Can Historical Skirts be Adjustable? Attempt 1: 1900s

Hello everyone and welcome to a new video!
Following on from the ethos behind my 1890s cape coat (you can find that video here: • Comfortable 1890s: A C... and the ethos is that we can still be cute historybounding potatoes), I wanted to make some adjustable historically inspired skirts. My most used or favoured silhouette is typically the 1890s/1900s skirts, because they mesh well with other more modern pieces in my wardrobe, and you can comfortably adapt them to more historybounding styles. However often their design doesn't mesh well with modern undergarments (ie. the thin waistbands and weight of the skirts can create some discomfort without the proper foundations, like a corset). Therefore, I thought I could frankenstein some of the closures to still have a historical silhouette but also provide comfort and adjustability, for when my body changes from 9 am to 9 pm. That is what I set out to do in this video, but as you can see from the (super long sorry) intro, the plan changed.
I used just under 3 meters of a wool blend in autumnal tones for this skirt, alongside some linen for the hem facing. Overall, I think the idea works, and by limiting the interlinings, etc, the resulting skirt is still very cute but light and comfortable too. I can also add an additional petticoat if I'd like, which according to 'Authentic Victorian Sewing Techniques' was in fashion by the turn of the century instead of the traditional interlinings and linings (you can find out more about this type of construction in my 1890s skirt video here tinyurl.com/yckxdk26 and the other video about the skirts here • The Battle of the Skir... ). Stay tuned for the yellow skirt, coming soon!
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[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

That was good timing :) I've paused my Keystone skirt to make some aprons (thanks, Morgan Donner) because I need to think about the closure, I put the waistband internally so I'm being weird, and I lose brain cells every time I try to think about pleats and plackets in the same place and then if I think about adjustability my brain just leaks out my ear, so I needed more time to mull that over. Thanks for the ideas! I'm using a greyish brown striped wool suiting that I overdyed with onion skins to make it a richer warmer colour of brown and I'm excited to see how often I wear the thing once I get it made. I just did a simple cotton lining because wool against my skin makes me itchy.

[@jeanneclark99]

Most people react to the chemicals used to strip lanolin from wool, not actually to the wool itself. Try washing the wool in the cheapest clarifying shampoo you can find. About a quarter cup in the wash. The purpose of clarifying shampoo is to strip chemicals from hair--and wool is hair. A woman I know does this and can now wear wool outer garments--and she used to have actual allergic reactions.

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

@@jeanneclark99 Thanks for that info but in my case it's not a chemical sensitivity, it's mechanical. I'm mostly OK with cashmere and lanolin isn't my problem either (I know someone who's allergic to lanolin and can only use really old wool where it's all been scoured out) and since I can lie bare skin on a sheepskin rug without problems, I figure it's the cut ends that make me itchy, same with some acrylic yarns and even my own hair sometimes. I get itchy from fibreglass too. I guess I'm just easily irritated :)

[@CatsCostumery]

That sounds lovely, I hope it turns out well! ☺️

[@icegoddess1308]

TheStitchery has several good videos on split side skirts you such look at. Great job on the skirts!

[@nataliestanchevski4628]

Argh! The cliffhanger at the end lol! Congrats on the pocket placement, that's a fun callback to videos of days gone by. I love all the pleats at the back and the adjustable faux button closure.

[@DipityS]

It's lovely and so flattering! I love how the flounce worked out and the little triangle at the front which bring and air of a princess sort of bodice - but it's the lovely pleating at the back and the way it swirls out there slight more. It's such a feminine pretty skirt and I think it goes with the shirt and the vest beautifully!

[@TheGhostGirl.]

Oh my god it's so gorgeous. I've been wanting to make myself a skirt like that because I'm trying to find my style and this is one of paths I'm going for. Also I'm a quite terrified newbie that can't darn a sock so it'll be an amazing experience😂

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

Advice from an experienced but still relatively mediocre sewist: don't be afraid to fail. Failure is not the enemy, fear of failure is. Mistakes lead to learning how to correct and avoid mistakes. Also, mockups are your friend. And if your body is... not standard commercial size/proportion or you have sensory issues with clothing, wear your mockup around the house a while to make sure it's right, and tweak it until it's correct before you cut your REAL fabric, there's no shame in skirts made from old bedsheets. It doesn't have to be perfect either, and if an imperfecion bothers you, fix it. I like to limit myself to one new technique per new project... and old mockups are great for practising new techniques or for first try at improvements I want to make to existing clothing. Mediocre still gets clothing onto me, and only I know ALL the flaws! Only someone who's really critical with an eye to fitting or craftsmanship will ever know. Most people will just be impressed that you made a thing yourself, even if it's not quite how you pictured it, they'll never know that unless you tell them. And good luck finding your personal style!! I've been trying for a while now to find something that resonates more than "carpet goblin" :D I just keep trying different things to see if anything really catches me, and I may not have found The Thing yet (and I'm starting to suspect that there may not be one Thing, but an eclectic mess of many Things) but I'm at least figuring out little parts about what works for my shape and what I like and don't, so far the list includes adding armpit gussets when things are just a titch too tight in the shoulder/bust region, curved rather than straight waistbands so things tend to stay up over my lack of hips, puffy sleeves actually make me feel cute, and not centering a plaid design will annoy me FOREVER even if I pattern-matched everything else... and I also discovered that I love hand-sewing, machine sewing stressed me out until I got a hand crank machine from the early 1900s because I have utter control of the speed that way. Oh, and if you actually want to learn darn a sock, my father in-law taught me about twenty years ago but there are lots of tutorials on the internet that taught me a few things he didn't, like darn BEFORE there's a hole, always go further into the good fabric than you need, and also stagger the edges so you don't create lumps where the patching edges are. I highly suggest using a contrasting colour of yarn because not only is it easier to see what you're doing, but it's an interesting conversation point when someone notices your darned socks! Dollar store yarn, dollar store darning needles and an old light bulb in the sock as a darning knob, very low entry bar :)

[@TheGhostGirl.]

@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 wow thank you for that comprehensive answer! A skirt firstly made out of a bedsheet would be perfect for me to start because I have a lot of old ones. That encouraged me to start sooner, because I suppose it'll take a little less time than the actual skirt. Yeah about the mistakes making, I'm surely not a perfectionist, rather a person who just wants to jump in to the best part like sewing your own clothes.I'm sure I'll make a lot of mistakes, but I am too impatient to learn the basics first.. I wish you the best as well at finding your style, or as you said an eclectic mess of many things (I loved that one). I relate to you on that matter. (Me as 60-70s style mixed up with modern, colorful suits, edwardian style and I don't know what else haha) ❤️

[@amauryy4417]

The cut on de bias flounce is a great idea, lovely skirt!

[@brendafalk5162]

What a darling skirt! It really suited you, and was great with and without the thrifted vest garment.

[@kida4star]

I love it! I’ve done one of the spilt side skirts and find the infinite adjustability really handy. I’m inspired by this one. Thanks for sharing!

[@isabellaferretti7279]

Lovely fabric, good call not to flat line it so you have an everyday wearable lighter skirt. The knife pleated back is lovely, and I like the ‘quiet’ interest added by the bias hem extension. You left us hanging at the end lol!

[@winterkoeniginwinternacht2882]

Love the skirt! I want to make one 🤩 I only wish you'd shown the closure (pleats and overlap) more in detail

[@bohemiansusan2897]

Sewing videos are as close to talking in person with others about sewing. Thanks for posting this video. I really appreciate your enthusiasm. I love how you did the hem at the bottom of the skirt. It's the most striking part. Pockets were a nice touch. You may want to consider making the pockets from a twill blend in the future The plaid not matching jarred me a lot. I think a solid color would have worked better. For plaid of this cut, I would have made a dirndl skirt. I do adjustable waistbands using elastic in the back 2/3rds of the skirt going to the closure. It's quite subtle in appearance.

[@SandraL489]

Thank you for doing an adjustable skirt, too. I'm losing some extra kilos at the moment and had to have a black outfit for a funeral - I don't usually wear black and wanted and adjustable skirt. Here's what I did: I took my keystone pattern and kept the side seams open 18th century style. I used the pockets as plackets, fully finished on the back sides seam. Then I added two buttonholes at the front near the center and some belt loops along both strips of waistband. Now I can loop the strings from my back panel through the buttonholes, cross in front and tie in the back - no awkward fiddling with two sets of bands! Now I'm covered for whatever shape I might be in come next funeral...

[@SimpleDesertRose]

Super cute. I love it. The vest gives it a bit of a Hobbity feel to it. I once made a walking skirt with the back being adjustable. I made it so that it had ties that slid out of the waist band in the back and could be tied in a bow. That way I could adjust the tightness as I wanted/ needed and still have the rooshing in the back.

[@stevezytveld6585]

That's a super cute skirt. And it looks so comfortable. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

[@robintheparttimesewer6798]

The skirt looks wonderful! Love the look of the flounce!

[@waterbitten]

My favorite of your existing skirts is the keystone one, I think it would look wonderful if you bring the hem up like you were saying and then added the large pleats of edwardian skirt for some visual interest.

[@mariatrancoso9416]

It turned out lovely! I love it! This moment I'm planning to make a skirt for the summer, just a simple linen skirt for everyday wear, not historical but I would say inspired. Just like you I want it to be adjustable because you never know, you might not feel comfortable or something else, specially during the summer here in Portugal. Also, I'm not a great fan of elastic and I'm plus size, so I always feel hot but Portuguese heat is something else, just NO mercy. So I have to use my knowledge and my abilities so that I can survive the heat without just staying home, no clothes with the air conditioner. But really, a saia é bonita e cai-te mesmo muito bem!

[@CatsCostumery]

Muito obrigada e boa sorte com a tua saia! Acho que linho é muito boa ideia para o calor aí 😂

[@lucyannethrope7569]

It is always so satisfying watching you work and share the thought process with us! (And well glad to se that I'm not alone in using a fork for pleting). 😀❤️

[@Yoannah]

I love it! The skirt turned out so beautiful

[@gerileemakes]

They turned out so well!

[@theardentarcher]

This is definitely one of my favorite skirts you’ve made. I love the adjustability.

[@TimeTravelReads]

Lovely job on that skirt!

[@callunas]

This is beautiful on you!! I'd love to see how you make an 18th c skirt with side split and a waistband, if you do that in the future. I'm looking to make something that will work for pregnancy size changes.

[@paperyakuk]

You always make such beautiful fabric choices. I love the skirt and can’t wait to see the mustard one. I’ve also never seen cord added to a hem facing before, is it a historical technique? Your videos are convincing me to crack out my sewing machine again!

[@CatsCostumery]

Yes-ish! There are some historical skirts (particularly walking or more outdoorsy skirts) that have visible rows of cording, but I typically prefer mine to be hidden in the facing ☺️

[@paperyakuk]

@@CatsCostumery it’s a great idea! I’ll be borrowing that in the future I’m sure!

[@roadrunnercrazy]

Very nice!👍

[@ushere5791]

beautiful!!

[@whatkatyread5166]

Aww cliffhanger! I wonder, would one way of having an adustable walking skirt be to have elastic in the waistband at the point where it's gathered in the back? I guess it wouldn't work with pleats, but if gathered the gathering could be created by the elastic which then could expand and contract.

[@Roughislandsunrise01]

Check out the Channel the stitchery she has done lots of adjustable clothes

[@coreygilles847]

❤

[@therewillbecatswithgwenhwyfar]

I have a treadle machine! Also it was history bounding, right? 😂