I'm Rachel & I've been working as a professional costumer for theatre, film, TV, opera, ballet, performance art, drag shows, & private clients for almost 30 years. I created this channel as a video-format companion to my blog, La Bricoleuse, about theatrical millinery (hat making), maskmaking, fabric dyeing, textile surface design, & a whole lot more.
I'm based in Durham, NC, & I teach at UNC-Chapel Hill. I also work in the costume shop of PlayMakers Repertory Company. I'm happy to answer your questions here or on other social media. Welcome, friends and viewers!
The channel is on hiatus during the academic year and I update with new content at least once a month in summers. If you'd like to leave a tip, my PayPal is linked below and my Venmo ID is @Rachel-Pollock-3
Thank you so much for watching my content!
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So, 50/50 vodka to water, too?
Great question! Because vodka isn’t 100% alcohol-the brands I’ve used in costume contexts have been 80-100 proof-you can use it “straight.” In shoe stretching.
Thank you for sharing
@@Meisje1612 you’re welcome!
Hi, this is Kristen (she/her) and I'm one of the VirtualJaneCon mod volunteers. This is a reminder to keep comments within the Community Guidelines.
Thanks for the reminder!
The second iteration of the Lydia hat is my favorite. It looks so airey and delicate, but strong too. What is VirtualJaneCon?
@@jackiejames4551 Virtual Jane Con is a free, online convention by and for Jane Austen fans celebrating her life, works, and world through a range of programming events. Over the course of this weekend we've had lots of people upload videos based on different topics surrounding Austen and the regency era. You can find all the videos on a playlist on the Virtual Jane Con KZread channel.
@@jackiejames4551 thank you! I love how it looks somehow both delicate and sturdy.
Thank you, great reassuring video! I have one question though. I have diagonal twill wool and RIT dye for a project (the dress is already sewn because I needed the linen thread to be dyed with the wool). The instructions on the dye say to stir continuously, but I thought agitation is not good. It also asks for 60 degrees celsius which is pretty hot. Do you have any advice for this dye?
I have dyed wool with Rit with this method, stirring gently every 5 minutes or so. 60 is still below boiling so it should work. Keep a careful eye on your temperature and be patient-it will take a long time to slowly heat/cool the bath. Good luck!
@@LaBricoleuse Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate your help! 😊
Okay, that’s brilliant!
@@lisascenic thank you! I’m pleased with how it turned out!
Oooh! Very interesting! Thank you for sharing your explorations.
@@lisascenic you’re welcome! Thank you for watching!
This is great!! Thank you for doing this research and sharing your findings! 💚
@@creativecostumeacademy you’re welcome! I’m glad it’s helpful. 👍
How do you figure dimensions for the strip being attached to the crown portion before sewing?
@@ciarakenner5443 great question! I lay the oval/circle piece into the hat, use a tape measure to measure the distance to the edge of the hat opening, then add seam allowance on both sides. That’s the width, and the length is the hat opening measure plus a 2” overlap. Those are the dimensions I like to use, but I think if I were calculating minimum amounts for a retail product it could be less. Maybe I should remake this video in more detail. Thanks!
Would the type of buckram used to stiffen the inside of baseball caps work since that is still commercially available.
Perhaps! Do you have a link to where I could buy it? I admit I don't have much familiarity with baseball caps and have only seen the "trucker cap" style made from foam and nylon mesh.
Also to say with a lot of alibaba sellers don't be discouraged by seemingly high minimums. I've been sourcing lingerie fabrics/components for decades and can almost always convince them to sell me more reasonable sample yardage quantities.
Looks a really interesting material!
I love that it comes in ten other colors besides white too
Thanks for making this video series. Love how you are exploring alternatives and seeing what you come up with. It really makes you think about not always using the same materials. The bonnet is absolutely gorgeous, I love the trim.
Glad you enjoy it! And yes, I have been thinking a lot about what materials I use and why, and what other materials could be useful. If buckram really is going the way of the dodo (and esparterie, and blocking net, and so many others), I’ll still be expected to make hats so I have to think creatively about how and with what!
And thank you for the kind words about the bonnet! 🙏
Wow. OK. That was an excellent video. I never saw myself subscribing to a channel about costume design, but... here I am.
Glad you found the video helpful and welcome!
Hi there, was wondering where u can purchase those crown blocks? Ty
Guy Morse Brown in the UK might be a source for new ones. I admit I’ve gotten mine second hand from places like eBay, Etsy, and antique stores.
@@LaBricoleuse gotcha, ok ty 😊
Hi I have one of these machines (Singer 29k ) could you tell me what the adjuster on the end of the rocker arm does ? Thank you Regards Norman Styoes
I’m not sure if I understand what you’re asking but I think it’s the wingnut that adjusts the stitch length.
Thank you so much for this video. As a long-time sewer and costume maker, I can not emphasize the taking of breaks is vitally important. I worked at a costume shop here in NYC, where I sat at a machine for 7.5 hrs! I got 30 min for lunch! I got yelled at for stopping and going to the restroom! By the end of the day, my hands were numb from the vibration of the machine! It was awful. Now I work at home, and I do 30 min. Breaks in between sewing projects. Luckily, I don't have any issues with my wrist or hands. But I do have back problems, and I can not sit for long periods of time. 😊
I’m so sorry to hear about your experience stitching! Garment work is hard work and supervisors who push workers on “productivity” injure their employees! Thank you for your comment and for watching.
I appreciate this miniseries, as it helps with understanding fibers that might not normally be used
I’m glad to hear it’s helpful! I am coming to conclude that the material choice for what would have been buckram in most cases is going to be determined by a range of factors that weren’t variables I considered in the past.
It's sad that buckram has gotten more expensive and difficult to find. I'm glad you are having some sucess finding viable alternatives to use. I have that pattern too! Haven't made anything with it yet though. My project list is so long right now, lol.
It’s a decent pattern and I think would make up lovely. Maybe I’ll finish this bonnet someday! For now it’s a great teaching example.
Halo sister how are you..
I am following along to see what materials you find as substitutes. I hope tailoring supplies don't disappear as French canvas is superior to fusible interfacings for blazers although it is used in men's suit jackets. Beautiful hat.
Thank you! I am trying several promising substitutes, with various pros and cons. I hope specialty tailoring materials remain available too--fusible is fine for some interfacing applications but I agree, not tailoring!
The hat is stunning! I wish I had thought to add a bit of bracing to the sides of the hat I made. It was made to my measurements but never fit just right. Looking back, I think it was because of the weight on top. Thank you, I'm off now to take apart a hat and add some bracing.
Wonderful! And thank you. Glad that you found some inspiration in this piece.
What’s with the mask heading pic? Does the machine has Covid?
The video was filmed when masks were required at my workplace.
I’m excited to do this! I get these fans at the Dollar Tree. I was looking at my fan one day & came up with the idea to redo it myself with prettier fabric…I guess I’m not the first to think of it 🤷♀️ Btw, how would you iron the creases when starting with/new fabric?
Excellent question! I’ve done several fans like this and to press the creases sharp I worked carefully fold by fold using a piece of thin cardboard or cardstock to protect the plastic frame slats from the iron.
Hi Rachael, Love from Boston. XO, Daisy
OMG hi Daisy! ❣
This is really sad because plastic is so terrible for the environment.
Yes, it’s awful. I am testing at least one natural biodegradable substitute and I don’t think I’ve tested everything that could be used in place of buckram so maybe this will inspire others to look further than plastic options.
I am fascinated with this type of art and skill. Thanks for this interview!
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s a very specific niche and really interesting!
It looks like needle point backing.
It does! The texture is different, there's clearly some kind of finish that stiffens it and I considered buying needlepoint cloth and testing stiffening finishes. The cost/time involved ruled that option out though.
I like lenomesh. It’s a nylon material, that comes in many densities/weights, one of which is very similar to medium weight buckram. Seattle Fabrics, pre Covid, l think it was $15/yd, 63” wide. Very strong, waterproof, l haven’t tried blocking it, but it doesn’t ravel, so you can lap your seams, and get remarkably subtle shaping! They only have it in black. It takes paint. It’s also used for sacking in lighter, more open weaves, and those “gimme caps”, with the mesh backs. I started talking to a fabric merchant l know, who had started having specific materials made in India, trying to get her intereted in making buckram….I’m not sure how convinced she was…
Thanks for that lead! I'll check it out. Looks promising from the swatch image/details i can find online.
I am not a milliner or costumer, but I enjoy an extensive collection of vintage hats, as well as practicing many decorative stitching techniques. My mind immediately jumped to the rang of non-metal window screen materials, easily available, and how they might be managed and manipulated for millinery construction.
Thank you for this comment! Spoiler alert-I’ve been looking at non-metal window screening and I have a millinery favorite. A couple of the forthcoming videos cover this area of textiles!
Thank goodness! I’m an intermittent hat maker, but use buckram for other things building costumes. As a hobbyist I’ve been lost with no idea what to do. Thank you!
I generally think that there are lots of good alternatives, depending upon the application we would use buckram for. How else do you use it beyond millinery?
I wonder if an open-weave fabric (a mesh or coarse canvas or netting, maybe the mesh used for counted cross-stitch?) could be painted with glue. PVA would be ideal as it makes a coating of plastic that would help the mesh hold its shape when dried? I havent worked much with milliners buckram but i loved loved using it. (A piece of plastic over the head-form then the mesh, shape it then add the glue and dry it.) Not the same as using the proper stuff though! If the mesh or fabric was glued as a flat sheet and dried, it would later be able to be cut and shaped with heat, a hot-air gun?
Spoiler alert: the first episode focusing on possible substitutes (coming soon, still editing) is about a type of coarse canvas... And I think the idea of adding a stiffener to a textile that's atructurally similar (like Aida cloth) is a great possibility for some applications! I wouldn't want to do it for theatrical millinery because it's time consuming on the front end, and time is often in short supply for stage performance costume creation. A great idea though, especially for those working with either no deadline or a long enough construction period to test it out!
@@LaBricoleuse I'll be watching for that!
I haven't shopped there in ages & have no idea if they have competitive prices but I used to get buckram and sinamay at California Millinery Supply in the LA fashion district area. I'd be curious to know if they have had to change, too, or if they manufacturer theirs but maybe on a smaller scale or...? I look forward to your explorations of alternatives & remain very glad of your sharing your expertise here on yt. Thank you.
Recent Yelp reviews indicate that it's moved and open by appointment only? I remember shopping there when I lived in LA in 2005 but it sounds very different now. www.yelp.com/biz/california-millinery-supply-los-angeles#reviews
A while back, I saw a show called the Chef's table. One episode was devoted to a guy who made gelato. He mentioned that many of the almond farmers in Italy were selling off their farms or choosing another crop. The reason was they were being squeezed out by middlemen selling the almonds to restaurants and other food businesses. The was able to work with the famers and restaurateurs to cut out the middle men. Hard work I'm sure, but inspiring.
I know next to nothing about millinery but I love to learn about every aspect of textile crafts ! Thanks !
You're welcome! This series of videos might be right in your wheelhouse then because I've been trying out several different options, none of which are exactly like buckram but would be decent substitutes, depending on the needs of the different applications. Thank you for watching!
I have just found you!!!! I have been looking for someone like you for years. I have been teaching myself from books all this time. I hope you keep this channel going for years to come.❤
Welcome, and I’m glad my videos are helpful! I have no plans to abandon this channel, although I can’t create content as regularly as I did when the pandemic shut my industry down. Please comment with any questions you have on any of my videos-I try to respond quickly even when I’m not actively creating new content.
I don’t believe that they don’t know how to repair the machines, it’s probably just too expensive for them. And that’s a shame. It’s the same with some tailoring supplies, to my luck we still have suppliers for that here in Europe but it’s getting harder to find them. Hopefully that company you mentioned figures something out! Plastic might have its advantages but shouldn’t be a solution if there can be another option.
Agreed, if “the machines are broken,” someone could repair them, but maybe not for what the owners wants to pay.
I would also think that paper twist (like rush seating material) might also make a stiff (ish) cane replacement
That’s a great idea!
Please let me know if and when you find a North American supplier of buckram.
I will be overjoyed if this happens! 🤞
Alas, another product traded for plastic. How truly disappointing.
You may be glad to hear I'm experimenting with some non-plastic natural substitutes! And admittedly some synthetic ones too. But yes, agreed, so many things have been replaced by plastic substitutes it's very disappointing.
Rachel this was so fascinating seeing how you worked through the process and the problem solving involved. The turban turned out beautifully.
Thank you! 🙏
at George Brown college in Canada, they're slowly starting to shift to Fosshape, because buckram is really hard to get. I'm not even sure if the next batch of students will have opportunity to use buckram as a lot of places aren't ordering it because of the cost. As cool as thermoplastics are, its...well...plastic, which has its pros for longevity and water resistance, but has its negatives on environmental impact being plastic. Personally, I don't mind Fosshape cause wrinkles can be ironed back out, and it's easier to form back if there's a collapse in the crown or tip, but it makes me wonder how well it'll hold up long term through wear and tear over years. Will it yellow? Will it stain other fabrics from the oils in the plastics breaking down? Will it go super brittle and just turn to powder inside the hat, like other foams used in costuming or puppetry? (like the original Muppets that have their foamy shell that just disintegrated) I guess we'll find out
The inorganic nature of thermoplastics is a valid concern and as you say comes with its pros/cons dichotomy. Fosshape has been used in costuming long enough (since the turn of the millennium so far as I know) that some of the first users might jump on here and let us know how it has held up! I'm curious to know too.
@kieraoona It's repulsive how everything it becoming plastic. That society has grown to accept this is truly disappointing.
Another industry felled by the modern age phenomenon of 'we don't know how to repair the [Victorian] machines'??? That's heartbreaking. I suspect burckram also gets used for needlepoint, so there's another part of the industry that's going to be scrambling for substitutions. Thank you for brining this to light. I'm looking forward to your series about the other options available. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
I gather needlepoint canvas is still available-it’s similar to buckram but the finishing process is different and that is apparently a big factor in its scarcity/disappearance. Thank you for watching!
I've been looking for substitutes for buckram because of cost and availability. I'm not having much luck, but I'm going to give the plastic canvas a try. Thanks for the tip.
@@jackiejames4551You're welcome! It's genius in the application my colleague uses it (outdoor summer theaters/rennfaires), plastic canvas. I've got several more episodes in the works on this topic, because I've spent all semester angsting about teaching my fall millinery class and I'm choosing to make lemonade, as it were. So, if you try plastic canvas and don't like it, maybe one of the other things I've tried will appeal! Good luck, regardless.
@@LaBricoleuse I'll be looking out for those videos. Thanks.
Your suspicions are wrong. Buckram is not used in needlepoint. Sincerely, a needlepointer.
Hi! Is the blue light you have an after market product? I just bought a gravity fed iron but am mindful about forgetting to turn it off. I searched Google but had little luck finding it!
Our safety inspectors recommended something like it and we had an electrician install them. The iron and the blue light both plug into a power strip.
Now that I think about it, the bulb was initially red but we changed it out because it felt like a hazard light and was meant to just be an indicator. It’s just a standard light fixture repurposed for this function.
Thank you so much!
you're welcome!
Can you dye wool in a cold bath?
No, the dye reaction needs a warm temperature to process.
Thank you! Much appreciate your response.
@@SanguineHarp you’re welcome!
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VERY NICE! Sich clean lines. Beautiful color too
Thank you! 🙏
😊
❤
Interesting choice of music... :D
Every video clip is improved by Yackety Sax. 😁
those actually look kinda good ngl.