't be found so in cotton/polyester blend lace.) Wonderful job your stitches are to die for!
That is a really pretty dress. I do hand sew some linen and wool garments because I'm a 17th-century re-enactor, and I treat it more as a hobby. I also do hand embroidery on them, although I'm not particularly good at it, because I don't really enjoy it. Modern garments are done on the machine, and so is the embroidery. I do like to hand sew finishing touches like hems and attaching linings. Like a number of your other commentators I recommend running back stitch, English seam or mantua makers seams for speed on non stress seams.
This is such a neat idea!!! I haven’t tried hand-sewing anything yet other than some little hooks and eyes, so it was interesting to see the comparison!
1. GORGEOUS dress! Gives me belle singing on the hilltop of the tiny village vibes 🩷 2. I watched this after your sewing hot takes with Shannon makes and so my jaw dropped when YOU DID FRENCH SEAMS!?!? Dang! 3. Amazing job 100000/10 for all the cute and unique pockets
I've been saving this video, apparently for today! I knew it existed, and I knew I would eventually "cave" to the idea of hand-sewing myself a dress of some sort, since I just can't seem to get into machine sewing- no idea why, but I keep bouncing off it it. But hand sewing? I know I enjoy that! And between yesterday and today, the idea of really wanting to make myself a lovely, patchwork dress of some sort has been nagging at me... and I knew it was time to watch this video!
You have encouraged me so much in the last year to sew. Before, I was paralyzed by worrying that not everything would be perfect and the garment would be ruined. Watching your channel and seeing your brain work like mine does gave me the confidence to try without being 100% sure. Also, I live near enough to Remainders that it can be a day trip for me. Can't thank you enough for the confidence you have given me!
same here!!!
Please remember that everyone makes mistakes when learning! And you can fix most mistakes, even if the project has to go to the naughty corner for a while first l😂
Same! I've started so many more projects than I would have before. I just finished resizing and tailoring a vintage pattern and got to wear it today! Nothing is like wearing a garment that actually fits and I probably wouldn't have done them if I had found her channel!
Same here. I have a huge backlog of sewing as I've been focusing on zero stashing my yarn, but this channel always inspired me to just tackle sewing and go with the process. I'm looking forward to getting to a point with things that I really tackle all those sewing projects I've been scared to start for great of botching the cutting or whatever.
Oh man the relief I felt when you started doing horizontal stitches instead of vertical stab
Same here
yup - it's not embroidery. Need running stitches, back stitches and whip stitches.
@@l.baughman1445 I mean, with embroidery I don't stab either, it's half and half stabbing vs sliding as far as I can tell in the embroidery groups I'm in.
YES!
I swear
Long stitching where it does not show is correct.
Threading many needles and have them ready to go was a favorite technique of my grandmother.
A sewing bird / clamp is helpful .
I like to "nest" all the necessary items within reach.
Oooh I love the idea of threading many needles at once so they are ready to go. I might use that. Thankyou
Sorcery ❤❤❤
Loving getting to know you and your channel!
What's a sewing bird?
@@jessicaneal8553 From what I know, they're not much used nowadays (the ones I see online seem to be either antique or victorian reproduction), but they basically are a special clamp, which on one side clamps to a table, and the other to the fabric (they're often shaped like birds, hence the name) - this creates tension in the fabric and basically acts as a third arm, which makes handsewing long seams tend to go quicker. They also seem to often have a pincushion attached for good measure.
I *LOVE* hand sewing. It's quiet, you can take it anywhere, it helps get the wiggles out. I've gotten so good at it that I I've fooled people into thinking it's machine done and I can stitch almost automatically. As long as it's a straight seam I can sew during a lecture and miss almost nothing (which is better than my default state of being). I almost never go anywhere without my sewing kit and a project.
I do the same with embroidery projects. Once I finished one project and didn't have another set up and that is when I realized how dependant I had become on getting my wiggles out with embroidery for time I needed to sit still! I now try to have at least two projects available at all times so I never have that problem again.
I love hand sewing too, i want to do something big like a dress ❤
Hey!! 🌸 Could you share any tips, videos etc on what helped you to hand sew? :) I love sewing but haven't been able to because I can't get a sewing machine yet. I think I knew I could hand sew but I didn't fully realise until lately, and I thought a machine makes it more "proper" but I understand more now that hand sewing can be just as beautiful. I love sewing and just want to make something!! I've never actually made anything but I sometimes would add lace or little rosettes onto pillow cases etc etc and I loved it! 🌸 I love dresses and skirts and would love to make my own.
@@pinkflowerpetalsxox in my opinion the back stitch and the whip/felling stitch are the most important ones to learn. Running stitch looks like the most simple one to start with but it can be hard to get consistent stitches with at first, but back stitch has a formula for consistency built right in. So learn that, get a bit of muscle memory for it and then start practicing running stitch. They can also be combined to make the running back stitch which balances speed and strength quite nicely. Whip stitch is important because it's the most efficient stitch to hem with and also pretty simple, also you can make completely invisible hems.
Bernadette Banner has a playlist of historical hand sewing techniques which I tend to go to for more complex stitches, and I believe has videos for all the stitches I mentioned above. Her medieval red gown and first pirate shirt video also have a quick explanations of a few stitches in them. If her videos don't work for you though, there are hundreds of tutorials out there that you can find just by looking up the name of the stitch.
for tools the best place to start is a pack of needles, a pair of small scissors, a cheap measuring tape, paperclips (less dangerous to loose than needles and cheaper+ just as good as proper sewing clips) and a pencil case like object to keep them all in. There will be a lot of types of needles, don't be overwhelmed. Just grab a variety pack that isn't one of the circular container ones, those break easily and the needles are trash. Try to keep track of which needle is which type, this will help you figure out which type you like best. If you feel like it, make a small pin cushion as your first project, it's super simple, you can practice every stitch on it, and now you'll have a place to store your needles. For skirts and dresses I recommend starting with medieval shift patterns (if you like that style), circle skirts, and rectangle skirts. They're all super simple, have a million tutorials online already, and hard to fuck up in a completely unsalvageable manner.
Edit: also remember that patterns are guidelines not rules. If you're willing to mess up and make mistakes you can alter them in any way you want. You are going to make mistakes no matter what and that is okay. It's a hard thing to learn to really believe, but it's true. I say always start with cheap fabric like muslin or thrifted bedsheets so mistakes only cost you time instead of money
Teach me your waaaaaays
For more info on hand stitching, try watching Bernadette Banner. She does historical sewing and most of that is by hand. Oh and piecing? Is always a choice and very, very traditional. Thankyou for sharing!
I was scrolling comments looking for anyone to mention Bernadette. I found her through her entirely hand making a medieval gown as that was the way it was done in that time period. She now has a book out with techniques on hand sewing. And as she says… piecing is period.
Yes! Connecting all the garment creators
She also has courses on SkillShare
Intriguingly enough, I found this channel due to the TH-cam algorithm offering me a Stitchery video after I finished a (subscribed to) Bernadette Banner video. So if these two haven't yet "met" one another, TH-cam also thinks they should be connected.
I do viking age reenactment so I hand sew all my clothes and I usually do a running stitch with a backstitch about every 6 stitches. I flat fell all seams to one side which gives both clean seam finishes and extra strength to all seams.
For hems and necklines I usually do a slip stitch or a more decorative prick stitch.
I'm starting some Regency and late Victorian outfits too, and some of it will be hand sewn but not all.
I do historical sewing as well. The closest (timeliness wise) I've gotten to the Viking era is the Italian renaissance gown I'm currently hand sewing.
Y'all are genuinely so cool, I love that there's people in the world just casually doing the most incredible things @@asiabryant207
That sounds like so much fun! ❤
@@danielletdg8423 It actually is, and the great thing about viking age era (or rather general clothes fashion before 1100s) is that it's very simple shapes and constructions, comparetively. I admit though, most of the undertunics and underdresses that i made for my viking group were sewn by machine for invisible stitches. We are nearly 20 people afterall and i made for each of us like 5 of them.
Same hat! I also do viking reenactment and have become sort of the go to person to ask for advice on sewing amongst the less experienced members. I tend to back stitch linen and sleeves, whip hems and flat fell seams when they need finishing
I have nothing to contribute to the hand sewing conversation, but I just wanted to comment my delight about how chaotically full every coffee mug is, every time 😄
I'm late to the party but here's my tips for hand sewing!
For the majority of seams I use a running back stitch, stitches are about 2mm long. You just do a running stitch until your needle is full, then a single backstitch to start your next needle full of running stitches.
For load bearing seams I use a back stitch. With stitch lengths of 1 to 2 mm. By load-bearing I mean anything that fits tight or holds lots of weight or has a lot of movement/pulling. So this could be around the waste area, the bust area, where the sleeves attach to the dress, where pockets attached to the dress, and usually the entire pocket bag.
I also don't use my thread doubled up. I'll have the thread folded over with a few inches of just single thread near the fabric. That way I have more usable thread length, I also use cotton thread instead of polyester thread and it's much stronger.
I used to also use really really long amounts of thread because I hated tying knots to start and finish my thread length. But now I do three back stitches stacked on top of each other and it's so much faster than knotting so I don't feel the need to use really long thread chunks anymore.
It looks great!!! I’m sure 1000 people have already sai, “ Put an/your hourly rate per hour on it and then you’ll see why a lot of clothes or handmade items are so expensive.” I’m a quilter and if I assigned a cost to the things that I make, eyes would water and heads would explode. But it’s personally worth every second.
The first time that I brought my handcrafts to a bazaar, I didn't know how to price them. I listed how many hours each item took and made a sign "Make an offer." and didn't sell a thing because my items were considered "too expensive."
I just want to tell you how much I appreciate the care and detail that you put into your subtitles. It's so wonderful for those of us with auditory processing issues! And I love the little secret affirmations and jokes you put in them too
The dress came out lovely (duh!), but the real winner of this video was your cute collection of mugs 🥰
Agreed. Goals for sure!
It's crazy to think that all clothes were once made like this... the dress is lovely, also love to see another sewist using a double thread and a super long thread 🪡
On the subject of 'Hand sewing' ....
Several years ago, I was reading a book about a sewer who's life work became the Underground Railroad.
She would prepare for a sewing session by threading anywhere from five to a dozen needles onto her spool of thread. Then she would hold the spool in one hand, and the needle in the other. She would the pull the threaded needle a comfortable distance away, knot and clip her thread.
Her threaded needles were then tucked into her emory.
As she finished each threaded needle, she would thread the needle back onto the spool, and just keep sewing.
All of her sister's friends were amazed at how fast she could work a seam.
That is genius 🤯
I so often get stuck after each thread I use, because task switching is a time when I easily get stalled out and distracted ... This streamlined needle prep concept is GENIUS! Thanks for sharing this!
You're very welcome.
...the best part (for me) was that putting the needles in the Emory kept them sharp!
@@deboraharmstrong3002 I actually don't know that word in this context. Is it the same thing as an emory board like people buy to buff their nails?
Remember those Tomato shaped pincushions? The ones with a weird little strawberry attached?
The strawberry part is filled with emery sand. It serves as a way to sharpen needles
Way back when, a pincushion and every were a common First Project for a young Sewist.
Linen is such an S-tier fabric. I love handsewing with it so much, it has such lovely body. No slipping around, no stretching, and the warp/weft are often quite easy to see which makes straighter stitching much easier (although I also frequently draw on seamlines). Plus there is literally nothing more satisfying than ironing a wrinkled up piece of linen. One pass with a hot, steamy iron, and it's perfect.
I almost did not watch this video because I thought "hand sewing is not for me", especially after a long day of babysitting and then an evening of watching softball in the freezing rain. Then I remembered that Charlie will make it fun! You never cease to amaze me! That dress is amazing. Pretty sure it needs to be framed for the amount of work you put in to it.
Your dog is not spoiled. He is fairly compensated for the services he provides.
I love this comment
There have been a few occasions where people have suggested that I could take a project that I made for myself, make more of them, and sell them to other people. Every time that happens and I start thinking about the act of making, selling, and delivering the things in a timely manner, I lose all the joy that making the original one had given me. I am looking forward to showing some of my latest work at our local and state fairs this summer. I also love giving things as a gift to family and friends.
Not to mention, there's the "how much would I need to charge to make it worth selling them?" question 😞
Same here. I'm always told I should start selling the dresses/cakes/etc that I make, then people are usually surprised when I tell them that would take the fun out of it. Plus, no one wants to pay a fair price for that kind of thing
One of my brother's friends says that he would buy a quilt from me. I'm willing to take commissions, but to make something without a specific recipient in mind and hope that somebody will want to pay whatever I'm asking for it is an overwhelming prospect. I currently have 3 different quilt projects in various stages going right now and all of them have a specific person they are going to. Making things for people I care about brings me some of my greatest pleasure.
@TheKjoy85 - Great idea! I appreciate when people bring their hand crafts to the County Fair 💗 It’s my favorite part . . . that and the food 😋
@GaiaCarney I have now finished 3 of the 4 quilts I have started so far this year, plus 2 quilted pillowcases and 2 flannel baby blankets for our neighbors. 2 of the quilts I'm making, and 1 of the pillowcases will go to the fairs for competition and exhibition. Both fairs are in August, so I have time to finish the 4th quilt.
I really really love your captioning. Very few folks I watch go to the effort of putting them in, much less adding funny little things. 20:58 made me NEARLY snort coffee out of my nose, thank you for that
Agreed. I’m hearing impaired so I need captions. Her not only having them but doing something with them is so lovely
Someday, when my time is no longer completely entrenched in caring for 3 small humans (i.e. my kids lol), I can't wait to make my own dresses like you do. That pleated stripes dress you're wearing is absolutely gonna be on the list!!
I have 3 small people too and that bowl of pins gave me hives lol. This is my dream too though!!
I only have 1 tiny human under my care. Fortunately her grandmother lives near enough to visit frequently. Baby's time with GiGi is Mommy's time for sewing 😂
I have one tiny human so thankfully still have nap time and after bedtime to sew! Expecting my second in a couple months and hoping I’ll still find time to sew 😅
@DanceAddikt I manage to crochet a lot, but that's bc it takes up a lot less space and is easy to put down & pick back up, move to different spaces, etc. Sewing... not so much. My youngest is 15 months and in pure chaos gremlin mode, so. 🤪
sew in front of your children sew simple things for them to wear
Her closed captioning is HILARIOUS. Highly recommend running them while you watch
Turning them on now!!!
Another hand sewist here. For seams that won't take a lot of stress, I do a running back stitch. The ones that will need to hold up under pressure, i backstitch. Usually fell mumy seams down.
As for stitch length, that depends on the weight of the fabric. Lighter weights/lower thread counts get smaller stitches. As for straight seams, if i have a grain line to follow, i can keep straight, otherwise drawing my sewing lines does help. I mark my sewing lines instead of the cutting lines, and then i attach a magnet to my scissors as a seam allowance guide.
Armholes by hand. Everytime.
Also LOVE that dress you're wearing
I hadn't thought of just putting the sleeves in by hand.
That makes so much sense.
My preferred stitch for hand sewing garments is the running backstitch. Back stitch at the beginning, then 3 or 4 running stitches loaded up on the needle, sashiko style. And those 3 or 4 can be small, because I'm doing them multiple at a time.
Yes, wanted to say this as a hand sewist: sewing one stitch at a time was painful to watch! It's not generally necessary and it takes so much more effort and time. Running backstich is where it's at.
Same. My stitches are small enough to stack 3-4 on the needle at once. 😊
Running backstitch is 100% the way to go! When I first started sewing, I was backstitching everything and it took a thousand years. Yeah those seams are going to outlive the heat death of the universe but they really don't need to!
(I do backstitch around high-strain areas like armpits... probably not necessary but I don't want to ever have to come back and mend them lol)
Also agreed on loading up the needle with multiple stitches. While too thick of a needle for fabric can be a pain (you want it thin enough to glide smoothly through the fabric, it will match the thickness of the fabric), too fine/short of one means you can't get as many stitches on it, and that's a problem too.
Running backstitch is my go to as well. I do about 6 stitches per inch for things that won’t be seen or under significant strain. Stitches get shorter and running less frequent as the estimated amount of strain increases.
The one thing I ALWAYS do is basting. I baste no matter if I intend to hand or machine sew. Religiously. What a difference that makes to the whole process. If you are not basting and you have problems with wandering fabric, wonky seams, shifted grainlines etc.... BASTE!! I promise it is worth it.
I think hand stitching speed comes from refining the stitches you like best. For example, I am a "Princess Stitcher" meaning I do the teeny tiny and most invisible stitches you've ever seen. I have no idea why my AuDHD brain has to have it this way, but here we are. I have spent time perfecting my back stitch and my blind hem stitch to do everything with. Just those two work for absolutely everything best for me. I have spent so much time doing these two stitches that I have become wickedly fast at them. I don't care if longer running stitches will do the job, I won't like how it looks or wears in the end.
I didn’t use to baste, but it is an absolute life saver when it comes to long seams wandering or funky connections like curves.
You sold me!
My mother used to harp at me to baste every stitch, like she did. It would take her literally months to sew a garment! And when I was very young; she had to sew most of my clothes, I just grew so fast! By the time I was 9 I was 5’1”. My mother knew it was the only way to keep up with me. I’d grow 2-3” taller from the time she started a project to the time she finished it.
When I started sewing, I always wanted to get the finished garment as soon as possible. I’d found a McCall’s pattern for a shortened “motorcycle jacket” my mother hated that pattern. I found a navy blue pin-stripe wool blend to make this jacket up in. My strait-laced mother was aghast! “How are you going to match the stripes?” she’d ask. I had a plan. I made very careful measurements with a yardstick & a felt-tip pen. Measuring carefully, my lines were straight on the shoulder seams, center back & front. I lined it with a cute fabric. Adding in a separating zip. Then I took it upstairs to show my mother. She couldn’t find a flaw in it anywhere!
For a few years I exclusively hand sewed anything I made. Including a couple of mens dress shirts.
Here’s my advice about stitch length: if there will be a secondary securing stitch (i.e. top stitching, French seam, flat felled seam) then the initial line of stitching isn’t under a lot of strain. Therefore, I will use a larger back stitch or even a spaced back stitch. Large is between 1/8 and 1/4” stitches.
To be honest that about covers all seams because I never left the edges unfinished if I hand sewed a garment. That would’ve been a catastrophic waste of time because it wouldn’t even last through one wash.
Also top stitching on a hand sewn garment adds character so I roll with it. I even use a coordinating thread so it’s slightly more visible. ✨*design choice*✨ my top stitching I did try to make tiny and perfect. Works best with a fabric that is not super tightly woven. Linen will be perfect.
Lovely work. I watch for the sewing and talking. My little Loki (puppy) watches for the puppy content. Literally everytime your puppy is on the screen, Loki is just glued!
I love hand sewing. I didn't have a machine (or really know how to use one) when I started sewing. Honestly those were the resons I didnt start sewing when I first wanted to years before. Then one day (during that pandemic) I thought "sewing machines werent always a thing. I'll just hand sew for now". I'm so glad I didnt wait. I have a sewing machine now but I still do a lot of hand sewing. Especially for my historical makes but also my more modern cottagecore style makes will have at the very least Some hand sewing. I just love it. Feels very zen. Like when I knit, chrochet, or embroider.
I love this! I'm currently stuck to my couch due to long covid and I fill my time mostly with knitting, but I miss sewing (and also those knitting muscles are protesting) so I was thinking of sewing something by hand. What I had in mind is a lot simpler than what you made so I'm not as intimidated anymore. As soon as I feel up to cutting out some fabric I'm totally going to do it. Thank you for the inspiration :)
Exactly the same here. Except crochet rather than knitting!
Stream of consciousness while video plays.
Linen! that has to be linen.. yes! That's a lovely color.
I hope you pre-washed it.. linen shrinks.
For me, linen is best suited for a shift or shirt dress. Linen lends itself well to collars.
Big project hand sewing project thought.. thread a bunch of needles before getting started.. less stopping to re-thread.
Your dress turned out absolutely lovely. You picked the perfect fabric for your first hand sewn garment. I love sewing linen.
I’ve been exclusively sewing by hand for a couple of years now and working really hard at getting better at it. I still draw all my lines before stitching. I can sew straight “ish” without the drawn lines but for me, removing that need to focus on staying straight without a line makes the whole thing so much quicker that it’s worth the time spent drawing a line.
Your time spent is pretty close to what it would have taken me to make a similar dress with finished seams. As for stitch length … sometimes I go for ridiculously tiny … usually though my stitches are about 1/16 of an inch. I backstitch everything above the widest part of the hips where there might be strain on the seam. Below the hips I do a running backstitch which for me is taking 3-7 stitches up on my needle and pulling it through then starting the next run a few threads behind where the last one ended. That way I have an anchoring stitch about every inch or so.
I too love a drawn line. I use those friction pens and they work so well for this purpose.
Abby Cox and Bernadette Banner both have some hand sewing vids if I recall correctly!
I love the close-caption of "Back to the peaceful piano music as if nothing is wrong" The dress turned out quite cute even with the impromptu alteration. Yay bonus pockets
As someone that has primarily hand sewn for years, I think you did incredibly well.
I love how you show us the whole process including your facial expressions thinking it all through 😊 it’s so relatable and helpful ❤ Also the final result is gorgeous.
I don't know why I hate sitting at a sewing machine, but hand-sewing clothing is becoming more and more my relaxing night time hobby (when I'm not spinning yarn or weaving for relaxing).
I occasionally hand sew at historical events and I do a running stitch with the occasional backstitch. I mark two lines on my thumb to use as a guide for width of my seams instead of marking the fabric if I can't just wing it.
I use tv programs as a time reference for my crochet projects, such as it took me two seasons of Grimm to crochet that.
Because I do historical re-enacting, one of my mantras is " piecing is period" .
I've been sewing by hand since childhood and now I will be stealing the mark your thumb method so I don't have to constantly make my stitch line.
Marking your thumb is brilliant! I came to the comments with a similar tip: for years I've used 5/8" squares of cardstock (these days, laminated with scotch tape for durability). I use mostly big 4 patterns so this is the usual seam allowance, but cut to whatever you use - I also mark mine at 1/4" from one side and 3/8" from the other so I can make narrower seams. Then when I'm sewing I just hold the marker against the edge of the fabric with my left thumb.
1. Love this idea.
2. Without giving away Matt's employer, can you explain what he does?
3. Did you make the dress you are wearing? Love the way the gathering worked. ANSWERED!
Matt is a Grammy nominated musical engineer….he is “Bey” 😉and really smart and him and Charlie are adorable together 😉❤️
Yeah I don't know what his actual role/title is but I think of him as a Sound Doctor
@@LeeLee86wait is that who it is? I’ve tried (not very hard) to find out bc I’m curious lol 😂
I also couldn't let my curiosity be and tried to figure it out for about 15 min. It seems that he's a recording engineer and has worked on recent Beyonce albums! Really cool. This whole time I just assumed he was like a Hollywood stage hand or something
Didn’t know if you saw but yes she made that dress with the gathered waist.
Love the stripe-pleated dress! Ever since I saw Hairspray (2007), I dreamt of a dress of the kind that one of the characters wears in the "I know where I've been" song sequence, where the stripes in a plaid are pleated so that the skirt basically has two differently coloured almost layers. It's such an amazing effect!
also, I love the pieced pockets and the way the linen dress fits you. 6-ish workdays is surprisingly little time to make it.
Love all the doggo shenanigans again, too.
The dress is lovely. Good job fixing the error in cutting!! Design choice is a great way to describe a mistake. Love the cute striped dress can't wait to see how you made it! You are an inspiration!!
I love the dress you are wearing in this video! The fabric selection is so my vibe!
I got to the end of the video and girl i love it! Little pockets! Adorable!
I just cut up 2 fleece throws and turnd them into underskirts by hand sewing. It didn't seen too slow. I prefer to hand sew hems on everything.
I embroider all the time, so not an odd thing.
Last year I started a hand sewn 3/4" hexi quilt top, I love the process. So much so it grew from ample to two bed size already.
Interesting that you sew seams the same way you do embroidery - poke from the top, grab on the bottom. I've always worked from the top and wiggled the needle from the top side up and down. That's a weird way to describe it, but you do cut down on a little on the up and down motions of your hand. If the seam isn't going to be under strain, I'd do a very small running stitch so you can do several stitches at a time. Backstitch on the stressed parts. I love the striped dress and may have to try that!
OH??? i thought everyone sewed the same way you do embroidery! so the way you do it is more like a practical way? or is it just a preference thing?
As someone who has no space to have a sewing machine setup constantly, all of my mock ups are entirely hand sewn. Only when everything’s all cut, pinned and ready to go will I take my machine over to my grandparents place and finish the garment.
I’m also teaching my daughter how to sew and she is loving it!
Also, go check out Bernadette Banner. She hand sews quite a lot of her garments (or uses one of her antique machines). I’ve honestly learnt more about hand sewing from her than I did anywhere else.
I’m just starting the video and I have to say, hand sewing a hem is strangely one of my favourite parts of making a dress! I don’t want to make the whole thing with hand sewing, but a hem and whip stitching in a bodice lining? Love it! And my hems are *always* huge lol minimum 5 years.
You're such an inspiration! I'm big and lumpy and have a hard time finding dresses that meet my criteria for what they cover and how they do so. I've made circle shirts before but I'm finally going to branch out into tops now because of you ❤ thanks for being awesome!
oh I feel this because I'm tall, so if it fits well it's definitely too short and if it's long enough it ends up being too big. idk who's in charge of providing the sizings but they are doing a terrible job at it 😭
I hand sew for relaxation. Slow stitching, and hand pieceing quilt bits, and big stitch quilting.
That dress is brilliant Charlie! I love the extra asymmetric pockets and creative side panel. It makes it unique and very you!
I'm a HUGE fan of linen clothing and I suspect you will reach for this dress an awful lot come warmer weather. Maybe not to putter around at home since you love knit fabrics so much, but to go out and about it'll be fabulous!
Oooh im here in first 12 minutes!
I've often gotten so disillusioned by how long something takes to make after being inspired by seeing someone make something on youtube , and wondering if there was something wrong with me 😂
Long straight seams rarely need the security of backstitching, and there are techniques for sewing running stitches by loading a needle that can make them shockingly quick to do.
So that's what I use 😊
Me too. And pinning onto a ham speeds things up a lot too...
The traditional tailors on Savile Row when seaming long seams by had would stitch 10 running stitches and then 1 ‘lock’/ back stitch. “A stitch in time, saves nine”.
This has been one of my favorite Stitchery videos!
I've always wanted to hand sew myself a dress. What has always stopped me is that I don't actually think I'd finish it. 😅 Your dress turned out very pretty though!!
You should totally do it! Even if it takes you a long time to finish it. It's so satisfying when it's done 😊
The way you edited that final reveal is just chef’s kiss! That must have taken so long to put it to music like that. Very much appreciated that! 😊
Both the striped dress and the blue linen dress are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing this process
Just needed to say I had a strawberry cup Just like that one when I was a girl in the 60's. I had forgotten all about it
Thanks for the memories 😊
Regarding stitch length, sew a test piece, turn it right-side out and tug on the seam. If you see gaps open up between the stitches, they're spaced too far.
Also you can cover a lot more ground by using a spaced back stitch (which doesn't double-up stitch holes), and doubly so if you use the "sewing method" rather than the "stabbing method", where you push the needle down from the topside, out and in on the bottom side, and out on the topside in one move, without pulling the needle all the way through the fabric on the bottom side. The "stabbing method" is better suited for embroidery where the fabric is hooped and you can't roll/pinch it slightly to push the needle back up through the fabric in one motion.
Edit: Ah, I see you did rediscover the sewing method.
I am one of those who has hand sewn many garments and continues to do so despite having both a sewing machine and surger. I just love hand sewing.
For seams that don't get a lot of strain, I like a running back stitch. For areas that need more reinforcement I double my thread and back stich.
I love that you did this. I love when people try this. ❤
Ok, now I seriously want to see your tea mug cupboard & all the cups you have. They are gorgeous.
AGREED!! The strawberry mug is by far my favorite so far 🥰
That boggles my mind you just made your own pattern. Wow! The hand stitching is beautiful. I could never even attempt it. Beautiful job. Thank you for sharing. I am a new subscriber. I appreciate how you did this all.
Funny enough, I've recently embarked on my first fully hand-sewn garment as well!! Something I've found helpful re: needle rethreading fatigue is to thread two or three needles at one time and have them set off to the side. It makes rethreading more of its own task when it's in multiple and keeps from interrupting those nice long-seam grooves. Thanks for another delightful post!!
The strawberries Ive been nervously avoiding for fear that they went bad thank you for saving them from becoming a science fair project.
Ooh, that reminds me😂
I really enjoy your approach to projects and your channel and filming
Spoiling your hobby makes sense to me. Love the final product and especially it's uniqueness x
Gorgeous dress. I am not sure why, but I had this idea that it would be a lot more tunicy (tunic-like?) then it ended up being. The final product is so elegant!
Also, I would like to say it was a treat to get to see you mug collection throughout the video!
My husband's Aunt hand sewed my first maternity dress. It was Beautiful!
Not super related to this video, but after many videos of you talking about Remainders, I was bemoaning the lack of a thrift fabric store in my area, but I finally FOUND one. It's a little store called Make Space Thrift and while it's much smaller than Remainders, I found some GREAT things there, and everything is $4 a yard. I'm psyched! Also I am realizing how much math and fiddling I have to do in order to make the longest skirt possible out of 2 yards of fabric lol. My respect for you and your creations has risen dramatically. Thanks for introducing me to fabric thrifting!
I just posted a video on my channel where I showed hand sewing a dress. It took me 4 days including making a patchwork skirt. The long seams were made with running back stitch.
Also have you ever used a sewing ham to help speed up your sewing? It makes a big difference.
I really like your channel and the way you approach things...😊
I watch for the chaotic crafting, the sewing, but especially the Puppy. Thank you for puppy.
This dress is so cute and you did it way faster than the last garment i made by hand before getting my machine
Wow, who new I would enjoy a sewing channel! The dress turned out beautifully, I’m glad you share your work “mistakes” and all. It shows that creativity can work its magic and make things better! I cannot imagine hand sewing that much with my arthritic hands! Great work! And…. Thank you for sharing your puppy with us! ❤ 🐶! He is so adorable 😊 I have a mini Aussie too, he is a red-tri and very similar in size as your sweet puppy ❤They are great companions 😊 🐶
I love hand sewing for finishing touches and doing buttons by hand, etc.
I haven't sewn anything fully by hand in years.
You created a beautiful dress. I love the mismatch pockets.
You are my favorite tube sewing inspiration. I love linen, ultimately, loving linen gets me to sew. I am sewing linen on antique machines, with no, or hand drawn patterns, can't math, finishing seam adventures! Thanks! That dress looks great!
1/2 cm long is a good stitch length! Way to go on your estimation. A running back stitch would be a good idea for the future. A continuous back stitch just uses up more thread... this making you have to thread more needles.
Liked so she will see!!
My mother teases me because while I own a sewing machine, I tend to hand sew everything. I’ve made a few historical shifts, and I actually really enjoy making stays because it’s just repetitive lines of stitching and only a limited amount of fabric. Where I know it REALLY takes time is when I make English paper piecing quilted coats. That involves hand basting the hexagons, sewing them together, quilting the layers together and then assembling the garment. I joke my quilted coats are the most expensive items in my wardrobe by a long shot (even if one is entirely made of scrap fabric 😂).
You would be correct, in my opinion!! English paper pieces made into ANYTHING is truly a labor of love.
Imagining these coats (plural???) is a joy to my brain, as I’m beginning my own (albeit long term) English paper piecing project!
Much love 💕
@@tarhabrown8038 good luck! My first all-over quilted project took about 4 months of consistent work. I’ve made a few with quilted patterns on the pockets/back and some fun vests out of upcycled skirts and trousers. It’s a fun way to incorporate wool into a coat without a big expense.
16:17 if _I_ say "it took me _two years_ to make this granny square blanket" I mean that it took me two years when I had _less than two hours a day to crochet_. If _you_ say it took you _two days_ to sew a piece, I can usually safely assume that you put at least as much time into it as I put into my day job in two days (that's currently 10 hours), and I can safely assume that it would probably take me closer to two _weeks_ to follow the same process.
ETA: I love how your dress turned out! While I am a lot more comfortable with hand sewing than machine sewing, I would never try to hand sew a whole dress. It would take so long that I fear by the time I finished it wouldn't fit me anymore 😅.
Link is so cute in this video, his behaviors are so much like my pupper. I love watching you take on this hand sewing challenge, I don't have the dexterity to do all hand sewing. but wish I did. My current nemesis is bag making. I want all the bags but making them is a really big challenge.
This was exactly what I needed today. *eyes up the fabric in the corner*
For several years I avoided hand sewing as much as it was possible, but when I got interested in historical clothes 2 years ago, the hand sewing became a relaxing time and now I simply enjoy it 😊 And embroidery is amazing ❤
This dress is beautiful! You are amazing! Thank you
5:49 The striped dress is beautiful! I can't wait to see the video on how you made it. Sorry I had to say this before I finished the video and forgot to say it.
omg, it's soooooo pretty--so flattering on you!!!!!
I was gonna ask about the dress cause it’s intriguing with the stripes
Your stitching is exquisite! And I love your dog.
It's gorgeous!! That color is phenomenal, and I am obsessed with how linen falls on a human
To answer your question, the smaller the stitch length, the stronger the seam, so it depends on where it's going. The bodice and waist would do well with a smaller stitch length, but the long seams of the skirt can be wider
Liked this so she’ll see it!
I'm glad you remembered that you don't have to do the embroidery stabbing, I was concerned there for a bit! 😅
I have completely hand sewn a couple of simple tunic/shift dresses, but I mostly hand sew to relax by sewing something that doesn't matter at all, usually out of scraps (like a cat toy or a needle book or a bookmark).
Beautiful dress🥰 piecing is period in any century plus you got more pockets out of that so that’s a win.
You could speed up the hand sewing process by inserting the needle down through the fabric, and then back up, before pulling it through. In other words, always working from the top side of the fabric. ETA: glad to see that you figured that out!
I’ve never timed myself sewing anything. I rarely sit down and sew a garment in one go. I try and catch sewing time in between life things so it’s hard to keep track. After watching this I am definitely going to try and time my next garment!
The discussion of time to make handcrafted projects (especially sewing and embroidery) being so much more than a lot of people realize. I'm currently clocking in and out keeping track of hours on a cross stitched tapestry and have almost hit the 500 hour mark, but I'm probably under halfway done. At one point I decided to compare how much I could do in 1 hour, 10 hours, and 100 hours of stitching.
While making it I've had multiple people ask if I'd ever sell it/make a commissioned one and I always want to laugh because to pay myself a fair hourly wage it would end up being tens of thousands of dollars and I know no one would be genuinely interested in paying that much.
That actually came out beautifully! Well done! It is certainly inspiring to see you go through the journey of hand creation! Keep up the amazing work!
I love that you posted this video lol I have been interested in learning to hand sew before I go and make the decision to buy a sewing machine. And I was curious about making a simple top by hand sewing but was wondering how complicated it would be lol so this is perfect for me!
So pretty!! Your dress turned out amazing! There's something so beautiful about hand sewing.
Also I love all you different mugs!
I had this lovely dress in 1978 except POCKETS! (And linen couldn't be found so in cotton/polyester blend lace.) Wonderful job your stitches are to die for!
The asymmetrical pockets are what drew me to watch this video! They're so cute, they really make the dress!
Along with the sewing, and the dress of course, I'm loving the variety of mugs and teacups passing by! ❤
That is a really pretty dress. I do hand sew some linen and wool garments because I'm a 17th-century re-enactor, and I treat it more as a hobby. I also do hand embroidery on them, although I'm not particularly good at it, because I don't really enjoy it. Modern garments are done on the machine, and so is the embroidery. I do like to hand sew finishing touches like hems and attaching linings. Like a number of your other commentators I recommend running back stitch, English seam or mantua makers seams for speed on non stress seams.
This is such a neat idea!!! I haven’t tried hand-sewing anything yet other than some little hooks and eyes, so it was interesting to see the comparison!
1. GORGEOUS dress! Gives me belle singing on the hilltop of the tiny village vibes 🩷
2. I watched this after your sewing hot takes with Shannon makes and so my jaw dropped when YOU DID FRENCH SEAMS!?!? Dang!
3. Amazing job 100000/10 for all the cute and unique pockets
I've been saving this video, apparently for today! I knew it existed, and I knew I would eventually "cave" to the idea of hand-sewing myself a dress of some sort, since I just can't seem to get into machine sewing- no idea why, but I keep bouncing off it it. But hand sewing? I know I enjoy that! And between yesterday and today, the idea of really wanting to make myself a lovely, patchwork dress of some sort has been nagging at me... and I knew it was time to watch this video!
I do all of my sewing by hand for... I don't know why, I just enjoy it. I'm watching your videos while hand sewing my wedding dress