In the wake of recent events, it's more important than ever that you urge your local politicians to support gun safety legislation. Learn more about how you can help: www.everytown.org/
I know you mean well, but would you make such an over simplifying statement if the issues were surrounding knives or any other weapon? I fully understand the need for regulation. What I fail to understand then is why over regulated/ limited areas face the most crime while fully armed communities face little. IMHO we still see a ton of knife and blade attacks, but no changes are made to further regulate anything that's pointy. Everyone chalks it up to, "If you're going to break up with her, don't do it anywhere near the kitchen," and flat out being responsible with the blades we have all around us from scissors and knitting needles on up. Guns already face tons of background checks, safety protocols, trainings and screenings in the vast majority of the States. Are there scumbags who subvert these laws? Yes, just like there are scumbags everywhere who subvert every law. That doesn't mean tell your Republican representative to "support gun safety legislation", because as far as they're concerned there already is a ton of gun safety legislation regarding IDs, FBI checks, coursework, hospital reports, etc. It means this argument is extremely nuanced, but just like every other weapon it's more important that the good guys outweigh the bad and can respond properly while people are trained to automatically go into lockdown if/when something happens. No more of this dilly dallying with locking doors, not having dedicated security for our children when we do have security for banks. We can all have an awful day and make snap decisions, and while it's important to not give the absolute loonies full access to destruction, it is on each of us to have the maturity and responsibility to know not to attack others. It's a moral thing, on top of a legislation thing, but I don't see as many calls for screenings or required appointments with a counsellor like we have sports physicals. ~A former K-12 music educator in Oregon, been through local tragedies as well as loads of drills and trainings
@@Undomaranel I mean... We barely have school shootings in Europe and strict gun laws... Instead of trying to shoot at crime, why don't you go to the root cause and do something about that?
@@rdb4996 My country is among the highest gun to person ratio in the world but stuff like school shootings doesn't happen, certainly not on a regular. There are other issues causing events like that to happen, like bullying and mental illness, that absolutely have to be dealt with as well (in the US, my country and elsewhere), but society's attitude towards guns is a part of the overall problem.
@@LadyDragonbane ahh, so you are saying that writing to your congress representatives is not the solution/action to take? I think we are saying the same thing: look the cause.
@@Undomaranel Please stop spreading misinformation. More guns, looser laws = more death. Massachusetts has the toughest gun laws and the lowest gun deaths in the US. Louisiana and Mississippi have disproportionately high firearm homicide rates. Most of the bottom 10 states for firearm homicides are in the bottom 10 for gun ownership. Don’t listen to the gun industry’s lies!
I am absolutely adoring the High Concept Goth fashion journey Morgan seems to be on at least some of the time. The blouses, especially the sheer one? The harness / vest layering? Impeccable. Five, no, six stars.
Watching you struggle with the rivets reminded me of when I made a duvet-sized quilt using the tiniest stitches known to man because that's what Laura Ingles Wilder told me to do. At the end of the day, I had to give myself permission to use those big stitches we all started using when we were children, and it went a lot faster. Instead of avoiding the task, I was actually enjoying it. I've made three quilts since then using the big stitches and I haven't looked back. Sometimes, you have to give yourself permission to do the things you're good at when you're trying to do something new and difficult. The Kevlar armor and the latex silly pants were lovely, but I promise you we'd be here even if you made a kirtle.
Laura Ingalls Wilder is who got me into historical costume. I made a bonnet and tried copying a favorite top. Unfortunately I didn’t understand seam allowance my first go round but they looked adorable on my three year old cousin! I was eleven.
The folks at Dupont have specialized scissors for the Kevlar fabric. I may or may not have procured a couple pairs from my dad who used to work in that department, and they are one of my favorite sewing tools.
I know that one of the keys with cutting kevlar is to use very very sharp blades. That would explain why the first cut was nice, but later ones had more issues. Also, kevlar is used for protective pants for lumberjacks...it'll jam a chainsaw with the fibers.
Memory unlocked!! We had several pairs (silver, all metal?) that my grandmother said she got from her husband that worked at DuPont. I wonder if he worked in the Kevlar dept???
So, in the words of Rachel Maksy, "I have a mighty need." My dream is to have a photoshoot dressed in super feminine, glam armor. I have chain maille fabric in silver and gold and now I think I need to make a brigandine to go with...ahhhhhh! This is everything!
Brigandine is way better for armor, especially if you're making feminine shaped armor. Not only can you simply reverse the style to put the plates on the outside (Historically done sometimes!), but it allows a much more comfortable and flexible design like she mentioned in this video! A brigandine corset is functional, and good looking!
This was so fun! Props to you for being persistent! Off topic silly RenFaire anecdote: my family went to the Sterling NY RenFaire last summer, and the jousting show was... pretty WWE. At one point, the Queen said, 'where did you find these knights, in a field?!' and the announcer replied, 'I am sorry, your majesty, these were the best we could get because of the plague.' 🤣🤣🤣
@@yolandabizzell5852 it was SO crowded last summer. They let in the same or more people than usual and had only half the staff. Hopefully it's less chaotic this year.
the Mycenaean chariot armor at 2:52 is a great choice for "thousands of years of armor development". in case anyone is curious, the helmet is a boars' tusk helmet, which is most notable for 1) being really really hard to get materials for and 2) being described in Homer's Iliad, a few hundred years after the Mycenaean civilization crashed and burned
I appreciate how you didn't give up on this beast of a project. It through so many challenges your way but you definitely met it head on and made something amazing despite the tricksy-ness. It looks phenomenal, Morgan. Like holy heck is that thing "BADASS!" Your creativity, different eras mash ups, willingness to try new things and include us even when it could go all wrong truly make you near and dear to my maker heart.
She filmed the making of that outfit awhile ago! I’ll see if I can find the title of it so you can watch it😄 Edit: since trying to find it I’ve determined that I’ve seen it somewhere but have no idea where. It definitely is not something she filmed the making of😅 I’m thinking possibly it was in an IG story at some point?? Sorry if I raised anyones hopes🫠I’ll go now.
I love it when people make things out of unusual fabrics for things. I once made a vest out of cork and no, I will never do that again, but I learned a lot doing it.
I've had lots of similar mishaps with similar materials. Synthetics dull blades deceptively quickly, and yet still continue to cut through but with tons of tear out. And when materials are rigid and have such thickness, beveled cuts are a necessity. When you mentioned carbon fiber cloth I could feel your disappointment coming. I had the same experience. So pretty and yet unable to do it's job as a fabric! Fantastic execution despite the difficulties. Kydex material might be able to get you closer to your original vision.
Just a heads up, be very careful handling carbon fiber, tiny little strands can very easily get under the skin (with just handling it) and cause irritation. Loved the project by the way, what a fun idea!
This video may not make me want to try working with Kevlar- but it does inspire me to keep working on the projects that frustrate me. Because in the end you got there! You did the thing! And THAT is what's so inspiring! I'm working on an animation right now and i'm HATING where i am with it- but i'm gonna keep pushing through. Because in the end i can say "i did this". You're awesome, Morgan! The armor looks awesome too! UPDATE: I DID IT! I finished the animation!
I know Kevlar from being a sailor, it's what modern sails are made out of, I'm very excited to see what you do with it! :) I absolutely love Kevlar, especially the way that it is woven in sails looks sooooo pretty when the sun shines through the sail....
This concept make me think of Jill Bearup. She is a stage combat chorographer. She makes videos about armor in movies and how practical or impractical the armor is. Honestly you guys should do a collab.
@@FaerieDust Haha Jill's a great swordsma'am, and Morg's so creative, if they could get along we could get some gold star content (not saying they don't)
For my job I do a lot of work that involves fibreglassing and the laying up of other composites so it was really cool to see a composite material used in a non traditional way! I sometimes use non composite fabrics to make parts like hemp and flax cloth which is also a fun non traditional material use :)
I finished knitting a sweater made from a Red Cross World War II era pattern for a Navy service man but in the color pattern of Star Trek TNG (red) while watching this super cool video. Which seemed fitting. I also enjoys a historical mashup.
Thank you for your introductory disclaimer. One can never be sure if some viewers may be disturbed by some of the discussion in the video so your concern is appreciated. And thank you also for showing sensitivity to recent horrific events, that is also greatly appreciated. Edited to say: Wow! The finished armor was very cool looking. And kudos to your ingenuity and problem solving with how to make that Kevlar and fabric do what you needed it to do. As always, you did an awesome job.
Carbon fiber fabric is like fiberglass, you lay it into a mold and add resin, it’s for building solid forms. Might have made a great cuirass; That fabric is for race bikes and fighter jets. And yeah, cool armor!
OH my gods, that looks so gorgeous! Especially combined with that black dress! It also definitely inspires me to make this, too. Except, of course, not with Kevlar, but with EVA Foam, like any good Cosplayer would. xD Honestly, this is perfect for a D&D Chracater I'm gonna play soon and I've been thinking of what he would wear and this fits perfectly! So thank you for all the inspiration!
We use that fabric as the outermost layer of prosthetic sockets, and have had to do quite a bit of trial and error before we managed to find a good way of working with it. I feel your pain...
The carbon fiber fabric had me dead. A previous version of me once built relatively small rockets using both kevlar and carbon fiber, and wow, do I have much respect for you using that carbon fiber as a fabric. Cutting it results in the itchiest little splinters. They're very hard to get rid of because of the tubular shape of each fiber, so I wish you a successful cleanup~~
If you ever use the carbon fiber fabric again, try using a ball point needle in addition to the other steps you were using. They are designed to move between the strands rather than cutting the strands.
Each medieval fair that passes I keep having the urge more and more to buy a brigandine. I'd just look so cool rocking up to the archery being one of the only ones wearing armour. I love the constant red and blue colour scheme you are putting with things.
As someone who owns a modern kevlar brigandine, I must say I was very confused when you started using it as plates! Your results are absolutely gorgeous and look like a gorgeous piece of costume and armour. I could probably live in it =D Meanwhile the actual modern armour uses kevlar as the fabric to hold everything in place, thoroughly padded with cotton, and it uses hard plastic plates where useful - for sparring, that's mostly the wrists and shoulders. But I can't see why more surface couldn't be covered with plastic plates riveted to the body of the armour for extra protection.
I love how it turned out! Also, yeah, kevlar is totally what they would've used if they had it back then! But then, the purpose of kevlar is not-being-pierce-able, so holes=hard... And LOL your letterboards.
I absolutely love that you worked with Kevlar! I studied its material properties in my aerospace composite materials class and seriously wondered what it would be like to make a clothing item out of it. Now, you did it and I won't have to.
"it has that sheen like a silk but it absolutely feels like a polyester" i can confirm that. i work in a factory producing mainly polyamid threads and the thing is sorta great to work with. compared to cotton we sometimes get to run it's a lot more stretchy and you need to use a lot of power to snap the finished double spun thread (i'm talking about like 10kg of force for a thread you could use in ye ol' regular sewing machine) and when heated up it melts to itself, creating almost plastic like material that doesn't stick to anytning but other polyamid. real cool material to use for the dissipation of kinetic energy and friction into heat but a real hassle to deal with if it snaps mid production and coils around machine parts. in the worst case scenario you need metal wire clippers to get through that, and in the better case scenario you can cut that with a blade but the said blade is going to be uselessly dull after 2 or 3 of those.
Also about the second cut being worse - itcs not your fault. It's the material. It dulls any cutting hardware you use on it like you would not believe it. I don't know how follow up steps of polyamid production are dealth with on industrial scale since it's done in a different facility, but what i do in my step of production is i change lots and lots of one use blades. During the cleaning when a batch (usually anything between 5 and 60 tons, it depends) is done and the big spinning machine has to be cleaned so there isn't any cross contamination with different material fibers for the next order, at the bottom of spinning units there are tons of coiled threads (because that's where they are separated by literally rolling them around and snapping them by a combination of force + mechanical blade runner). To clean those you need to cut the whole tassle-like bunch off. Usually, a single new blade can do between 10 and 20 cuts about 4 cm on each cut, then you have to change the blade because it's done. My guess is that your cutter has to be treated the same - either you change the tape after every eeeeh 50cm of cut kevlar or skip the machine altogether, get a good old staple cutter and do it by hand, snapping segments of the blade away as you go. Itcs tedious, i know, but you will have cleaner edges.
@@sillyjellyfish2421 I wonder, if for this type of project, a CNC laser cutter would be an option. Never used one, but they seem all the rage with the DIY/woodworking crowd lately. You would get precision cut parts without any hassle, if the material is suitable for this. There are also shears specifically made for cutting kevlar fabrics - but nothing as thick as this. They do work well on more fabric like kevlar, though - the type used for heavy duty motorcycle clothes.
@@raraavis7782 i'm not saying that it's impossible but i would be sceptical about it. Laser works because it focuses lot of heat into tiny point to melt/burn away a fraction of the material. That melted and burned channel then becomes the cut. But when it comes to this particular synthetic fiber i don't think that there is any heat shrinkage. For one, it doesn't conduct heat well so while you may be able to cut through 1 or 2 layers at the same time, i would be very sceptical about being able to cut a whole plate like she has in the video. And then again, this whole laser cutting idea may be irrelevnat if the heat doesn't do anything to begin with. As i said, when the thread snaps during the production process, more often than not the free end tangles itself around moving parts like axis, cilinders, or it vedges itself between moving parts and stationary parts holding the whole machine together. The friction it creates is enough to literally temper those parts into rainbow while the thread is still there. It doesn't do much to the material. It doesn't singe, doesn't change colour, only gets really compacted to the point that it fuses into a single thick plastic layer. We had cases when the whole machine had to be out of commision because this friction twisted the main axis and we needed new machine parts. The fiber survived of course, baked onto friction melted steel like it was no big deal. So personally, i see the cross-fiber cutting with a physical blade as a more viable option
@@sillyjellyfish2421 Yes, I had doubts, too. All those properties, that make it so remarkable... sadly also make it a total pita to work with, it seems. I'ver only ever handled mixed fiber kevlar fabrics - the kind used in heavy duty motorcycle clothing. And those cut quite well with kevlar shears. But these plates...🤷🏻♀️. I mean, they did have clean edges to begin with, so there must be a way, to do it. I would love to know, what the manufacturer uses then.
@@sillyjellyfish2421 Well, I googled a bit and apparent some sort of rotating blade (from Dremel to big circular saw) and a thin, diamond studded blade are your best friend. Even that will dull pretty quickly, apparently, but give you a nice, clean cut for a while. Still. If it was possible, laser would be the way to go. So much less hassle 😅
I was vending at that faire in the burlap barbarian looking tent right at the entrance! I can't believe I missed you in this epic armor! You are one of the TH-camrs who got me into historical sewing and it would have been an honor to meet you. I hope you all had a marvelous time!
As someone who worked with aramid fibres on my honours Textile Design project working on woven fabrics for motorcycle safety gear this video is a delight! I'm not alone in the world of trying to tame and cut that beautifully golden fibre... Hahaha!
My interests have never coincided so elegantly! I think there are a lot neo-medieval aesthetic lovers who would love this. I would love to spar with this on at my HEMA club. You're awesome Morgan
Having bullet proof mediaeval armour is worth it! Like holy wow, I want! Also, it looks fabulous. I'd want a padded lining fabric, maybe clipped sheepskin, to protect from the riven posts.
I am in love with those sleeves. I’ve done brigidine using corduroy for the outer shell with canvas to make pockets for metal plates. It was also blue and red counterchanged. However when we did rivets my exsquared had a tool to help dome them similar to what you use with grommets.
"What a knightmare" - Good grief I snorted and choked. Morgan, you're absolutely fantastic. Even if it didn't go quite as you planned, the final result is gorgeous and impressive. Seriously.
Morgan, we need to talk about how *amazing* your outfit is for the intro. You look so cool! That's a really nice mix of edgy and feminine, and the black really makes your hair pop. I love it!
I love how the curl in the front of your hair 'greenscreened' and the vids shown through. Cute! I once met a man who reinforced existing garments with Kevlar as his primary business. (Most of his customers were in protection roles.) Always thought that was cool. As the material you used is an armor, I am interested in it's ballistic strength. I get that this would be triggering for some viewers, it seems to me like a valid question. Congrats on a stunningly effective project.
What a trip! Super fun Morgan, and I totally understand not wanting to do something like this ever again 😅 Fun fact on the topic of Kevlar, we learned recently that you can get hurricane shutters made from Kevlar, which we thought was super cool and interesting. Thank you for sharing!
My wonderful Mr M works with composites on a daily basis. He says if you work with fibre again, spray mount is your friend - its quicker and easier than the iron on vinyl 😁
I feel the rivet pain, I've got over a pound of steel rivets in my spangen helm, and those had to be hammered inside the helmet!! And our armour shop's dye station is pernanently purple thanks to... incidents... mostly mine... Rubbing alcohol can take some of it out, thankfully it wears off skin way easier than it wears off leather! Now I'm totally wanting to try princess seam ed armour plates next time we do decorative armour :D Congrats, the whole thing looks amazing, and honestly, I think the aggravation is what levels up your skills... you don't learn nearly as much when everything goes smoothly, so gratz on the level! DING!
Your right eye has red eye shadow and your left eye has blue on your sponsor add and as you get to the end. Of course it is because of the red and blue sides of your armor. It looks really good.
That looks like the same dress Sewstine was wearing in her latest video! Kevlar and carbon fiber armour is very cool. I can't even imagine the cost in time and money and mental spoons. Just amazing!.
I was going to say "Amazing make!", but instead I think I should say "Amazing build!!" lol Your perseverance amazes me, too! Yeeesh, that looked like an epic pain in the butt.
This video was an adventure and it's gorgeous. I've been around seamstress' my whole life and I work with carbon fiber/fiberglass composites so I was at the edge of my seat the whole video knowing the limitations of sewing technique and the properties of composite fibers. I have to say this was a testament to overcoming obstacles. For anyone interested an easier route, use epoxy resin to harden the carbon fiber over a foam mold and join it with straps afterwards.
I've used Kevlar for making small boats (it's excellent for abrasion resistance) and have wanted to experiment with it in clothing for sword protection in my martial arts training, but my scissors twitch in horror every time I consider it.
I am similarly impressed at the fact that you voluntarily worked with kevlar/carbon composite fabric! That stuff's Rude™ to work with for epoxy laminates, let alone like this. Go you, you mad mad lady. Many Kudos
That's an awesome project! You might want to check out some of those Eastern Asian brigandines which utilized flat plates. Or I think some of the Visby brigandines also have minimum dishing (the curves may still present some challenges though.
I love love love your series of "history but make it modern"! And I love that you show us the whole journey, not just the good stuff but the struggles and the mistakes as well, and you're so creative when it comes to figuring out how to fix your mistakes!
I have to imagine that there is specialized equipment for working with these materials. Elsewhere in the comments someone mentioned specialized Kevlar scissors. I figure that there has to be some kind of heat press vacuform machine that could fuse Kevlar, carbon fiber, and vinyl in one move. I wonder how Adam Savage’s Tested would tackle the same project.
I was just wondering the other day, “What has Morgan Donner been up to?” and then you dropped this video! It shows very clearly what a beast of a project this was. 😖 My fingers would be fully cracked and bleeding if I attempted all those rivets! Huge congratulations for persevering, and a job well done. The final result is awesome!
This is so cool! I've been living in natural fiber land for my SCA sewing while I study polymers and other materials for my ChemE PhD, and this makes my heart so happy!
My first thought at cutting Kevlar, you need a different blade. Maybe one for cutting tile and other ceramics. I've only done rivets with a rivet gun, so I can't imagine doing it by hand! I love how you have kept going in the face of all the challenges.
A very interesting build. This really makes me doubt that historical Brigantines were a cheaper type of armour. So much work goes into making one, and you can go really fancy with all components. Sure, the metal plates are smaller and probably easier to shape. But in the end, it still all has to work perfectly together.
Way fewer rivets than chainmail, but easier to fit to the wearer than later plate armour. They did quickly realise that using fancy fabric in the armour itself was extremely impractical, and switched to fancy surcoats over the armour instead.
One thing that I have heard brought up is that it is easier to repair because it is made of smaller pieces. Shadaversity has a decent video on the history of it too.
Morgan, thank you for that warning you did at the beginning of this. This is one of many reasons I adore your Channel & you. You truly care about those of us watching & considerate enough to realize what you’re going to talk about will be triggers for many due to the past week. I’m in Canada & my heart is just shattered for what happened in Uvalde. Unspeakable Evil visited both there & Buffalo the last two weeks & there are no words. One link you might want to add...Not sure if you know who Chris Mann is, but he was the Runner Up (Should’ve won) of Season 2 of The Voice & I’ve been a huge fan of his ever since then. Since his little guy’s been old enough for Preschool, he’s been doing this thing on his Channel called Daddy Court. From dealing w/Hugo not wanting to eat the things on his plate to him swearing at Preschool & other issues Parents deal w/at this age. Today though...Today was just so heartshattering to watch. It was Chris answering questions Hugo had that I’m sure many kids have asked their own Parents this week. I honestly do not know how Chris got through it, as the pain in his eyes was just so obvious. The last thing in the video is Hugo saying, “I don’t want to get shot at School!!” & Chris not being able to say a thing. He looked like on the verge of sobbing. I said in the Comments that needs to be sent to every single Representative in Congress & the Senate. I wish I could, but as a Canadian, it won’t really do much. As I don’t vote down there, I don’t count. You OTOH as an American? You can send that along to them. Not sure how much of a difference it’ll make, as they’ll need to watch it, but it’s worth a try. Just thought I’d mention that to you. Know so many around the World are broken hearted about what happened & also wondering when enough will be enough finally? I’ve got a good friend in Texas who’s a HS Teacher & to say she’s pretty fragile at the moment is an understatement. I wish I could give her a hug, but I can’t & I feel so useless up here only being able to try & comfort her from afar. Thank you again for being you & caring for all of us who watch your Channel by leaving that heads up. Take Care!! 💐
Morgan you look like an absolute GODDESS in that armor!!! You also have all my respect for working through the many challenges of this project. What an absolute queen.
I must agree with the many comments of love for the black sleeves you were wearing with the armor. I only wish I could sew something so wonderful. Love the sheer one at the beginning too.
It's the year 2100. My grandchildren take their children to the great Morgan Donner Exhibition. Mannequins with all kinds of beautiful and complex garments, armour and accessories are shown. Huge pictures line the walls and screens show videos saved from Ye Old Internet with Morgan Herself explaining how she constructed each one. In the store, How-to's in Digital Books with the patterns so you can DIY at home. My great-grandchildren's eyes are shining, thinking of all the things they're going to do once they get back.
Exceptional job, even for a world-class historical costumer such as your esteemed self! I was thrilled to see a modern take on the murrey-and-blue livery of the House of York. That is a beautiful piece. Well done!
I absolutely love these projects with unconventional materials! I also appreciate you showing how you pattern out your designs. It's very helpful for me making leather accessories
This "mixing modern and historical" series is my absolute favorite, we have so many materials and aesthetics now that I wish I could bring back in time to tailors and dressmakers of old to see them go crazy with
I absolutely adore this. You have such an interesting way of combining unusual materials and concepts with historical elements, and I find your work really inspiring for my own projects!
I absolutely love that discovery process of using materials on hand to frame a concept, and then adjusting to reach an end result through improvisation and recursive trial and error. I go through this often myself, and the narrative of your own tribulations is truely informative and inspirational. Thanks for the fun! :)
Morgan, you look absolutely darn amazing and gorgeous, like a warrior princess. The battle with your materials may have been long and hard-fought, but you definitely triumphed and did so in style.
As someone who works with these materials professionally, I am thoroughly impressed with what you have done here. Nice job! It was also really fun for me to see you overcome the challenges of these materials.
When I dabbled in fire juggling, we used kevlar rope to construct our torches. It taught me a couple of things about working with Kevlar fibers. 1, The best kind of knife to cut kevlar with is, in fact, a bread knife! The soft serration saws through the fibers without snagging. If you have to use scissors, only cut a couple of fibers at a time, and keep a scissor sharpener at hand. 2, Use blunt needles for sewing. Never sew in kevlar with a sharp needle. The break fast as heeell. My clubmates kept using these really thick, sharp needles for furniture making, but even then they broke one or two needles _per tool._ Me, I decided to use a saddlemaking needle instead - pretty thin, but with a blunt head. It didn't catch on the fibers at all in the same way theirs did and I have yet to break even one.
The other day I was just researching examples of how modern technology and historical armor could be combined to make fashionable yet functional protective wear , so when this video came out, to say I was surprised is quite an understatement! Thanks for bringing sexy back in armor✨
I kept trying to place your Intro look and it finally hit me: High Gothess of the Ancient and Dark Order of Goth Sewists and Dress Historians. Yep. Full-on masonic lodge vibes, but with way better outfits and hair.
As you say at the end, this is a super cool conceptual piece, but I really hope nobody tries to replicate it! Carbon fiber is incredibly dangerous to work with, and when you cut and sew into it, you create tiny microscopic particles of what is essentially glass that can be inhaled and get under your skin. It requires a lot of specialized equipment and safety precautions to work with it safely! (I say this not to shame you, Morgan, but to hopefully inform you and your audience about a danger that you seemed to be unaware of.)
I went to that faire this past Sunday! For opening year, it has promise. I wish I saw you and Abby because I think seeing this armor in person was out of this world.
The sleeves remind me of Meme Moms (Karolina Zebrowska) sleeping beauty dress, just without the slits in the puffs. Maybe that would be a starting point for the era/construction?
As another commenter mentioned, Kevlar is the go-to fabric for fencing protection nowadays. So, the folks dealing with pointy objects agree with your aesthetic! A really nice build, thanks for sharing. Next challenge, using titanium plates under kevlar fabric...
Punky professional is amazing hair dye!!!! I've been using it for nearly 20 years. It can be cut with conditioner and still be so incredibly vibrant. And it lasts so long and fades nicely. Please look into getting more colors from them in the future!!! Its super affordable and great quality for the price compared to others on the market. In other news. This video is amazing and im loving watching you working with materials and design choices that are not traditional.
The trial and error for the rivets, kevlar paneling and vinyl overlay were so seriously instructive. I don't know if I'll ever use them myself, but you have definitely leveled up and made it easier for others to tackle it in the future. Also, I'm so sad about the blue in your hair! It would have gone great with the latex dress, but I absolutely adored the mixture of oranges and pinks you were sporting for the last project.
aaaaaaaa i love this. i did a presentation about kevlar for my textiles class in fashion school, i'm so happy to see it being used in this creative and amazing way.
I have been watching your videos for s few years and I love them. This video however is next level awesome. You've taken industrial materials and worked with them, successfully,in a domestic hobbyist setting. Not only that, you've reworked medieval products with modern equivalents whilst keeping the aesthetic qualities the medieval artisans strive for. I say this in all sincerity, this is truly inspiring work and I applaud your endeavours. Thank you for sharing.
Synthetic fibers are such a trip when you're used to natural ones--thanks for sharing your struggles & frustrations as well as your triumph. Your armour looks awesome!
awesome project, glad to have caught this video today, your pinned post speaks volumes love, so sad that families there in the states have family member gone, something missed with that shooter, his family are victims in the tragedy too, so many affected by the recent event, Even here on the Rock there is more guns being used in the wrong purpose, 3d printers are even a risk, some using them for wonderful things like prosthetics for people, others are creating harmful weapons from the same tech, it's all in what's in an individual's heart hey
having taken up leather craft as an (expensive) side hobby, I find that using the rapid rivets or double cap rivets for decorative looks (or non heavy load bearing areas) are faster and easier to apply (and less annoying for my roommates since it's maybe 1-3 hits with a hammer and done). Plus they come in various colors, sizes, and if you want the fancy dome look, you can get them with those too! Just a little something to consider for next time :)
That looks phenomenal. But now you've gone to all the trouble to make it out of kevlar, I kind of want to see you put it on a manakin and take pot shots at it with a longbow.
Morgan: "I'm going to make modern armor. And because I'm me, I'm going to use the coolest/sexiest/most aesthetic style in history to as my inspiration!" Thank you for sharing even your "not great" projects and experiments with us. It looks pretty cool.
In the wake of recent events, it's more important than ever that you urge your local politicians to support gun safety legislation. Learn more about how you can help: www.everytown.org/
I know you mean well, but would you make such an over simplifying statement if the issues were surrounding knives or any other weapon? I fully understand the need for regulation. What I fail to understand then is why over regulated/ limited areas face the most crime while fully armed communities face little. IMHO we still see a ton of knife and blade attacks, but no changes are made to further regulate anything that's pointy. Everyone chalks it up to, "If you're going to break up with her, don't do it anywhere near the kitchen," and flat out being responsible with the blades we have all around us from scissors and knitting needles on up. Guns already face tons of background checks, safety protocols, trainings and screenings in the vast majority of the States. Are there scumbags who subvert these laws? Yes, just like there are scumbags everywhere who subvert every law. That doesn't mean tell your Republican representative to "support gun safety legislation", because as far as they're concerned there already is a ton of gun safety legislation regarding IDs, FBI checks, coursework, hospital reports, etc. It means this argument is extremely nuanced, but just like every other weapon it's more important that the good guys outweigh the bad and can respond properly while people are trained to automatically go into lockdown if/when something happens. No more of this dilly dallying with locking doors, not having dedicated security for our children when we do have security for banks. We can all have an awful day and make snap decisions, and while it's important to not give the absolute loonies full access to destruction, it is on each of us to have the maturity and responsibility to know not to attack others. It's a moral thing, on top of a legislation thing, but I don't see as many calls for screenings or required appointments with a counsellor like we have sports physicals.
~A former K-12 music educator in Oregon, been through local tragedies as well as loads of drills and trainings
@@Undomaranel I mean... We barely have school shootings in Europe and strict gun laws... Instead of trying to shoot at crime, why don't you go to the root cause and do something about that?
@@rdb4996 My country is among the highest gun to person ratio in the world but stuff like school shootings doesn't happen, certainly not on a regular. There are other issues causing events like that to happen, like bullying and mental illness, that absolutely have to be dealt with as well (in the US, my country and elsewhere), but society's attitude towards guns is a part of the overall problem.
@@LadyDragonbane ahh, so you are saying that writing to your congress representatives is not the solution/action to take? I think we are saying the same thing: look the cause.
@@Undomaranel
Please stop spreading misinformation.
More guns, looser laws = more death. Massachusetts has the toughest gun laws and the lowest gun deaths in the US.
Louisiana and Mississippi have disproportionately high firearm homicide rates. Most of the bottom 10 states for firearm homicides are in the bottom 10 for gun ownership. Don’t listen to the gun industry’s lies!
I am absolutely adoring the High Concept Goth fashion journey Morgan seems to be on at least some of the time. The blouses, especially the sheer one? The harness / vest layering? Impeccable. Five, no, six stars.
The black sheer with lace was an incredible marriage of "Edwardian lingerie shirtwaist" and "modern punk harness" and I'm so enamoured
@@WitchOracle dude, right?! I want one of my own
So so very obsessed with her style as of late!!
The intro deff made me more gay
Brigantine kevlar
Watching you struggle with the rivets reminded me of when I made a duvet-sized quilt using the tiniest stitches known to man because that's what Laura Ingles Wilder told me to do. At the end of the day, I had to give myself permission to use those big stitches we all started using when we were children, and it went a lot faster. Instead of avoiding the task, I was actually enjoying it. I've made three quilts since then using the big stitches and I haven't looked back. Sometimes, you have to give yourself permission to do the things you're good at when you're trying to do something new and difficult. The Kevlar armor and the latex silly pants were lovely, but I promise you we'd be here even if you made a kirtle.
Laura Ingalls Wilder is who got me into historical costume. I made a bonnet and tried copying a favorite top. Unfortunately I didn’t understand seam allowance my first go round but they looked adorable on my three year old cousin! I was eleven.
But would a Kevlar Kirtle be comfy?
Based on what we've seen so far, I'm gonna go with no.
That sounds so cute! I got started sewing by making costumes for me and my little sister's Polly Pockets. Trust me, they weren't any good.
@@meganthimmesch5887 Wow, that sounds really hard, for how small it is!
The folks at Dupont have specialized scissors for the Kevlar fabric. I may or may not have procured a couple pairs from my dad who used to work in that department, and they are one of my favorite sewing tools.
Ooh I’m curious about these. Are they similar to EMT shears (with the micro serrated blades), based on a harder material, or something else?
I know that one of the keys with cutting kevlar is to use very very sharp blades. That would explain why the first cut was nice, but later ones had more issues. Also, kevlar is used for protective pants for lumberjacks...it'll jam a chainsaw with the fibers.
Memory unlocked!! We had several pairs (silver, all metal?) that my grandmother said she got from her husband that worked at DuPont. I wonder if he worked in the Kevlar dept???
So, in the words of Rachel Maksy, "I have a mighty need." My dream is to have a photoshoot dressed in super feminine, glam armor. I have chain maille fabric in silver and gold and now I think I need to make a brigandine to go with...ahhhhhh! This is everything!
Brigandine is way better for armor, especially if you're making feminine shaped armor. Not only can you simply reverse the style to put the plates on the outside (Historically done sometimes!), but it allows a much more comfortable and flexible design like she mentioned in this video!
A brigandine corset is functional, and good looking!
This was so fun! Props to you for being persistent! Off topic silly RenFaire anecdote: my family went to the Sterling NY RenFaire last summer, and the jousting show was... pretty WWE. At one point, the Queen said, 'where did you find these knights, in a field?!' and the announcer replied, 'I am sorry, your majesty, these were the best we could get because of the plague.' 🤣🤣🤣
This is my home faire!!! Miss it so much!!
@@yolandabizzell5852 it was SO crowded last summer. They let in the same or more people than usual and had only half the staff. Hopefully it's less chaotic this year.
Attending this year, prepared to die in my damn brown gambeson like I did last year
the Mycenaean chariot armor at 2:52 is a great choice for "thousands of years of armor development". in case anyone is curious, the helmet is a boars' tusk helmet, which is most notable for 1) being really really hard to get materials for and 2) being described in Homer's Iliad, a few hundred years after the Mycenaean civilization crashed and burned
I appreciate how you didn't give up on this beast of a project. It through so many challenges your way but you definitely met it head on and made something amazing despite the tricksy-ness. It looks phenomenal, Morgan. Like holy heck is that thing "BADASS!" Your creativity, different eras mash ups, willingness to try new things and include us even when it could go all wrong truly make you near and dear to my maker heart.
I also utterly love the not so historical gothic outfit you're wearing in the beginning of this vid ❤️❤️❤️
I would LOVE to learn more about that opening outfit. Everything was styled so well and you looked so cute 😍 💗 💕
Right? The moment the video started I went “Damn girl!”
She filmed the making of that outfit awhile ago! I’ll see if I can find the title of it so you can watch it😄
Edit: since trying to find it I’ve determined that I’ve seen it somewhere but have no idea where. It definitely is not something she filmed the making of😅 I’m thinking possibly it was in an IG story at some point?? Sorry if I raised anyones hopes🫠I’ll go now.
@@planningtolive_thebestlife453 you tried! I appreciate it, thank you 🙂
The brand is I Do Declare! They're very popular in gothic lolita and egl in general
I love it when people make things out of unusual fabrics for things. I once made a vest out of cork and no, I will never do that again, but I learned a lot doing it.
Check out "Seamstressed" video - she hand stamped cork straps, and made an entire outfit (including hay!) out of it.
was it a shrek cosplay, it's ok you can tell me
I love that the sign behind you sums up your experience creating this amazing piece. "What a knight mare" lol. Love your humor. 😂❤️
I've had lots of similar mishaps with similar materials. Synthetics dull blades deceptively quickly, and yet still continue to cut through but with tons of tear out. And when materials are rigid and have such thickness, beveled cuts are a necessity. When you mentioned carbon fiber cloth I could feel your disappointment coming. I had the same experience. So pretty and yet unable to do it's job as a fabric! Fantastic execution despite the difficulties. Kydex material might be able to get you closer to your original vision.
I am just wishing Morgan had shared her sources for these materials! :-)
This project wasn’t just a rollercoaster it was a whole theme park
At least she wasn't the entire circus
Just a heads up, be very careful handling carbon fiber, tiny little strands can very easily get under the skin (with just handling it) and cause irritation.
Loved the project by the way, what a fun idea!
This video may not make me want to try working with Kevlar- but it does inspire me to keep working on the projects that frustrate me. Because in the end you got there! You did the thing! And THAT is what's so inspiring! I'm working on an animation right now and i'm HATING where i am with it- but i'm gonna keep pushing through. Because in the end i can say "i did this".
You're awesome, Morgan! The armor looks awesome too!
UPDATE: I DID IT! I finished the animation!
I love your sorta time-bending videos recently. Victorian bondage pants, a kevlar medieval cuirass... so cool 😍
I know Kevlar from being a sailor, it's what modern sails are made out of, I'm very excited to see what you do with it! :)
I absolutely love Kevlar, especially the way that it is woven in sails looks sooooo pretty when the sun shines through the sail....
Very cool!!! ✨
This concept make me think of Jill Bearup. She is a stage combat chorographer. She makes videos about armor in movies and how practical or impractical the armor is. Honestly you guys should do a collab.
I have a feeling politics might get in the way...
@@juniper2346 aw crap, I googled and now I'm Very Disappointed. But better to know than not... Bleh.
@@FaerieDust Haha Jill's a great swordsma'am, and Morg's so creative, if they could get along we could get some gold star content (not saying they don't)
For my job I do a lot of work that involves fibreglassing and the laying up of other composites so it was really cool to see a composite material used in a non traditional way! I sometimes use non composite fabrics to make parts like hemp and flax cloth which is also a fun non traditional material use :)
I finished knitting a sweater made from a Red Cross World War II era pattern for a Navy service man but in the color pattern of Star Trek TNG (red) while watching this super cool video. Which seemed fitting. I also enjoys a historical mashup.
Thank you for your introductory disclaimer. One can never be sure if some viewers may be disturbed by some of the discussion in the video so your concern is appreciated. And thank you also for showing sensitivity to recent horrific events, that is also greatly appreciated. Edited to say: Wow! The finished armor was very cool looking. And kudos to your ingenuity and problem solving with how to make that Kevlar and fabric do what you needed it to do. As always, you did an awesome job.
that first outfit with the sheer blouse, and the armor over the shirt/dress(?) at the end... hoo boy am i feeling things for clothes
Carbon fiber fabric is like fiberglass, you lay it into a mold and add resin, it’s for building solid forms. Might have made a great cuirass; That fabric is for race bikes and fighter jets. And yeah, cool armor!
OH my gods, that looks so gorgeous! Especially combined with that black dress!
It also definitely inspires me to make this, too. Except, of course, not with Kevlar, but with EVA Foam, like any good Cosplayer would. xD
Honestly, this is perfect for a D&D Chracater I'm gonna play soon and I've been thinking of what he would wear and this fits perfectly! So thank you for all the inspiration!
I might do it with cardboard. Having bought Ikea furniture recently, I have a ton of really nice cardboard to play with.
That armor is GORGEOUS. As usual, amazing costuming. It sounds like it was a LOT of effort, but it turned out SO well.
We use that fabric as the outermost layer of prosthetic sockets, and have had to do quite a bit of trial and error before we managed to find a good way of working with it. I feel your pain...
The carbon fiber fabric had me dead. A previous version of me once built relatively small rockets using both kevlar and carbon fiber, and wow, do I have much respect for you using that carbon fiber as a fabric. Cutting it results in the itchiest little splinters. They're very hard to get rid of because of the tubular shape of each fiber, so I wish you a successful cleanup~~
If you ever use the carbon fiber fabric again, try using a ball point needle in addition to the other steps you were using. They are designed to move between the strands rather than cutting the strands.
Each medieval fair that passes I keep having the urge more and more to buy a brigandine. I'd just look so cool rocking up to the archery being one of the only ones wearing armour. I love the constant red and blue colour scheme you are putting with things.
As someone who owns a modern kevlar brigandine, I must say I was very confused when you started using it as plates! Your results are absolutely gorgeous and look like a gorgeous piece of costume and armour. I could probably live in it =D
Meanwhile the actual modern armour uses kevlar as the fabric to hold everything in place, thoroughly padded with cotton, and it uses hard plastic plates where useful - for sparring, that's mostly the wrists and shoulders. But I can't see why more surface couldn't be covered with plastic plates riveted to the body of the armour for extra protection.
I love how it turned out! Also, yeah, kevlar is totally what they would've used if they had it back then! But then, the purpose of kevlar is not-being-pierce-able, so holes=hard... And LOL your letterboards.
I absolutely love that you worked with Kevlar! I studied its material properties in my aerospace composite materials class and seriously wondered what it would be like to make a clothing item out of it. Now, you did it and I won't have to.
"it has that sheen like a silk but it absolutely feels like a polyester" i can confirm that. i work in a factory producing mainly polyamid threads and the thing is sorta great to work with. compared to cotton we sometimes get to run it's a lot more stretchy and you need to use a lot of power to snap the finished double spun thread (i'm talking about like 10kg of force for a thread you could use in ye ol' regular sewing machine) and when heated up it melts to itself, creating almost plastic like material that doesn't stick to anytning but other polyamid. real cool material to use for the dissipation of kinetic energy and friction into heat but a real hassle to deal with if it snaps mid production and coils around machine parts. in the worst case scenario you need metal wire clippers to get through that, and in the better case scenario you can cut that with a blade but the said blade is going to be uselessly dull after 2 or 3 of those.
Also about the second cut being worse - itcs not your fault. It's the material. It dulls any cutting hardware you use on it like you would not believe it. I don't know how follow up steps of polyamid production are dealth with on industrial scale since it's done in a different facility, but what i do in my step of production is i change lots and lots of one use blades. During the cleaning when a batch (usually anything between 5 and 60 tons, it depends) is done and the big spinning machine has to be cleaned so there isn't any cross contamination with different material fibers for the next order, at the bottom of spinning units there are tons of coiled threads (because that's where they are separated by literally rolling them around and snapping them by a combination of force + mechanical blade runner). To clean those you need to cut the whole tassle-like bunch off. Usually, a single new blade can do between 10 and 20 cuts about 4 cm on each cut, then you have to change the blade because it's done.
My guess is that your cutter has to be treated the same - either you change the tape after every eeeeh 50cm of cut kevlar or skip the machine altogether, get a good old staple cutter and do it by hand, snapping segments of the blade away as you go. Itcs tedious, i know, but you will have cleaner edges.
@@sillyjellyfish2421
I wonder, if for this type of project, a CNC laser cutter would be an option.
Never used one, but they seem all the rage with the DIY/woodworking crowd lately.
You would get precision cut parts without any hassle, if the material is suitable for this.
There are also shears specifically made for cutting kevlar fabrics - but nothing as thick as this. They do work well on more fabric like kevlar, though - the type used for heavy duty motorcycle clothes.
@@raraavis7782 i'm not saying that it's impossible but i would be sceptical about it. Laser works because it focuses lot of heat into tiny point to melt/burn away a fraction of the material. That melted and burned channel then becomes the cut.
But when it comes to this particular synthetic fiber i don't think that there is any heat shrinkage. For one, it doesn't conduct heat well so while you may be able to cut through 1 or 2 layers at the same time, i would be very sceptical about being able to cut a whole plate like she has in the video.
And then again, this whole laser cutting idea may be irrelevnat if the heat doesn't do anything to begin with. As i said, when the thread snaps during the production process, more often than not the free end tangles itself around moving parts like axis, cilinders, or it vedges itself between moving parts and stationary parts holding the whole machine together. The friction it creates is enough to literally temper those parts into rainbow while the thread is still there. It doesn't do much to the material. It doesn't singe, doesn't change colour, only gets really compacted to the point that it fuses into a single thick plastic layer. We had cases when the whole machine had to be out of commision because this friction twisted the main axis and we needed new machine parts. The fiber survived of course, baked onto friction melted steel like it was no big deal.
So personally, i see the cross-fiber cutting with a physical blade as a more viable option
@@sillyjellyfish2421
Yes, I had doubts, too. All those properties, that make it so remarkable... sadly also make it a total pita to work with, it seems.
I'ver only ever handled mixed fiber kevlar fabrics - the kind used in heavy duty motorcycle clothing. And those cut quite well with kevlar shears. But these plates...🤷🏻♀️.
I mean, they did have clean edges to begin with, so there must be a way, to do it. I would love to know, what the manufacturer uses then.
@@sillyjellyfish2421
Well, I googled a bit and apparent some sort of rotating blade (from Dremel to big circular saw) and a thin, diamond studded blade are your best friend. Even that will dull pretty quickly, apparently, but give you a nice, clean cut for a while.
Still. If it was possible, laser would be the way to go. So much less hassle 😅
I was vending at that faire in the burlap barbarian looking tent right at the entrance! I can't believe I missed you in this epic armor! You are one of the TH-camrs who got me into historical sewing and it would have been an honor to meet you. I hope you all had a marvelous time!
As someone who worked with aramid fibres on my honours Textile Design project working on woven fabrics for motorcycle safety gear this video is a delight! I'm not alone in the world of trying to tame and cut that beautifully golden fibre... Hahaha!
My interests have never coincided so elegantly! I think there are a lot neo-medieval aesthetic lovers who would love this. I would love to spar with this on at my HEMA club. You're awesome Morgan
Having bullet proof mediaeval armour is worth it! Like holy wow, I want! Also, it looks fabulous. I'd want a padded lining fabric, maybe clipped sheepskin, to protect from the riven posts.
Yeah I was worrying her dress would get snagged
I am in love with those sleeves. I’ve done brigidine using corduroy for the outer shell with canvas to make pockets for metal plates. It was also blue and red counterchanged. However when we did rivets my exsquared had a tool to help dome them similar to what you use with grommets.
"What a knightmare" - Good grief I snorted and choked.
Morgan, you're absolutely fantastic. Even if it didn't go quite as you planned, the final result is gorgeous and impressive. Seriously.
Morgan, we need to talk about how *amazing* your outfit is for the intro. You look so cool! That's a really nice mix of edgy and feminine, and the black really makes your hair pop. I love it!
I love how the curl in the front of your hair 'greenscreened' and the vids shown through. Cute! I once met a man who reinforced existing garments with Kevlar as his primary business. (Most of his customers were in protection roles.) Always thought that was cool. As the material you used is an armor, I am interested in it's ballistic strength. I get that this would be triggering for some viewers, it seems to me like a valid question. Congrats on a stunningly effective project.
What a trip! Super fun Morgan, and I totally understand not wanting to do something like this ever again 😅
Fun fact on the topic of Kevlar, we learned recently that you can get hurricane shutters made from Kevlar, which we thought was super cool and interesting.
Thank you for sharing!
For future riveting, you need a rivet press. Kamsnaps has tabletop presses that have dies for rivets, grommets and snaps.The armor looked awesome!
My wonderful Mr M works with composites on a daily basis. He says if you work with fibre again, spray mount is your friend - its quicker and easier than the iron on vinyl 😁
I feel the rivet pain, I've got over a pound of steel rivets in my spangen helm, and those had to be hammered inside the helmet!!
And our armour shop's dye station is pernanently purple thanks to... incidents... mostly mine... Rubbing alcohol can take some of it out, thankfully it wears off skin way easier than it wears off leather!
Now I'm totally wanting to try princess seam ed armour plates next time we do decorative armour :D
Congrats, the whole thing looks amazing, and honestly, I think the aggravation is what levels up your skills... you don't learn nearly as much when everything goes smoothly, so gratz on the level! DING!
Your right eye has red eye shadow and your left eye has blue on your sponsor add and as you get to the end. Of course it is because of the red and blue sides of your armor. It looks really good.
That looks like the same dress Sewstine was wearing in her latest video! Kevlar and carbon fiber armour is very cool. I can't even imagine the cost in time and money and mental spoons. Just amazing!.
Parti-colour medieval armour from modern materials? WELL NOW I NEED ONE I GUESS
I have to say, for a 30 minute video this was- well, riveting!
I have now fallen in love with all things party colour
I was going to say "Amazing make!", but instead I think I should say "Amazing build!!" lol
Your perseverance amazes me, too! Yeeesh, that looked like an epic pain in the butt.
This video was an adventure and it's gorgeous. I've been around seamstress' my whole life and I work with carbon fiber/fiberglass composites so I was at the edge of my seat the whole video knowing the limitations of sewing technique and the properties of composite fibers. I have to say this was a testament to overcoming obstacles. For anyone interested an easier route, use epoxy resin to harden the carbon fiber over a foam mold and join it with straps afterwards.
I've used Kevlar for making small boats (it's excellent for abrasion resistance) and have wanted to experiment with it in clothing for sword protection in my martial arts training, but my scissors twitch in horror every time I consider it.
Also, RIP your bandsaw. Kevlar is nasty on tools.
I am similarly impressed at the fact that you voluntarily worked with kevlar/carbon composite fabric!
That stuff's Rude™ to work with for epoxy laminates, let alone like this.
Go you, you mad mad lady. Many Kudos
Morgan, your style evolution has been so fun to watch! Keep on taking chances and make yourself happy 🙌🏻
That's an awesome project! You might want to check out some of those Eastern Asian brigandines which utilized flat plates. Or I think some of the Visby brigandines also have minimum dishing (the curves may still present some challenges though.
I love love love your series of "history but make it modern"! And I love that you show us the whole journey, not just the good stuff but the struggles and the mistakes as well, and you're so creative when it comes to figuring out how to fix your mistakes!
I have to imagine that there is specialized equipment for working with these materials. Elsewhere in the comments someone mentioned specialized Kevlar scissors. I figure that there has to be some kind of heat press vacuform machine that could fuse Kevlar, carbon fiber, and vinyl in one move. I wonder how Adam Savage’s Tested would tackle the same project.
That would be a EXCELLENT collaboration! Maybe get Simone in on it, too !
I love how dedicated and meticulous you are on every project you do ! That looked amazing !
Thank you for the content warning. That was thoughtful and kind of you.
I was just wondering the other day, “What has Morgan Donner been up to?” and then you dropped this video! It shows very clearly what a beast of a project this was. 😖 My fingers would be fully cracked and bleeding if I attempted all those rivets! Huge congratulations for persevering, and a job well done. The final result is awesome!
This is so cool! I've been living in natural fiber land for my SCA sewing while I study polymers and other materials for my ChemE PhD, and this makes my heart so happy!
My first thought at cutting Kevlar, you need a different blade. Maybe one for cutting tile and other ceramics. I've only done rivets with a rivet gun, so I can't imagine doing it by hand! I love how you have kept going in the face of all the challenges.
This is a CRAZY amount of work, and one of my favorite things about your channel is you working with unexpected materials. You are such an innovator!
Excellent and interesting project as always!!
Also I loved the chroma key silliness going on in your hair during the Wonderium ad 😄
A very interesting build. This really makes me doubt that historical Brigantines were a cheaper type of armour. So much work goes into making one, and you can go really fancy with all components. Sure, the metal plates are smaller and probably easier to shape. But in the end, it still all has to work perfectly together.
Way fewer rivets than chainmail, but easier to fit to the wearer than later plate armour. They did quickly realise that using fancy fabric in the armour itself was extremely impractical, and switched to fancy surcoats over the armour instead.
One thing that I have heard brought up is that it is easier to repair because it is made of smaller pieces. Shadaversity has a decent video on the history of it too.
Morgan, thank you for that warning you did at the beginning of this. This is one of many reasons I adore your Channel & you. You truly care about those of us watching & considerate enough to realize what you’re going to talk about will be triggers for many due to the past week. I’m in Canada & my heart is just shattered for what happened in Uvalde. Unspeakable Evil visited both there & Buffalo the last two weeks & there are no words.
One link you might want to add...Not sure if you know who Chris Mann is, but he was the Runner Up (Should’ve won) of Season 2 of The Voice & I’ve been a huge fan of his ever since then. Since his little guy’s been old enough for Preschool, he’s been doing this thing on his Channel called Daddy Court. From dealing w/Hugo not wanting to eat the things on his plate to him swearing at Preschool & other issues Parents deal w/at this age. Today though...Today was just so heartshattering to watch. It was Chris answering questions Hugo had that I’m sure many kids have asked their own Parents this week. I honestly do not know how Chris got through it, as the pain in his eyes was just so obvious.
The last thing in the video is Hugo saying, “I don’t want to get shot at School!!” & Chris not being able to say a thing. He looked like on the verge of sobbing. I said in the Comments that needs to be sent to every single Representative in Congress & the Senate. I wish I could, but as a Canadian, it won’t really do much. As I don’t vote down there, I don’t count. You OTOH as an American? You can send that along to them.
Not sure how much of a difference it’ll make, as they’ll need to watch it, but it’s worth a try.
Just thought I’d mention that to you. Know so many around the World are broken hearted about what happened & also wondering when enough will be enough finally? I’ve got a good friend in Texas who’s a HS Teacher & to say she’s pretty fragile at the moment is an understatement. I wish I could give her a hug, but I can’t & I feel so useless up here only being able to try & comfort her from afar.
Thank you again for being you & caring for all of us who watch your Channel by leaving that heads up. Take Care!! 💐
Morgan you look like an absolute GODDESS in that armor!!! You also have all my respect for working through the many challenges of this project. What an absolute queen.
Since I have worn bullet proof vest, a lot in my previous job, I can also say that the vest is almost always backed with a armor plate.
I must agree with the many comments of love for the black sleeves you were wearing with the armor. I only wish I could sew something so wonderful. Love the sheer one at the beginning too.
you look SO PRETTY in this video
It's the year 2100. My grandchildren take their children to the great Morgan Donner Exhibition. Mannequins with all kinds of beautiful and complex garments, armour and accessories are shown. Huge pictures line the walls and screens show videos saved from Ye Old Internet with Morgan Herself explaining how she constructed each one. In the store, How-to's in Digital Books with the patterns so you can DIY at home. My great-grandchildren's eyes are shining, thinking of all the things they're going to do once they get back.
Every time I think, “Welp, this tops it, Morgan can’t get any more awesomely weird & creative than THIS”, you prove me wrong. 😀🤣
Exceptional job, even for a world-class historical costumer such as your esteemed self! I was thrilled to see a modern take on the murrey-and-blue livery of the House of York. That is a beautiful piece. Well done!
You're amazing Morgan. I especially liked the part of you on the greenscreen where the blueish green parts of your hair looked like holes
I absolutely love these projects with unconventional materials! I also appreciate you showing how you pattern out your designs. It's very helpful for me making leather accessories
This "mixing modern and historical" series is my absolute favorite, we have so many materials and aesthetics now that I wish I could bring back in time to tailors and dressmakers of old to see them go crazy with
Imagine if the Renaissance had had access to lamé and rhinestones
I absolutely adore this. You have such an interesting way of combining unusual materials and concepts with historical elements, and I find your work really inspiring for my own projects!
Goodness!! What an amazing, challenging, project! I admire how you stood-fast and kept working around all the stumbling blocks along the way!
I absolutely love that discovery process of using materials on hand to frame a concept, and then adjusting to reach an end result through improvisation and recursive trial and error. I go through this often myself, and the narrative of your own tribulations is truely informative and inspirational. Thanks for the fun! :)
Morgan, you look absolutely darn amazing and gorgeous, like a warrior princess. The battle with your materials may have been long and hard-fought, but you definitely triumphed and did so in style.
As someone who works with these materials professionally, I am thoroughly impressed with what you have done here. Nice job! It was also really fun for me to see you overcome the challenges of these materials.
OMG! Thank you for being so real about this. All the roadblocks, and the RIVETING! Amazing that you kept with it, and super fun results!
Your first look in this video is serving!!!! Like it’s an aesthetic I didn’t know I needed but it’s amazing
When I dabbled in fire juggling, we used kevlar rope to construct our torches. It taught me a couple of things about working with Kevlar fibers.
1, The best kind of knife to cut kevlar with is, in fact, a bread knife! The soft serration saws through the fibers without snagging. If you have to use scissors, only cut a couple of fibers at a time, and keep a scissor sharpener at hand.
2, Use blunt needles for sewing. Never sew in kevlar with a sharp needle. The break fast as heeell. My clubmates kept using these really thick, sharp needles for furniture making, but even then they broke one or two needles _per tool._ Me, I decided to use a saddlemaking needle instead - pretty thin, but with a blunt head. It didn't catch on the fibers at all in the same way theirs did and I have yet to break even one.
The other day I was just researching examples of how modern technology and historical armor could be combined to make fashionable yet functional protective wear , so when this video came out, to say I was surprised is quite an understatement!
Thanks for bringing sexy back in armor✨
I kept trying to place your Intro look and it finally hit me: High Gothess of the Ancient and Dark Order of Goth Sewists and Dress Historians. Yep. Full-on masonic lodge vibes, but with way better outfits and hair.
As you say at the end, this is a super cool conceptual piece, but I really hope nobody tries to replicate it! Carbon fiber is incredibly dangerous to work with, and when you cut and sew into it, you create tiny microscopic particles of what is essentially glass that can be inhaled and get under your skin. It requires a lot of specialized equipment and safety precautions to work with it safely! (I say this not to shame you, Morgan, but to hopefully inform you and your audience about a danger that you seemed to be unaware of.)
I went to that faire this past Sunday! For opening year, it has promise. I wish I saw you and Abby because I think seeing this armor in person was out of this world.
This is straight up next level. Side note: I adore your dress sleeves! Is that a specific historical style? I’d love to see how they’re made!
The sleeves remind me of Meme Moms (Karolina Zebrowska) sleeping beauty dress, just without the slits in the puffs. Maybe that would be a starting point for the era/construction?
@@tf7602 oh, great call! Thank you ☺️
As another commenter mentioned, Kevlar is the go-to fabric for fencing protection nowadays. So, the folks dealing with pointy objects agree with your aesthetic! A really nice build, thanks for sharing. Next challenge, using titanium plates under kevlar fabric...
Punky professional is amazing hair dye!!!! I've been using it for nearly 20 years. It can be cut with conditioner and still be so incredibly vibrant. And it lasts so long and fades nicely. Please look into getting more colors from them in the future!!! Its super affordable and great quality for the price compared to others on the market.
In other news. This video is amazing and im loving watching you working with materials and design choices that are not traditional.
The trial and error for the rivets, kevlar paneling and vinyl overlay were so seriously instructive. I don't know if I'll ever use them myself, but you have definitely leveled up and made it easier for others to tackle it in the future.
Also, I'm so sad about the blue in your hair! It would have gone great with the latex dress, but I absolutely adored the mixture of oranges and pinks you were sporting for the last project.
aaaaaaaa i love this. i did a presentation about kevlar for my textiles class in fashion school, i'm so happy to see it being used in this creative and amazing way.
I have been watching your videos for s few years and I love them. This video however is next level awesome. You've taken industrial materials and worked with them, successfully,in a domestic hobbyist setting. Not only that, you've reworked medieval products with modern equivalents whilst keeping the aesthetic qualities the medieval artisans strive for. I say this in all sincerity, this is truly inspiring work and I applaud your endeavours. Thank you for sharing.
Synthetic fibers are such a trip when you're used to natural ones--thanks for sharing your struggles & frustrations as well as your triumph. Your armour looks awesome!
I really found the Kevlar info interesting. (My younger self was a volunteer firefighter, so I've worn it.) Your finished armor is quite something!!
awesome project, glad to have caught this video today, your pinned post speaks volumes love, so sad that families there in the states have family member gone, something missed with that shooter, his family are victims in the tragedy too, so many affected by the recent event, Even here on the Rock there is more guns being used in the wrong purpose, 3d printers are even a risk, some using them for wonderful things like prosthetics for people, others are creating harmful weapons from the same tech, it's all in what's in an individual's heart hey
having taken up leather craft as an (expensive) side hobby, I find that using the rapid rivets or double cap rivets for decorative looks (or non heavy load bearing areas) are faster and easier to apply (and less annoying for my roommates since it's maybe 1-3 hits with a hammer and done). Plus they come in various colors, sizes, and if you want the fancy dome look, you can get them with those too! Just a little something to consider for next time :)
Your final look is wonderful ! Love the hair too ! I can't believe you managed to do all of at, it seemed so difficult, yet looks so good, bravo !🥰
That looks phenomenal. But now you've gone to all the trouble to make it out of kevlar, I kind of want to see you put it on a manakin and take pot shots at it with a longbow.
Morgan: "I'm going to make modern armor. And because I'm me, I'm going to use the coolest/sexiest/most aesthetic style in history to as my inspiration!" Thank you for sharing even your "not great" projects and experiments with us. It looks pretty cool.