Видео

Love that your videos are real time ! Your videographer does a great job too!

This was a fabulous video! I loved learning a little history as you talk about this. I will watch everything you've done! I learned basic sewing from my grandmother, but now, I have no one to consult as I try to revisit sewing! Thank you for your generosity!

Those old machines were great! My mother had a treadle machine, and she taught me to sew on it. It sewed a very nice, even stitch. Then she got an electric machine, also a pretty simple machine, which sewed great. She sewed all of our clothes on it, from lightweight dresses and blouses to heavy winter coats. I wouldn't mind having it right now! Thanks for your great videos! I've learned so much from them. I just wish there were more of them. I just looked online, and it's still possible to buy the Singer Featherweight.

I agree with you. I have purchased vintage patterns my whole life and modern patterns are horrible.

Wonderful as always.

I have sewn on and off for about 30 years. I don’t enjoy garment sewing because I don’t know what I am doing! And then there’s the fit! Drives me crazy. I quilt instead because I have learned the techniques and practiced through the process over and over. After watching this video I feel encouraged to try again. I do love fashion and am going on a sustainable fashion tour with Catherine of Catherine Sews this upcoming spring!!

Thanks for doing these demonstrations. ❤❤❤ Suzanne

Great old school tips. Of the hundreds of sewing RUclips video I watch you are the first I’ve seen share the most industry tips. You remind me of my fashion design school teachers, who used to say phrases like “your garments should look as good on the inside as they do on the outside” and “we don’t do the loving hands at home look ‘ look Ma, I made it myself. Yes, I can tell’ - your garments should look professionally made.”

Wow,never seen that why knot before. Fab Laurel,thank you. 😘👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Wonderful instructions!

You're my new favorite RUclipsr. You also remind me of my fashion professors 😍🤩

Hi Laurel, Thanks for another lovely episode. I’ve had the same problem of the bias having two seams close together. Grr, the air is often blue when that happens. 🤬🤓😘

Thank you!❤

Thank you!

Thank you for the little details, what is second nature and obvious to you is new and impactful for me, masking tape with width of foot used together to sew a seam with staggered seam allowance. I also need to change my mindset that hand sewing is superior, not a failure of not being able to machine "stitch in the ditch" or top stitch

Thank you!❤

I've just purchased one of your books/courses and am planning on buying more in the future. I'm learning how to sew and taking a few private lessons from some ladies near me , so it's nice to have a fundamentals book on hand. Would you consider writing a book about copying ready made garments? starting from easy to most advanced garments? This is a skill that nobody is really teaching but i feel is very very valuable skill to learn. Thank you

Thank you!❤

Thank you! ❤

My first garment and first invisible zipper certainly could have gone worse, but I hated it so much I was afraid of ever doing a zipper again -- now I feel emboldened, understanding that I simply didn't have the right instruction. Thank you SO much! (Here's to never having to sew another hook and eye if I can help it, haha! 🥂)

Question, I thought it was taboo to cut paper with fabric sissors?

I am 73 and I've been sewing since my first Home-Ec class in 1963 when I was taught to use a treadle and McCall or Simplicity patterns! We were taught to make a muslin garment first and correct the issues before cutting our fashion fabric. How much better to correct on paper prior to cutting - and such a great, helpful tip to use the "bone measurement" rather than the "bust measurement". I am planning to purchase your books asap! THANK YOU for making these free tutorials!

Hi Laurel, I just found your channel and boy am I relieved! I now KNOW I am not crazy. I felt like either my body was wonky or I just kept choosing pattern after pattern that was intentionally NOT made to fit me and ended up in the trash. LOL This video was so informative and helpful. Thank you so much for making it. I do have one suggestion, however. If you make any more videos like the one teaching about fixing the sleeve cap, it would be TREMEDOUSLY helpful if you could make the bottom pattern tracing lines much darker so we can see and understand what you are doing. I was lost a few times during that one and re-watched it several times to understand what you were showing and teaching us. Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us all.

Thank you for exposing this, I need your books in my collection 📚

My mom sewed for me in the 50's-60's. I took Home Ec in the early 70's and made clothes for myself. I went by the measurements on the pattern envelope (mostly Simplicity or McCalls) and never used a muslin. Only had to use the "shorten" line for pants and skirts. About 5 years ago I decided to make myself a couple of simple, cotton tops. Total disaster- they were huge on me. I gave up. Patterns today are way too expensive and sized wrong. The only thing I try now are pj pants and through trial and error, figured out how to size down! In the meantime Ive been quilting. Now here's a hobby where measurements produce reliable results! Thank you for your videos!

Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge and insight. This is priceless. I have been struggling to even find patterns that I can adjust small enough for a 23 inch waist and 32 inch inseam for my daughter’s work clothing. She also has broad shoulders to accommodate.

Knowing that all the pattern are for some standard measurements, I always just compare my measurements, and pick size. After that I lengthen the whole thing and the sleeves, and tighten the chest area, because I’m very thin in the chest. But the chest measurement isn’t always listed on a size charts (other patterns than vogue). By now this system has worked for me perfectly every time

That's a funny one. It does look similar to a button stitch at the end. Very handy.

Marking cutting direction is a brilliant idea! It is very helpful afterwards. Especially if you're left over piece has no salvage any more.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank You! What a great refresher course from what my first high school home ec teacher taught me. I am really enjoying getting back into sewing after 30 years. What a blessing to have found your channel.

I gotta say -- really glad for a lot of this information, but I would be very sad if the world went back to one size per pattern packet. Maybe this is damage from a lifetime of buying clothes off the rack that don't fit, or having size numbers be essentially arbitrary between clothing brands... but I appreciate patterns that offer a size range so that you can adjust more closely to your actual body size before having to go off-script, as it were. For example, if I'm making a dress, and the pattern I buy only has one size, and I'm measuring from my chest to determine my size, I can guarantee you that that dress will not correctly fit my hips. It will be too small, because I'm spoon- or pear-shaped. A dress pattern that comes with a range of sizes might allow me to pick the smallest size for the bodice and the largest size for the skirt, and then I have a lot less fussing around to do to make it fit than if the pattern only included one size. Basically, relying on a single "size" for a garment is nonsense, whether you're talking home sewing patterns or mass-produced garments, because people are not shaped the same. The size of my chest tells you nothing about the size of my hips and I appreciate having a little more built-in flexibility in home sewing patterns to accommodate that. Edit to add: You can absolutely teach yourself to sew on youtube, that's what I've been doing for the past two years or so 😅

I agree about pin cushions. I took a pretty saucer from an antique store and glued slim magnets to the bottom to hold my pins. Great gift idea for someone who sews😊. I too, don't take the time to poke them back into a cushion.

Problem on your website resolved! Book ordered! thank you...

I have just found your channel, and boy am I glad I have! I am middle-aged and started to sew last year; I have learned a fair amount, but this is information is on another level. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge with us all.

I absolutely loved watching this video. Thanks for creating this type of content. If I was in this shop (sadly I’m not in PA) I would have hung around to eavesdrop 😅

This is what I’ve been looking for!!! As someone with an engineering background I got into sewing because poorly fitting garments are so obvious and annoying to me. I actually learnt from historical dress recreators so I often have no idea what the modern solutions are and land up hand sewing probably a lot more than I need to (but I like embroidery so it’s not bad). But to learn from someone with the actual technical instructions I’m looking for is exactly what I’ve been trying to find

Have sewn for 45 years. I shop resale for patterns and purchased many when you could get them for $1.99 on sale. I've sewn kids clothes, costumes, formal wear, upholstery, etc. I worked at an alteration shop also. I still can't fit anything on myself. Now I'm middle aged and fat so it's even worse. But I keep trying because I guess I'm a sadist.

The link doesn’t work

Your video is helpful to me. I had my colors done back in the 80s. I am decluttering my wardrobe right now. I find it is so difficult to get rid of clothes. I honestly had not considered my color season when getting rid of clothes. Now, I have a reason to get rid of clothes without guilt! Thank you!

Hello Laurel, you are sooooo original i have to laugh , Who doesn't listen to you? Thank you . Kamilla Canada.

Master of the Trade, you are. Thank you for the lesson, you remind me a Lady from Russia ,she was at Zar house dressmaker 1910. ,after the Revolution , she left to my birth country. She made lots of beautiful clothes for me ,when i was a child . I love your style, the way how you talk ,wonderfull . Kamilla Canada.🤩

Where can your books be purchase from? I like your tube sewing classes. And information.

I LOVE the "Why Knot". Thank you very much.

Thank you so much for showing how to finish a dart point. I really appreciate that lesson.

Wonderful tutorial. Very helpful. Thank you.

Thank you for this lesson. Very helpful.

Buying a pattern by your upper bust measurement is more accurate if you’re making anything that is worn from the shoulders. Th upper bust reflects the shoulder more accurately than the chest size. I have a small ribcage but wide shoulders. Nothing would fit well if I went by my chest. A skirt or pants is chosen but hip size. A waist ca be altered easier than hips.

Glad you started her on organising her home as well as her wardrobe. ❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I found out a decade ago that I do not get a fit I want with commercial patterns, especially for body-hugging fit from woven fabrics. I thought myself to custom draft to my measurements and design almost everything from a basic sloper. Took long time but I got it. If I use commercial patterns - only with a lots of ease like flowy tunics or simple tops with a lots of ease. Sometimes I try cute patterns like vintage blouse and find myself completely re-drafting almost the whole thing because everything is wrong - bust dart depth, bust apex is wrong, waist darts are too tight etc… too much effort.

Color Me Beautiful did not work for me. Attending a seminar I learned there was another color palette. Colors that had grey in them made a another category. Now all colors that had grey in them was my answer. It has been 30 years ago that I learned this. This color category also works for my husband.