How to Make an 18th Century Shift | Sewing by Hand
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
- Playing Costube's badge game at home this weekend? There is a code hidden somewhere in this video!
In this video tutorial I will walk you through how to hand sew your very own shift appropriate for the 1770s.
Shift Kit
willoughbyandrose.com/collect...
Master Schedule and Program for CoCoVid
drive.google.com/file/d/1kqbv...
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SOURCES:
1. Instructions for Cutting out Apparel for the Poor
archive.org/details/b2875606x
2. Garsault's L'art de la Lingere
archive.org/details/b30448992
3. Patterns of Fashion 5 by the School of Historical Dress
theschoolofhistoricaldress.org...
4. Burnley & Trowbridge's Hand Sewing Tutorial Series for their slightly different gathered sleeve technique
• Historic Fashion Tutor...
5. Many of Jean-Baptiste Greuze's paintings (including all three included in the video)
"The Broken Vessel" commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
"The Complain of the Watch"
"Indolence" commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Ba...
6. Many, many extant shifts (but here are just a few)
manchesterartgallery.org/coll...
m.vam.ac.uk/collections/item/O...
emuseum.history.org/objects/4...
7. Extant shift in my collection
8. Years of trial and error, honestly.
Also I can't put screen caps of newspaper articles here but I'd be happy to share them if you'd like.
If you haven’t already, please check out www.larsdatter.com/18c/index.html because if I ever forget where I’ve seen something, there’s a great chance there’s a link to it on there.
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Other Shift Tutorials/Instructions:
Morgan Donner's Shirt/Shift video will show you how to drape a neckline on yourself
• Making Basic Medieval ...
Sharon Burnston’s Website (includes some great tutorials on infant clothing as well as shifts)
www.sharonburnston.com
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Excellent shift linen from Burnley & Trowbridge
burnleyandtrowbridge.com/coll...
Heat sensitive pens:
amzn.to/2Dfn4s3
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Music is from epidemic sound and the CZcams audio library. - Jak na to + styl
This reminded me of my dad teaching me the basics of hand sewng whenever I was young (6 yrs) 1965. His grandmother was a trained seamstress. Likely 1885 - 1895 approximately. Dads mom was born in 1900, not the oldest child. My dad (b1925) was plaquesd with illness from appendicitis, as a boy, there was no money to pay for the surgery, they pushed him in a baby carriage. He had a lot of time to fill when not being able to run about as normal boys do. So his gram, mom, and old maid aunts taught him needlework. He excelled! He made doll clothes for his 2+yr older sister, he said it saved him having to eat her mud pies she had made. I guess he would do the sewing in side the house which prevented him being present at mud pie meal time. He taught me very patiently, I was the "baby", my sisters were 7 & 8 when i was born, with 2 brothers 10 + 11. I doubt he had time to teach them to sew by hand with 4 children close in age. I was blessed to have the interest and passion to learn. Dad made clothes for all of us and mom, including coats. He sewed for himself in the 70's. Mom did the knitting; sweaters, socks & mittens and quilting. Thanks for your video of "old fashioned sewing". I'd better subscribe!
@Beth Roundell - Aside from your father's debilitation, so sorry about that!, the rest of your memories are wonderful Do write them down so that you can pass them on to your children. I wish that I had great memories like those.
"Patience" doesn't even begin to describe it. It is more like a labor of love... 👏👏👏
Pulling threads - "equally satisfying and life-ruining". Yes, I'm watching this again...love it...and I'm finally getting around to making a new shift.
I solved my linen issue by going to LaLame in New York for a bolt of medium weight linen for making altar cloths and paraments. It’s the closest I have ever found to extant examples of historical pieces.
I've watched any number of shift sewing tutorials. This one was very clear and showed the gussets, much more clearly than other tutorials. I will have to go back to watch the sleeve to shoulder inset as the visuals were not clear to me. It was great to note your various tips as they will probably help me out when I finally do my project. I will be using a white linen sheet I purchased some time ago. It is very thick and great quality just too hard for me to keep clean as a sheet so I'm sacrificing it to make both a shift and hopefully a kirtle. Thank you for a straightforward tutorial and invaluable methods for achieving the correct sewing, seaming and finishing. Subscribed.
This is the best shift tutorial I've watched thus far, and I have watched many! Thank you
Your daughter's twirling in her new shift was adorable! This video was amazing. I feel like I no longer need to do something like this by hand after watching you do it. SOME one did it and that's enough. This was so fun. I plan on watching more whenever they come out. thank you!
That's totally fine--hand sewing is always optional. Thanks so much!
That third photo around 6:40 was such a mood! Both in that age, and now.
I’d love to make a shift. I think I will. They look so comfortable
I totally love to do hand sewing. It’s so relaxing.
This is the best shift tutorial I have ever watched. Im saving this for reference for my next 18th century shift.
Thanks so much, that means a lot!
Loved it! I cut up an antique linen tablecloth to make one of these, and it’s still laying there on my piano. After watching this video I think I might be ready to dive in. Thanks! 💕
Wonderful! I hope it goes well for you.
Lovely hand sewing. Tiny, neat and even stitches 💗💗
Thank you! 😊
I can do super fitted garments pretty confidently, but garments with ease like shifts baffle me. I always leave them for last minute and they end up looking like trash. I'm excited to try your drafting method and use all the tips you've given us. Thank you so much for this really comprehensive tutorial! I'd be really into a men's shirt tutorial to see how the neckline and collar are done.
That's so funny, I was just talking to a friend about fitted vs non-fitted garments and why people aren't as comfortable with the looser things. We're trained to find fitted garments pleasing to the eye, so that may be why! Definitely planning a shirt tutorial. Thanks!
Great night... just discovered you on CZcams! Been sewing for 45 years.... you do lovely work. New subscriber!!
Excellent ride along. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What an excellent video! This definitely makes me realize that I am very happy to buy mine from you rather than making them :) Thanks for sharing this info!
Thank you so much! 💕 💕
I'll never be sewing historical clothing, but I love it for art's sake. Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Love the beauty stitches. Thank you for your gift. Be well.
I totally plan to try this after I gather the materials. THANK YOU for the tutorial.
I really wish I could find good linen! Though even if I could, I probably couldn’t afford it.
Because I make my chemises/shifts as nighties (and I also make my slips do double duty too), and because I live in nighties and often have care workers come into my house (I’m disabled), I need fabric that isn’t see through. I’m happy for care workers to see me in my chemise (which is just that bit nicer than a normal nightie, so it makes me feel nice, especially if I’ve added lace or ribbon to decorate).
But I’m not so okay with them seeing THROUGH my chemise! And I do need a natural fibre that breathes, given I live in a hot and humid climate. So... I have to go with cotton or with a cotton/linen blend. I just can’t find/can’t afford the good quality linen.
Thankfully, I’m not too worried about perfect historical accuracy. Not for my chemises, at any rate. I just want them to be hard-wearing, comfortable, and pretty enough that it lifts my mood even if I am stuck in bed all day... for an entire fortnight. So while I’d prefer linen, because it does breathe better and is cooler to wear than cotton, cotton is at least- not polyester! Now that would be awful!
I really interested in learning why they stopped making higher quality linen. Just- why? Was it the whole shift to cheaper fabrics for fast fashion? Where they introduced stuff like polyester (blergh! I have a deep and abiding loathing for polyester!), or where cotton became even cheaper? Is fast fashion to blame for this? Or a general lack of care about quality (which is probably related).
Look at Darma Trading Co, I use them exclusively for shifts and shirts
Dharma Trading Co. has some pretty decent linen! As to why it's harder to find the good stuff, I'd say it all comes down to money and fast fashion, yes. As people valued their clothes and belongings less, the need for fine linens decreased. With decreased demand... goodbye, supply.
@Neartmhor - fabrics-store.com exclusively sells linen and a few linen/cotton blends. They have frequent specials. I don't know how to tell really fine linen from also-ran quality, though. Maybe Ms Willoughby and Rose will tell us more.
@@MossyMozart are they available in Australia? My issue is that shipping here usually costs an arm and a leg.
Polyester should be illegal
I just love your casual nonchalant humor in this video! Also, the shift came out lovely! I love the little gathers!
Thank you very much! I literally cannot stop myself from snarking even if I'm trying to be serious. 😆
I love watching beautifully done handstitching. Thanks
Just beautiful! Those are some amazingly perfect feld seams! Thank you for sharing! I think you are correct about the downgrade of linen fabric over the years. I have collected vintage linen items and certainly noticed the changes over the last few decades. Thank you for the link regarding the fabric resource. It is really lovely!
Great tutorial and super cute footage of Miss W! You mentioned something I had never thought about - the buttonhole of the cuff migrating over time - that's such a good point and really explains well why they should be set well back from the edge.
Many thanks for this tutorial - the offset-to-start felled seam is wizard! Most useful for constructing Central European shirts ( the abiding passion). Charlotte in California
Wow, your voice makes me concentrate more.
Your stitching is beautiful. I am watching your video because i wanted some tips for hand sewing. My daughter lost my sewing machine pieces so I am reduced to sewing masks by hand. Only I find hand stitching very relaxing
Hand stitching can absolutely be very relaxing
Thank you for taking the time and doing this. As I've gotten olden O have found handsewing therapeutic. Although I am a complete novice.
i like seeing your creativity!! assume your audience is also creative, productive, loves sewing and understands the math in the geometry that is costume fitting.
Thanks. I was barely paying attention but the music was beautiful and I'm ear marking this for review at a later date when I will use all of this. Your explanations are clear and your reasonings makes sense. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Loved it!
I have some old linen blouses in my wardrobe and the difference is crazy!
Right?!
Excellent tutorial. You were thoughtful of your broad audience and great at explaining the process from beginning to end. Loved seeing the finished project on your young and happy model!
Thank you so much!
This will be very helpful when I finally get to starting my 18th century project
I hope so!
Your work is exquisite! Thank you for your inspiration!❤
What a cute little model
“There’s no rule” - Me as a former reenactor remembering clothing/costume inspections and debates about stitch per inch and if sewing machine use should be forbidden at events 😂😂
I am going to make a linen shift now. Thanks!
Miss 7 has seen a few of your videos now and is ordering all the pretty little girl dresses ha ha. I love how chill you are in your videos
Haha! Thanks!
WOW!! I just admired the fineness of your seams - beautiful work!
Thank you so much!
@@WilloughbyRose you have inspired me and I am half way through a completely hand sewn chemise. I have discovered I love the meditative quietness of the hand sewing. I also think as I sew that I hold hands with all those other women over the centuries who were doing the exact same thing as I am doing now :)
I absolutely love your video, as it reminds me of everything my beloved Teacher taught me as a teen 47 yrs ago. The finger folding for felting and your commenting on today's fabrics is authentic. All of your comments are great!
Thank you so much for this video! I'm about to start cutting out and then
hand-sewing my first shift. I read all of Sharon Burnston's research and fitting guide, but there's something about seeing it in video that makes the process make so much more sense. I'm sure I'll be watching this video 50 more times as I make the shift!
I’m so glad-good luck!
I finished the shift today! This video was invaluable as I worked out the strange bits like felling the gores and figuring out the gussets.
@@WilloughbyRose I finished a second shift, watching this video over and over and over! Such a useful resource.
I can't believe how tiny your stitches are. Very impressive. Thank you.
Thank you! 😊
Beautiful hand stitching. Makes me want to give it a try.
Gorgeous work
Your work is GORGEOUS!!!!!
Beautiful needle work.
The Irish (in my opinion) made the best linen. The price for a bolt of linen is very expensive, I am all for promoting linen as it is a truly wonderful fabric. I imagine that children's shifts like many other garments were cut down from adult garments that had seen better days.
Birdy
Thank you for this tutorial. Happy to have found your channel. Your daughter is so lovely! She is lucky to be learning such valuable skills.
I agree, linen was the best. Because of working at the Renaissance faires most of my teens/adult life I'm accustomed to calling it a chemise. But a shift is good too. I made my daughter's back when she was 9 years old, she's 12 now and way taller than me now. I'm 5'3". And she still wears the same chemise. Children grow so fast and I've had to alter this one about 3 times as she grew taller. Adding arm darts and additional grafts to each side to widen the chemise. She even has antique lace work which was given to me years ago. I've had to carefully remove and resew on each time to the collar and trims. Her baby blue dress also had the same alterations to help it to grow along with her. It's still in great shape after all this time. I always make sure to use fabric that I can still purchase in the future or just buy extra extra yardage to hold onto for another decade for her to grow up into until she's an adult. I don't think we've ever stopped the hand-me-downs approach to our sewing. Great share. Thank you for it. I love it.
Thanks so much! Linen is a wonderful thing.
Thank you very for this video, especially for showing the gusset details and the felling of the same. I'll be sure to come back to this video the next time I encounter gussets of that kind.
I was just about to start working on your shift kit that my friend got for me and I'm so glad to see that you've posted this! Seeing you physically do it, so that I know I read everything right is going to make this a pretty relaxing project ☺ (unlike some of my other projects that I'm ignoring)
Thank you... your work is beautiful
Magnificent hand stitching! My European grandmother (born in 1898)was convent-school trained in needlework and your stitching reminds me very much of her work!
Such a beautiful work. Your daughter looks lovely in her new shift. You did such a great job. Love from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Thank you so much!
I love your manner of speaking, and this was a super helpful video!
Thanks! I'm so pleased it was helpful!
Will def. be watching this again!!! So many tips!!!
Awesome! Thank you!
Wow, it's beautiful ❤️
I love this video, music, too!
Thank you SO much for this tutorial! I have never figured out how to get neat-looking wrist slits or gusset points, and this looks like it could work!! I'm currently working on one of your housewife kits and watching your videos has been really great!
It might be my LOVE of red thread, but I think a shift with the basting thread left in would be gorgeous!
I have a general rule to only baste in red because I find it so pretty 😆 So whenever I have to use a different color just to get rid of random thread remnants I'm not nearly as happy.
Chaotic neutral 💕
Just found you. So glad i did. Im honestly just learning how to hand sew. Iv stitched up and roughly mended some things in the past and am eager to dive into actual stitches.
You do such wonderful work.
Thank you!
This was wonderful to watch but ... the music volume when you aren’t talking is way louder than the rest of the video... thank you for taking time out of your day to share with us
oh no-I was sure I’d fixed that finally! I will definitely recheck my settings because it seems to be a weird automatic function going on. Thanks so much!
Omg exactly what I've been looking for thank u whole heartedly
You’re most welcome!
😍😍 I would love to see a "partially hand-sewn/machine-sewn" shift tutorial, to have an HA looking shift but in less time!!! Thank you for showing how to do a gathered sleeve! 💜💜
The trick to half hand, half machine in my opinion is do the same construction method, but with the construction seams done on the machine and finishing/visible stitches being done by hand, at least in my opinion
@@FayeSterling that's what I would assume, but I feel like there are a lot of fiddly bits and corners. So I wonder if there are any different tricks to it.
Yep, essentially.
In my work with shifts, I'd say about 50% of the time people order a hand finished shift (which is what I call half/half). There are definitely a few tricks to it and I'd be happy to share!
@@WilloughbyRose yes please!! 😍
Thank you! I learned a couple of new things that will make my next shift easier to make! I hope to see a lot more tutorials by you. You are very good at making them !
Thank you so much!
I would love a button-hole tutorial if you're able to do one! Button-holes... confuse me xD It might also be a good idea to do a video on the different types of stitches so new sewers have a reference for what they are! Thank you for this video! I may or may not have watched it twice while trying not to panic about my thesis, so it's been really great for me so far! I will definitely be revisiting it in the future to make my own shift
I definitely plan to do a video on my favorite stitches at the very least. Good luck with your thesis and thank you so much!
Bernadette Banner has a very nice buttonhole video! I found it helpful.
@@BelleChanson0717 i thought she'd deleted it? I swear I went back to look for it and couldn't find it. Maybe I just missed it in my frantic scrolling 😅
@@jayswing101 I just used it the other day so unless it was a very recent deletion I think it should still be there! I think I searched for "historical buttonhole tutorial".
Beautiful work!!
This is probably the best shift tutorial I've seen! I'm off to take measurements and start my own. :)
Thank you so much! I hope it proves useful
So much info in one video, thank you!
You're very welcome!
Omg thank you, I know how to attached gathered fabric now!
You’re welcome 😊
This was super informative. Thank you for the incredible details and explanation!
You are most welcome!
This was great! Thank you!
“In true chaotic-neutral fashion” 🤣🤣🤣 You are my people!
😈
This is a wonderful tutorial! I can totally use this for 16th century! Thank you!
I can’t like this video enough. I need all the shifts!
You are so welcome! Shifts and smocks etc. have definitely been pretty much the same for hundreds of years.
Noe I understand gores, gusset, reinforcing straps. Thank you.
It's definitely something you need to see and/or do to fully understand! Glad I could help
i just had a huge jolt of deja view
I am binging all your videos and finishing a bedgown that won’t end. Thank you for the company. I definitely screwed things up on my last shift!!
But you won the battle of the bedgown! Yay you!
Thank you!
This is a great and very informative video!
I'm trying out some chemise forms for history bounding, and I def. learned a lot!
Your skill at hand sewing is phenomenal! !! And the patience it must have taken. My goodness!!!
Thank you! Lots of patience, lots of practice.
Wow!!! You did a beautiful video! I love how relaxed you were sewing and hope to be making one real soon. I saw that you sell kits for these and think that's a great way for me to sew one.
Thank you so much!
:D I love how you explain and show things in this video! It's so detailed.
Saved it for later reference, because I will need it - math, ugh ;) Thank you!!
Yay, I hope it proves useful!
Honestly making a brown linen shift is one of my goals. Here's to hoping Burnley & Trowbridge still has that nice unbleached lightweight when I get to that project.
I've used their unbleached lightweight before and it was honestly one of the nicest shifts I've ever done! I hope they have it when you need it!
I loved this video! I watched it as I was stitching up the side seam on my own shift, and I realized that I've been doing the side gores all wrong (attaching them to the body of my shift, felling them, then doing the side seams and trying to wrangle felling over an already felled seam). I'll have to put a reinforcement patch over the join of my shift gores I think, but thanks to this video I won't make that mistake again!
Oh yay, I'm so happy it was helpful to you! Thanks!
Lovely. Thank you.
Thanks!!
I loved the video! I loved it so much that I his a quick pause and ran to Joann’s to get some linen. I should have known that they would have none, though. Alas....with or without linen, I couldn’t wait to finish up the video. I will have to check out some online sites for some. Your assistant was spectacular!
Thanks so much! Alas, typical Joann's!
@@WilloughbyRose I am IN LOVE with the pink fabric (gingham, maybe?) on the main page of your website. Although I knew Joann's wouldn't have anything so pretty, I searched the store thoroughly. No luck. :( Oh how I wish we had good fabric store here (Maryland). Online is a great option...but you can't touch first.
Loved this, thank you. New sub here. Stay safe and best wishes from Down Under🇦🇺👗👠👒😎
Thanks and welcome!
DUMB BUNNY BEGINNER ALERT --- Of the shift videos I have watched, this is the most comprehensive and illustrative. I will be watching it again until I thoroughly get it.
In future posts, could you go further into what to look for when purchasing linen? Like the significance of weight, number of warp and weft threads, more about the fiber lengths you mentioned (how do you tell that?), finishes, anything that is germane. There are relatively expensive linens available and there are much cheaper ones available. Surely the difference is not in the seller's overhead alone! Thank you .^_^.
inspiring!
Beautiful hand sewing! Lovely product! As to fabric, I am not familiar with linen, but have ordered some from Fabrics-Store that may do the trick for you. You might check them out until some is available through your favourite store. I’m not affiliated with them at all.
It fascinates me, the different strategies taken for the gussets. After lots of headscratching and swearing, I now insert them offset lower than the sleeve edge, so that the felling stitchline is on the gusset not the sleeve. You do the opposite. Christina at B&T has them marching in the same direction (i.e. not both inward or both outward, if that makes any sense). I really need to get back to Platt Hall and look at their extants again!
My extant has them different on both sides of I recall correctly 😂
@@WilloughbyRose I suspect there's huge scope for variety. Christina and I have compared notes (I've studied 4 English ones and she's run amok in DeWitt Wallace LOL) and there are some significant, really wild differences.
Thankyou
Love the video. And the comment about , if you love math, good for you. Lol. I don't like math either.
Came for the shift tutorial, stayed for the soft piano music and pithy side commentary. I think on your etsy shop you used to sell ready-made shifts...will that ever be returning?
You just made my morning with this comment 😂
They’re coming back! It’s hard to keep ready-made shifts in stock but it’s a goal of mine-and I’m opening up commissions soon as well.
@@WilloughbyRose Ooooh I'm excited! Shifts are the most basic garment but they are driving me up the wall!
I have always wanted know how garments were made as I love the Victorian age. But alas it was good I was born in 1949 Thank you for the lesson. I do plan to make a housewife by hand
Cool.
Your daughter is DARLING! Reminds me of mine at that age.
Thank you!
Facinateing, I learned a lot of this from my grandmother when she was trying to teach me how to so I can remember so much of it and yet I’m just now getting into it at 73 years old. I did hand so a quilt for my daughter that I ended up adopting my hand so the whole thing. And we’ve never used it it lays on the back of a chair however she will always have it. Thank you so much for sharing this it was just beautiful. I wanna know who taught you?