Many years ago, I was at a festival who had gotten a Scottish weaver for demonstrations - the weaver told us that in the real old days, if the house caught on fire, people would rescue the clothing and cloth, because it was quicker and cheaper to build a small wood house then replace the cloth.
@Aswaguespack Жыл бұрын
Nowadays it’s the TV that gets saved first 🤦🏻♂️
@ryuuakiyama3958 Жыл бұрын
I can well believe it.
@cuttwice3905 Жыл бұрын
Woolens and linens were very expensive before the invention of the power loom. I'd easily bore you explaining all the steps involved in making cloth from the plant or fleece. You can tell this based on dowries, wills and other documents.
@JustIsold Жыл бұрын
Now I dont have a cat anymore I would probably do the same, though its a tossup between all my antique sheets and my great grandmothers sewing machine
@catherinemcnamara1141 Жыл бұрын
@@cuttwice3905 I have a mad project to grow and process my own linen. I've barely started, and already I am VERY VERY CAREFUL with scraps of all sorts of fabric, because of how much effort (human or mechanical) is needed to make it!
@LunaChilde22 Жыл бұрын
As a Sgt, yes, we can spot uniforms out of order from quite a distance.
@johannageisel5390 Жыл бұрын
There are rumors that life on exoplanets will not be found by the JWST, but by a random seargant noticing a missing button on the 5th sleeve of a soldier on Tau Ceti e.
@Aswaguespack Жыл бұрын
@@johannageisel5390 😂😂😂
@jennifermccrary1570 Жыл бұрын
And hair. Don't forget hair.
@codename495 Жыл бұрын
It depends on the SGT. I personally didn’t give a hoot if your hair/clothes weren’t 1000% within reg so long as you’re weren’t being blatant about it. I would kindly and discreetly point out anything that turned someone into bait for the people who had a real liking of being assholes when giving the chance though. Your backpack has a logo in a color that doesn’t fit reg, I couldn’t give less of a crap, hair a bit long but still well kept and professional not my concern we aren’t wearing gas masks any time soon. Wearing a comic book belt because you don’t anticipate anyone noticing, yeah you need to fix that one high speed.
@ragnarokgalaxy9510 Жыл бұрын
As a 'sarge'. Holy mundane crap this video gave me all the giggles.
@anaisabelsantos4661 Жыл бұрын
My grandfather used to tell a (true) story, I loved to listen to him and remember this so many times... A young man was in the University of Coimbra, one day he received a package from his mother, it has a letter with it "My son, I'm sending you a new shirt made from your father's old shirt. When it gets old send it back so I can make a new shirt for your brother. Love, your mother"
@taken-for-pomegranted Жыл бұрын
As a weaver, the idea someone would either spend the hours and hours to weave and construct something-or have to have the money to pay someone else to do it-and then just... not take care of it... is so crazy lol.
@TheDesertMarmot Жыл бұрын
Ikr, I knit a pair of socks for a man who's 6'4" once. The idea that someone would just walk away from that kind of time investment is ludicrous. I didn't even spin my own yarn!
@stuartclarke31717 ай бұрын
Ex British Soldier here, ten years service between 2007-2017. Sewing kits were never issued. We had to buy one from one of the shops on camp or make up our own kits. Never got any training in how to sew either. I think I was the only man in my section in basic training that purchased the sewing kit in a DPM pouch. Most squaddies will just take damaged items to the stores and ask for an exchange.
@niklasbrandt7415 Жыл бұрын
I reckon the phrase "they wouldn't have had the skills" might frequently translate to "I don't have the skill"
@roxiepoe9586 Жыл бұрын
Boredom is the curse of the trenches. Mending would actually be helpful for the inside of one's head as much as the outside of one's uniform. (I love Bernadette Banner's book! The way the paper feels is a positive delight.)
@ah5721 Жыл бұрын
the paper is that good ? Ive wanted her book and now I'm more tempted !
@dees3179 Жыл бұрын
Even my mother approved of it.
@jackiejames4551 Жыл бұрын
@A H oh the paper is wonderful. The pictures are a delight, and she makes sewing a joy to learn. If you buy only one sewing book, let it be this book!
@redwitch95 Жыл бұрын
The whole bit about sergeants was absolutely hilarious to me, mostly because my great-grandad was Director of Artillery for Ireland and, despite only having one eye, was terrifyingly good at spotting stray specks of dust, let alone holes in uniform.
@hannekevankeulen494 Жыл бұрын
The first thing my US Marine brother did when he came home from boot camp was iron his clothes. Even Viggo Mortisen an actor playing a literary fantasy character knew to make Aragon real he had to run around in his costume, rip it, and then repaired it by his own hand. Details like that make something real. Love your channel!!!!!!!!!
@SirFrederick Жыл бұрын
Just got Promoted to 1st Sergeant, and I can confirm the spotting holes in a uniform at 350 yards.
@TealCheetah Жыл бұрын
I hate how people are afraid of hand sewing. It's not that hard, yes it takes a while, and you get better as you practice. It's not this unsurmountable task people seem to think it is these days!
@johannageisel5390 Жыл бұрын
@@dorteweber3682 You can also take it with you in a bag and pull it out while sitting in public transport for half an hour. Or while waiting at the doctor's office.
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
Handsewing is WAY easier than machine sewing; you don't have to learn how to operate a machine, it's just fine motor skills and I learned _that_ as a child. It takes longer. Time is not the same thing as difficulty.
@LucretiaPearl Жыл бұрын
I don't trust myself with a sewing machine, so I only hand sew when I do any sewing. Actually this video is a great reminder for me to fix a few buttons & hems on some of my modern clothes I've been putting off. Lol
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
@@LucretiaPearl My sister struggles with the sewing machine because her 3D visualisation is so bad, she even has trouble remembering and visualising which way the fabric travels under the needle. She's the family embroidery master.
@kathilisi3019 Жыл бұрын
Also, you don't need skills to get started: all you need is needle, thread, and enough desperation to motivate you. I had a pair of jeans separate at the middle seam while on a school trip (a week in Ireland when I was 14), and I luckily had a small traveling sewing kit in my bag. I sewed that thing back together in an hour, and while I hurt my fingers and the seam looked messy, it was sturdy enough that it lasted for months after I mended it.
@thebratqueen Жыл бұрын
Glad I'm not the only one who, when hearing "camp follower," immediately pictured someone following the soldiers around going "Coo-eee, call that a uniform? Has more holes in it than Swiss cheese, doesn't it, darling?"
@mariebray9831 Жыл бұрын
Me and my friends who are old ladies are amazed that "young" people don't know how to do basic stuff, like sewing and growing vegetables and home repairs. If you don't know how to do something, have a go and sometimes it will work and sometimes you will need to consult a book or person or the internet. But don't do electrical or gas repairs, as you may burn down your house.
@johannageisel5390 Жыл бұрын
Well, things have changed a lot. And although I would encourage everybody to learn these things, they are not strictly necessary in today's world anymore (though they could become again in the future). Young people are expected to have other skills, like computer skills for example, so they used their time to learn those. I guess there was a time in human history, where older people were astonished that younger ones were not able to make flint tools anymore.
@cherylrosbak4092 Жыл бұрын
@@johannageisel5390 I've had all those sets of skills since the mid '80s, including computer skills. It does help to have people who expect you to know the basics and are willing to teach you them.
@expatpiskie Жыл бұрын
I made sure that my kids born between 1986 & 1992 all know cookery, basic DIY, gardening and clothes reoairs. Some are better than others but at least they've had a start.
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
I'm fairly certain it's because the in-between generation decided their kids didn't need those skills. I'm in my 30s, so I'm no longer a kid, but my parents taught me both computer skills (we were one of the first families in my hometown to have a computer in the 90s), and sewing and darning and gardening... well, the latter only sort of, we had a tiny garden. But you get the picture. My point was, don't blame the kids, it's more likely that somewhere along the way someone was taught those skills and let them atrophy because, for whatever reason, they decided they were useless. I think a lot of the young generation is rediscovering them now, actually. The pandemic definitely brought home how basic and necessary those skills are.
@Sally4th_ Жыл бұрын
@@johannageisel5390 I too am 60+ and can hand sew, knit, crochet, plant my own veg then bottle it in the winter, put up a shelf etc etc. I also worked in IT as a code developer and database wrangler for 24 years and have been computer "literate" for over 40 years. It's all about keeping your skills current for the world around you. Being able to sew on a button or fix a sprung seam is something everyone should know.
@RandiPoitras Жыл бұрын
I would love if Bernadette narrated her own audiobook. I do love Jimmy Attenborough narrating the Wild Sergeant creature documentary 😂
@Alex-Sews Жыл бұрын
YES! I've seen so many (mostly guy) reenactors wearing torn, dirty, shredded clothes - and shoes! Yet my mom used to work at a living history museum, and she was one of the people folks who needed a quick patch or repair would seek out if they weren't confident to do it themselves. Like she'd send someone into a basement or upstairs that visitors didn't go into, he'd throw her his torn pants, and she'd fix them up lickety-split. She kept an extensive sewing kit - in housewife form! and including materials for patching sourced from the costuming dept - with her on station. There's no excuse for walking around in torn clothes unless you literally just tore them! It's ahistorical and sloppy!
@lenabreijer1311 Жыл бұрын
I have a book about the clothing of the Black Prince based on documents. One of the things was that one of the yearly payments for work done was a "suit of clothes " . Once a year you got clothing! Clothing also was handed down in wills, as well as sheets, blankets and tapestries. Fabric was EXPENSIVE! That was why making it was one of the first things industrialized. Tapestries ordered and hung by Henry VIII cost as much as a battle ship. A good linen shirt took an acre of land and a year to make. A viking ship sail took many women and sheep at least 2 years of work, in fact it took longer to spin and weave a sail then to build a boat.
@KelseyDrummer Жыл бұрын
What's the book called? I'd love to read it.
@KelseyDrummer Жыл бұрын
@@lenabreijer1311 thanks!
@kokofan5010 ай бұрын
That’s not really a fair comparison. A crew of men could build a longboat in a few days.
@lenabreijer131110 ай бұрын
@@kokofan50 it would probably take more then a few days lol when you have to create the planks without power tools. And you have create the nails and roves to stick them together.
@kokofan5010 ай бұрын
@@lenabreijer1311 making the boards is the easiest part. You split the boards then hue them. Also, longboats only used a few nails at the stem and stern. The long part is carving the keel, but with a few dozen guys on a longboat crew, that much wouldn’t take long.
@oldmanofthemountains3388 Жыл бұрын
"Hurry up and wait" is something I frequently hear from veterans
@jennifermccrary1570 Жыл бұрын
Oh yes, it's a thing. As a direct result we invented a number of games...an alarming number of them involved throwing things at each other. Rocks. Medicine balls. Our own patches (after they became velcro- we called it patch darts).
@elizabethsloan3192 Жыл бұрын
Fine sweaters used to come with a little card of the yarn so you could mend them!
@blktauna Жыл бұрын
Cloth was amazingly expensive to buy, labor intensive to make, and entirely too valuable to let get trashed. Of course they repaired and maintained their clothing. They couldn't just pop down the shoppes and get a new shirt. A shirt takes a day to make and no one wants to waste a day/day's pay for sewist making a new one if not utterly necessary. I have some SCA clothes that are over 30 years old and I still use them. There's older stuff I've made that is still being used. Do it right and it will hold up for years.
@ulrike9978 Жыл бұрын
Absolutely! I have always carefully repaired minor holes in my clothes as soon as they appear, but learning to spin on a drop spindle gave me a whole new appreciation for the sheer amount of work that used to go into clothes (and blankets and sails and ...)
@staceypenn1095 Жыл бұрын
My father who was a Drill Instructor (DI) could fix a 3 corner tear by hand and carried a darning mushroom in his kit to repair his socks. He was also known to pull on buttons to make sure that they were properly sewn on. His go-to trick was to keep a brand-new set of insignia, belt buckle, and medals on hand for inspection. That way if you had a surprise inspection you wouldn't get caught with unpolished items. Failing an inspection could lead to pealing millions of potatoes or scrubbing the bathrooms with a toothbrush. Both of which my father did on a regular basis during basic training. They still sell the various military sewing kits that have various different buttons for all of their uniforms, i.e. a dress uniform button kit or a combat uniform button kit, etc.
@crystaldottir Жыл бұрын
One "Stitch in Time" episode was about the coat of a Georgian-era laborer depicted in a painting, working out the base style when it was new and the sequence of repairs and alterations as it got handed down over decades.
@margotmolander5083 Жыл бұрын
Yes! I thought of that episode too! Didn't they determine that the coat was probably 75 years old by the time it was painted, based on the changes in style?
@fionaellem4379 Жыл бұрын
My brothers were all in the armed forces. One of the first thing you are taught is how to mend your clothing. They have sewing kits, with spare buttons etc.
@expatpiskie Жыл бұрын
My mum's brothers were all in the army from WW2 onwards. Not only did they know how to mend their kit but a couple of them could also knit their own socks.
@bunhelsingslegacy3549 Жыл бұрын
My friend enlisted in his 40s and was the one teaching all the youngsters how to iron their shirts, I think he did everyone's shirts before they had to do anything fancy...
@suzannespruijt2146 Жыл бұрын
Yes!!! So much this! I have a dress that I like to call "the never ending project". It started out as a 13th century pullover dress in 2009 or '10. After my pregnancy I opened it up in the front and put a lace in (for nursing), so now it is a 14th century dress. About a year later I ripped through my elbows, so I made it a short sleeved kirtle. After picking up and carrying around a growing toddler for three years or so, my arms, shoulders, back and bust didn't fit right anymore. I had kept all scraps of which I made new sleeves, but by that time the dress was about 9 years old and the color had faded. So I ripped it apart and turned it inside out, in order for the new sleeves to match the old dress! I've worn it another 3 years and then the backpanel gave out. It had seen a lot of repairs already, especially at the side seams with the strain of lacing it up, but now had simply been worn to thin to hold even one more stitch. I took my last bit of this wool I had left and put on a great big patch over the back, also covering the side seams, secured it well and then cut away the old worn bit on the inside of what now was a whole new back panel. I'm sure my dress is going to serve me well for another 5 years and more. Only then, I'll have to do my repairs in a different color fabric. Which I'm sure will only add to it's charm!
@chrish2277 Жыл бұрын
People often comment how well people were dressed in the 'old times' even though they were poor. This is the reason why. Clothes were expensive but quality and would be mended and remade to try to be a little fashionable.
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
And generally taken care of. People nowadays think even ironing is too much bother. Well if you don't iron your clothes, they tend to develop permanent folds which are likely to be the first place where the fibres in your clothes start wearing out...
@s.maskell7134 Жыл бұрын
Those who could darn 'invisibly' were much admired as your item would look as new. Those who could repair as decoratively like that blue tunic were also much admired.
@lunarmagpie619 Жыл бұрын
Always love a good exasperated Jimmy vid! I’ve been repairing my own clothes by hand since I can remember, and I think one of the best trends in recent. Uh. Fashion? Clothing? Wearing stuff? discourse has been the rediscovery of visible mending.
@zoinomiko Жыл бұрын
I REALLY appreciate him tying this to fast fashion. It's so tragic for our generation (and our planet) that it's often cheaper to buy new then to take the time & effort to repair. Especially in the west people have lost so much of the knowledge and the resources to do so. Can't afford to have one spouse keep house, less likely to live with or near extended family etc. And outside of the few cities with specialized "fashion" districts, the fabric chains that used to supply people making and repairing their own clothing are basically nothing but quilting and cosplay supplies. 😢
@karenlloyd945 Жыл бұрын
I have always repaired mine & my families clothing, couldn't afford to do anything else! We need to teach children how to repair clothing it's such a valuable skill
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
That Egyptian darned tunic really is adorable. I am currently Swiss-darning a sweater I've had for twenty years; no holes, it's just wearing thin in places. It's been relegated to work-clothes status, but I see no reason why it could not serve me in that capacity for twenty years more.
@vickymc9695 Жыл бұрын
Definitely right. As someone that got taught to sew by my Nanna and Mum so we didn't look poor; it always gets right up my nose when people say poor people would have been in rags. Bugger that.
@moniqueleigh Жыл бұрын
Right? We might have *been* poor, but there's no need to *look* even worse off than we were. (Besides, how is one to better the family's chances whilst looking the ragamuffin?)
@vickymc9695 Жыл бұрын
@@moniqueleigh yep, would be letting the side down. You still get stereotyped if you look a scruff, and it's been shown you get better treatment by Drs if you look good in well turned out. This is the halo effect.
@JustSaralius Жыл бұрын
I invested in a pair of wool socks, reinforced them in both heels and toes and was so pleased and excited to wear them... then accidentally washed them with my other clothes and now they're tiny and felted 😭
@kathyjohnson2043 Жыл бұрын
If you still have them, there are some methods that might work. I suggest a good Google search.
@johannageisel5390 Жыл бұрын
That is really sad. Guess you have to find a toddler.
@einwitzigenname585 Жыл бұрын
If you are not in reach of a toddler, cut it in handy pieces for your mending kit. Felted pieces are good mending material. Or model it in a tiny purse for any occasion.
@KelseyDrummer Жыл бұрын
I shrunk my pipe band socks and I was devastated! I want to unravel them and knit something new.
@codename495 Жыл бұрын
Make them into a keychain, nobody need know it wasn’t deliberate and you have a funny pub story with proof.
@knightsmarshall1 Жыл бұрын
It's so good to see this post! I'm in a group in Australia called The Revolting Peasants and I make the special effort to patch and darn my gear. Partially because I'm cheap but mainly because repaired clothing looks great. Coincidentally, I'm currently patching one of my very old tunics again. Even in the Peninsula Campaign during the Napoleonic War, comments were repeatedly made about pants looking more brown due to the repatching using the local brown wool. The logistics wasn't as advanced to just swap out a torn pair of pants. Torn gear just doesn't last long. I also darn my modern socks and have a pair of jeans that is more patch than jeans. Also as a Warrant Officer we can spot a poorly dressed soldier from a parade ground away. :D
@kathyjohnson2043 Жыл бұрын
WHAT! Who would ever think people didn't mend their clothes!!! Crazy!
@cherylrosbak4092 Жыл бұрын
They probably think it's only women's work. The 19th century has a lot to answer for.
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
You know all those historical films with ragged peasants? I think a lot of people think that.
@rebeccaholcombe9043 Жыл бұрын
@@beth12svist I always look at those kind of things and the post apocalyptic films and think, you don't know when you're getting new clothes, fix that hole before it gets any bigger!
@SusanS588 Жыл бұрын
😂😂😂. Love the definition of the abilities of the sergeant.
@jennbeammakes Жыл бұрын
Can I add a comment about my grandmother's attitude to holey jumpers - knit garments would be totally unravelled, the thin parts of the yarn snipped out and reknit, maybe for a smaller family member, maybe from sweater to slipover, long sleeved to short etc. As late as ww2, mending wool (not rationed) was used to make original garments when balls of fresh yarn were in short supply or needed ration coupons. I also somewhere (possibly one of the interweave books) came across a pattern for socks with a replaceable sole planned in the construction, double thickness and tighter gauge for sturdiness, modern knitters tend to use much larger needles and thicker yarn, so often gets reinforced yarn with nylon (silk would work but ££) whereas historical yarns were tighter spun and finer so less movement of fibres within the stitches and less wear on the garment.
@karladenton5034 Жыл бұрын
Elizabeth Zimmermann has a pattern in one of her classic books (Pretty sure it's the Almanac) for socks with replaceable soles.
@k80_ Жыл бұрын
My grandpa had a saying “hurry up and wait” from his time as a driver in East Germany. His old canvas fatigue pants from the 1950s are also threadbare, covered in patches and darning, and still wearable today.
@Bildgesmythe Жыл бұрын
I taught my son and daughter to sew on a button and mend a tear before they went to school. I'm not mean, honestly, they thought it was fun. My son did sew up the tops of several pairs of socks though. 😂
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
I think it's something every child at that age should be taught, to be honest - if only because it's a great exercise of fine motor skills and that's _exactly_ what children at that age should be taught! Mind you, I think this in the sense of "why don't you?", not in the sense of "it should be mandatory!" 😅
@sariahmarier42 Жыл бұрын
I once participated in an American 1800s hand-cart and wagon trek across the plains of Colorado with about 150 people. And I was the only one who had the presence of mind to bring a sewing kit. So every evening of the trek I'd sit in front of the fire with a semicircle of cohorts around me passing the patching and mending. Still one of my fondest memories.
@zoinomiko Жыл бұрын
I can't decide to ask if this was a mormon trek or be appalled at the possibility of this being a mormon trek where no-one else thought to bring a sewing kit XD
@sariahmarier42 Жыл бұрын
@@zoinomiko LMAO!!!! That's fantastic! It was a Mormon Trek!!! And it was the trek where no one (but me) including leaders thought to bring a sewing kit!! Freaking hysterical that you guessed it. Be appalled. By all means. It's like Mormons getting together to change a lightbulb where 100 people come and bring refreshments, but nobody thought about plates. *I'm an expatriate. I grew up Mormon, but then I moved and changed my citizenship.
@theresaanndiaz3179 Жыл бұрын
"The great predatory sergeant" is a fearsome visual. I love it. With the cost of clothing prior to the modern era, I cannot imagine people not mending. As for sewing, weren't sailors renown for being able to sew? This is such a great subject.
@virginiasmith920 Жыл бұрын
I keep hearing the Sergeant in R. Lee Ermey's voice.
@ChristheRedcoat Жыл бұрын
Gotta love the daft excuses that reenactors come up with to excuse a crappy job. That could be a video all on its own, to be honest.
@TheWelshViking Жыл бұрын
Shall we compile all the ones we hear this season and compare notes?
@ChristheRedcoat Жыл бұрын
I think we should!
@AnnAnonyme Жыл бұрын
I feel the amount we're willing to repair our clothes is a reflection of the value we place on those items. When I knit my own socks at 8hrs per sock, you can be sure I'm going to darn them even if it's a large area that's wearing thin. Whereas I'm much more likely to throw out a sock I bought from a department store.
@lynn858 Жыл бұрын
A friend who knits socks as their portable, ADHD focus fidget, gave me a few pairs of their holey hand knitted socks, knowing I would repair them, because that absolutely can't stand repairing their work - particularly if they can't find the matching yarn, but also couldn't bear to get rid of them, and had kept them through multiple moves. The glee on their face when they saw my, frankly awful, repairs and that I was wearing them.... 🎉
@bunhelsingslegacy3549 Жыл бұрын
My father in-law taught me how to darn my expensive wooly work socks (he always did the mending in my husband's family) and now I even do my cotton sweat socks now that I've learned how to do it without making lumps. The less I can support fast fashion sweat shops, the happier I am, even if I can't knit well at all and I suspect crocheted socks might be a bit more knobbly than I'd like, I'm gonna keep all my socks wearable as long as I possibly can. I've got work pants that are covered in paint and sealants and patched nine ways from Sunday because I can't find comfortable work pants anymore (that brand has gone extinct) and I hate clothes shopping these days and I hate the disposable society even more. Get a good one then fix it till it can't be fixed before you replace it.
@elewysoffinchingefeld3066 Жыл бұрын
I volunteered at my kids' school to repair school uniforms in the used uniform closet. Several parents had tried to patch things together to make it last the rest of the year before donating it. Sewing up hems with giant stitches in mis-matched thread. Sometimes with STAPLES. It was horrifying, but fixable.
@ks.kyokudonanshun Жыл бұрын
Preaching to the choir! I have repaired my hakama and my underwears so much. I've repaired the seams of my kimono time and time again. I do find a lot of pride in repairing my clothing. The fast fashion clothing of today just melt off of you after a year. Why should I pay so much money to have my clothes be in tatters after a year? Nope, slap a patch on that and darn it, darn it! Also, I took T-shirts I don't wear anymore and made a hat. I've never made a hat before and it's not a very nice hat, but I made it and it's lovely. But, let me take a second and say: whaaaa? Who's saying nobody repaired their clothes?? You're extremely sheltered. My mom slapped patches on our jean's knees all the time. Something older? There is a letter from a samurai writing home just talking about everyday things, and one thing he mentions is him needing to repair his wrist guards before his next kendo meet. I could literally imagine him sitting down the night before, running a needle through his guards. Older? There is a famous kimono worn by Uesugi Kenshin made of nothing but cloth swatches. It is really cool, by the way. I want one. Knee pain is yucky! Just got through a thing with my knee. Recovery took a year and I did not have codeine. Nice. Get well soon and stay on your exercises. They're really important.
@Rhaifha Жыл бұрын
I've offered to patch knees on my nephews jeans, but my sister literally refuses because "it's easier to buy a new pair". It makes me sad.
@ks.kyokudonanshun Жыл бұрын
@@Rhaifha I feel your pain. It's good that people are able to buy just another pair, but at the same time fail to understand the worth of materials. I also find jeans fit differently with every pair. Why throw away a good pair of good fitting jeans just because they have holes in the knees?! Patching it makes less of a headache in the long run... doesn't it? Hugs... maybe someday you can sneakily sneak behind your sister and give your nephews really awesome looking knee patches.
@azteclady Жыл бұрын
The idea that clothing is easily replaceable is so very recent, it's amazing how quickly society's collective memory forgets that just a few decades ago the vast majority of people only bought new clothes when they absolutely needed them, not just because. And by "needed them" I mean something less like, "I'm going out on Friday, I need new clothes", and more like, "It's my wedding, I need a dress". Otherwise, people did have "the dress/suit" (as in, one) for funerals, "the dress/suit" for weddings, etc.
@johannageisel5390 Жыл бұрын
The elderly people in my sewing hangout tell me how their moms used to cut the lower back away from shirts in order to replace the cuffs. Or how they would sew strips of fabric to the sleeve ends of pullovers when the children grew out of them.
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
Even the wedding dress is a relatively new phenomenon. Sure, the idea has been around for a while, but for a lot of people, it wasn't a one-occasion dress; they got a good dress (or good clothes) for their wedding, and then it was their "Sunday best" for the rest of their life, or at least as long as they could fit in it. As far as I know, the whole "one-occasion wedding dress" thing really only became a universal phenomenon after WW2; up till then, a lot of brides made it an investment for the future and did _not_ marry in a white wedding dress. And now I think about it, I seem to recall also some mentions of white wedding dresses being subsequently dyed to serve as "Sunday best".
@azteclady Жыл бұрын
@@beth12svist Yes, exactly. People took care of what they had for as long as they could.
@dees3179 Жыл бұрын
People often didn’t even have a new dress for their wedding. Or if they did, all the accessories were borrowed. I was working in a collection at Cambridge University about twenty years ago called the labour law collection which is in the law library. There were discussions of poverty and how it was defined . It was common for the lady of the house to not own a coat, she didn’t need one because she wouldn’t leave the house (not regarded as a priority), and this would be a way of saving the family money. The children would take it in turns to go to school because there were not enough pairs of shoes/boots between them for them all to wear shoes at once. So they had to rotate in order to comply with the legal attendance requirements. There were various rules to do with seasonal work that could be taken advantage of and a sympathetic teacher could help too. And failing that you went in bare feet rather than get fined for non attendance.If you look at school photos lots of children don’t have socks either even if they have boots. So if you had an item of clothing you best believe you looked after it.
@hopenield8234 Жыл бұрын
The lack of footwear and other clothing was true as recently as the 50’s and 60’s. Even in the 70’s cobblers resolving shoes was essential to keep the poorer people in footwear. If you had more than one pair of shoes you were lucky - and even then it was only 2 or 3 and regular trips fo the cobblers for repairs or resoling.
@ABLovescrafting Жыл бұрын
Mmmm, Darjeeling and darning, some of my favorite things. I love how you're all like, take care of your kit and you're a better reenactor, which is a message for everyday - "just take care of your clothes" - I don't want to say it makes a person "a better person" because we all have our stories, but it really does make a difference. It's one of those things that we should "bring back" and "normalize" again
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
I'm watching this while drinking Darjeeling.
@rebeccaholcombe9043 Жыл бұрын
I know how to knit socks, fix buttons and burst seems but the Kitchener stitch and darning confuse me. I need to learn it in person because my brain doesn't go 2d to 3d.
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
@@rebeccaholcombe9043 I saw a video once that explained it pretty well, and it's how I remember it now, with my own further explanation to remember. You always go through two stitches on one needle before you go to the other needle. Front needle is facing you "right side" so it's "knit side", back needle is facing you "wrong side" so it's "purl side". (If your knit is stockinette.) As you go through the two stitches per needle, the first one is taken off the needle and so you insert your sewing needle in the manner you would knit the stitch (knit or purl, see above about the needles), the second one is left on the needle and you insert your sewing needle the opposite direction. There's just a slight variation at the beginning, when you only do one stitch and leave it on, and the end, where you only do one stitch and take it off. You always insert your sewing needle based on which needle you're working on and what you're doing with the stitch. 🙂
@joshicus_saint_anger Жыл бұрын
"hurry up and wait" is definitely the way of war
@melusinenoArashi Жыл бұрын
My grandmother would buy a dress every 2-3 years as Sunday best (or, more exactly, to go to the restaurant or see her specialist). When the dress started to get a little worn out, it would become the shopping dress that she would wear to do town market. Then the dress would become a housedress and it would finish as a mop. I do have tea towels that were spun and weaved by my great-grandmother as a bedsheet. Only rags were thrown away. And I still do that
@pacman1386 Жыл бұрын
One of my favourite reenacting memories is spending 4hrs sewing my first Chevron's onto my battle dress after being promoted. I had more people come up and talk with me about what I was doing than the guys two meters away in full kit. Glad to hear you are on the mean Jimmy! I am currently one week into the long recovery process for a spine fracture, so all the videos are helping pass the time but the laughter is counter active! 😂
@annettecosgriff2176 Жыл бұрын
Am I the only one who now NEEDS more videos of Jimmy teaching us to darn things and polish our armor? Absolutely wonderful video as always. Get well soon Jimmy!
@marcusdire8057 Жыл бұрын
10:50 As a former military, the line in this rant, "Did nobody in your Unit tell you ..." made me clench!! This (hypothetical) ragged individual just got his/her entire Unit, or even Regiment, into trouble!! Now we ALL have to go to the Sargent's Sewing Class thanks to Johnson!
@TheWelshViking Жыл бұрын
Should have told Chalky his epaulette was hanging off! DonMt blame me!
@kitdubhran2968 Жыл бұрын
Another patched item of clothing is the leather frock coat that the hedge worker is wearing that they remade in “stitch in time” episode.
@KelciaMarie1 Жыл бұрын
I firmly believe that everyone should know how to do basic mends to their clothes. There was a guy I knew who almost threw away a jacket because the pocket had a big hole. I stitched it up, gave him a small lecture, and made him buy a sewing kit from pound land with the promise that he'd learn. Not sure if he ever did. But I sure felt better.
@phoenixyfriend Жыл бұрын
alel;fjkapsdjf the double-take I did when you said "Buy Bernadette's Book" like YES we are in the Costube Cinematic Universe
@eazy8579 Жыл бұрын
ALL HAIL ÞE GLORIOUS BEER TENT! And always important to take care of your kit! It’s your cloþing, and critical to take care of it like such. It costs money and labor to make, and you should take pride in it. People in the past made þeir clothing þemselves or had þeir immediate family make þem for þem, and they took care of þeir clothes and þeir armor and weapons, as people still do. Raggedy kit isn’t auþentic, it’s lazy. Take care of your stuff people. Its easy enough for anyone to do or learn to do, so take a few hours to learn how to do it if you don’t already know, and if you do, þen take a few hour to sew up your coat and polish up your mail
@berkleypearl2363 Жыл бұрын
I deeply deeply appreciate your effort to bring the þ back into the written English language. It makes me so happy for some reason! I love it!
@eazy8579 Жыл бұрын
@@berkleypearl2363 Þank you! Im trying my best, and I’m glad to see it’s making people happy
@robertwilliams-day320 Жыл бұрын
My great grandmother die when my grandad was 4. He was then brought up by his father, a veteran of WWI. Because of his time in the trenches, he had and touched his son (my grandfather) a lot of life skills like washing and sewing. When my grandad did his national service, he could, wash, iron and sew, this meant during his time in the army he earned more form this type of stuff than he was paid.
@lisascenic Жыл бұрын
“I don’t want to see you look like a hedgehog. You’re just … brown … with rust.” 🦔🦔🦔
@rainydaylady6596 Жыл бұрын
All wars need a Camp Follower wearing glittery clothes, tap shoes and singing show tunes ala Randy Rainbow. 🎉🎈🥳🙂🖖 PS You look like you're feeling a bit better, Jimmy. I hope so. 🙂🖖💕
@Bildgesmythe Жыл бұрын
I do want Randy Rainbow in my camp lol
@AstheCrowTries Жыл бұрын
I'm a moonlighting drag performer and historical clothing maker, and now I have a new life's goal.
@johannageisel5390 Жыл бұрын
@@AstheCrowTries We definitely need more drag performances on Renaissance Faires (or Mittelaltermarkt, as they are called in German = "Medieval Market").
@ladyliberty417 Жыл бұрын
My grandma and mom taught me mending ( my grandma was a farmer from Romania!) and I’m so glad they did! Such a great video thank you Jimmy for giving us the historical perspective of sewing- we can keep our clothes forever if we try❣️✌🏼
@faliciakaulbach5801 Жыл бұрын
I know the Canadian military had standardized sewing kit. 😊
@hannafiddler Жыл бұрын
I will say this: learning to make your own clothes (sewing, knitting, nålbindning, take your pick) will give you HELLA motivation to keep them in good condition, and fix them up when they get threadbare. Even just a pair of handknitted socks, you want to keep them because you know exactly how much effort it took to make them. I also wonder how much of the "I don't want to fix my kit" attitude is rooted in the idea that sewing and other textile crafts are women's work, and has therefore been devalued so much over generations.
@1Bibliotech Жыл бұрын
Thus The Welsh Viking Sewing Society is born! Seriously, I was taught to darn socks when I was in about 2nd grade.
@AslamGreyFox Жыл бұрын
As an ex soldier myself I can confirm that the Sgt was indeed a cruel animal 😂 😂
@o.mcneely442410 ай бұрын
My father was in the USMC and his gunny literally had the last name “Mortis”. They called him “Rigor Mortis” for a reason.
@TitusGalliusMontanus8 ай бұрын
I am an ancient roman reenactor. I usually show the job, the tecnique and the life of a first century blacksmith. I remember when I went to a friend who is part of a Celtic group, during a reenactment. I traded with her the dyeing of my favorite tunic with dyer's madder (it turned out a beauuutiful red) for forging 10 functioning sets of iron needles. I got a wonderful red tunic, she got needles and the guests saw how a barter worked and the work of two different artisans. Everyone was happy. She and her friends still uses those needles to sewing and repair clothes of their groups :D And yes... that tunic is my preciousssssss.... so, everytime I see even just a hole, I grab a needle and I repair it
@tobrinajolly3714 Жыл бұрын
I will never forget when I was at my first Pennsic in the year 2013, and I got dressed for the day, and started up cardiac hill to get to the first thing I had planned for the day. I was half way up the hill when I passed someone that looked to be heading to the showers, who then looked at me in shock and asked what fancy event I was headed to, and why was I so very dressed up? I replied with some confusion “It’s a Tuesday” and continued on my way. I had just grabbed something to wear for the day in the morning. I was in later Italian Renaissance gown with chopan as well as the appropriate late period leather shoes. Appropriate headwear and metal belt. My jewelry was a little over the top for the time period, but that’s because after I have all the bits I should, I add on a few give away items as largess for any times I deal with someone and I want to show my appreciation or my care. Any time I get dressed I make sure my accessories are on point. It makes a so-so outfit pop and look right.
@Greye13 Жыл бұрын
Jimmy, this is the best rant ever. You are spot on with this. I grew up with my mother darning our socks and repairing our clothes and I continue with this custom. Taking care of what one wears says a lot more about a person than what they might believe. Especially in the "real" world - not just in reenactments, etc. Not to mention, that linen and wool are VERY expensive, for most of us. It was also expensive to people of the past, considering they had to literally make their own fabric and, the hours, or even days/weeks they spent doing that is just crazy. The process of turning flax and wool into fabric, manually by hand - not by modern machinery, is extremely labor intensive. It is no small task, so taking care of one's clothes was absolutely necessary. A person was lucky if they had more than one/two tunics. My mother made all of my clothes, until I was about five years old. And the scraps were used to make other things - like quilts, pot holders, teddy bears, or doll clothes. Nothing ever went to waste. Clothing that was no longer wearable, would be torn up and used as rags. When the rags were no longer usable, they were sometimes donated to local fishermen, which would be mixed with tar/pitch to help patch leaks in wooden boats/ships. Yep, it was a real thing, not just myth, or rumor. Well, I think my nerdiness is showing. 😄 For anyone learning how to sew, Bernadette is a fantastic seamstress to learn from. She and Jimmy are part of an enormous international, online sewing circle, that encompasses all types of historical clothing. There are also, many extensions off of that sewing circle, that encompasses every non-sewing/non-fabric item you can think of, such as armor - both leather and metal, spinning and weaving, and even period jewelry making. It's a huge community of wonderful people, so please check it out and have fun creating yourself a kit, or period wardrobe. 🙂 Great video, Jimmy. As a military veteran, I can totally relate to this. Oh, and that jumper you mended, looks wonderfully artistic. It's quite colorful. Best wishes. 🌱
@tdorn20000 Жыл бұрын
Modern people too often think of clothing in modern terms. This is a nice reminder. Maybe we can bring the darned sweater in as a fun trend.
@idamedby4193 Жыл бұрын
I try to always darn my wool socks (most of them hand knitted by my father's mother, now passed, 15-20 years ago) in different colours each time to make a visual map of all the years they've survived and been loved. Some of them actually look really lovely now, even the parts that are a bit of a mess.
@lizzyrbits1283 Жыл бұрын
Strong opener! Hahaha the video in general is great but I liked before we even got into it 😂 A modern US Naval Destroyer comes standard with an industrial sewing machine. It is intended for repairing even the upholstery!
@permiebird937 Жыл бұрын
The problem with people not caring for their clothes has been turbocharged by today's fast fashion. The fabric is so flimsy that it is unrepairable. I make most of my clothing. I have garments I wear from 30 years ago or more. I may need to alter pieces and sometimes need to repair them, but they are made with decent quality fabric which makes repair simple. Generally I wear my cloths until the fabric wears out and there isn't enough good fabric left to attach the mending to.
@deehappy43 Жыл бұрын
100% agree that most fast fashion fabric is absolute unrepairable tat. One of my goals for the next few years is to gradually replace the cotton spandex garbage blends in my wardrobe with clothing made of fibers that don’t disintegrate when exposed to sunlight. Since I live in a place with a LOT of sunlight and work outdoors.
@kelseylogas1580 Жыл бұрын
As recently as the Victorian era common folks were expected to make their own underwear (shirts, shifts, petticoats, etc.) which is why there were so many books on household hand sewing. I have a hard time imagining that that all of a sudden sprung up during the Victorian era. If you were rich and important enough you could have someone do it for you, but most people learned from a very early age how to do it themselves. Nice outer wear could be purchased, or you could buy nicer and finer cloth, but hand sewing everything goes as far back as we can find needles.
@anthonyhayes1267 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the reminder to mend my nalbind socks
@AstheCrowTries Жыл бұрын
Loved the museum artifacts of patched garments! (My partner's big into visible mending, so he loved the Egyptian tunic). We're both working towards slow fashion for our wardrobes. I will say that modern stretch blends make it difficult to make good, lasting repairs (RIP my skinny jeans). The "soldiers lacked skills" piece of crap reminds me of an exhibit the Mystic Seaport Museum has on right now called "Sailor Made" and it's all sailors' crafts- including exquisite sewing and embroidery work! (I'm also reminded of the lads on the cast of 'the Terror' being issued handsewing kits and learning basic handwork as part of their 'Discovery Service 1844 Boot Camp'.)
@johannageisel5390 Жыл бұрын
I patched the worn through thigh parts of my work jeans with large patches from my previous work jeans. Those were worn through in the crotch and I had already attempted to mend them, but they were unsalvagable. Both were from a slightly stretchy denim.
@MagpieRat Жыл бұрын
Admittedly I've been out of the reenacting game for well over a decade, but that was something which used to bother me a lot. The majority of people I saw were either in brand spanking new immaculate kit which looked so weirdly out of place for a travelling soldier, or in torn up rags which made them look like destitute beggars. Where was the ordinary worn, cared for, patched, darned and lived-in clothing? I never had much interest in the combat, so I would set up on the edge of camp with a sewing kit and tell people to throw their ripped doublets in the basket and I'll darn them up! Honestly, I loved doing it. Sitting under the shade of a tree, surrounded by the smell of woodsmoke and black powder, stitching patches on - that's genuinely a good time for me! Aw, now I miss it...
@KateVeeoh Жыл бұрын
In the military we used to say "first the equipment, then the person". Emphasizing the fact that maintenance of all your equipment, gear and kit is paramount and you need to make sure all is in order before you start on your own self's much needed maintenance 😅
@sandrarowan3835 Жыл бұрын
Just to say physiotherapy in ww1 was massage therapy and conducted by trained masseuses who also used electrical muscle stimulation techniques. Sewing or mending clothes was the domain of the forerunners of occupational therapy which emerged as a profession from the war time experiences of volunteers and mental health professionals who used occupation as a therapy primarily to treat shell shock but who also worked with physically wounded servicemen to promote independence and rebuild skills used in everyday life.
@PJEvans-q9i Жыл бұрын
from a US Civil War journal (original spelling): "Bill is on one side of me studying Arithmetick Ulmer is on the other mending his clothes Brewington is fixing his knapsack Bill Blair is reding beside the door and Ques is writing a letter or sumthing else"
@cennethadameveson3715 Жыл бұрын
My Nain was a tailoress/seamstress and from the early 1920s through to the early eighties made and repaired clothes. A teacher of mine when he found out who I was, told me both he and his brothers as children had trousers made by Nain out of old coats. During the plague I started making my own masks and I am sure I heard her chuckle as I tried to get pleating right and keep my seams tidy. As I'm getting closer to retirement "make and mend" is going to be the motto.😁
@Skooby59 Жыл бұрын
Always stoked for “yu boi jimmy” hahaha
@cypriennezed5640 Жыл бұрын
✨️ KACHOW ✨️
@TheWelshViking Жыл бұрын
WhAt’s PoPpIn’? 🔥🔥🔥
@maudline Жыл бұрын
@@TheWelshViking I was certain you filmed that bit when your knee pain had subsided but pain meds were still ✨effective✨ 😂😂😂
@moxiebombshell Жыл бұрын
17:39 I definitely relate to this bit; just a few weeks back, I went from "I'll *try* and buy secondhand, if I can" to "the only things I'll buy new for my kids and I are undergarments."
@mouthforwar17 Жыл бұрын
If you think it's bad in the UK, Jimmy, you should see the nightmare that is reenactment in my part of California.
@TheWelshViking Жыл бұрын
Well how bad could it be? Let’s have a little Googl- oh no. No. NO. Lawrd.
@Aswaguespack Жыл бұрын
@@TheWelshViking 😂😂😂
@johannageisel5390 Жыл бұрын
What would one google to see reenactment in your part of California?
@KelseyDrummer Жыл бұрын
The wildest event I witnessed was one of the highland games in Washington state. Actually now that I think of it, any games I've been to. If I had to guess I'd say over 50.
@mouthforwar17 Жыл бұрын
@@TheWelshViking yes the highland games "living history" is particularly horrifying
@nailguncrouch1017 Жыл бұрын
I have Bernadette's book, so useful.
@ruariniall7463 Жыл бұрын
Old sailors used to call it "A patch on a patch with a patch in between."
@douglasboyle6544 Жыл бұрын
Sewing is an underrated skill in the military. When I was in the US Army in 2003 we were stationed in Kuwait and we were required to sew little patches of infrared reflective material on all our uniforms prior to our invasion of Iraq (for friend/foe identification) and where we were we didn't have access to a sew shop so it was each soldier's responsibility. I was one of the few people who actually had any sewing skills so I had set up a little cottage industry making money sewing the patches on other people's uniforms.
@rachelboersma-plug9482 Жыл бұрын
I spent hours making a linen tunic. Because I don't want and can't afford to do that again any time soon, I put in the occasional twenty minutes patching a hole, darning a thin place, and replacing popped stitches. I deliberately saved the scraps so I'd have something to use for patching.
@wanderingspark Жыл бұрын
I'm the same way. I spent too much time and effort making my historical clothes to not mend them when they get damaged. I think reenactors who let their clothes fall apart must be wearing things that they bought rather than made.
@Calisther Жыл бұрын
watched this video while spinning flax into linen imaging the physical assault I would perpetrate on anyone who didn't look after an item of clothing that is so time consuming to make.
@catherinerw1 Жыл бұрын
One of the things I value that I inherited from my grandmother is her sewing box. When it came to me it was full of things for mending: thread, needles, elastic, poppers, hooks-and-eyes, bias tape etc. :)
@chrispe82 Жыл бұрын
Lol, my dad (ex army) said he was so glad his mum (professional seamstress) taught him to sew. Yep he used those skills during deployment. No only did they not want to look ragged, ripped clothing is at risk of getting caught on things & giving away your position if you are sneaking through the forest etc.
@NovaStella_ Жыл бұрын
I just started repairing my own clothing because I suffer from the curse of Thick Thighs rubbing the inside of my favorite jeans down to nothing. But the euphoria of having clothes that fit you and are comfortable and then being able to sew a braid to reinforce a hem, or darning a patch of fabric that's getting too thin is just too amazing for words. I recently found out how to fix a hole in the top of my second-favorite pair of shoes, and it feels amazing to look down and see stitching done in my own hand!
@wafflecone-w5d Жыл бұрын
Why would you want to look like tattered rags when you can look like a patchwork quilt! 12:18 That tunic looks so cool!
@annalundquist7247 Жыл бұрын
Oh I got a little hole in my dress, what should I do? Go out in the field, sow some flax, wait for it to grow, harvest, soak, heckle, spin, weave and sew a new one - or should I just mend the hole?
@jirvine00 Жыл бұрын
So good to hear someone talking common sense about people in the past. In my history sessions in schools my usual answer to things like 'they all wore tatty clothes' is 'and why would they do that? '
@andrewhuntley4242 Жыл бұрын
One of my favorite Am Rev/ ACW pieces of kit I take with me is my "housewife" as made by tradition, sewed by my Mom. She's no longer with us, so it's a highly important piece of kit for me
@MrGamerGuy951 Жыл бұрын
The arguments I got (and expected here) were that "people in the period would have just repurposed clothes into rags after a tear. We don't have any evidence of patching" Then they found that tunic MADE of patches and we patch everything now
@hannayoung9657 Жыл бұрын
People tend forget quickly. I seen corset with 3 fabrics, I seen stunning silk dresses with 20 patches. I remember how my gran and mum patch my dresses, my gran was the best, she made flowers as patches. My gran also wore her wedding dress as her going out dress, it had been dyed blue and hem shorten and she was buried in it. Yes, when it comes to look poor, people thinks it being tattered clothes ( seen rich kids pretend to be poor) , while poor try their best to keep their clothes perfect and patch.
@damarisparker7348 Жыл бұрын
A stitch in time saves nine!! I was reminded of Japanese boro stitching. I read a textile book once that claimed that once a piece was worn out it was thrown away. I almost threw the book away!! It would have been shared around with every family member of a suitable size, and then cut up to make kids clothes. And as it got thinner and softer it would have been made into baby clothes, nappies, and scraps used as rags. A few years ago I went to a Trench Art Quilt exhibit. In a side room was a "Wagga" quilt, opened out to show worn out baby clothes sewn in as wadding. Modern 'make-do- and-mend has nothing on the past!
@SamiKelsh Жыл бұрын
I can't imagine spending the hours (weeks, months, you know) on hand-sewing a garment for myself and then... not mending it if it needs repairing. That's wild.
@JesterAzzi Жыл бұрын
1- the description of the sergeant is spot on 2- I wasn't issued a sewing kit initially, but if desired they were available (I got out of the US Army in 2012) Edit to add: Bernadette Banner is magical!!!
@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410 Жыл бұрын
I remember my mom patching my clothes when I was a young boy, 23 now. I actually still remember, or more accurately I remember my mom remembering it lol, my mom getting into trouble at my kindergarten because I had patches. Neither of us know exactly why we got into trouble, my mom figures it was because they were wondering if we were too poor to afford new clothes (which would be accurate) or something but really no clue. Honestly can not for the life of me understand why anybody would not care for their mail. Like seriously that stuff is expensive as hell, who'd let it just rust all year? Eugh Definitely going to check out Bernadette's book, didn't know that was a thing until just now.
@rachelboersma-plug9482 Жыл бұрын
I still mend and let down/take in my kids' clothing, especially school uniforms. If anyone at school were to give me any grief about it, they would be not very politely invited to contribute to the cost of new items.
@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410 Жыл бұрын
@@rachelboersma-plug9482 Pretty much exactly my mom's reaction too lol. She still gets pissed about it when she recounts it
@moniqueleigh Жыл бұрын
@@rachelboersma-plug9482 We didn't have uniforms, but a couple of my younger cousins did. I still remember the family pitching in to buy uniforms that were at least 2-3 sizes too big for the oldest and then those with the best sewing skills hemmed/took in the various bits so they'd fit that year. Every time she had a growth spurt, there'd be a "letting out" party of making the stuff fit until there was nothing left to let out. And then they'd buy her a new set to start over & take her old kit back "in" for her younger sister (or friends of the family at the same school). I've also helped with the "taking in/letting out" for kids of friends who have uniforms.
@jgordon8278 Жыл бұрын
I remember my grandmother teaching me to sew up runs in nylons in the 80s, because in the 30s and 40s stockings were valuable and you kept them as long and as well as you could.
@beth12svist Жыл бұрын
A while ago, I found a (Polish) contraption for mending stockings in a charity shop. A sort of tiny hook that extends out of a handle and back in to make catching the stitches easier, allegedly. (And then soon after I had to stop wearing them altogether because I have atopic ecsema and my skin decided it can't stand nylons anymore...) So yeah, mending them was so widespread that a commercial tool for it was made!
@avivagodfrey Жыл бұрын
Bernadette deserves ***all*** the shoutouts. XDD I have her book, too! 10/10 for men cooking and sewing like this.
@RuthD913 Жыл бұрын
In WWII, my uncle was in the navy and he learned how to knit and darn socks.
@jennifermccrary1570 Жыл бұрын
This reminds me, I have a pair of designer wool pants I bought from Thredup I need to shorten to fit me. It will take 15 minutes, I just need to do it.
@melissamybubbles6139 Жыл бұрын
That child's tunic is a beautiful piece of work. It definitely has a story.
@septimus64 Жыл бұрын
I used to have a sewing kit in the us military
@rhondastolle1550 Жыл бұрын
THANK YOU for making this video! I spin and weave and sew, and it's very time consuming. For most of history, most people only had one or two outfits because cloth was very time consuming to make by hand, and thus very expensive. OF COURSE you would repair rather than replace. Also, if you are out on campaign and can't get out of the weather, having sturdy clothes in good repair can be a matter of life or death; look at all the soldiers who died of tranch foot in WWI just for want of dry socks. Speaking of socks, it takes me about thiry hours to knit a pair of socks and DAMNED STRAIGHT I darn them when they get holes. By the way, you look great, and you seemed pretty cheerful in this video. I hope that means your brain is doing better.