I can't even imagine sewing on display like that haha when I worked in my university's costume shop i used to turn toward the corner anytime a tour group came through to see "where the magic happens" the magic was just myself and my boss huddled up like goblins furiously hand stitching hems.....

Growing up in the 60s, I was taught sewing and knitting by my mother, and crocheting and tatting by my grandmother. I taught myself to embroider and to adjust store-bought patterns to fit around my Milwaukee brace. I even asked my boss to teach me darning! The one lesson you really learn is how poorly made most ready-made clothing is today.

@ColorJoyLynnH

Жыл бұрын

I learned darning, embroidery, sewing and knitting in elementary ages… the 1960’s. So grateful.

Is there anything greater than a man who understands muslin? XD

In the 1960’s about 1/4 of my clothes were made by a local seamstress from material bought in the outlet store of the local textile factory. Another 1/4 was made by me. So yes at that time I could tell you all about the materials and how the clothing was made. Now I have no idea unless I purchase something from a local designer.

I was taught some mending as a child, so whenever we had to demonstrate a skill in HomeEc in middle school, I brought in something that needed mending and used that. My teacher didn't know whether she should let me do that or not because it was so unusual for a kid my age to know how to mend things, and she was afraid I would ruin my clothing, and she'd be held responsible. So sad. That said, I had no idea about different fibers or garment construction skills. I was afraid of garments until I was 40. (I turned 40 in June of this year. LOL)

Anyone _else_ actually stitching something _while_ watching this? 😆😆

Very interesting video! This didn't change until fairly recently. My mother still made a lot of her clothes. My father trained and worked as a tailor until he had to close his shop in the 70s because fewer men were willing to pay for his work. It became easier and cheaper to buy ready made. I still learned basic sewing in school but it has become a rare thing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, though in the 1930s both boys and girls learned how to sew (and occasionally embroider) in school, at least in Portugal. My 92 yo grandfather says that only a very badly prepared lad wouldn't know how to mend his own army uniform.

Thank you for the video. I absolutly loved the Northanger Abbey. I love the idea that everyone had the knowledge abou clothes and how to make them. Here in Portugal, until about the 1970-80, schools still taught how to sew, cook, and some other skills that were, and are, important. Now that is lost to some. Happy CocoVid.

I'm floored by how much information you managed to squeeze into 12 odd minutes! Thank you for sharing this enlightening video.

I loved this. The day to day life of history is what I love learning about the most, and you talked about it so well. I never thought about how children could be taught about clothing through play - things like samplers, yes, but not about cloth or the like. Plus I like how you pointed out that just because it was normal for the time doesn't mean everyone was good at it. It's so easy to get caught up in the mythical idea that our ancestors were experts at this and we're forever trying to measure up to them. Some of them must've hated it! :D All this and book recs at the end? Perfect. Thank you!

Thank you for a fascinating lesson! I was listening to it while stitching on my new wintercoat in the making, and it makes me feel good :D My little daughter (6yo) has recently become very fascinated with my sewing, and I think now she has the dexterity of her fingers to start teaching her some hand stitches. She wants a cute apron, and I think I'll show her how to stitch it up by herself. This is gonna be awesome! Sorry for my rambling, I just had to think about it while reminiscing about fast fashion :)

Thank you so much! That was some great information. I loved the little dialogue between the kids talking about fabrics! Also also the poor girl with the sweaty hands - She and I have a lot in common haha! On a totally unrelated note I am obsessed with your beautiful wallpaper :)

Somehow this video has the vibe of a professional documentary. I think it's your presentation of the information, inflection and speech patterns. It was very soothing and informative to watch.

One can find the most interesting, most relatable parts of history in letters, I think. People used to to so much themselves (not just sewing), it's kind of sad that we lost most of that knowledge and have to sometimes search for a long time to get some of that back. Thank you for this very proper introduction to a part of dress history that isn't talked that often about! :D

I love the way you introduced the subject. It really puts a glaring light on how ignorant modern folks are about their stuff.

I absolutely LOVE your wallpaper! I just finished a quilt using William Morris fabrics and this was one of them.

Excellent video and it’s refreshing to see an academic present facts while bringing it all to life. I worked as a professional seamstress for many years and have sewed since a very young age, as well as sewing for historical re-enactors. I love learning about past fashions and trends. So I also learned how to tat, crochet, knit, embroider, etc.

What a fantastic presentation of academic research! I'm also still flipping out over your wallpaper. :)

You are so eloquent. I absolutely adored this video.

I loved the Mr. Tilney reference! He's one of my favorite Austen heroes and that's in part because he has an understanding of muslin ;P (I enjoyed the "extend your mind through extensive reading" bit as well!) Wonderful video!

This is brilliant! And very humbling to realise how little we know about the garments we buy. Thank you for sharing.

Excellent video! Thank You

I was completely transfixed for the entire presentation. Brilliant work!

Wonderful information, so well presented. Thank you!

Thjis was really fascinating, thank you for taking the time to make this video : ) I look forward to watching the rest of your work (once the new materials being posted slow down)!

I wish I could give a video more than one like! This was lovely!

I SOOOOO wish I could also make my own shoes, and come up with the exact designs I dream of... then again, I think there's a cocovid video about this sheduled for tomorrow

Fantastic video, I would love to see more educational content like this! Also, your wallpaper is lovely ❤️

This was lovely and very interesting! Thank you for sharing! And I loved the way you presented it! ❤️❤️

Thank you for this video! Very interesting :) I grew up with my mom sewing a lot (she made my sisters wedding dress among so many others), so I learned about different fabrics and a little technique. But the knowledge fades for the most part if you don't use it. So I will come back to your channel to be informed ;)

This was so educational and I love your voice! Thank you for all the sources in the description!! :O

I love learning about stuff like this!

This was fascinating and surprising -- I knew even the well-off were versed in needlework to an extent, but I always assumed they mainly embroidered things as a leisure activity and didn't really stop to think about the process of how their actual clothes were made. This was an eyeopener. I'm a PhD in 18thC book history as well as a costume-making enthusiast, and this had so many stimulating overlaps. Thanks for the video! I do have one question -- this might be a bit removed from your core research, but have you looked into/do you plan to look into other children's books? I'm wondering because Fenn was part of a, then fairly recent, moral and didactic turn in children's writing that really focused on realism (i.e. out with the dragons and goblins!) and the child's immediate surroundings. Her talking about how dresses and cloths are made completely makes sense within that larger trend. But-- this type of children's literature is mainly a post-1750 thing, and it often sprouted from a more middle class ideology, so I suppose what I'm asking is: have you also noticed this attention to the process of dressmaking in more aristocratic/older-fashioned children's lit? And is this attention apparent throughout the entire 18th century, or is it something that comes up mainly in the final couple of decades? Once again, thanks for your fascinating talk!

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Yes, I've written about this in a chapter in a book called Childhood by Design: Toys and the Material Culture of Childhood, 1700-Present, and my (more progressed thoughts) are also in my forthcoming book, Material Lives. One of the women I focus on in the latter was the daughter of Jane Johnson, so there is a lot of symbiosis there.

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

Also feel free to email me about this (I'm pretty easy to find if you google my name!) if you'd like to discuss further!

@tielkeuvin5872

4 жыл бұрын

@@SerenaDyer Fantastic! I already made a mental note about your new book -- looking forward to that! I'll dig around for some more info, and won't hesitate to email you for more details. I've added you on instagram too, btw (I'm textielke over there, though I browse more than I post). Thanks for your quick response!

Anyone else want to know where that wall paper came from? Its giving off strong library vibes and I need it.

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

Abby Kuras I love it too! It’s seaweed by William Morris 😊

I went to basic school at 1976 (and further on) in Austria, we learned how to knit, to crochet, some embroidery stitches, but nothing about sewing, nothing about patterns. Some month ago I talked with a young girl (15 years old), and she did not know how to crochet at all. So sad everything.

Absolutely fascinating!! Thank you for this knowledge

Wonderful video! So much great historical and socio-cultural context for fashion history. I am happy to announce that I can answer all the questions you posed at the beginning :) (I did, in fact, sew what I'm wearing).

thank you! I really enjoyed this :)

Wonderful content. I am looking forward to diving into the reading list. Thank you.

Every stitch of clothing I'm currently wearing, including my house slippers and underwear, I made myself. I'm currently in the process of knitting myself a bralette. But don't get me wrong, making all of my own clothes is not some kind of moral or ethical stance against fast fashion, it's a necessity. My skin is extremely sensitive to all petrochemical based fibres. If I were to wear nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex, etc., I would break out into rashes, welts or blisters. I can't wear any store-bought clothing, not even the garments that are labelled 100% natural fibre, because the fibre content on the label only applies to the fabric of the garment, not to the thread that was used to sew the seams (usually polyester or nylon) or the label itself. I suppose I should count myself as lucky, because if I didn't know how to sew and knit, I'd be paying someone else thousands of dollars to custom make everything for me. And the slow fashion movement is important for many reasons, so I suppose I can take some consolation that my predicament somehow helps. And, yes, it is a creative outlet that allows me to personalize everything I wear, but it's also a tonne of work and it's never ending.

Your knowledge on this subject is outstanding. I'm new to this channel and am wondering if this is a subject you studied in college?

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I have a PhD in dress history and I research/teach it for a living at a University in the UK :)

That was great, thank you, informative and interesting. I love KZread content that comes with references. I may very well be back after the rush of COCOVID.

That is incredibly well said; thank you for this video!

Is there a text code for the badge? Also this was very interesting and educating! Now off to watch your other videos...

@NouriaDiallo

4 жыл бұрын

Seconded

@oliveatearthenaurora229

4 жыл бұрын

@@NouriaDiallo Thriced! (Thirded? lol)

@rubyred2468

4 жыл бұрын

Fourthed!

@maryellenkosydar2828

4 жыл бұрын

Fifthed

@breec

4 жыл бұрын

It look some fiddling since my phone can't QR, but here's the text code! p9zksn

Off-topic but love your decor absolutely stunning, after lockdown, I will definitely take my students to the William Morris Museum. Regarding the process of the making of the clothing, this is obviously off the back of slavery.

I know this isn’t the point, but I am desperate to know where you got the wallpaper behind you. I think I have fallen in love with it.

@gilreznik9388

4 жыл бұрын

I thought the same! It’s so pretty🥰

@angelaplatts

4 жыл бұрын

@@gilreznik9388 It looks like a William Morris design.

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

Haha, thank you! It's seaweed by William Morris.

Interesting video. Thanks!

Very nice, thanks ❤

Hi. New subscriber here ❣️. Great topic. I’ve really enjoyed the video

I really enjoyed this insight! I did learn some sewing as a child, made trousers and altered things etc but not to a high degree of skill. Trying to address that now. Question, from the table of content it looks like your new book is focused on Europe, do you/does anyone have recommendations for books on historical fashions around the world? Especially pre-colonial societies! I know that's a wide range but there seems so little available I'm interested in anything!

This was fascinating, thank you so much - I’m playing catch up on CoCoVid and discovering so many wonderful channels in the process

Love It

"You know what the woolen cloths are made of? SUSAN.🤣🤣🤣

Thank you so much for this scholarly contribution to CoCoVid. The dressmaking-at-home angle intrigues me... were women using shapes already cut for them by mantua-makers, as the basis for their clothing? Are there clues about this in the primary sources? My own research has focused on the work and trading practices of mantua-makers but I know so little about the dressmaking going on at home... it seems a lot more of that was happening from circa 1780s onwards in England...? Certainly by the Regency era, with the revolutionary changes in fabrics, silhouettes, structure, cut and construction, that makes a lot of sense...

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

There's evidence for taking apart old garments and using them as the pattern and there is also a lot of remaking/refashioning of existing garments. An interested amateur could also pick up making knowledge from having garments fitted to her (in the same way we do when watching it on youtube!) and, of course, it was taught in childhood. Knowledge dissemination is always difficult to track though, even between professionals!

@TimesmithDressHistory

4 жыл бұрын

@@SerenaDyer Oh, yes! Have you read Carolyn Ann Dowdell's PhD about this? I do find it intriguing that "interested amateurs" were doing this as well. That's an activity that's tricky to tease out of primary sources and get some kind of picture of what was actually happening! I've got a lot of the sources you cite already downloaded or on my shelves - the challenge is to read it all! Looking forward to your book, too!

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

@@TimesmithDressHistory Yes, Carolyn's work is great. There's a decent amount in letters and diaries (both in relation to making for oneself and having garments made). It just isn't digitised or catalogued using terms that help us!

I much enjoyed you view. I will return for future content. Also can you provide a text code for the ribbon,please?

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely, its p9zksn - I've also added this to the description now :)

I am here thanks to CoCovid. And on top of being greatly informative this video has the most aesthetically pleasing room interior #RavenclawVibes

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

Sirius Black Haha, thank you! I only decorated it last week!

Q: Can we still purchase the book your referencing & do u have a link to it?

@SerenaDyer

3 жыл бұрын

Branwen Day It’s released on 1st October. The link is in the description box 🙂 but it’s also on amazon and all other book suppliers.

If women made their dresses at home, would they have also draped it themselves? I heard somewhere that a mantua maker may have draped and cut the fabric, but the woman may have sewn it.

Were clothing,fashion and the textile industries really *that* important to most people in the 18th century or am I completely biased from looking at it through the lense of fashion history

@SerenaDyer

Жыл бұрын

I think people recognised their importance a lot more, and they were far more present in everyday life.

Do we know how educated the average man was in sewing? Ofc professional tailors were mostly men and poor men probably knew how to mend their clothes, but were young boys taught sewing like young girls? Did men make their own shirts like most women made their own shifts? Or if not, who made them? Their wives?

@SerenaDyer

Жыл бұрын

Great question! Men definitely had some sewing knowledge. Soldiers had sewing kits and sewing/craft was part of post-war recuperation treatment. Boys are also gaining a lot of the same material literacy through their childhood education. We do know that wives/sisters/mothers/women relations were generally tasked with sewing the shirts for the men in the family though. So sewing was still gendered, but knowledge and practice was more widespread.

Geez... those are some fancy scissors in the intro. Compared to the Victorians, our stuff is so plain.

Fifthed

@SerenaDyer

4 жыл бұрын

It's p9zksn - I've added it to the description box now! :)

You are so beautiful and sweet girl 😇😇😇❤️❤️❤️😘😘😘😈😇

Ghandi tried to get people to reject mass produced clothes in favor of home spun. Even he couldn’t get people to reject fast fashion.