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Oh, I’m SO GLAD you made mock ups of both patterns. There’s just nothing like seeing how they *actually sew up* to see how small changes make a big difference. I know it takes a lot more time and effort, and a lot more materials, but I really appreciate it. Sometimes I wish vintage pattern collectors like you would band together to *properly* recreate/copy the original vintage pattern - if only just for archival purposes. Sometimes I really worry about them being lost to time 😭
I know why the modern version was planned with a much fuller skirt. We no longer wear crinoline petticoats and slips. Without those the modern dress needs some way to look fuller. The vintage pattern is lifted and spread by crinoline under slips, giving the fullness and the line on the front of the pattern and the proper silhouette.
Yes! That's why the modern is shorter! They tried to mimic the look without the undergarments. So the skirt has more fabric to give volume and is shorter to mimic the lift that a crinoline would give. SewRena will know. She does everything vintage '50s.
That doesn't explain the bulk at the waist. The hem is wider in the modern one, but only by probably...2 feet? The waist is wider by maybe a foot (?) per panel. It really makes the waist look bulky. If they just wanted to make the skirt look fuller without crinolines they could have just widened each panel by a few inches using the same lines.
It actually wasn't all that much better in the past. I was in "junior high" in 1969-1971, 7th & 8th grade, two different schools. The first school taught a year of cooking, the a year of sewing. I wasn't there for sewing, but they took a purchased A-line skirt pattern with waistband and pockets, and made that up. A pretty good intro to sewing! [They might have also done other projects, I don't know.] The other school taught one year of home ec, one semester each of cooking and sewing. I was there for sewing. They taught: - fringed napkins stitch a line around each, fringe to the line - fringed placemats same as the napkins, but larger - a waist apron, gathered rectangle for the skirt and one pocket I'm quite happy I wasn't around for the cooking! After that "class" I went home, asked my mom if I could use her sewing machine, and taught myself how to sew, with a little guidance from Mom.
home ec was a required class in year 8 for me (it would've been about 2012) - but only for one year and they oddly enough split it between the semesters? so some people learned cooking but not sewing, and some people learned sewing but not cooking. i learned sewing and even then most of the interesting shit i did was a. done during the time where the athletic kids made the school teams and everyone else was kept back to do other stuff, and b. i didn't remember much of it when i got a sewing machine just before the pandemic hit. but even so far as my brother who actually completed high school went, he did not have to do home ec past year 8 and i don't think they do any sewing anymore.
Yep, I took 3 years of Home Ec. My 2nd home ec teacher had actually been my aunt's college roommate, the 2 year of high school I was a teacher's pet. First year, almost failed as I knew more than my teacher. I had been sewing since age 11. Had been taught to do hand embroider by my mom. We did lap zippers first project. Then a project. I made top for myself. Then 2nd and 3rd years had the great teacher. Thankfully. Have been sewing up a storm ever since having children in 1990, 93 and 94. Learned smocking, french hand sewing by machine too.❤
The "I WANT ONE LINE" line reminded me why I am grateful for modern pdf-pattern designers who know the medium they're working with. Nothing fills my heart with joy like opening a fresh download, vintage reproduction or otherwise, and seeing that beautiful, beautiful "layers" button light up to say the creator gave me the option of how many lines I want to struggle with.
I love the fact you make these. After the horrible nightmare that was the reproduction of the walk away dress I never trusted these retro patterns since. So it's nice to see them in action before I waste my fabric.
@@StephanieCanada I hope to one day get my hands on the original walk away dress and grade it up myself. I'm sure I can do a hell of a lot better job then butterick ever did. lol
As a professional costume maker, I have frequently been asked to make a vintage dress with a modern copy. Now I understand why I must fight the modern pattern to look like the vintage dress, especially with the bodice draping. Modern patterns are made with computer programs that are not as flexable as a pattern made by a human. Usually I end up finding a picture of the vintage line drawing and make my own pattern. The under bust seams are the worst, also sleeve designs, well, almost everything. The shoulder design on the original was remarkable, also the drape of the skirt. This video will be in my 'save' box to refer to in the future. I also usually end up draping the mockup to find out how the origional pattern was designed.
Wild guess: I genuinely wonder if the extra wide skirt pieces in the modern repro were meant to provide "volume" without a petticoat underneath? Same as how you mentioned the difference in the average sewing skills between the user in the 50s vs modern day, the vintage pattern assumes a petticoat automatically.
I was thinking the same thing. The vintage skirt doesn't poof out like the drawing, so I think the vintage was made to go with a crinoline or even a soft hoop, which were fasionable according to my mom (who flashed a priest because she sat in the front pew and was new to wearing a hoop) Whoever drafted the modern pattern maybe tried to get that fullness with skirt fabric.
I think one of the reasons the vintage patterns look and sew up so much better is because the designers of that time understood draping, ease and fit for a woman’s body. I don’t even spend time looking at current dress patterns anymore because they just don’t look flattering on the body. Why waste my time on them? Give me something that actually looks classy when I wear it.
I find the multi size patterns useful because my bust, waist, and hips are the different sizes and i rarely cut on the actual pattern line anyway. That said, I've gotten very into historical patterns lately, so I'm usually tracing everything onto gridded pattern paper and making alterations to those pieces.
I feel that... last time I used a Mood pattern, my hips want size 8, my bust wanted size 12 and my waist wanted size 18. Definitely not made for "dad bod with boobs" shaped women like me.
The reproductions should be called inspired by the 1950s design. Why is it so hard reproduce the original pattern. I am so glad you put these videos out to show people how different the reproduction patterns are. I have sold a few of the reproductions but feel guilty selling them after seeing these videos
I love this series and I especially love that you sewed them both 💕💕 the modern one did look clunky and it’s mostly because the bodice already had the ties so a super full skirt was just too much
My kid had an observation that made me cackle and you might, too. Bad Sewing Science with Steph isn’t just the BS of bad reproductions, it’s BS S S! 😂 He’s been paying more attention than I thought!
it's always wild to see how different these repro vs modern patterns are. It's something I will need to keep in mind for grading up to my size if I decide to get a vintage pattern. Also, that black kitty dress is suuuuper cute!!
WOW! The vintage dress is lovely and the reproduction is dowdy! I had thought of buying the reproduction, but after watching your delightful video, I’ll wait until a vintage pattern can be had. Thank you for going the distance and showing the difference!
I'm so grateful for these. As a beginner seamstress back then in 2011 with some real disasters under my belt, it's really comforting to see that the issue is with the pattern, not with me.
Patterns are kind of a lie, especially if your shape differs much from the shape that patterns are designed to fit. I don't think I'll ever buy another modern pattern as I'll just have to re-draft half of it to fit my shape anyways. If I'm gonna need a mockup anyways, why not just self-draft the whole thing or trace off and modify something I already have that fits...
Ooooo!!! I have the repro but it’s been untouched because of everything I’ve heard about it but this video piqued my interest in sewing the dress again! Looks like the vintage bodice has a more distinct cowl which I love! I think I prefer the volume and the length of the modern one though! I’m 5’ 2” 😂 and like so many other commenters before me, I can have the vintage look without the petticoat. Thank you for this video! ❤
I felt the same way, I'm also 5ft 2" so the shorter skirt length isn't so much of an issue, but the grainline changes would make it hang differently. I wonder if the changes to the bodice shape were to make it wearable with more modern underwear, rather than the girdle and more pointed bras that would have been around in the 1950's.
Well, now my fiasco of trying to make/fit a repo pattern (and the devastation of throwing everything out after a week of trying) makes sense. Ugh! Will never ever ever do that again. On the hunt for vintage! Thank you for your humor! Hugs
I, too dislike multi-size patterns with MANY pieces. I JUST finished cutting on the WRONG size line. Fortunately, it was for interfacing. I really miss the one-size patterns!!! Thank you SO much for the inspiring, funny AND educational! 🧵😂♥
Thank you so much for these! I not only learn loads, it is just plain fun. IF you ever run out of ideas for content, would you do a few episodes of Why? Specific example: the grain line on hip seam vs center front. How that changes the garment in general, and how specific fabrics react to the change. I sort of know a little bit of what changes but would love a deep dive. Thanks again.
I will add that to the list, but I am not a Draper and so not fully understand the mechanics of the drape. So if I find a friend that is willing to come on and help, I may be able to tackle it.
Yep I made this modern version a while back and it came out, after a considerable struggle, horribly. 🙄I still have it because I used a gorgeous yellow floral vintage sheet, But it is unwearable. Thank you for your comparison. ❤❤
Wow, seeing the mock ups made light years of difference in understanding what all those changes meant for the pattern. Thank you so much for that treat! 👗
Hi Stephanie! I received my patterns that I ordered from you, in great condition and promptly. I didn’t realize that you live very close to me. 😁 I love your videos!!!
This was very interesting. I do not like patterns BUT that’s because I have to alter them so much for me as a 5’ size 14/16 shop size, so all the bits do not match any size on the envelope back, I have to move darts up, waist up, shoulder seams up, hem up so I would be mortified altering a vintage pattern. I cut, slice, tape, pin and then lay out the pattern and sometimes I can get away with less fabric requirement and I save money. When the pattern is done for me, I keep it and use over and again and alter it as I need as mine were all free with magazines. I love your TH-cam channel as it is an eye opener seeing vintage patterns and how the modern or reproduction ones match up, or not 😂😂. 🇬🇧👍
Thank you. When i was growing up in the late 1940’s- 1950’s(take me back over my dead body, hiss boo, yuck! [Sorry, i get very angry thinking about that foul repressive era.]) i learned a lot about sewing & crochet from Mother and Grammy, and home ec. Every summer , Mother had us make 2 skirts and two simple blouses for the coming school year. The last thing i sewed was a suit, back in the sixties when my kids still took naps. Most of my sewing since then has been patching and repairing shoddily made modern clothes. It took some relearning to figure out modern patterns when i lately began a project of two costumes for a Ren Experience. I gave it up for UTube directions using my measurements, though i based a Ren style sleeve to create a tie on sleeve for both costumes. I find that the best use for modern patterns: something to base better ideas from. Anyway, i enjoyed the trip (pun intended) through pattern comparison.
I took home ec and sewed one blouse at school. After that I made another blouse at home, but we didn't own a sewing machine, so I sewed it by hand. After that I just embroidered on my jeans and some t-shirts I had at the time. Now I have a machine and sew some stuff, but now crochet more often than I sew. Lol!
On the one hand I totally agree with you, but on the other hand even cosplay is supposed to freaking fit. Who wants to go to a Halloween or whatever party and be uncomfortable all night? Or spend a weekend trying to wrestle a pattern to wear to a party into wearability? The more I watch these, the closer I get to making my own bodice blocks.
I did notice that like all the reproductions are shorter. I think they try to make it fit modern taste more. Also I think they were going off of one of Gertie's skirt patterns. I noticed that her skirt patterns seem to be like that too. I think they are envisioning their target market as not people who actually want a real reproduction but people who want a vintage feel. Just try a reproduction with shoulder pads! 😢
We had several lessons in primary school (probably your elementary) between the ages of 8 and 9 and I learned some embroidery skills, made a shopping bag for my dad and also a ghostbusters cushion (showing my age lol). I’ve made the modern version of this pattern and there has definitely been a LOT wrong with the bodice - if you’ve got any kind of chest proportions, you really, really need to make some serious adjustments. That 2 inches would help it sit properly. I also think that you’re right about the skirt, but this video now gives me ideas on how to fix it up a little lol.
When I use a multi-size pattern, I get out my tissue paper and trace the size I need. The factory pattern is left intact so others can trace and use it for their projects. Really great practice for children's patterns. They can grow with the kids.
The comparison of the mock ups made this video a total perfection. Damn, I love that nerdy comparison, thank you so much for going the extra effort to sew two dresses solely for this video. I like the modern version better! (me: squeals, hides face, and runs away)
I truly love seeing the finished products side by side. It really shows how those difference in the pattern really make the garment look terrible. The original one looks so beautiful and polished. the reproduction looks . . .as you say, like hot garbage.
I took home ec sewing in high school though I already knew how to sew and the teacher did not like me, but a senior boy made her a pillow with a big pot leaf on it and she looooved that - this was early 70s.
I love that you made the mockups! I hope you will keep doing that in future vintage vs. modern videos, it brings a whole new dimension to the experiment!
O.M.G. thank-you for this!! I have a large collection of the repros!! I'm re-thinking my life's choices! With just your skirt comparison and mock-ups I learned so much!
As you have said and so many of us have asked "WHY NOT JUST REMAKE THE ORGINALS!" cut corners or get artsy fartsy {Yeah I said it !} with the repos and YOU GET SOME HOT GARBAGE Thank you for your Service and taking this mad journey before we decide to go ourselves! Thats Friendship !!
Ohhh I love seeing the differences of how the different shapes affect the fabric! The vintage neckline has such a beautiful drape compared to the modern one! It's the look you expect from the drawings on the front. Also, that much skirt? That's too much bulk on the modern!
I love these videos. Something that I've been wondering about is whether the company has the instructions and line drawings to go off but not the pattern pieces. Not to mention: why do we need or want different proportions on our patterns?
I am so with you on those multi lines in modern patterns aghhh. That’s why I love vintage your size only patterns. It was great to see both mock ups too, thank you for sharing
I really appreciate that you took the time to make the mockups! Tiktok lives can be very motivating that way. I don't hate the modern version, surprisingly, though the bodice on the true vintage one does lay more nicely.
And this is why I don't buy that many modern patterns - the final look makes me look like a box. No thank you. Those curving lines in the vintage pattern are just so much more, I dunno what's the word, graceful / natural than the reproduction. Makes me suspect that we're seeing is the result of limitations of the modern software than actual design choices. In any event, thank you for your ongoing contribution to saving others sanity when it comes to the modern remake of any vintage pattern. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
A fabulous idea to mock up both patterns for a side-by-side comparison. And I don't want to discourage this in any way. But.......to my admittedly untrained eye, the modern bodice looks better than the vintage one. The vintage skirt looks better, but I can guess why the repro made the skirt bigger. I think people today associate the 50s with big flouffy skirts, so they redesigned the dress with that expectation in mind. I think repro patterns are just meant to reproduce the look of the original, not the exact pattern pieces. But I could be wrong. You will know better than I.
Do you think modern bras partially influenced the change in the shape of the bust pieces? I don't think it would account for all the changes, but I'd really like to see a comparison of the modern vs vintage made up and over modern vs vintage bras. That's a ton of work and I'm not recommending you do that, you're a very busy lady, I'm just curious. Same thing kind of goes for the waist pieces: shapewear isn't as commonly worn now and those that are worn are completely different; the change in shape may be, in part, to account for underwear differences and wearing ease. I'm not an expert in any of this, I just sew too much.
Definitely prefer the vintage dress. My problem with vintage dresses usually lies in the arm holes...the arm pit part is way to high...usually an easy fix but most of the time I have to substitute a lining fabric because I don't have the right bias tape
The part that really gets my goat is that they call it a reproduction. If you (Butterick) want to make a new version or a new pattern JUST DO IT! Don’t con people that it’s a reproduction IT’S JUST DIFFERENT UUUUUGH. (I genuinely love these comparisons, just makes me want to throttle someone at Butterick…
The modern patterns are made to fit a modern figure shaped by modern foundation garments. If you like to wear vintage under garments, then look to use a vintage pattern. Modern patterns also use shortcuts in sewing techniques (ie. the narrow hem and facing issue). As a very long term sewer (or is that sewist) and patternmaker, I prefer more structured garments, and add hems and facings when using commercial patterns (which is not often and usually as a starting point). It's been many years since I haven't made some sort of change to a commercial pattern.
The mock up is really helpful in seeing the difference of the final product. So we have established the company's did not save the old patterns. 🤦 But why can they not draft a new pattern properly?
While, yes, there were bullet bras, I intentionally showed the dress on my mannequin without that to show how it fits on a modern shape. Personally, I do not think it would change the shape so much that moderns designers needed to change it well over 2” in some places.
I agree with your point that the modern one is very poorly done. I was just referring to the top section that has a somewhat different shape. I don't get why so many of the changes in more modern patterns are so odd. We would all be better off making our own adjustments to the vintage patterns.@@StephanieCanada
Having two pieces to the skirt pattern in the vintage allows one to double the fabric and lay and cut without having to unpin (another reason I prefer weights).
I used a reproduction Simplicity pattern one time! Even though it was my standard size then, I couldn’t lift my arms when it was done. I didn’t have an original to make comparisons. I haven’t made a “reproduction vintage” anything since! 😂
I had the home ec class but also had a mom that showed me how to sew. The problem is I quit sewing and now I can’t remember. Lol. Also, thought, since the modern skirt is so much more fabric. I think maybe the thought process is trying to get the same fullness in the skirt that would have been achieved in the 50’s with a petticoat. Modern women a lot of times don’t grasp the undergarments they wore back then.
Ok folks say it with me: not every 1950s woman wore petticoats with EVERY DRESS 😂 slips? Yes. Petticoats? No. It’s unlikely this original dress was made for a petticoat given that it’s more of an a-line and it’s FAR more likely the modern one was just trying to replicate the fantasy fullness of the drawing. I say this as someone who has studied vintage every day wear, vintage patterns, and vintage housewives for the past 12 years.
I was looking! I WAS LOOKING! what month did you say?! I agree that the original sits much better. Didn't do home ec at my school, it was also demolished years ago.
Ty I enjoyed the comparisons and that you sewed them up so we can see the vintage look 👍🩷. I am worried about the Butterick B6211 I bought which could be repo. I'm planning to cut a muslin for the top of the dress to test.
Are you able to do the simplicity 8591 vintage and modern!? I bought the modern and I am legit got stuck at the skirt like it’s coming out more of a pencil skirt/dress than anything else.
Wait. It seems to me that having the grain line at the hips and the more biased area in the center is a really bad idea? Wouldn't you want the most stretch and flexibility at the hips, and as little drooping as possible in the center? Or am I missing something?
I wonder if some of the drastic changes in shape of certain pieces is an artifact of creating nested multi size pattens? Like they have change the shape because otherwise certain areas would be too confusing with all of the lines? Anyway, you always do a good job with these and making up both garments side by side was just that little bit extra that really illustrated why these changes can make such a difference in the outcome.
I took home-ec for 3 years from 6-8 I had a gym exception. My grandma who had paid for lots of ballet refused to be silent when I got a scholarship for the Denver Academy of ballet for 6th grade, and on. I started ballet at 4. So she had standing
I learned to sew in middle school way back when single size patterns were the norm. I absolutely hate multi-size patterns. It is so easy to make a mistake. I think anyone learning to sew today may be very confused and ultimately discouraged enough to quit.
Any time I have a multi-line pattern I go over the line I need with highlighter before I cut it... then if I discover I drew the line wrong when I go back and double check the legend before I pick up the scissors, I can switch colours.
Thanks. Have you tried Removable Scotch tape? Saved when when I had to reattach wrong cut lines. Put down that horrible packing tape. Removable is the way to go.
I don’t use tape on my patterns usually. And since this is a modern pattern I will never make again, I didn’t really care. (Plus my child has moved/taken all my tape)
I've watched a bunch of these, I have a feeling they send a modern dressmaker the photo of the front of the pattern envelope and have them recreate it and that's why they never match. I don't think they actually look at the pattern pieces at all.
I wonder if the modern one has more volume because they assume a modern person would not be wearing a petticoat? Where as with the vintage, they assume you have all the correct undergarments? I wonder if they sometimes change the pattern because they think they are "helping" modern people by making the pattern fix a modern bra-shape and modern panties / lack of underpinning layers.
very much enjoy these...i do get the repro versions but the one i did make i changed so much i might as well have graded a tiny vintage one lol...tfs:)
I did a mock up on the repo. It needed a fba had to take in the ties. There was also a terrible gap in the bodice. I made in a size 20. My frustration made me throw it in the trash.
It's downright criminal that the top portion was put on the straight grain and reference to the center front and not on the bias like the original. The extra volume to the skirt and the other pattern changes can be forgiven because they don't necessarily ruin the dress. I do think the skirt would probably look best as a lightly gathered quarter or half circle skirt. That would mimic more the softness of the top to the bottom especially in a pattern matched stripe. But I guarantee everyone who's ever made this pattern without knowing that the top needs to be on the bias would blame the fact that their fabric stiffness was the wrong choice for the pattern. But it's the fact that the company messed up integral part and main defining characteristics of this dress by changing the grain line.
I don't understand why the reproductions are so different to the originals...not really a reproduction if they are so different! I've stopped buying modern patterns once I tried one vintage pattern. The fit is always so much better without me having to draft my own pattern & instructions are clearer.
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Oh, I’m SO GLAD you made mock ups of both patterns. There’s just nothing like seeing how they *actually sew up* to see how small changes make a big difference. I know it takes a lot more time and effort, and a lot more materials, but I really appreciate it.
Sometimes I wish vintage pattern collectors like you would band together to *properly* recreate/copy the original vintage pattern - if only just for archival purposes. Sometimes I really worry about them being lost to time 😭
It never occurred to me that reproduction vintage patterns would be exactly the same as the original. I thought that was the whole point!
I know why the modern version was planned with a much fuller skirt. We no longer wear crinoline petticoats and slips. Without those the modern dress needs some way to look fuller.
The vintage pattern is lifted and spread by crinoline under slips, giving the fullness and the line on the front of the pattern and the proper silhouette.
Yes! That's why the modern is shorter! They tried to mimic the look without the undergarments. So the skirt has more fabric to give volume and is shorter to mimic the lift that a crinoline would give.
SewRena will know. She does everything vintage '50s.
That doesn't explain the bulk at the waist. The hem is wider in the modern one, but only by probably...2 feet? The waist is wider by maybe a foot (?) per panel. It really makes the waist look bulky. If they just wanted to make the skirt look fuller without crinolines they could have just widened each panel by a few inches using the same lines.
@@renearnush1377 pattern maker laziness instead of doing tapered gores? Those pleats do add a fullness, sadly, even at the waist.
"Had one home ec class in the eighth grade...." Um...yes, exactly that. We made a pillow case and a small patchwork pillow.
YUP! Had my mother not kept trying to teach me I would’ve been screwed.
It actually wasn't all that much better in the past.
I was in "junior high" in 1969-1971, 7th & 8th grade, two different schools.
The first school taught a year of cooking, the a year of sewing. I wasn't there for sewing, but they took a purchased A-line skirt pattern with waistband and pockets, and made that up. A pretty good intro to sewing! [They might have also done other projects, I don't know.]
The other school taught one year of home ec, one semester each of cooking and sewing. I was there for sewing. They taught:
- fringed napkins stitch a line around each, fringe to the line
- fringed placemats same as the napkins, but larger
- a waist apron, gathered rectangle for the skirt and one pocket
I'm quite happy I wasn't around for the cooking!
After that "class" I went home, asked my mom if I could use her sewing machine, and taught myself how to sew, with a little guidance from Mom.
home ec was a required class in year 8 for me (it would've been about 2012) - but only for one year and they oddly enough split it between the semesters? so some people learned cooking but not sewing, and some people learned sewing but not cooking. i learned sewing and even then most of the interesting shit i did was a. done during the time where the athletic kids made the school teams and everyone else was kept back to do other stuff, and b. i didn't remember much of it when i got a sewing machine just before the pandemic hit. but even so far as my brother who actually completed high school went, he did not have to do home ec past year 8 and i don't think they do any sewing anymore.
Mine was also in Grade 8! Sweatpants! That would've been 1984. Yikes.
Yep, I took 3 years of Home Ec. My 2nd home ec teacher had actually been my aunt's college roommate, the 2 year of high school I was a teacher's pet. First year, almost failed as I knew more than my teacher. I had been sewing since age 11. Had been taught to do hand embroider by my mom. We did lap zippers first project. Then a project. I made top for myself. Then 2nd and 3rd years had the great teacher. Thankfully. Have been sewing up a storm ever since having children in 1990, 93 and 94. Learned smocking, french hand sewing by machine too.❤
The "I WANT ONE LINE" line reminded me why I am grateful for modern pdf-pattern designers who know the medium they're working with. Nothing fills my heart with joy like opening a fresh download, vintage reproduction or otherwise, and seeing that beautiful, beautiful "layers" button light up to say the creator gave me the option of how many lines I want to struggle with.
I love the fact you make these. After the horrible nightmare that was the reproduction of the walk away dress I never trusted these retro patterns since. So it's nice to see them in action before I waste my fabric.
I am so happy they are helping!! ❤️
@@StephanieCanada I hope to one day get my hands on the original walk away dress and grade it up myself. I'm sure I can do a hell of a lot better job then butterick ever did. lol
I have since taken to looking up TH-cam videos of the patterns I'm thinking of getting to see if their finished product is what I want 😅
@@jessicaneal8553 That's a good idea! Saves you a lot of time and tears! lol
As a professional costume maker, I have frequently been asked to make a vintage dress with a modern copy. Now I understand why I must fight the modern pattern to look like the vintage dress, especially with the bodice draping. Modern patterns are made with computer programs that are not as flexable as a pattern made by a human. Usually I end up finding a picture of the vintage line drawing and make my own pattern. The under bust seams are the worst, also sleeve designs, well, almost everything. The shoulder design on the original was remarkable, also the drape of the skirt. This video will be in my 'save' box to refer to in the future. I also usually end up draping the mockup to find out how the origional pattern was designed.
Wild guess: I genuinely wonder if the extra wide skirt pieces in the modern repro were meant to provide "volume" without a petticoat underneath? Same as how you mentioned the difference in the average sewing skills between the user in the 50s vs modern day, the vintage pattern assumes a petticoat automatically.
I mean, it could be possible, but I think it is more likely they didn’t have the original skirt.
No decent woman in the 1950s would ever wear a dress without petticoat out of the house.
@@charlibrown7745 I agree! But a modern sewist might not have a petticoat, so maybe McCalls is trying to account for that.
I was thinking the same thing. The vintage skirt doesn't poof out like the drawing, so I think the vintage was made to go with a crinoline or even a soft hoop, which were fasionable according to my mom (who flashed a priest because she sat in the front pew and was new to wearing a hoop)
Whoever drafted the modern pattern maybe tried to get that fullness with skirt fabric.
@@catherinewideman1965I don’t give McCalls that kind of credit.
Love this w/ the mock up! It totally helps us to see the difference between the two in a concise way. Thanks so much!!!
I think one of the reasons the vintage patterns look and sew up so much better is because the designers of that time understood draping, ease and fit for a woman’s body. I don’t even spend time looking at current dress patterns anymore because they just don’t look flattering on the body. Why waste my time on them? Give me something that actually looks classy when I wear it.
That could certainly be possible.
I made this dress with the new pattern and it is beautiful- I don’t understand all the fuss other than to benefit the person selling you something -
I find the multi size patterns useful because my bust, waist, and hips are the different sizes and i rarely cut on the actual pattern line anyway.
That said, I've gotten very into historical patterns lately, so I'm usually tracing everything onto gridded pattern paper and making alterations to those pieces.
I feel that... last time I used a Mood pattern, my hips want size 8, my bust wanted size 12 and my waist wanted size 18. Definitely not made for "dad bod with boobs" shaped women like me.
You are better than any comedian past, present and/or future❤😂😂😂😂😂. Ans I adored Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez!❤❤❤! Your humor is too GREAT.....
Oh, I hope she sees this comment! It’s so true! Stephanie is hilarious, and wonderful!
The reproductions should be called inspired by the 1950s design. Why is it so hard reproduce the original pattern. I am so glad you put these videos out to show people how different the reproduction patterns are. I have sold a few of the reproductions but feel guilty selling them after seeing these videos
I love this series and I especially love that you sewed them both 💕💕 the modern one did look clunky and it’s mostly because the bodice already had the ties so a super full skirt was just too much
I had forgot how fun they are to make. And the mock ups really did add a level of “reality” to it.
lol I have the reproduction and ALL of these differences will leave my brain immediately when I start making it
My kid had an observation that made me cackle and you might, too. Bad Sewing Science with Steph isn’t just the BS of bad reproductions, it’s BS S S! 😂 He’s been paying more attention than I thought!
it's always wild to see how different these repro vs modern patterns are. It's something I will need to keep in mind for grading up to my size if I decide to get a vintage pattern. Also, that black kitty dress is suuuuper cute!!
WOW! The vintage dress is lovely and the reproduction is dowdy! I had thought of buying the reproduction, but after watching your delightful video, I’ll wait until a vintage pattern can be had. Thank you for going the distance and showing the difference!
I'm so grateful for these. As a beginner seamstress back then in 2011 with some real disasters under my belt, it's really comforting to see that the issue is with the pattern, not with me.
Patterns are kind of a lie, especially if your shape differs much from the shape that patterns are designed to fit. I don't think I'll ever buy another modern pattern as I'll just have to re-draft half of it to fit my shape anyways. If I'm gonna need a mockup anyways, why not just self-draft the whole thing or trace off and modify something I already have that fits...
Oh, this is hillarious!!!
Ooooo!!! I have the repro but it’s been untouched because of everything I’ve heard about it but this video piqued my interest in sewing the dress again! Looks like the vintage bodice has a more distinct cowl which I love! I think I prefer the volume and the length of the modern one though! I’m 5’ 2” 😂 and like so many other commenters before me, I can have the vintage look without the petticoat.
Thank you for this video! ❤
I felt the same way, I'm also 5ft 2" so the shorter skirt length isn't so much of an issue, but the grainline changes would make it hang differently. I wonder if the changes to the bodice shape were to make it wearable with more modern underwear, rather than the girdle and more pointed bras that would have been around in the 1950's.
Well, now my fiasco of trying to make/fit a repo pattern (and the devastation of throwing everything out after a week of trying) makes sense. Ugh! Will never ever ever do that again. On the hunt for vintage! Thank you for your humor! Hugs
This is why I always trace my patterns on tissue .Never cut the original. But that just me. I came to this because of doing what you just did.
Oh my god I love the Halloween dress at the end!!!
I, too dislike multi-size patterns with MANY pieces. I JUST finished cutting on the WRONG size line. Fortunately, it was for interfacing. I really miss the one-size patterns!!! Thank you SO much for the inspiring, funny AND educational! 🧵😂♥
Thank you so much for these! I not only learn loads, it is just plain fun. IF you ever run out of ideas for content, would you do a few episodes of Why? Specific example: the grain line on hip seam vs center front. How that changes the garment in general, and how specific fabrics react to the change. I sort of know a little bit of what changes but would love a deep dive. Thanks again.
I will add that to the list, but I am not a Draper and so not fully understand the mechanics of the drape. So if I find a friend that is willing to come on and help, I may be able to tackle it.
Ty ty. I confess to commenting before the mockup was started. The difference between the finished bodices is fascinating!
Yep I made this modern version a while back and it came out, after a considerable struggle, horribly. 🙄I still have it because I used a gorgeous yellow floral vintage sheet, But it is unwearable. Thank you for your comparison. ❤❤
You are so very welcome!
Wow, seeing the mock ups made light years of difference in understanding what all those changes meant for the pattern. Thank you so much for that treat! 👗
Hi Stephanie! I received my patterns that I ordered from you, in great condition and promptly. I didn’t realize that you live very close to me. 😁 I love your videos!!!
Glad to hear you got them
This was very interesting. I do not like patterns BUT that’s because I have to alter them so much for me as a 5’ size 14/16 shop size, so all the bits do not match any size on the envelope back, I have to move darts up, waist up, shoulder seams up, hem up so I would be mortified altering a vintage pattern. I cut, slice, tape, pin and then lay out the pattern and sometimes I can get away with less fabric requirement and I save money. When the pattern is done for me, I keep it and use over and again and alter it as I need as mine were all free with magazines. I love your TH-cam channel as it is an eye opener seeing vintage patterns and how the modern or reproduction ones match up, or not 😂😂. 🇬🇧👍
Thank you. When i was growing up in the late 1940’s- 1950’s(take me back over my dead body, hiss boo, yuck! [Sorry, i get very angry thinking about that foul repressive era.]) i learned a lot about sewing & crochet from Mother and Grammy, and home ec. Every summer , Mother had us make 2 skirts and two simple blouses for the coming school year. The last thing i sewed was a suit, back in the sixties when my kids still took naps. Most of my sewing since then has been patching and repairing shoddily made modern clothes. It took some relearning to figure out modern patterns when i lately began a project of two costumes for a Ren Experience. I gave it up for UTube directions using my measurements, though i based a Ren style sleeve to create a tie on sleeve for both costumes. I find that the best use for modern patterns: something to base better ideas from. Anyway, i enjoyed the trip (pun intended) through pattern comparison.
I took home ec and sewed one blouse at school. After that I made another blouse at home, but we didn't own a sewing machine, so I sewed it by hand. After that I just embroidered on my jeans and some t-shirts I had at the time. Now I have a machine and sew some stuff, but now crochet more often than I sew. Lol!
I always find these comparisons so interesting. I really think the vintage were to be part of a working wardrobe. The modern are more just for fun.
I can see that. Modern pattern makers think we just want these for “cosplay” instead of daily wear.
On the one hand I totally agree with you, but on the other hand even cosplay is supposed to freaking fit. Who wants to go to a Halloween or whatever party and be uncomfortable all night? Or spend a weekend trying to wrestle a pattern to wear to a party into wearability?
The more I watch these, the closer I get to making my own bodice blocks.
I did notice that like all the reproductions are shorter. I think they try to make it fit modern taste more. Also I think they were going off of one of Gertie's skirt patterns. I noticed that her skirt patterns seem to be like that too.
I think they are envisioning their target market as not people who actually want a real reproduction but people who want a vintage feel.
Just try a reproduction with shoulder pads! 😢
whoo hoo! a stephanie vid!!!
We had several lessons in primary school (probably your elementary) between the ages of 8 and 9 and I learned some embroidery skills, made a shopping bag for my dad and also a ghostbusters cushion (showing my age lol). I’ve made the modern version of this pattern and there has definitely been a LOT wrong with the bodice - if you’ve got any kind of chest proportions, you really, really need to make some serious adjustments. That 2 inches would help it sit properly. I also think that you’re right about the skirt, but this video now gives me ideas on how to fix it up a little lol.
Oh boy, here we go again 🫣 thank you for your sacrifice dear stephanie😂
Really liked the dress comparison at the end. VINTAGE IS BETTER!!
When I use a multi-size pattern, I get out my tissue paper and trace the size I need. The factory pattern is left intact so others can trace and use it for their projects. Really great practice for children's patterns. They can grow with the kids.
The comparison of the mock ups made this video a total perfection. Damn, I love that nerdy comparison, thank you so much for going the extra effort to sew two dresses solely for this video. I like the modern version better! (me: squeals, hides face, and runs away)
Greetings from Finland where I enjoy your videos while cooking. I know! But they're fun!
I really like the mock ups at the end! Being able to see them side by side made all the difference. Thank you!
I truly love seeing the finished products side by side. It really shows how those difference in the pattern really make the garment look terrible. The original one looks so beautiful and polished. the reproduction looks . . .as you say, like hot garbage.
I took home ec sewing in high school though I already knew how to sew and the teacher did not like me, but a senior boy made her a pillow with a big pot leaf on it and she looooved that - this was early 70s.
I love that you made the mockups! I hope you will keep doing that in future vintage vs. modern videos, it brings a whole new dimension to the experiment!
O.M.G. thank-you for this!! I have a large collection of the repros!! I'm re-thinking my life's choices! With just your skirt comparison and mock-ups I learned so much!
Brilliant! thanks Steph 😘 Love the way you presented both dresses at the end ! excellent work
Thank you so much! It really did help the vintage pattern shine.
As you have said and so many of us have asked "WHY NOT JUST REMAKE THE ORGINALS!" cut corners or get artsy fartsy {Yeah I said it !} with the repos and YOU GET SOME HOT GARBAGE Thank you for your Service and taking this mad journey before we decide to go ourselves! Thats Friendship !!
Thank you for doing the mockups!
I don't sew at all, but you are hilarious 😂love it
Ohhh I love seeing the differences of how the different shapes affect the fabric! The vintage neckline has such a beautiful drape compared to the modern one! It's the look you expect from the drawings on the front.
Also, that much skirt? That's too much bulk on the modern!
OMG! I must be really old. I learned in 9th grade back in the 1970's. We made A-line skirts then had to WEAR it to school for out final grade!
On a separate note, RIP Alex Trebek - gone, but certainly not forgotten by all of us! Certainly not by Stephanie while cussing out patterns! 😆
Love the mock ups!!
So helpful. And you are absolutely right. 1 home ec class in 8th grade!
I love these videos. Something that I've been wondering about is whether the company has the instructions and line drawings to go off but not the pattern pieces.
Not to mention: why do we need or want different proportions on our patterns?
I never thought the reproduction patterns were the same as the Vintage. I figured that it was refigured for the dress to fit over modern garments.
I am so with you on those multi lines in modern patterns aghhh. That’s why I love vintage your size only patterns. It was great to see both mock ups too, thank you for sharing
I really appreciate that you took the time to make the mockups! Tiktok lives can be very motivating that way. I don't hate the modern version, surprisingly, though the bodice on the true vintage one does lay more nicely.
And this is why I don't buy that many modern patterns - the final look makes me look like a box. No thank you. Those curving lines in the vintage pattern are just so much more, I dunno what's the word, graceful / natural than the reproduction. Makes me suspect that we're seeing is the result of limitations of the modern software than actual design choices. In any event, thank you for your ongoing contribution to saving others sanity when it comes to the modern remake of any vintage pattern.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
A fabulous idea to mock up both patterns for a side-by-side comparison. And I don't want to discourage this in any way. But.......to my admittedly untrained eye, the modern bodice looks better than the vintage one. The vintage skirt looks better, but I can guess why the repro made the skirt bigger. I think people today associate the 50s with big flouffy skirts, so they redesigned the dress with that expectation in mind. I think repro patterns are just meant to reproduce the look of the original, not the exact pattern pieces. But I could be wrong. You will know better than I.
Love the way you sew both! Also love that the calendar says January still!
Nine inch difference in width! Woooo.
Do you think modern bras partially influenced the change in the shape of the bust pieces? I don't think it would account for all the changes, but I'd really like to see a comparison of the modern vs vintage made up and over modern vs vintage bras. That's a ton of work and I'm not recommending you do that, you're a very busy lady, I'm just curious. Same thing kind of goes for the waist pieces: shapewear isn't as commonly worn now and those that are worn are completely different; the change in shape may be, in part, to account for underwear differences and wearing ease. I'm not an expert in any of this, I just sew too much.
Loving the mock-ups! Thanks!
Definitely prefer the vintage dress. My problem with vintage dresses usually lies in the arm holes...the arm pit part is way to high...usually an easy fix but most of the time I have to substitute a lining fabric because I don't have the right bias tape
Someone was clearly eyeballing it at Butterick that one time...😂
The part that really gets my goat is that they call it a reproduction. If you (Butterick) want to make a new version or a new pattern JUST DO IT! Don’t con people that it’s a reproduction IT’S JUST DIFFERENT UUUUUGH. (I genuinely love these comparisons, just makes me want to throttle someone at Butterick…
thank you! great comparison!
The modern patterns are made to fit a modern figure shaped by modern foundation garments. If you like to wear vintage under garments, then look to use a vintage pattern. Modern patterns also use shortcuts in sewing techniques (ie. the narrow hem and facing issue). As a very long term sewer (or is that sewist) and patternmaker, I prefer more structured garments, and add hems and facings when using commercial patterns (which is not often and usually as a starting point). It's been many years since I haven't made some sort of change to a commercial pattern.
The mock up is really helpful in seeing the difference of the final product.
So we have established the company's did not save the old patterns. 🤦 But why can they not draft a new pattern properly?
Is it possible that the top is adjusted for modern bras?? I mean, they wore bullet bras in the 50's
While, yes, there were bullet bras, I intentionally showed the dress on my mannequin without that to show how it fits on a modern shape. Personally, I do not think it would change the shape so much that moderns designers needed to change it well over 2” in some places.
I agree with your point that the modern one is very poorly done. I was just referring to the top section that has a somewhat different shape. I don't get why so many of the changes in more modern patterns are so odd. We would all be better off making our own adjustments to the vintage patterns.@@StephanieCanada
Anoter 8th grade Home Ec survivor here. I made a small owl head pillow.
Damn, I adore you.
I noticed the modern doesn’t have the pretty neckline draping, and that skirt is so wrong! I would have to find the vintage if I wanted to make this.
It really doesn’t! I was shocked once I had them all cut out.
The back is much baggier in the waist for the modern too.
Having two pieces to the skirt pattern in the vintage allows one to double the fabric and lay and cut without having to unpin (another reason I prefer weights).
Hi, been working on the pattern I bought from you❤
Amazing! I hope it is coming out well!
I used a reproduction Simplicity pattern one time! Even though it was my standard size then, I couldn’t lift my arms when it was done. I didn’t have an original to make comparisons. I haven’t made a “reproduction vintage” anything since! 😂
I had the home ec class but also had a mom that showed me how to sew. The problem is I quit sewing and now I can’t remember. Lol.
Also, thought, since the modern skirt is so much more fabric. I think maybe the thought process is trying to get the same fullness in the skirt that would have been achieved in the 50’s with a petticoat. Modern women a lot of times don’t grasp the undergarments they wore back then.
Ok folks say it with me: not every 1950s woman wore petticoats with EVERY DRESS 😂 slips? Yes. Petticoats? No. It’s unlikely this original dress was made for a petticoat given that it’s more of an a-line and it’s FAR more likely the modern one was just trying to replicate the fantasy fullness of the drawing.
I say this as someone who has studied vintage every day wear, vintage patterns, and vintage housewives for the past 12 years.
I was looking! I WAS LOOKING! what month did you say?! I agree that the original sits much better. Didn't do home ec at my school, it was also demolished years ago.
I had forgot to turn my calendar but yea, these were filmed 8 months apart
Ty I enjoyed the comparisons and that you sewed them up so we can see the vintage look 👍🩷. I am worried about the Butterick B6211 I bought which could be repo. I'm planning to cut a muslin for the top of the dress to test.
Are you able to do the simplicity 8591 vintage and modern!? I bought the modern and I am legit got stuck at the skirt like it’s coming out more of a pencil skirt/dress than anything else.
I’ve made the new one. I fixed the grain lines since I knew they were off. It’s actually not that badly fitting for a repro.
That’s great!
Wait. It seems to me that having the grain line at the hips and the more biased area in the center is a really bad idea? Wouldn't you want the most stretch and flexibility at the hips, and as little drooping as possible in the center? Or am I missing something?
I wonder if some of the drastic changes in shape of certain pieces is an artifact of creating nested multi size pattens? Like they have change the shape because otherwise certain areas would be too confusing with all of the lines?
Anyway, you always do a good job with these and making up both garments side by side was just that little bit extra that really illustrated why these changes can make such a difference in the outcome.
I took home-ec for 3 years from 6-8 I had a gym exception. My grandma who had paid for lots of ballet refused to be silent when I got a scholarship for the Denver Academy of ballet for 6th grade, and on. I started ballet at 4. So she had standing
I learned to sew in middle school way back when single size patterns were the norm. I absolutely hate multi-size patterns. It is so easy to make a mistake. I think anyone learning to sew today may be very confused and ultimately discouraged enough to quit.
Any time I have a multi-line pattern I go over the line I need with highlighter before I cut it... then if I discover I drew the line wrong when I go back and double check the legend before I pick up the scissors, I can switch colours.
Thanks. Have you tried Removable Scotch tape? Saved when when I had to reattach wrong cut lines. Put down that horrible packing tape. Removable is the way to go.
I don’t use tape on my patterns usually. And since this is a modern pattern I will never make again, I didn’t really care. (Plus my child has moved/taken all my tape)
Maybe the bodice differences are modified for modern bras?
I've watched a bunch of these, I have a feeling they send a modern dressmaker the photo of the front of the pattern envelope and have them recreate it and that's why they never match. I don't think they actually look at the pattern pieces at all.
I'd be interested in seeing what they call "authentic reproduction pattern" v the original
I wonder if the modern one has more volume because they assume a modern person would not be wearing a petticoat? Where as with the vintage, they assume you have all the correct undergarments? I wonder if they sometimes change the pattern because they think they are "helping" modern people by making the pattern fix a modern bra-shape and modern panties / lack of underpinning layers.
Stumbled? No madam, I’m here on purpose!
Just my opinion here, i like the vintage top part best, but the modern fuller skirt ( though it should be longer )
very much enjoy these...i do get the repro versions but the one i did make i changed so much i might as well have graded a tiny vintage one lol...tfs:)
Thank you! These are always fun to make for sure.
I did a mock up on the repo. It needed a fba had to take in the ties. There was also a terrible gap in the bodice. I made in a size 20. My frustration made me throw it in the trash.
I completely believe it! They changed the angle and neckline so badly it would HAVE to have had those.
It's downright criminal that the top portion was put on the straight grain and reference to the center front and not on the bias like the original. The extra volume to the skirt and the other pattern changes can be forgiven because they don't necessarily ruin the dress. I do think the skirt would probably look best as a lightly gathered quarter or half circle skirt. That would mimic more the softness of the top to the bottom especially in a pattern matched stripe.
But I guarantee everyone who's ever made this pattern without knowing that the top needs to be on the bias would blame the fact that their fabric stiffness was the wrong choice for the pattern. But it's the fact that the company messed up integral part and main defining characteristics of this dress by changing the grain line.
I don't understand why the reproductions are so different to the originals...not really a reproduction if they are so different! I've stopped buying modern patterns once I tried one vintage pattern. The fit is always so much better without me having to draft my own pattern & instructions are clearer.
I don’t understand either. Maybe one day I can sit down with the executives and see if I can get us ALL and answer.