YOUR Sewing HOT Takes 🌶🌶🌶 with Charlie
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I put a sign up in my sewing room that said “The question is not if I can make that, the question is do I want to”.
SO TRUE
Part 2: Why are you making that, because I want to...at which point my daughter rolls her eyes
@@pmclaughlin4111 love that addition. I put that sign up when my girls were all late teens early twenties when they had figured everything out and plan to set you straight!
Yes, this is exactly right!
Yes! Also "it doesn't have to be practical, it can just be fun."
I will be 76 years old next month. When I was in my teens, all I had to do was shorten my dress, skirt, and pant patterns. However, no patterns are made to fit my elderly figure today. Making mock-ups from cheap sheets is necessary, before cutting into my expensive fabric. If I'm lucky, I might get a comfortable garment from a mock-up.
Do you remember ‘half sized’ patterns? Why did they go away! I’ve purchased some on ebay, and they are a closer match for me.
Nothing fits me without alterations or being baggy
I am 74 and sometimes I take apart a dress that has outlived its life and made paper patterns!!
@@dawnmoriarty9347 🧵❤️
Absolutely true of the "big 5." I have found some free PDF patterns do fit my 70-yr-old shape. Also the independent little companies seem to have more realistic sizing for their patterns.
The "homemade is inferior" complex came from those of us that grew up in the 70s and 80s when homemade garments signified that you were poor. I think now that stigma doesn't exist anymore. Especially since a homemade garment is so much more expensive than something from say, Shein.
My mom reminded me how truly awful the patterns were at that time as well, really ugly some of them.
Where I live I can get 6x1.5 meters of good quality cotton or linen for below 10usd. I only sew because it's cheaper.
The other take on “home sewn” problem was because of poor techniques: failure to press seams, failure to cut consistent seam allowances, failure to sew understitching around facings, failure to finish the seam allowance edges… those would make a garment look sloppy, mess up fit, off grain cuts wouldn’t hang right. THAT is the curse of “home sewn”. Handmade isn’t the issue: sloppy was and is still the issue.
yep, especially if on top of being homemade, your clothes had actually been previously owned by a set of cousins and a set of siblings 😅
@@l.baughman1445 domestic sewing machines are pretty lousy for making perfect looking garments. They aren't very precise and they aren't great at sewing in a perfectly straight line. That's partly why commercial/ready to wear clothing is mostly stitched using a serger or overlock machine.
My hot take: we are not even used to clothes really fitting any more. The simplest shirt looks so much better when it fits. Especially for bigger people like myself, or people with a body shape that is slightly not conforming to standard sizes, a good fit will help you be so much more comfortable, confident and handsome.
And _nobody_ has an “average-shaped” body. It simply doesn’t exist. So any pattern that isn’t made for one specific body is guaranteed to need adjustment to fit anybody properly.
Amen, you don't see blouses in sizes by numbers anymore. They're all by letters, which have twice the ease. And they're nearly all knits, to boot!
@@daxxydog5777
Even woven blouses often contain a small percentage of elastane nowadays.
Once you start wearing custom fit clothes, there is no going back.
Making my own clothes has ruined ready to wear clothes for me. I have a much higher standard of fit requirements now and so many clothes off the rail don't pass it.
If I notice something that someone is wearing is handmade, I go out of my way to compliment it. I appreciate creativity.
I've found that referring to the piece as, "custom" or, "one of a kind" seems to take the edge off of the simultaneous shame/pride thing that is mentioned here.
@@katecapek3116 Good point!
Best thing about mockups:making a mockup out of something you loved but whose seams are beyond all repair, then discovering that the adjustments you need to make to the pattern are simple enough you can ALSO make them to the mockup...and now you have made TWO of the thing, not just one!.
I do love when mock up adjustments are small enough you can make them to the mock-up itself and it becomes wearable!!
I have been making my mockups in my lining fabric so I can use them in that way!
I don’t sew, in fact, I have to admit to being a little afraid of my sewing machine, lol. It seems like the thread from bobbin and the needle always get tangled, and then I have a mess that I don’t know how to fix! However, if I did sew, I expect I would be on the non mock-up side because of how much I dislike making swatches in knitting, lol. I tend to only knit things that I don’t need to make swatches for. My last sweater came out just a little big because my swatch wasn’t exact. I got close with it, but it wasn’t perfect. So now I stick to knitting socks.😅 But if I were to take up sewing and wanted to make a dress or pants or something, I think a mock-up would certainly be required for the first few times I made anything, until I knew my sewing style, anyway. 🤷♀️😄
Shannon!!! 99.9!!!
I love this! My mother made all her dresses. She liked natural fibers and could never find any good dresses in the stores. She taught all of us to sew boys and girls alike. She taught my father to sew. It has served me well. As far as taking the joy out of something, I make earrings and other jewelry, and everyone says I should make it to sell and my response is always it becomes a like a job, but "it takes the joy out of it" is a much better answer.
Both my brother and dad knew how to sew. My dad would refurb pop-up campers by making new curtains and seat covers and mending the cloth tent parts and zippers.
When I was little, my mother would have me lie down on butcher paper and then trace me. She sent that to my sewing grandma who always made me wonderful dresses. I thought she was magic.
Even with that tracing experience, I was in my 60s before it dawned on me that people used to be able to look at a fashion plate and then go for it. In my one home ec class in middle school, I never even heard about modifying a pattern. If I bought a size 7 pattern, I expected it to fit, and it mostly did when I had a Twiggy body. If it didn't fit, I figured my body was off. Learning just the most basic things from makers on youtube has been so joyful.
Edit: OOOOHH, Look at you, coming up on 100,000 subscribers! Congrats and so well deserved!
I used to not like mock-ups, because I didn't like making the same thing twice either, but since I started doing more complex things with pattern making, I find them essential. But then I also figured out it doesn't take that much time. For most garments, I'm done with my mock-up in under an hour. Because I don't finish a mock-up the way I would finish a regular garment. I just do the darts and the shoulder and side seams (or crotch and leg seams in pants), and I'm done. The thing that takes the most time with sewing, is all the closures and finishes, I find.
Blocked blocks and pant blocks have been game changers for me on this front.
Totally agreed with you, @Veronensis
Same, I mostly hand sew so when I do mockups with huge stitches they're (comparatively) amazingly quick.
Not everyone deserves handmade/homemade gifts, ABSOLUTELY agree! I learned this early on in my sewing and embroidery journey when I spend WEEKS hand embroidering an book cover for a fotoalbum as a weddinggift for my best friends wedding. When we gave it she barely acknowledged the embroidery, my partner was the one to jump in and say that I had spend a lot of time making it. I later say it dusting a way in a far away corner in her house... Never again!
Absolutely!!
I completely agree, I have made many gifts over the years and some friends still have everything up on their walls from 20 years ago, anyone that didn’t like it never got anything else, I am very happy if it’s appreciated but not a masochist - the photo album sounds amazing, I would love to see it xx
Agreed!!!! I have specific people I make things for now…because I know they will appreciate it. I’m sure most of the gifts I’ve slaved over through the years have ended up in the trash…which hurts, but what can you do? 😅
omg I feel you so much !
When I was in uni, I used to calligraph poems, and then illustrate them with watercolour paintings. My friend then used to marvel at those, so when she got married I thought that book I had crafter over the years would be the perfect present. And trust me, parting with it was hard, as I also loved it.
It so happens that when I gave it to her, I could see plainly that she had completely forgotten about those and was not at all as in love with it as I had hope she’d be when she got it … so in the end I bitterly regretted giving that to her instead of a voucher to a lame shop or something 😂
Good meet up. 2 creators I enjoy watching
This is the best collaboration I've seen and I'm here for ALL of it! Both of you are such an inspiration for sewing enthusiasts who don't follow rules.
Thank you!!
2 of my favs 😊
don't mind me listening to this while I handsew a shirt out of an old ripped bedsheat by holding the good parts to my body and cutting rectangles that should roughly match
Hahahaha - great utilization of both time and effort =:^{)
@@dross24MA I sense some sarcasm here so I'll just let you know that it actually was a good untilization of time and effort.
It was very relaxing to sew some straight lines and enjoyment and relaxation are the most important parts of crafting. I also now have a new shirt for free as a bonus.
Also, I didn't buy a new sewing machine yet after my last one died in a flood. So hand sewing it is no matter what I want to sew.
@@dross24MA agreed that with the emoji, it does come off as a bit sarcastic. Happy to give the benefit of the doubt, because tone is hard to read online, but either way, it sounds to me like @IISheireenII is doing exactly what we wished more people would do - have fun with their craft, in whatever way works best for them!!
If you remember country curtains,they took 15 yards of material and 3 days of hand ruffling. People asked me to make them for them because they thought it would be cheaper. Not.
I remember buying the ruffley curtains and making myself a dress, gosh, 30 yrs ago now!
My mother was a certified tailor. She was also certified crazy. In grade 10 I chose a drop waisted 1920s style dress. I brought it home from school mid project. My mother went berserk at how the teacher taught me to do things. She marched down to the school, chewed that teacher out for not being good enough to teach. We went home and my mother finished the dress. I got an A. Sewing that dress was the nicest thing my mother ever did for me. I knew it was her to prove the teacher wrong by sewing things the correct way. But it really was the only thing she ever did for me.
A beautiful story on how you’ve resolved peace with your mother! I can totally relate. I was making a red brocade dress for a Valentine’s dance and I came to a stopping point. My mother helped me out and we came up with a small change that made that dress even better. I always think of that experience as one of my best with her.
My Mom was a professional but would not teach my sister and I until we had learned the "right" way for the fundamentals, in school (back in the day when "Home Ec" and "Shop"--for the boys-- were taught in public school.
After that, the three of us had an absolute blast hunting for fabric bargains and patterns to make up our finds.
We lost our minds (early 1970s) in Montreal's "garment district" but also found a crazy bulk remnant shop in a small village closer to home.
You took your shoes of at the door and climbed onto huge piles of loose fabric, and started digging. Sometimes there was a line up of women outside the shop, chatting happily while waiting their turn.
That sounds so fun!! ❤
My son had sewing. They made pillow cases. Horrible.
I had him make one at home, burrito style and French seams. Had him take it to school. Teacher wasn't impressed that he could sew better than her.
@@jilbertbThat sounds about right.
Me earlier today: I'm gonna circumvent the weekly problem of picking who to watch first today by watching them as they drop as it's my day off.
Now: so I don't have to pick? Awesome!
🤣🤣🤣
I have made quite a few dresses lately and I wear them to church and have had comments of how pretty and that they love it. That is when I love telling them that I made it.
I love that!!!
My baby accidentally bumped the dislike but I corrected it! Also, this was awesome! Two of my favorite "watch the video as soon as it is released" TH-camrs just sitting and chatting about sewing was so much fun!
LOL that’s so cute, I wouldn’t even mind if you hadn’t corrected it!!
I’m so much like Charlie. I HATE doing things more than once, so I don’t usually do mockups. When I DO mockups, ideally I’ll either make it out of fabric I will wear (wearable mockup) or turn it into a lining. When I HAVE to do like 15 of something (team costumes, props, etc), I think of the entire amount as one whole project, rather than individual projects.
When people ask you to make something for them whether it's knitted, crochet or sewn. They don't realise how much it will actually costs. I don't mean just the materials, also the time it takes to make & if you're using a sewing machine or knitting machine the electricity costs. I've learnt from experience to say no.
I'm a quilter and longarmer. People ask me to make them a quilt - they'll buy all the fabric and pay me $50-100. Uh... no.
Then I make a cost sheet (from Mollie Sparkles) and never hear back from them...
genius response!!
Right!! I'm the same as Charlie, when I have taken on commissions I lost interest in the project halfway through and then it's just a chore. I now only make things for others as gifts (they can't afford my time anyway) and only if I really like the project and the person.
I recently made a cardigan for a good friend who never celebrates her birthday and doesn't like getting presents, even though she buys presents for everyone else. She saw a pattern I was working on and said she loved it, so I offered to make one for her "as a present for all birthdays past". She picked the yarn and buttons and she felt so fancy being able to get a bespoke garment! It was super rewarding and fun. That's the only way I'll ever make things for other people anymore.
@@SarcasticShrubbery that is SO heartwarming!!!
💚
As I’m watching this, I am tearing apart a fast fashion dress that I love to make a pattern from it so I can make it out of a natural fiber fabric instead of the rayon it is. I have three (or more) of this same dress in other colors that I have worn to pieces. I’m looking forward to being able to choose the fabric (and length) that I want. I will be doing a mock up of the bodice though 😁
I love when I can tell someone that I made my dress. When my daughter and I matched it made people do a double take. Just love it.
Ditto!!
That reminds me of my late first husband; for our honeymoon I made a matching outfit - skirt for me and shorts for him. I still keep the skirt for the lovely memory.
I once made coordinating outfits for my whole family! Skirt for me, tie for husband, overalls for toddler, jacket and pants for one baby, vest and pants for the other. It was the best!!
When I was pregnant with my 1and 2 children there was very little extra money and I started buying pretty twin flat sheets and making my own patterns for maternity tops. In the 70s it was not ok to have clinging shirts. The sheets work well for until I wore one of favorites to a Drs visit and the nurse said "oh look your shirt matches the little cover sheet". I was mortified😢. I never wore my pretty print tops to the Drs again. But I did still wear them. Now days I thrift sheets , table cloths, curtains, mens shirts and any thing else I can cut up and reuse. Love both of you two. 😊 tfs
For anyone looking for brand new sewing machine or serger, keep an eye to the model you like, when you see prices slowly dropping, check with the company to see when the end of the run for the model is, when they are getting ready to switch up the production equipment is when you'll get the lowest price on the desired machine.
A well finished mock-up in "bedsheet" doesn't have to stay sheet coloured. I have been known to dye as well as paint/print/embroider and get a second outfit from the pattern I was working on.
The self-satisfied sensation is worth it.
I never did mock-ups when I first started making basic medieval and Viking garments over 20 years ago. I used thrifted linen sheets and the garments were basically rectangles and triangles. But as I got into Tudor, Georgian, and Victorian fashions - and spending hundreds of euros on metres and metres of silk - I quickly discovered the utility of mock-ups. I have friends give me their old bed sheets, so the mock-up fabric costs me nothing, and the time I spend at the beginning is saved in the middle and end.
Working on a quilt for a Mom who waited a long while for her precious baby.
Thank you for the collaboration.
Lovely, so much care and work in quilts!
Remember Gunny Sax dresses? I could not afford one so I found floral sheets that looked like the dress fabric and made my own. I wore it for 3 years in high school
My mom was so glad when I aged out of a youth group I was involved in from junior high to college. I needed two to three formal dresses a year and rewearing a dress just wasn't done (peer pressure, not actual rules). Mom refused to buy me a formal and insisted on sewing them. My revenge was to pick Gunne Sax patterns with as many pleats and darts as possible. 😅😅😅
At our state conventions, the girls who were state representatives all had to wear matching dresses. Since not every fabric store carried the same bolts of fabric, and special orders were done only if a girl committed to buying the entire bolt (late 70s-80s), the girls would vote on a sheet pattern. Department stores were more willing to special order a couple packages of particular sheets, especially when told how they would be used as Southern Belle - style dresses with hoops or petticoats.
In high school i made what i called a"prairie skirt" it was ankle length and had a "apron"attached and i was so proud of it. I wore it with a cable knit sweater and felt so good. Everyone was complementing me on it EXCEPT the rich/snobby people. The down to earth fancy b people i knew loved that i made it
On patterns: I gave up on the big 4 and did my own thing much like Charlie for years, now I do a mix of that and small company's patterns. Being plus size and sewing can feel very crappy but when you have the right tools it can be so freeing!
Having two of my favorite people on TH-cam chatting about sewing is the best way to start a Friday!
Hooray!!!
So I will admit to only making presents for people when it suits an alterior motive rofl!!! If I'm not being paid then it's to butter up an individual for some other purpose. I will machine sew for payment but my crochet takes too long so that is really for special, special circumstances. My husband's coworker has some antique sewing items in a storage space and will give them to me for a crocheted ski hat. I'm also throwing in some fingerless gloves cause I really want the antiques haha!!!
I made a king size quilt from pieces from old and thrifted blue jeans. I didn't add any batting but did add a backing and sewed and quilted it all with orange thread on my mother's old Singer Featherweight. It weighs a ton, but I'm glad I did it
We collect sewing machines but the Featherweight gets used the most. Had a serger, but never used it so it found a new home.
I have had people ask if I made a dress I had on. It wasn't because it looked homemade as far as seams and finishing but because the dress was very unique and it fit well. I sew things that are comfortable and functional ie they have pockets that really work. I have only received positive comments on my clothing that I have made. I enjoy the whole process of making a pattern fit ME. I have been sewing for 50 plus years and I find I learn new things all the time by watching presenters on you tube. The sewing community are good people and so anxious to share their knowledge. The inspiration is wonderful
What you are talking about was called T.L.C. (tender loving care) which means "HOME MADE". Back in the 1950's and 1960's most ready made garments were very well made. I feared that my classmates and teachers would know my outerwear was homemade; so, I would not wear anything that I (or my mother) made that looked homemade. A crocked zipper, zig-zag stitching that showed, rick-rack trim, and hand or machine embroidery were clear signs of T.L.C.. However, the Hippie Area changed all that (it's now called Boho and Shabby Chic).
And I still dress like a hippie.
My mom would make my clothes, I'd get teased at school.
Yep, my grandmother talked about how self conscious she was with her homemade clothes when going to school; secondhand clothes singled you out too, so even though she was a single mom in the 60s and 70s she always made sure that her daughters had new things every school year (not a lot, but she taught them how to take care of their stuff so it lasted longer).
Even growing up in the 90s, there was still an "ick" factor for either. I'm glad the trend is headed in the opposite direction.
I totally get where Charlie's at re: commercial patterns. I am overweight, but am only 5 feet. Why do pattern companies think that if you're heavy you're also tall?
Some of the tools I have acquired, such as a rotary cutter, have been necessary due to hand problems. I simply can no longer use regular scissors for any length of time. For a while, my sewing space was a corner of my dining room.
It’s totally opposite for men, my son is both large AND tall and “big & tall” clothes only fit if you’re “big and average”. He’s asked me to make him Tshirts and shorts which I do want to do but will need lots of fabric. Someone else here suggested thrifted large clothing and cutting it apart for the fabric, excellent idea!
When I have found purchased garments that fit me well, sometimes I have the urge to pick it apart and use those pieces as a pattern for making several versions. This would be an awesome video from either of you.
I can't speak for Charlie, as I don't know her entire inventory, but I already have one :)
There are ways to take a pattern from existing garment without taking it apart. I pin clothing down onto a big piece of cardboard with paper between the cardboard and clothing item. I then pierce the seams with a pin, and then connect the pin holes with pencil lines. There is a bit more to it, but that's the general gist of it.
That meme😂 it’s so me!😂 I love learning new crafty stuff and look at absolutely everything I see with “how can I do this” on my mind. I have spent small fortunes on tools and supplies for new creative endeavors … months and months developing skills …. It would be fine except that once I get good at something, I tend to get bored with it and move on to the next shiny thing🤦🏼♀️. It hasn’t broken me because my crafts are pretty much my only entertainment expense😂
I just love when my TH-cam friends are friends with each other! I watch both channels separately
There's the "right" way, and then there's the "creative" way. How else can you express the amazing individual that is you?!😊
Sewing scares me - but I agree that sometimes people aren’t “craft worthy” because they prefer the store bought items.
The scariest thing about sewing is the possibility of running my thumb underneath the needle
Oooo! The “handmade gift” hot take! I occasionally make things and then donate them to silent auction/fundraising things. My only condition is that they DO NOT EVER tell me how much money they got for my item. 😂 It would be a guaranteed insult to my time and skill. But I’ve made peace with that because I love to make/sew things and I only have room in my house for so much stuff!
I follow both Shannon and Charlie they are so fun to watch. When I do historical clothing mockups are a must, both to achieve proper fit and to avoid ruining expensive fabric. What am I currently working on? I just bought Charlie's favorite pattern and some knit fabric to make myself a dress. I have never sewn with knit fabric. And I am not making a mockup for it. Charlie's an inspiration!! 😊
Totally enjoyed your interaction with one another. My Nana lived with us and she came from Sicily. She taught me at a very young age how to make patterns. We made our underwear LOL... (I do not do that any longer except for slips to work with my skirts (I only wear dresses). This is funny, but I have not quilted in 40 years and have just bought great fabric that was marked down so much online!! I think everyone should try at least once! Great contact ladies!! PS... someone just gave me a Surger... I am a bit intimidated by it LOL... will test it out after my quilt is finished LOL
I make flannel quilts using the serger!
@@jilbertb Wow... wonderful idea! Thanks
I think I can sum up most of these debates (for myself at least) as "I need specific courses/resources for AUDHD" xd
Interest and executive function are about 50% of what I have to consider in my decision-making regarding sewing. The other 50% is cost.
When you were talking about sizes it reminded of Little Town on the Prairie. This is the book where Mary Ingalls goes to college and Ma and Laura are making her wardrobe.
They purchased a pattern and because none of the sizes on the pattern were actual sizes of the women who purchased them they had to measure Mary and then choose the closest size and make adjustments.
When fitting time came the dress didn't fit and they thought they measured wrong but just realized Mary's corset came loose.
This was back in 1881-1882.
I have been sowing for years, without patterns. Using whatever fabrick i had. No money and not the average body. Got a new boyfriend and showd him my according to me bad chlotes that i have thrown in a drawer. He said that they were beautiful. I was surprised. When I saw this video i might take them out. Thank you. I am also renovating my 100 year old childhoodhome without money❤❤🤗❤
Honestly, yea. I would LOVE if videos included “All of the things I’m using are thrifted”
I’m not sure there’s so many ppl out there with thrifted collections to make such disclaimers tho lol
Several years ago I made an elastic waist skirt trying to minimize scraps and maximize my yardage. I also didn't want to have too much bulk around my waist which I would've if I'd've made a 4 panel skirt using the WOF. I ended up deciding to make a 4 panel skirt out of trapezoids figuring that the flare would look cool. I didn't know that the points would meet up and form a shark bite hem until I finished the waist and tried it on. It's become one of my staples in my wardrobe.
Right now I'm knitting a lace mohair shawl I'm designing as I go. The yarn is blue green and I'm going for a watery feel.
I usually do an initial mock up and then keep using the same pattern in different fabrics or changing it slightly, (I.e. adding a ruffle, different neckline, etc.) well worth it to learn drafting. A lot of work goes into sewing a garment. I no longer buy fast fashion. I want to thank my homec teacher for introducing me to sewing, knitting, crocheting, cooking and baking! Thank you for keeping the making alive. ❤ (love the orchid dress)!
I hope we get another Montréal moving day haul this year!
The fancy tools/fancy studio conversation reminds me of Rachel Maksy sitting like an adorable goblin with her sewing machine on the coffee table.
As a plus size sewer, old sheets are the only thing I use for mock ups. I won't buy fabric for the sake of a mock up, so I wasn't sewing patterns I had fabric for because I was scared to waste good fabric on something I didn't know for sure would fit me.
It used to be only poor people had to make their own clothing, rich people could buy. That's the disconnect.
But that's not even true, either. My grandmother was a very accomplished seamstress and loved sewing - it was her passion! She could afford to buy, but she could MAKE anything she wanted. The same was true for my mother, though she soon learned that she didn't have the same creative intuition when it came to sewing as her mother. It skipped a generation and I was more like my grandmother. But it wasn't a matter of money for most.
I made my own clothes for school starting at 10 years old. I'm 74 now & I used other clothes that as a model ...I had and just cut like an inch around bigger than the outside of the garment, made allowances for darts etc.I never followed the patterns because I didn't like the way their directions were because they didn't finish their seams I know that Shannon does turn her seams under just like I did & I didn't have a surger.
I didn't like the way they put zippers in, or buttonholes.
I did it my own way. My grandmother used to take newspapers and lay them out then, we'd use that to cut out our patterns on & I ended up making clothes, curtains, for my daughters, prom dresses, wedding dresses for my girls..
everything for the rest of my life. I still cuten existing things up like Shannon. I purchase cool decorative brass buttons for overhauls, put pearl buttons on bland flannel shirts etc. edging & so on.
The tapestry/heavy drapes are great for renn fair costumes! 😊
As long as you are ok with handling the heat while wearing those costumes, then TOTALLY!!
I rushed home from my shift and was rewarded with this show. Fabulous! You ladies were right on the mark, Shannon your so on the mark not everyone deserves a hand made article . I quilt sew and knit and people not usually unkindly have no idea of the work time and money involved I was making an article. I had a lady offer me 50 dollars for a sweater I made for my daughter the wool cost 160 and six months of my life it was a Alice Starmore design with gull 10:03 stitches double twist honey comb and box stitches in dark blue . I might if sold it for 1500 and that would have been about 2.00 a hour lol needless to say I didn’t sell it and it is my daughters cherished sweater she guards it like a little dragon lol
omg, as a fellow knitter, I totally feel the struggle!!
OMG! I learned to sew as a tween/teenager. I was IN LOVE with London fashion which we couldn’t get in my suburban town (we weren’t far from San Francisco but even they didn’t have anything I could afford) so I worked up to making this shift dress with a huge floral print (very London) and everyone knew I made it and they loved it! By high school I didn’t have much time for sewing sadly.
I should add that I have a black cotton velvet collar and that was an impossible fabric to obtain at either fabric discount place so I called the store where local designers sell their leftover fabric and they had it! They told me it was a small amount so I ran over and the woman laid it out and it was TWO full yards for $7!!!!! I can make lots of jackets with black velvet collars!!
I know it’s hard to summarize everything about sewing in one video but I do want to add that many cheaper store bought clothing is very well made. Two examples: an Additionelle, plus size fashion in Canada, a jacket made out of the cheapest textile was assembled with such expertise - seams reinforced with fabric strips and a bias binding seam finishes. The only way that garment stayed together was with by the skill of the sewer. Another, was a pair of pants from ASOS. The waistband was expertly finished with tailoring techniques. It’s a reminder that skilled trades like sewing, who are often women are getting paid peanuts for producing fast fashion.
I’ve been sewing since dinosaurs roamed the earth. I’ve made a men’s 3 pc vested suit, children’s suit, several wedding dresses, MOB dresses, all my child’s clothes and now I make my own underwear. Here is my take on the mockups: New pattern, definitely! A pattern that I’ve had for a while, not so much unless I’m modifying it a lot.
I have to make a mockup because I have one forward shoulder, a high round back, and a protruding shoulder blade, so a mockup with a new pattern is important.
Watching you two. I see my younger self in the both of you. It is so nice to see younger people sewing and making they things you make, making it your own. And I love that you use the thrifted fabrics. I have been making my own clothes since I was 11. And started make for the public at 17. My Grandmother was one of those people that could look at something and go home and cut it out and make it. She was amazing.
Two videos of sewing hot takes?!?! Yes, please.❤
Well technically three!!! 😉
Two of my favorite makers dishing hot takes and snark - YES!! Watched the video as I broke one of my own rules and CUT a big-4 pattern, rather than traced, and making some simple adjustments in place. I need a summer-weight robe and I'd been holding a 99-cent 100% egyptian cotton sheet until the pattern I wanted to use was on sale for 75% off. Hope to finish up today!
OMG I have fabric to make a summer weight robe as well!
I love this. I want to add a hot take that honestly, sharing your more expensive tools within your small communities makes it a hell of a lot more accessible to people. (my example being that I have a sewing machine that doesn't need to use the pedal foot. It was gifted to me by my dad and stepmum after I started having issues with my feet in general from arthritis, but I also have access to the serger we have in my family's arsenal of WAY TOO MANY sewing machines etc, and we are all in the habit of lending our machines to friends we trust to take care of them when they need to sew something quick)
Yes, I think that the key here is "small" communities and those communities being made up of people we trust to take care of them, because I can absolutely see disaster striking if one isn't careful with who one lends machines to, but yea. Literally been thinking about this so much lately (I don't know if you watch Shelbizleee but she talks about this sometimes too) and how have small trusted communities (ideally geographically nearby) is a FANTASTIC way to fight consumerism.
@@ShannonMakes yes! Consumerism and capitalism both thrive from alienating us all from our geographic communities. There are so many resources in our neighbours, friends, families, even coworkers, that largely remain untapped because of communities not being maintained.
The thrift stores where I live have raggedy stinky linens that usually are not made out of linen or cotton so I absolutely do not buy fabric like sheets and curtains from the thrift stores where I live. I love vintage and antique sewing machines and currently I own 12 sewing machines. I love the old machines because they are sturdy and work marvelously. Much better than any new machine I have ever had.
Loved this!!! This was a great idea.
OH!!! There should be a Matt and Phil video 🤣
I love that red dress you made Shannon. Beautiful. Got my best lesson about sewing when my girls were taking classes. I grew up having to take things aoart if they weren't perfect. So discouraging. But the girls teacher would just cut a seam off, etc and be so chill about it. I learned to be okay making mistakes and finding creative ways to make it work. I also use sheets, etc to mock up a garment if its complicated.
A consideration for tools/space. If you live with small kids, everything has to be locked away for safety, and then pulled back out and set up for each use. So for me, having a dedicated space (with a lock) is essentially. If i have to soend 20 minutes setting up and another 20 breaking down, i wont ever get started.
Having never lived without several roommates, and having started my channel in a house where we were at least 5 (and sometimes 7) in the house, and my only sewing and filming space was the communal living room, I feel that struggle - was literally doing the 20 min set up and the 10 min break down EVERY DAY to film.
So true! I keep my scissors on one of those over-the-door hangers to keep my daughter from giving herself haircuts. Thankfully I have a habit of always locking the rotary cutter when I lay it down.
Mockups are good for tailored stuff like Charlie said, or if you are trying something very new. In that vein, patterns are good for trying a new shape or for understanding how something goes together. I hate bodies. Using a pattern helps because someone else figured out the shape
Currently working on a split side dress that I have had to reinstall the same pocket 5 times. Also had to piece the pockets together because I used 2 small drapes (with stripes and toile) and only had 2 square yards of each pattern.
By looking at the shapes on paper that other people have already figured out, I can work with that to figure out something that will fit ME. I kinda love seeing the shapes, and the different ways people have used to make fabrics cover a body... things I would :never: have been corner enough to figure out
Shannon, I really enjoy your content. I appreciate the lengths you go to in making your content accessible. I think it's fun when folks share with their audiences when tools are gifts, or they got a screaming hot deal, or just saved up a reallllly long time to purchase an item. That's also accessible. If you're using a more advanced tool or technique, you can always refer back to former videos where you used a simpler method or less expensive tool.
Social media in general invites comparison. You never can please everyone, so do what you enjoy.
*Hugs*
I forgot to say that mock-ups were a revelation to me. I don't think I'll use them for everything, but when a pattern is asking me to use an unfamiliar technique, I will try it on a mock-up first.
Fortunately I enjoy (for the most part, unless I'm in a time crunch) keeping my channel very accessible and very sewig-low-tech!
THE COLLAB I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!! Yaaaaay!! You guys are both so amazing, so real, and are definitely both People I Could Hang Out With. 😃
Aside: The absolute irony of watching this video and getting Temu clothing ads shoved down my throat. 😆
Omg that’s hilarious in the worst possible way! 😂😭😂😭
Why buy it for $7 when I can make it for $92 is my favourite saying!! My hubby says it all the time as he rigs me up a thing-a-majig instead of buying me what I actually need! 😂😂the serger thread I got cases of at an estate sale that I knew I could use is a perfect example. I need the spool holder thing that he ended up making me with a rubber coated coat hanger and small block of wood and a bolt. Saved me $30 and was ready to use in 25-30 mins. Keep doing what you’re doing both of you. You’re my favourite “sewers”
LOLLLL nice!! Thank you!
I recently got into woodworking (ADHD with a million hobbies 😅) and was so proud because I made a media unit with free wood from pallets I found behind my local supermarket. Great bargain ! And then my partner reminded me that I bought a hand planer, a router, a circular saw, a mitre saw, a sander, and a bunch of other stuff to be able to make that “for free” 😂😂😂
(but at the same time everything came from FB marketplace and it’s such a thrill to get power tools for 1/3 of the price 🤣)
@@supremenain7006 lmfao as I’m sitting in my stained glass/furniture refinishing and sewing room I feel that!!
My two favourite youtube stars! Together! You're both so kind and creative, always inspiring!
You're the best!
I teach in a sewing program for African emigrant women. There is a weird juxtaposition between them wanting to sew clothing without patterns but when we sew purses or other small projects, they want the pattern. Often the pattern is literally a square or rectangle. But they still want the paper pattern. And they want it full sized, not cut on the fold.
I’m not good at drafting patterns for clothing so I find it hard to teach clothing construction to them the way that they want to do it.
Also, they all want a class on alterations. I can make alterations by trying this and that but I can’t teach alterations. That takes more skill than I have. I also want them to take our basic sewing class before jumping into alterations. (I mean changing the size or fit of the garment, not just hemming or sewing on buttons.)
It is an adventure. I have been able to see students gain confidence in their sewing and move on to bigger projects which is rewarding.
My son adores illegal lego building. Me too in sewing
Re: gifts for others ... it's honestly a great opportunity (especially for younger women) to learn how to say No. No, I am not going to make that for you. If you decide that you are going to make something for someone, accept in your heart that it is a love gift and they will never be able to pay you back and may never understand how much time, money, and effort went into it. If you want a homemade gift for someone that costs less than buying something, make cookies.
VERY true!!
Mok- ups: it depends of the projekt. Befor I cut in a very expensive fabric I try it first with old cloth.😊
After watching Charlie's videos for about a year, I finally had enough confidence to create a pattern out of one of my cardigans. It's a bit big on me but I absolutely love it. It is my favorite piece of clothing in my closet.
Being a follower of both of your channels, this is an absolute joy! I love watching you both for very different reasons (I’m team mock-up 😂) but seeing you both together and interacting almost forgetting the camera was there is lovely. I feel like I’m seeing you both in a much more natural way and you are both awesome 🥰
I wouldn’t feel guilty about using practical tools. Another mental barrier that some people (myself included) have to making their own clothes is “I don’t have time”. Seeing tools like a rotary tool that are inexpensive and efficient are helpful because instead of thinking “sewing is so tedious” I see that there are tools that allow me to spend my valuable time on the part of the project that bring me joy.
A valuable perspective, and one I hadn't thought of, so thank you for that. However I personally feel like there are tons of creators out there using the fancy tools. Then there are some creators TELLING viewers how to do it another more basic way while using the fancy tools... there are hardly any creators literally SHOWING this way, embodying it and setting a good example.
I don't find it very interesting or convincing when -- extreme example incoming -- makers are like "oh you could cut these out by hand, but I have a LASER CUTTER, so I'm going to do it that way" like... umm... talk about inaccessible.
It's just my personal core belief and opinions, which obviously are not everyone's, but it's something I'm passionate about, so I will try to literally embody that in my videos rather than just paying lip service.
I think the point about being very clear on the part of the content creator what is supposed to be a tutorial/educational versus aspirational or entertainment is so good. I definitely feel that frustration of people doing massive projects with super big budgets as someone who doesn't have the money, energy or time to do that. If the content creators were more explicit about their goals in their videos I think the frustration would be lesser but I also see why people don't want to break the fourth wall in that way.
I would suggest, just based on being on the other end of the screen, that a good way to approach videos as a viewer is that, unless it specifically says "TUTORIAL" (or something very similar) in the title, it's mainly for entertainment. The creator might try to give some useful tips along the way, but generally speaking, if it's meant to be an actual tutorial, it's labeled as such, and the rest is just entertainment. BUT I have admittedly not watched *that* many videos in the niche, so I could be full of BS!
I'm working on changing the lining on a linen dress I thrifted. Who in their right mind puts a polyester lining on a linen dress?
That DOES seem to defeat the purpose 🤣🤣🤣
There was a time that “homemade “ did equate to “ you’re poor and can’t afford to buy clothes “. I had this feeling as a child. My mom did make some of our clothes but not the majority of them. It’s along the same line as saying I didn’t remember where something was bought because I was to ashamed to say it came from somewhere besides a store at the mall.
First time commenting. It was fantastic to see you and Charlie collaborate and chat, it felt like being in the room with two friends. 💜 The conversations really reasonated with me, especially being able to make clothes that finally feel like me, and deep appreciation you two put into helping inspire the audience to feel confident while talking risks when we start sewing and growing our own skills.
Thank you! 🎉
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Nobody will mistake my home made clothes for store bought. They look well made (not quite 'professional' but made with skill) but I've yet to see women's tank tops or women's sweatshirts with bright dinosaur or retro gaming fabrics in mainstream clothing stores (that are of a quality that don't fall apart after washing 3 times and that actually fit the shape of my body).
Like, my fabric choices (many of which are from the kids section ;) ) clearly indicate that what I'm wearing is home made, but that's also why I often get compliments on them because they stand out and also look really flattering on my body.
Great video, I love both your channels so much and this was such a lovely watch!
I have always bemoaned the fact that children get all the fun exciting fabrics in their clothes, and adults are relegated to the boring, blah stuff!
@@ShannonMakes I was a goth for my teens and most of my twenties, so while a lot of my clothing was interesting, it was never quite 'fun' the way I enjoy to wear now.
These days, I've gotten quite good at buying fabric coupons in the kids section and using them for some of my favourite patterns. As an adult, I always hated buying new clothes because they usually don't flatter my body and tend to be boring (which is one reason I still regularly buy goth clothes because that's about as 'fun' as I can usually get in my size).
In the last year (after Charlie's experimentation with her favourite dress pattern gave me the courage) I've started sewing with knit fabrics and have learned to use small fabric coupons (sold that way so you only need one coupon to make a top or bottom for a young child) in the most efficient way possible.
Now I have multiple dinosaur and geek themed tops to wear as well as some very pretty ones that are more 'grown up' accepted ;)
No more boring clothes. ;)
There are so many people who can’t read a tape measure. I can see why even making a rectangle would be fear-inspiring. It wasn’t until I started teaching high school math that I realized how difficult measuring was for people.
I would argue that if you can't read a measuring tape, you are most likely (there are always exceptions) going to have a very hard time with many of the other steps of the sewing process, so if you're interested enough in sewing to learn it, the basic reading of a tape measure would be a good first step, me thinks.
Charlie doesn't have to worry about fitted garments like Shannon does because Charlie doesn't do splits up the wall or other circus performer movements 🙃🤣🙃😂🙃
Can't wait for part 2 & Charlie's episode!
So interesting watching you two together! As requested, my project is sewing an old-style market bag with some remmant palm frond print outdoor canvas. No pattern or mock-up necessary. 😂😂😂😂
One of my favorite things about making bags, to be sure!!
If you want to try drafting patterns but you're nervous, try tracing clothing you already have.
I draft a lot of my own patterns, sometimes entirely from scratch with a vague "eh, that should work" attitude, or sometimes from scratch with obsessive measuring and drafting manuals. Sometimes I take a pattern I know I like and modify it to create something new. Sometimes I use a pre-made pattern, which are sometimes free and sometimes purchased. What I'm getting at is: You don't have to commit to one pattern method forever. Try different things. Use wrapping paper to make patterns and don't' be afraid to mess up. If you're nervous, measure it again. Personally, I very rarely end up with something entirely unwearable. Sometimes there are unexpected results, but that's ok! Have fun! Try things!
Thank you both for thinking so carefully about the accessibility of your videos so that people can literally see themselves doing what you do. That doesn't mean you should artificially restrain yourselves to getting neat new tools, but the thought and concern behind it is just delightful. Y'all are great!
Thank you!
Yay, two of my faves in one video!
Re: having fancy tools as a content creator when you want to be relatable. I think it's perfectly fine to use that grommet press in videos, but do one by hand first, and then say "this is how you do them by hand but I do a million a year so I'll use the press for the others". Or use the serger and explain how to do the same thing without one. Why deprive yourself of good, handy tools when you have them, or want to use them? Or you could set yourself challenges like "no tools except XYZ for a project" to demonstrate that it's possible. Or even a whole dedicated video on alternatives to certain fancy tools! Everyone can decide for themselves if they want/need/can afford the tools, they're options, and it's always good to have options.
I mean, I do literally have exactly those videos on my channel ($10 budget for ALL fabric and notions, etc... th-cam.com/video/0oyFp9HGipI/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/DAvUiCS-2hE/w-d-xo.html) but not many people watch them. Very few people go back and watch previous videos once they've found a channel.
But I will also say that there are tons of creators using the fancy tools. There are some creators telling viewers how to do it another way... there are hardly any creators literally SHOWING this way, embodying it and setting a good example. I don't find it very interesting or convincing when makers are like "oh you could cut these out by hand, but I have a LASER CUTTER, so I'm going to do it that way" like... umm... talk about inaccessible. It's my personal core belief and opinions, which obviously are not everyone's, but it's something I'm passionate about, so I will try to literally embody that in my videos rather than just paying lip service.
@@ShannonMakes I've actually seen those videos, which is why I know you can do a lot with fewer tools and in super affordable ways! But I get that not everyone will have seen those or seek them out.
I totally get your point on wanting to embody those values. Still, occasionally using a rotary cutter on a deadline is not on the same level as a laser cutter 😉
hahahah that's very true!
@@SarcasticShrubbery I was thinking something like this as well. Or rather, I was thinking that there are a couple of tools/supplies that fall into the category of “just above the very basics” like a rotary cutter and fabric clips (instead of pins) that I never see as unrelatably fancy but as soon as someone is pulling out the duckbill scissors and the ruffler foot and the overhead pattern projector, I start to view the video as “pretty entertainment” rather than a source of inspiration for something I can try to do myself.
Loved this discussion - pretty much everything both of you said "landed" with me!!
One suggestion regarding the "home made" epiteth ... on the rare occasion that someone comments to me, in a negative way, "oh, is that a homemade garment?", I always respond with "Well, actually, it's a one-off custom piece"!!! LOL
Love it!!
@@ShannonMakes If I'm feeling particularly spicy, the comment turns into "Actually, this is a one-off custom piece from the {make up a name Atelier} - they are VERY exclusive, but I'm lucky that I know the senior designer!"
You are both so amazing to me. I do not sew, but I love watching you both create beautiful clothes, and you inspire me to continue practicing my own art forms. I embroider, and I just started crocheting a year and a half ago. Shannon, you absolutely make things accessible, and I felt so bad when you said that because you used 2 cutting tools, you felt bad thinking that it would look bad to us. I don't ever feel that way about any creator needing to use a specific tool for their art. You have always presented yourself honestly, and you always encourage us to use what we have, and you demonstrate how to do just that. And thank you for what you said about handmade gifts. I do feel pressure sometimes to make things for others even if I don't really have the time or the mental capacity to do so, so thank you both for that. Thank you both for sharing your talents with the rest of us. ❤
Woot collabs
Nicole Rudolf and Abby Cox also have excellent vids on standard sizing in both clothes and shoes. We can all do ourselves a favour and especially any young people we know just growing up, and share anyone who addresses this matter. Even just knowing that "size 12" means different things to different brands and even across ranges in the same brand, can reduce anxiety by a mile. Then realising that the whole thing is basically nonsense and most people don't actually fit any of these things is a literal lifesaver.
Love this video!!
About the "creators who have a high budget" section (and I might be a bit off because comparing channels I already watch and enjoy, so there're others I would have problems with for sure, take that with a huge grain of salt): I personnally enjoy them but to me there're just different content with a whole different goal than Charlie's channel (honestly less familiar with yours, I'm coming over from her channel). I don't see anything wrong with making garnements that wouldn't be accessible for everyone to make, whether for entrainement or as tutorial. I'm glad there're resources when wanting to learn very precise historical tailoring or other very niche crafts. AND I'm glad there's more winging-it sewing content to show everyone that it isn't what sewing needs to be. As long as content creators aren't pretending that their historical silk ball gown with a huge train and fitting bodice is inspiration for regular people to sew their own clothes I see value in both approches (and variations in-between)
Oh wow, almost 100k subscriber's. The first dress I made my mother showed me how to do each step. Then I took Home Ec classes at school and loved learning with everyone else.
Looking forward to all the rest of this!