Sewing the "Demelza" 18th Century Dress
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- This 18th century gown was the last piece of my More Historically Accurate Demelza costume, inspired by the show Poldark. I wore the gown two ways-- first accurately to the 1780s, then styled similarly to the costumes on Poldark, and explained some of the differences.
This gown was sewn in the "Italian" style, sometimes called "Anglaise", which became fashionable in 1776 and was the most common cut for gowns by the 1780s. I used a pattern taken from an extant Italian gown, altering it to fit me and my preferences. Additionally, the advice from American Duchess, and the Georgian Costuming Facebook group were invaluable, and helped me through many a confusing situation! While I wouldn't call this an easy project, most of my struggles had more to do with my relative inexperience as a costumer and sewist than anything tricky about the gown. I'm incredibly happy with the results, and I think I've found my new favorite era of fashion!
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Pattern size 8-18 : www.etsy.com/listing/71622646...
Size 18-28 : www.etsy.com/listing/71622667...
American Duchess book : www.american-duchess.com/book...
Fashion fabric : fabrics-store.com/fabrics/lin...
Music : EpidemicSound.com
#demelza #poldark #costube #historicalcostuming #18thcenturycostuming 
Хобби
I don't understand why costumers don't add a petticoat or two - it's not going to show, so can be made from cheap fabric - your silhouette looks *so* much balanced and better with them on.
I wonder why hair designers on 18th and 19th century period pieces always insist on leaving the main characters' hair down. Do they think it makes the character more relatable? Are updos too formal for modern sensibilities? Do they have a secret vendetta against hairpin manufacturers?
Probably both the reasons you listed, maybe with a lack of actual study thrown in. I feel like for 18th century styles there's such a focus on the giant, high-fashion updos that people don't stop to consider "hey, working women had hairstyles too" and look into those. If you don't know of Frock Flicks' commentary on The Great Bobby Pin Shortage, I highly recommend it.
SnappyDragon The Great Bobby Pin Shortage Is so hilarious ! I find the updos quite elaborate even more with combining head caps & other headgear ! Really long hair that wasn't cut must have been too long for activities and would have been protected from getting too tangled , dirty etc.
I wonder if film makers have ever had long hair themselves. Mine is hip length and I'd never do any kind of manual labour without putting it up (also, an updo is a good way to bring some individuality to work uniforms)
Im not sure that its hair designers. The director, art director, and producers all have say on this. It may be that a lot of hair designers know that they should be doing updoes and caps but the look of historical fictional films in the 21st century is with the hair down as it's popular in 21st century western women's styles. We see this a lot in the paintings from the romance of the 19th century where historical protagonist women always have long romantic tresses and soft faces that don't really belong to the time period they are depicting. The broader western culture may see this look as more appealing, beautiful, sexy, relatable, etc. you can name many reasons why art departments go for this look rather than being more 'accurate.' There is definitely a fear of alienation of the most likely viewer and we want films to be beautiful to our 21st century eyes too even if its set in 1810. Its just one way to go artistically and it may be very difficult to get everyone else on board with being accurate especially if its supposed to "romantic" "epic" or whatever art directors use to justify giving women in historical dramas a divorced-from-period look. I just wanted to put this view in on this comment because costume designers and hair designers are often quite knowledgeable but they arent working in a vacuum on these things and often have to contend with other's artistic visions which can lead to letting things like 'have the female lead wear her hair down in big 2020 curls because the director likes that look better and doesn't get the whole bonnet thing' go.
I think people just like the dramatic look of long hair on film (me included) but yes it's unrealistic since I in real life mostly wear it up lol
Bella Mae's Designs fork pleat tutorial. Second part of the video she explains how to math the fabric down
Also, I jealously desire sewing buddies
Her tutorial is great! The math for 18th century skirt pleats is particularly weird and isn't covered in it, but I'm uploading something tomorrow that specifically discusses how to do those :D
Sewing buddies are the best! I love mine very much.
@@SnappyDragon because of the v-point?
18thC skirts start with the length for your panels and your skirt/gown waist, what she refers to as "reversing the calculations", plus there's a box pleat in the center front and inverted box pleat at center back. That math is a lot squishier because there are all kinds of combinations of pleat spacing and depth to make it work.
I love that one!
I love this outfit! I'm actually rewatching Poldark right now and clicked on this video because of Demelza's name. the first couple of times I watched it, I wasn't knowledgeable about historical fashion. This last time, however, I did notice the distinct lack of bum padding, kerchiefs and caps. Wonderful video, tank you for wonderful content!
My pleating method requires no maths but does require a lot of pins and the pleats come out mostly even, though usually a little less perfect than measured pleats. I've always called it the 'divide and conquer' method, take the two ends of the skirt and waistband/bodice, pin them together, find the centre of both then pin them together at that point, then divide each section half in half and so on until the pleats are the size you want. You can play with proportions by not dividing evenly when doing your first few divisions (e.g. putting more fullness in the back than the front).
I've read about this method in an 1850s pattern, and I'm super curious to try it! I think pleating requires a million pins no matter how you do it though.
What a great idea. Very helpful.
I actually use the same method as yours.
Just divide it quarter by quarter, when the pleats reached the size I wanted, then try to adjust them more accurate.
This is how Abby Cox described it too and she's literally written a book about 18th century dressmaking so ...
I dont know if this is kosher, but when fabrics get too squirrely, I starch them.
I feel like you're not the only one to suggest this, so if it's not Official Good Sewing it's at least an accepted hack. Thanks ♥️
This sounds genius, thanks!
A tip for cutting slippery fabrics (especially silk, but I'm sure it would work for linen) is to put a piece of tissue paper on the bottom of your fabric as you cut it out so it goes tissue paper, fabric, pattern. You just need to be ok with using your designated paper scissors!
Oh that's clever! Thank you :D I'll try it next time (if I can find some tissue paper while in quarantine).
I am a huge fan of everything you do, but Barrett's Privateers just took it up to the next level.
I starch the ever living out of my linen (and silk) before cutting. I'm not sure I'm supposed to do this, but it saves me so much frustration in the end. Then I just wash the garment afterwards. I make everything I own washable (okay the wools not washable but everything else).
I iron out the linen after washing and shrinking prior to cutting. It really saves on my cringing.
To ensure a straight cut on the grain, iron tne linen and a bit of spray starch as well.
0:24 The shape of those glasses fits very well with your face. Congrats on finding a style that suits you so well. (I'm weird and work in ophthalmology, so I notice these things...sorry for being weird...)
Aww, thank you! I love getting "weird" compliments. They are one of the few styles that doesn't give me migraines from the pressure on my nose.
FYI, the link to the mock-up video is in the commercial break, so it isn’t actually on screen long enough to hit it. Hopefully it is in the description, but I thought you should know.
Thank you! Should be fixed now.
Watching you sew the pleats to the bodice hasn’t quite given me panic attacks, but very, very close!
It’s not you & your sewing. I absolutely get migraine just thinking of working on my machine.
I admire your work; I just cannot get there from here!
Needles & thread, by hand, is the only way I avoid that.
Kudos to you on your lovely work!
I always pleat onto a waistband, tape, or the bodice.
Match the center front, center back, and sides to the same points on the waistline. Then I just finger- pleat the excess in between those points.
Or if you want a flat section with fullness placed in a specific area, pin those anchor points first.
The width of the pleats just depends on how much fullness you have, and the thickness of the fabric. I just tweak one section till it looks nice, and then copy the same type of pleats in the other sections.
I would never get the fullness spaced out evenly if I did it in isolation.
If it’s the British TV series of Poldark from the 1970s, my father appeared in a few episodes! I can’t fir the life of me remember what his character was called, or even what he did, but while he was working on it he took a lot of behind-the-scenes photographs (he was a very keen and talented amateur photographer). My older sister has all his photo albums and is gradually digitising them.
Not me putting this on as background noise while struggling with my own linen project 😂🙈
Amazing that you made this dress it looks so beautifull!!!
Well that was certainly enjoyable to watch.
Very informative with clear footage of the process. You just gained a new subscriber.
Thanks very much for putting this together.
Your sewing group looked fun.
I am going to watch your other videos now to catch up and get to know you better.
Pleating for bodice (no math):
This method keeps things very evenly spaced.
Fold and mark your skirt into measured quadrants, and pin to bodice. Then find the midway point between those points and pin. Then midway between those until you have manageable even sections pinned to the bodice. You can adjust this for more fabric in the back by pinning a larger section to the back. Mark the part for pleating between the points you want them to be.
Pleat using a fork to twist (or whatever method) till your pleats match your desired bodice waist (fiddle till even). Pin your pleats down carefully on the skirt. Remove from bodice. Iron pleats (pin in) adjusting for neat vertical folds. Match to bodice waist once more before final sew. (I use low profile quilting pins or silk pins which make ironing the pinned pleats easier).
You have to be so pleased with the finished outfit.
this is awesome
it would be cool if you do another gown at some point in a different style or something.
I definitely will! I have plans for a fancier Italian gown, a working-class jacket and petticoat, and maybe a Française once I have the skills.
Your gown looks lovely!
So pretty 😍 You did such a great job. I can’t wait to your next project. ❤️
Thank you!
today's my birthday, and finding you was a great, fun prezzie!
i got dibs if any of your lovely pieces shrink--as tiny as you are, i'm shorter and may actually be smaller! XD
So cool, love your job, ❤️
Definitely not period accurate but using pattern weights and a rotary cutter will result in less shifting of fabric. Also, I can save time since you don't have to pin pattern pieces to the fabric.
That "better cutting method" is using a rotary cutter. Get yourself a nice medium size one and a cutting mat, it lets you cut around the pattern pieces without moving the fabric at all! You get much cleaner edges than using scissors as well.
You look so much like her!!
Beautiful! That linen is delicious!
It is, but so. tricky. to cut out.
love your videos! :D
One tip that might help with cutting the linen on your table might be to put some heavy things on the selvedge edge - that way it doesn't try to slip off the table plus you'll be sure the grainline stays straight :) (or put the yardstick on the selvage and weight that down at the ends, so stuff doesn't get into the way :D )
Bold of you to assume I have a cutting table >_> #millenialliving
I will have a go with weights next time though! The wiggling mostly comes from in the actual grain of the fabric, if that makes sense, but adding weights near where I'm about to cut could help.
@@SnappyDragon *the table you are cutting on* ;) I'm a student myself and sew on my dining table/desk that also holds my flowers and acts as bedside table :D (but generally cut fabric on the floor^^)
It's just something I use especially with even slipper fabrics, so I thought it might help :D Happy sewing :D
nice job!
How do you find such wonderful sewing buddies? I have literally no sewing friends and I would love to find some but don't know how. Especially not in 2020 when no one is going anywhere. :) Thanks.
Hi...just came across your channel. Are you new to sewing? Just curious. Not sure if this was answered already but to make cutting fabric of any sort easier I would suggest using fabric weights or pins, making sure your fabric isn't being weighed down (which yours was) hanging off the end of the table. It is easier to cut with a cutting mat and rotary cutter. I would recommend the smallest size and the 45". 60 isn't necessary. Also starching the fabric before cutting to change the hand can help as well. Hope this helps.
Those are all great solutions, for different problems than the one I have with cutting linen. Abby Cox from AD recently put up a video where she makes a linen caftan and explains what it is that makes it so tricky to cut, you might enjoy it!
So on my channel I have a 2 part pleating tutorial, part 1 is set up & you might find how I divide down pleats a good jumping off point. I use the same idea with box and knife pleating into a waistband
My pleating method was inspired by the book; The Sewing Academy a companion to historic clothing workshops. By Elizabeth Stewart Clark. And cartridge pleating. I do a large running stitch with heavy thread to match the depth of pleat I am wanting then gather that thread laying the pleat down and ironing it as I gather it in. Sometimes if the fabric is to light This makes the pleats all the same depth and is much faster the. Flat Measuring, pinning and ironing for me.
I like it a lot better with more historic accuracy like you showed here.
This is a gorgeous dress in a gorgeous colour! Is there a reason you chose to make a black petticoat? No judgement; just curious about it!
The construction of this style of dress continues to baffle me no matter how many times I see it done or how many books I read on it. At some point I'll have to try it myself, but for now, I just feel like a confused puppy.
I always do the actual waistband length times three, because each pleat has three layers, right? :)
I was under the impression that the Italian style was where the shift from folded back bodice to seamed back bodice occurred?
Bella maes designs has a great video about pleats (using a fork!) including the fabric ratio really helped me
Looks amazing how much fabric did you use?
There is a kind of pleats that you make using a fork. Pleats size can vary buy the size of the fork, but the size is always one third. Therfore, the original size of the fabric should be 3 times the size it is intended to end up. I am sure there are RUclips videos on it. Maybe check fork pleats?
Use a fork to pleat I saw Bella Mae Designs use it and it works well. I hope that this tip helps a little bit 🤩🌸
Where on earth were you that you were singing Stan Roger's? (I live in NS and my ex lives in his hometown which hosts the Stan Roger's fest every year.)
A friend's birthday, attended by many fellow folkies :D Random, unplanned, and very loud singings of Barrett's Privateers appear to be something of a meme in the local community.
Hey, I'm 2 years late and you may have learned this by now. But at least with rectangles or square shapes, you can draw out a single thread and it'll give you a straight line at the length or width you need.
Doesn't help with curved pieces, but definitely with petticoats, skirt panels, or kerchief pieces?
And I just got to the part where you're drawing out a thread 😅 Just disregard that comment.
I thought a saw a dress form? You could have used that or a hanger to alter your hem.
The dress form was lent by a friend but fits neither of us, so it just lives in the corner. It's very sad!
Oh, you sweeties, singing Barrett's Privateers.
Cathy Hay pleating video?
Is anyone else having the devil of a time finding a pattern or even a sort of actual fashion plate of Demelza’s light green season four coat???? Lord help me😘
Im a Nova Scotian born in Halifax. That particular sea shanty erupts more frequently than you might think. lol
Also pleating is the devils business... i do it in abundance but am the least precise
Curtain pleat calculators save nerves.
Pleats do not require math. Look at The Tailorette RUclips channel. Pictures > words for this.
also when i use linen i pin the fabric to the floor lmao
Fork pleats
かわいい cute!
Sleevils are real