There's nothing wrong with making historically inspired clothes with found fabric and whatever is available. After all, they would have done that in the past!
Yeah, and if the patterns ended up looking "inaccurate", it was also perfectly normal. Women back then spent most of their childhoods learning to at least needlepoint, and if a woman couldn't hire a seamstress, she'd try her very best to eyeball what the present fashion looks like when sewing it herself. By the time the 19th century rolled around, sewing patterns emerged for sale, enabling even the most basic sewer to make slightly more accurate measurements. This isn't even to mention all the poor women who'd wear the same few dresses their whole lives, rehemming and taking in or out the fabric to keep up with trends. In American reenactment circles, we call those who wear anachronistic fabrics or accessories "farbs" for the little effort they put in to blending in. Whatever your budget and skill demands, I give no judgment.
@@BigGrabowski My grandmother knew a girl whose dress (singular) had sleeves a different shade than the dress. Her mom made it with 2 pair of sleeves, one short and one long, and because she had worn the dress every day, washing once a week for 6 months, the dress had faded but the replaced sleeves were like new.
I'm an upcycler, so a majority of my fabrics were once bedsheets, blankets, and upholstery remnants in a past life. 🤷 But I still try to match up fabric colors and patterns with outfits and time periods that they would fit best in. (For example, when dying cloth I use food remnants, like onion skins, avocado pits, and pomegranate rinds to get the natural colors used by Vikings and those in the Medieval period.) I think we just do the best with what we have. ☺️👍
@@kathyjohnson2043 Aw, I'm sure it looked okay. We'd call the difference in shades colorblocking today. It was pretty fashionable in the late middle ages, but maybe it was inspired by similar circumstances back then. Too bad about the longer sleeve, though.
I'm a newbie at sewing. My first foray into sewing was having to make a Victorian costume for a Dia de Los Muertos festival from a pattern I found at JOANN's. I had never even looked at a sewing machine before. The woman told me it would take about a week or so to completed. It took me TWO MONTHS. I was so nervous, I was sewing at a turtles pace, which made my stitches really nice. Luckily, a friend who sews ended up watching over me and giving me advice when I needed it. I made the jacket, pants, vest and shirt. It ended up looking pretty good. At the festival, people asked me where I purchased my costume. When I told them I sewed it, nobody believed me. I would immediately take the jacket off and show them the inside where there were a couple of places where I messed up. I guess most people don't expect a man to sew. I've made a couple of more costumes since. The most difficult (again from a JOANN's pattern) was a steampunk costume made in wide whale corduroy. The lapels and inside of the coat tails were vinyl that looked like riveted metal, as well as some leather trim. I broke a lot of needles making that one and almost gave up. I realized I wasn't doing too badly when someone offered me a nice amount of money to purchase it. I kept it. But when I'm feeling like I want to give up, I come here or Abby's page, watch a video, and I'm re-energized to continue. Thank you for your inspiration. I will never get to your level of ability, but these video do help me cross hurdles and make strides.
Good for you ! We need more men doing creative work. Don't know if you are familiar with Adam Savage, (formerly of Myth Busters), but he has a great channel here on RUclips and he often sews for his costumes or any bags he may need. Less gender issues = more creativity in my book !
masculine historical and vintage clothing is so nice its a shame theres not much content of them on sewing youtube. i wish more men get on this thing. youre amazing for what you do!
This video couldn't have come at a more convenient time for me! Just yesterday I was accepted to a college for theatre costuming which I've decided to do after being inspired by You, Abby and everyone else for these past few years now and seeing your journey from the beginning has me very excited and looking forward to my own. I'd like to thank you for being a source of inspiration and helping me find something I love to do and learn how to do it well. I wouldn't have my current skillset and knowledge if not for your videos.
A little over a year ago, I was in a bad accident and came across your channel while bed ridden for 2 months after surgery. It was after christmas, and I got hooked on the Muppets christmas carol series. During that period, I've binged all your videos and have been following ever since. I love the educational intros, as much as the hands on crafts... so I just wanted to say thank you, and that I really enjoy your work. Hug from Portugal*
I was once asked why I supported you on Patreon. It wasn’t in a mean way, it’s just that channel is just WAY outside my normal interests. It might seem hyperbolic but I said that society needs to have people like you and a channel like this! If my little bit of support makes that happen then I’ve done my part.
I really love this. It's so easy to look at a CosTuber or someone on Instagram making gorgeous historical dresses, and miss the sheer amount of work and time and previous garments it took for that person to develop the skills to make that knockout ensemble that other people are swooning over. This entire video is such a beautiful way of honouring the effort and work that goes into building your experience and skill. It. Takes. Time.
You ever see one of those dresses like a Worth gown and think to yourself “what magician was capable of making that”? You would’ve been one of those magicians. You’re amazing. AMAZING.
Nicole: "I hope that this inspires you" Me: "Yes, yes it does." I have a 1927 Singer sewing machine, with all the attachments, that I am slowly learning how to use. And I am feeling extra inspired to make, eventually, an evening gown for the opera. I am thinking Edwardian style. I am so grateful to you and other youtubers for showing me that I can learn how to sew, learn how to make my own wardrobe, so I can have a wardrobe that is so much better, in many different ways, than what I can get in majority of the stores.
This video is inspiring in multiple ways. Not only is it fun to see so many beautiful garments, but it’s a great reminder to do something you love. It’s ok to make mistakes and learn along the way. I’ve loved historical clothing for so many years but I’ve never tried making anything. This video inspired me to finally make something even if it isn’t perfect and I have nowhere to wear a costume. It’s ok to do something for the learning experience and joy of creating.
There is a fabulous community of people who sew historic costume for dolls. It gives "someone" a chance to wear the gorgeous outfits. Since the doll can range from a fabulous modern, like a BJD, to an antique doll from the Era, the varios doll costuming communities will be wildly different.
Pausing to say I will never forget how fun that 1912 event was in 2012, and how in awe I was of your skills! 😊 It was such fun getting to geek over costuming with everyone! (I’ve pretty much dropped off the costuming radar as my life took a different path in 2013, so that particular 1912 event holds a special place in my heart as it was really the last time I made a full historic ensemble…)
OMG, you worked on the costumes for the movie that had Travis Willingham and Laura Bailey!? Now I have three reasons to wish this movie actually made it to theater!
We have such similar stories! Last year (2022) was my 20 anniversary of re-enactment, and thus historical clothing sewing. I started out doing Viking and late 12th century (because if you don't do Viking in Ireland, you're not going to have many gigs to go to). I think it was around 2003 or 2004 I started making my real love, 1530s, and simultaneously making 13th, 14th, and 15th century clothing as well. From 2008-2013, I was making clothing from all over the 16th century, and a brief foray into the early 17th century for a particular gig. In 2013 I got into American Civil war re-enactment and started off with a ballgown, but then made everyday wear for being in camp. In 2015, my friend convinced me to go to the Georgian and Regency ball in Bath with her, so I started making stays and pocket hoops and a gown for the ball. Late 18th century has been my obsession now since then, and in 2018 I was pulled slowly into Regency. I dove headlong into Regency in 2020 and now have a wardrobe that I could wear something different every day for a week if I needed to (I'm hoping to go to Bath in September this year with a group of girls). I've been asked to do early 20th century (specifically the Irish Civil War and Bloomsday celebrations), but I had to draw the line somewhere!
I hope you realize how extraordinary you are, Nicole. There are few people who would dedicate such time and effort to study and learn and grow as you have. I’m sure letting go of these pieces will be difficult but the next owners will be so fortunate to enjoy them.
You, my Lady, are a doer on an almost unimaginable scale to my lazy-self. That first piece was gorgeous - just beautiful. I understand you had a long way to go - in hindsight sitting where you are now with many years of dedicated research and practice you can see what you did wrong - but to my eyes it was just perfectly wonderful. Also love to see baby you 😊 It would be a shame for these gowns to be tucked away in the dark, they deserve to have their time in the public eye being admired and fussed over and loved by their owner - good luck with letting go!
Just the little intro with the fashion show has made me love your brain even more. Good god, the treasure trove of knowledge and practical ability in there...
"I had an event so I had to whip up a (fill in the century) outfit..." I fantasize about having the knowledge, skill, and assets to put "whip up" and "period clothing" in the same sentence that doesn't mean me going to a thrift store and cobbling together "ish" looks. Thank you for letting me live vicariously through you!!
...and that's where I learned...and that's how I learned about...and so I learned lot... on and on all through this journey of two decades. and that's what it's all about. and we are now so lucky to learn from and alongside you, we are truly blessed.
Oh my god…I’m a huge Critical Role fan and spotted both Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham in your screenshots from To Have and To Hold…the crossover is exploding my brain. Also, the clothes are beautiful and I love your work!😅
Congratulations on your 20th anniversary! The time thing only gets weirder. I am 54 and I still feel like exactly who I was when I was 35 except that I know more stuff now and I've also been traumatized by different events from 2016 and 2020. 😅 I'm so excited about this video! ❤
If the production company that makes "The Great British Sewing Bee" ever makes a similar program here, such as for PBS, my hope would be that it has the two regular judges and a host, but also rotating guest judges so historic clothing youtubers like yourself, Abby, Morgan, Bernadette and more could get even wider exposure.
Astounding amount of work. I started following you in 2020. You inspired me to start sewing again for myself after stopping for 30yrs. I have learned with you and have grown and even if I’m no where near you level, I am having so much fun. Thank you
At one point in my life I thought I could make complete historical outfits for every event the way you have done, but life (and buying old houses to fix up) got in the way. I have patterns and a lot of fabric, and who knows if I'll every get to it. I do have a viking ensemble, a number of Norman-style dresses from SCA, a 1790s traveling dress (yes, inspired by Amadeus), and an 1880s bustle bridesmaid's dress from my friend's Christmas wedding. This was a terrific vicarious costuming experience for me. Thank you for sharing your wonderful work. I enjoyed the journey. You are so skilled, and it's great you met someone like Abby to share your passion for costuming history.
Thank you for sharing all these lovely projects. It is important to look back once in a while, to see how far you have come. When you are just starting something new, it can easily feel overwhelming to see everyone at their current level of skills and expertise. That is why I think it is also super important for the more experienced people to share their journey, to show that everyone is a beginner at first. And with more and better resources available today, who knows how much faster the beginners of today can develop and progress!
That steampunk phase immediately resonated with me. That was the first alternative style I discovered and fell in love with. I did construct a shoulder harness out if leather, but it was first when I discovered historical costuming (via Bernadette’s now famous modern walking skirt video) that I found my way into sewing. Along the way I discovered you, Abby and all the others. Seeing this made me think of my own (fairly new, been sewing since 2019) journey so far and made me genuinely happy about the years and projects to come❤ also I put my current project in the timeout corner yesterday, so this was I nice reminder that it’s going to be fine. Eventually.
Some of these items literally took my breath away. You are incredibly patient, talented and an astute expert at your craft. thank you so much for sharing this with us all.
This is why I make fashion dolls now, instead of full human sizes garments. Ran out of room with less than 30 garments. I have a many garments stored in totes. Even though I keep it down to the 16th century, quite of few changes over those 100 years. Thank you for sharing your collection and hope you can find new homes for them. All the luck!
You have literally been sewing historical costume longer than I have been alive. You are such an inspiration to anyone wanting to start on a historical sewing journey and I’m so glad that even you think some of your projects were probably best just as learning items.
As someone who lives near Williamsburg, I'm always impressed with the employees' costumes and how they manage to survive our summers lol like it's 115° with the humidity and yall just calmly walking down the street
I finally was able to change my minor to costume design, I'm currently in a class called the history of clothing. Now we won't be getting into the era's as late as Victorian, this was amazing timing. My professor would love these!
'Silk can't manage summer heat in Virginia' NOTHING and NO one can manage June heat in Virginia. Lovely, lovely work. incredible achievements in every possible way. You have not only a surplus of talent, you have a surplus of skill, passion and knowledge. WELL DONE! I love Williamsburg. I'd love to tour Williamsburg one last time, this time with enough money. I haven't been back since the 1970s. Fell in love with the whole area and one very particular gentleman, from Charlottesville. I love the history.. the haunting feeling of beauty and history. Loved those costumes you wore there. One particularly was perfect. It wasn't a gown, it was a day dress.Have you ever considered the possibility that you are drawn to some eras because you were alive in those eras? I believe in reincarnation and believe my last lifetime was in the 1790s.Oh.. my mother actually did very elaborate needlework beading for a Catholic church. It is the most time consuming work possible. She refused to teach me and her knowledge died with her. Very good work.
You mean June heat is worse than July in Greece? And yet we manage not to go around naked. And, about a century ago, ladies here were fully dressed with various layers as everywhere else in the world, corset and all. That's dedication to fashion for you!
We love an audacious level of confidence! Also, I'm now using that term when describing my mentality when I dive head first into a new project with *just* enough knowledge for it to be potentially disastrous while having an outrageous level of self-assurance that I can problem-solve & research my way out of any sticky situation that may arise. I am so happy the YT algorithm works in such wonderful ways. A YT search for darning so I could mend socks I had knit led me to Bernadette being recommended and I became obsessed. In the process of binging her entire playlist, the YT algorithm gifted me with Abby and I proceeded to consume her entire playlist which is where I found you & Morgan and proceeded to do the same. The inspiration has been so rich and the company has been fabulous. I often have one of you lovely ladies (or Rachel/Noelle/Karolina) keeping me company while I go head first into one of my audaciously confident creative endeavors... be that learning a new technique on an ridiculously elaborate shawl, finding a picture of an extant historical piece and saying, "hey! I can do that" and winging a pattern for it, or that I too, can be a writer of books other people want for reference.
What a lovely collection which represents an enormous amount of time, effort, and money. I'm glad you're proud of your efforts. You have every right to be.
Thanks for sharing these lovely clothes and your seamstress/tailoring/costuming journey thus far. I LOVE the two 19th-C blue gowns and hope you get to wear the last one you showed very soon to some special event.
that blue 1860's gown is actually stunning, I'm never really a fan of the silhouette but that gown 😍It's the first time I've even liked a gown from that period and maybe *the* strongest case of instant lust I've felt for a gown, omgggg the shoulers are exquisite
Congratulations on 20 years of amazing work, fun, and learning! And thank you for sharing these beautiful creations with us. Even though I don't sew, I am always impressed by people like you who combine great passion with great skill in any field.
I've been sewing costumes for 40 years and I ran out of room about a decade or so ago. I started shoving them at friends who could fit them, even altering some, just to clear out my closets and racks. It's an ever burgeoning problem, because I still have things I want to make. I started making historical costumes for BJD dolls recently, because they take less yardage and storage is easier. Lets me try out styles, designs, underpinnings, etc. in miniature, like dressmakers' dolls of old, and I can make my mistakes without ruining 20 yards of silk. (Which remains a truly painful memory) I feel you in this video on a truly spiritual level. XD
So many amazing and beautiful pieces! I think its easy to forget how much you've done over the years when there's always a new project in your lap. I love that 2023 Nicole is amazed at how much time younger Nicole put into some of these projects. You're an inspiration for us to keep trying and to keep learning.
Nicole, I am totally in awe of your ability and creativity and craftsmanship in creating these gorgeous ensembles. My absolute favorite is the 1790s evening gown. So beautiful!! I love the embroidery and the beading. It’s exquisite! You are very talented and thank you for sharing your creations with us!!
I really appreciate you talking about your early days and all the "mistakes" you've made. I'm just beginning my journey into making historically inspired clothing and it's SO intimidating; it's good to have a reminder that we all have to start somewhere. After all, "mistakes" is just another world for a "learning opportunity". :)
Wait wait wait, is that Laura Bailey on the 'To have and to hold' picture at 1:22?! I love unexpected crossovers :D A stunning collection, Nicole, thanks for the video!
i think it's pretty common for any crafters to have made tons of stuff, learnt thru them, never get to use them and they're all stashed somewhere taking up a lot of space.
The garments are beautiful. Everything looks well-planned and executed. My sewing skills are rudimentary. I take thrifted items needing only minor surgery to make clothing suited to my body and my needs. What makes that possible is finding garments with "good bones" (aka expert tailoring) made by some one who cares as much as Nicole Rudolph concerning fit and function.
Thankyou for doining this video!!!! Im glad im not the only one...your collections are truely stunning. However making all these before you tube exploded with costubers was an interesting exercise. My addiction to silk is beyond the pale!! However I have also found ways of being incredibly thrifty. Ive made everything from early season Outlander, Georgian, thru to 1970. (I did take out a first for my silk Georgian gown at the Royal Show last year in the costume category, and there was a LOT of entrants.). I too have been doing historical costuming for over 20 years, and I too have run out of room. I did costuming at a family level, not only historical but cosplay for the family. My husband is in either Original Trek or Zapp Brannigan and, the kids go to comic con in either Trek, LOTR (my daughter went as Arwen and she took out a first for stage/screen replica), Dr Who etc. I made an entire wardrobe of Victorian for our children too, lots of clothing there as we started doing this while our eldest was under 10, and they were still doing events with us when they were 17! The number of high quality garments Ive made is eye watering. . At last count Ive mad over 80 to 90 FULL costume sets, (including those for our children, and they needed a new set each year they grew. So the equates to approx 200 garments, and that doesnt include the garments Ive made for others as commissions or the ones for friends for our birthdays. I made 40 garments for my non sewing freinds for my Hobbit themed major birthday, and the previous major birthday was 1940's, and i made 6 gowns for that, and 3 sets of 2 piece sets. . (mine was an original ). Yet the addiction is still there. Then i discovered milinery about 12 years ago...and i quickly became the go to gal for bonnets. We are part of The Victoriana Society of South Australia and they started in 1985, and i joined in 2002.. The lack of room is my biggest issue as altho I now use our daughters old bedroom as my sewing room, I STILL dont have room for normal storage. The most precious of garments are inside I decided to take the hoops out of the crinolines and roll them up, tape the into a round, and fold the frilled skirts to put them away. I hadnt used them in over a decade mow as if i do any kind of Victorian event i use my rope one for 1930, or I do 1890's/Edwardian. The rest are in deep storage, or Ive sold off. that was HARD!! But we did this as a family, and now the kids have left home we have vintage cars and do mid 20th century costuming and am now a judge for a national Morris Minor rally here in April. Its definately a lifestyle, not a hobby. I want to take my costuming now in a different direction. Now I do more commissions than anything, but Its kept my alive in one of the most stressfull times in my life. Thx for the fashion show...your work is SO impressive!!
Oh gosh, so many beautiful garments it made me breathless, I could never get rid of any of those precious things! But many years to come, and I believe you’ll be making many more. I just discovered this channel and I’m subscribing to see it!
I'm just now realizing that I could have met you or Abby in 2006/7 (when I was 6) on a vacay to Williamsburg and found you on RUclips all these years later is bananas! Got my first historic dress there too and was mad I had to wear crocs instead of accurate shoes. Let my dad hear about that for awhile. 😂
There's something else going on here. Good self care is relapse prevention. We learned this in an addiction support group. Good clothing supports good health. Most of the modern clothing for the lower classes is made to fit a plastic mannequin. The clothing irritates our skin because it's not made to fit us. It actually cuts our skin. It's literally bad for our health to be too poor to afford clothing that fits. So the work that you are doing is improving the quality of life for everyone. Keep going, no matter how discourage you get. You are doing really well.
I volunteer at a historic site that focuses on the 1670s and that era doesn't get much representation, so I was excited to see your 1670s gown! We've talked about doing a fancy schmancy Christmas party at the site so that we have excuses to make and wear fancy gowns instead of just every day peasant clothes
I bet there's some theater companies that would kill for some of these! Magnificent!!! I love so many of these. Congratulations, and keep up the excellent work!
I squeaked a little bit when you said you were at TeslaCon. I have been going since 2013 and it's been a huge part of my life. Seeing that there were two years in which we were both there may be very happy. Looking back I definitely remember your Harley Quinn outfit!
Very cool! I rarely sew clothes but I do make lamp shades and this video was great inspiration for fabric and color combinations. Now off to the stash!
I love making custom clothes and had my own shop twenty five years ago. I gave it up because of a customer that had me make a wedding dress black and blue. She loved the finished product! I hated it and decided to stick to my own choices.
A very impressive collection and understandably difficult to part with. I really love your Gonzo's costume. During COVID I made a 17 century outfit & have no idea what to do with it🤔. I think it will be my children's problem when I die.
OMG, I worked in the costume shop at Ball State in the 90s. Have so many great memories and learned so much there! So nice to see the photos of the shop again!
I feel a little bit mean, but I like that someone else also had big plans for 2020 and they didn't work out, a lot of people in my real life didn't have big specific plans for the year so they weren't completely devastated when it all fell apart so it's nice to empathize with someone else on that front
I think I was a muppet at you about the yellow inked Regency look at an event. You were very nice, despite me being totally weird, lol. I was obsessed that fashion plate and you just did it so perfectly! I loved seeing all of your pieces, thank you for sharing!
I just want to say that it is very impressive that you have the knowledge and skill to hand sew so many different time period gowns. If we think back historically, people didn't have to know how to sew that many different style gowns, they only had to master their time period techniques. bravo! 👏
Absolutely beautiful! You SHOULD be proud of all your hard work and artistry. I oohed and ahhed over every dress, but the last dress blew me away! How absolutely fabulous! Thank you for sharing your creations on RUclips!
I love learning about women who become experts in their chosen field. Kudos to you. You have very right to be bursting with pride. I hope you get to wear the blue gown soon!
I enjoyed this a lot, thank you so much! I always wondered when, where, how, why you learned your amazing skills, but I didn't want to ask, cause I thought this video already existed somewhere and I had just missed it ^^ PS love all of your videos
Thank you so much for sharing your journey! I think a lot of the time what we see online doesn’t include earlier work. I’ve been sewing since I was a child and I certainly wouldn’t show off what I made in college. But it’s so cool to see the journey!
I have huge respect for old craftmanshifts, it is so great to see that you put so much work and effort in your peaces and hold on to old technics. Great you choose to do youtube. I love it.
I make clothes but they're old handstitched either straight or whipped I hand embroider everything I don't generally use a real embroidery hoop most of the time sometimes I do but it's a small one if I do I have no ability to use the pattern I do everything draping hand stitched I don't even make mock ups I haven't done that much yet so most of my costumes I tend to do as just store-bought one piece at a time mix-and-match or closet Cosplay
I'm enjoying them all but I love the Navy Suit from you steampunk era and those leaf patterns on that green dress. Cynthia's ironwork Worth gown is fantastic.
There's nothing wrong with making historically inspired clothes with found fabric and whatever is available. After all, they would have done that in the past!
Yeah, and if the patterns ended up looking "inaccurate", it was also perfectly normal. Women back then spent most of their childhoods learning to at least needlepoint, and if a woman couldn't hire a seamstress, she'd try her very best to eyeball what the present fashion looks like when sewing it herself. By the time the 19th century rolled around, sewing patterns emerged for sale, enabling even the most basic sewer to make slightly more accurate measurements. This isn't even to mention all the poor women who'd wear the same few dresses their whole lives, rehemming and taking in or out the fabric to keep up with trends. In American reenactment circles, we call those who wear anachronistic fabrics or accessories "farbs" for the little effort they put in to blending in. Whatever your budget and skill demands, I give no judgment.
@@BigGrabowski My grandmother knew a girl whose dress (singular) had sleeves a different shade than the dress. Her mom made it with 2 pair of sleeves, one short and one long, and because she had worn the dress every day, washing once a week for 6 months, the dress had faded but the replaced sleeves were like new.
How interesting that 2 creators posted their costume collection today! Spring cleaning?
I'm an upcycler, so a majority of my fabrics were once bedsheets, blankets, and upholstery remnants in a past life. 🤷
But I still try to match up fabric colors and patterns with outfits and time periods that they would fit best in.
(For example, when dying cloth I use food remnants, like onion skins, avocado pits, and pomegranate rinds to get the natural colors used by Vikings and those in the Medieval period.)
I think we just do the best with what we have. ☺️👍
@@kathyjohnson2043 Aw, I'm sure it looked okay. We'd call the difference in shades colorblocking today. It was pretty fashionable in the late middle ages, but maybe it was inspired by similar circumstances back then. Too bad about the longer sleeve, though.
I'm a newbie at sewing. My first foray into sewing was having to make a Victorian costume for a Dia de Los Muertos festival from a pattern I found at JOANN's. I had never even looked at a sewing machine before. The woman told me it would take about a week or so to completed. It took me TWO MONTHS. I was so nervous, I was sewing at a turtles pace, which made my stitches really nice. Luckily, a friend who sews ended up watching over me and giving me advice when I needed it. I made the jacket, pants, vest and shirt. It ended up looking pretty good. At the festival, people asked me where I purchased my costume. When I told them I sewed it, nobody believed me. I would immediately take the jacket off and show them the inside where there were a couple of places where I messed up. I guess most people don't expect a man to sew. I've made a couple of more costumes since. The most difficult (again from a JOANN's pattern) was a steampunk costume made in wide whale corduroy. The lapels and inside of the coat tails were vinyl that looked like riveted metal, as well as some leather trim. I broke a lot of needles making that one and almost gave up. I realized I wasn't doing too badly when someone offered me a nice amount of money to purchase it. I kept it. But when I'm feeling like I want to give up, I come here or Abby's page, watch a video, and I'm re-energized to continue. Thank you for your inspiration. I will never get to your level of ability, but these video do help me cross hurdles and make strides.
Good for you ! We need more men doing creative work.
Don't know if you are familiar with Adam Savage, (formerly of Myth Busters), but he has a great channel here on RUclips and he often sews for his costumes or any bags he may need.
Less gender issues = more creativity in my book !
That was an ambitious place to start your sewing adventures. Good for you.
If you put 20 years into your passion you might be surprised to see you catching up to her expertise 😉 have a wonderful adventure along the way!
A good number of men in New England have sewing and fiber art hobbies! Winters are long, quilting bees are social.
masculine historical and vintage clothing is so nice its a shame theres not much content of them on sewing youtube. i wish more men get on this thing. youre amazing for what you do!
This video couldn't have come at a more convenient time for me! Just yesterday I was accepted to a college for theatre costuming which I've decided to do after being inspired by You, Abby and everyone else for these past few years now and seeing your journey from the beginning has me very excited and looking forward to my own. I'd like to thank you for being a source of inspiration and helping me find something I love to do and learn how to do it well. I wouldn't have my current skillset and knowledge if not for your videos.
Congrats and make it the best time of your life!
Congratulations! 🤗 I think its going to be so wonderful journey 🖖 im so happy for you ❤️
Congratulations! Best of everything and enjoy :)
Congratulations! Doing well what you love makes life more joyful. What you are already learning here is fabulous.
Congratulations, that's amazing!!!
A little over a year ago, I was in a bad accident and came across your channel while bed ridden for 2 months after surgery. It was after christmas, and I got hooked on the Muppets christmas carol series. During that period, I've binged all your videos and have been following ever since. I love the educational intros, as much as the hands on crafts... so I just wanted to say thank you, and that I really enjoy your work. Hug from Portugal*
I hope you are doing well
As a guy, the Muppets costume was a big help for my own life.
I was once asked why I supported you on Patreon. It wasn’t in a mean way, it’s just that channel is just WAY outside my normal interests. It might seem hyperbolic but I said that society needs to have people like you and a channel like this! If my little bit of support makes that happen then I’ve done my part.
A pro with 20 years of experience shares her knowledge and insight for free with us youtube viewers, I can't express how grateful I am.
I audibly gasped at how beautiful some of these pieces are. If I was able to sew like this I don't think I could let any of these dresses go!
I really love this. It's so easy to look at a CosTuber or someone on Instagram making gorgeous historical dresses, and miss the sheer amount of work and time and previous garments it took for that person to develop the skills to make that knockout ensemble that other people are swooning over. This entire video is such a beautiful way of honouring the effort and work that goes into building your experience and skill. It. Takes. Time.
Wow, the remake of the lemon silk gown shows just how much you had learned. The line and fit are truly beautiful!
You ever see one of those dresses like a Worth gown and think to yourself “what magician was capable of making that”?
You would’ve been one of those magicians. You’re amazing. AMAZING.
Nicole: "I hope that this inspires you"
Me: "Yes, yes it does." I have a 1927 Singer sewing machine, with all the attachments, that I am slowly learning how to use. And I am feeling extra inspired to make, eventually, an evening gown for the opera. I am thinking Edwardian style. I am so grateful to you and other youtubers for showing me that I can learn how to sew, learn how to make my own wardrobe, so I can have a wardrobe that is so much better, in many different ways, than what I can get in majority of the stores.
This video is inspiring in multiple ways. Not only is it fun to see so many beautiful garments, but it’s a great reminder to do something you love. It’s ok to make mistakes and learn along the way.
I’ve loved historical clothing for so many years but I’ve never tried making anything. This video inspired me to finally make something even if it isn’t perfect and I have nowhere to wear a costume. It’s ok to do something for the learning experience and joy of creating.
There is a fabulous community of people who sew historic costume for dolls. It gives "someone" a chance to wear the gorgeous outfits. Since the doll can range from a fabulous modern, like a BJD, to an antique doll from the Era, the varios doll costuming communities will be wildly different.
Wish I knew how to edit.
*various
@@trishwinstead28 you can click on the three dots at the top right of your comment and you can select "edit" or "modify", not sure of the exact word.
Omg. That silk-satin, light lavender-gray bustle evening gown with the pale peach lining. You are as beautiful as your garments are exquisite.
Pausing to say I will never forget how fun that 1912 event was in 2012, and how in awe I was of your skills! 😊 It was such fun getting to geek over costuming with everyone! (I’ve pretty much dropped off the costuming radar as my life took a different path in 2013, so that particular 1912 event holds a special place in my heart as it was really the last time I made a full historic ensemble…)
OMG, you worked on the costumes for the movie that had Travis Willingham and Laura Bailey!? Now I have three reasons to wish this movie actually made it to theater!
😭 one day we might be so lucky
We have such similar stories! Last year (2022) was my 20 anniversary of re-enactment, and thus historical clothing sewing. I started out doing Viking and late 12th century (because if you don't do Viking in Ireland, you're not going to have many gigs to go to). I think it was around 2003 or 2004 I started making my real love, 1530s, and simultaneously making 13th, 14th, and 15th century clothing as well. From 2008-2013, I was making clothing from all over the 16th century, and a brief foray into the early 17th century for a particular gig. In 2013 I got into American Civil war re-enactment and started off with a ballgown, but then made everyday wear for being in camp. In 2015, my friend convinced me to go to the Georgian and Regency ball in Bath with her, so I started making stays and pocket hoops and a gown for the ball. Late 18th century has been my obsession now since then, and in 2018 I was pulled slowly into Regency. I dove headlong into Regency in 2020 and now have a wardrobe that I could wear something different every day for a week if I needed to (I'm hoping to go to Bath in September this year with a group of girls). I've been asked to do early 20th century (specifically the Irish Civil War and Bloomsday celebrations), but I had to draw the line somewhere!
I hope you realize how extraordinary you are, Nicole. There are few people who would dedicate such time and effort to study and learn and grow as you have. I’m sure letting go of these pieces will be difficult but the next owners will be so fortunate to enjoy them.
You, my Lady, are a doer on an almost unimaginable scale to my lazy-self. That first piece was gorgeous - just beautiful. I understand you had a long way to go - in hindsight sitting where you are now with many years of dedicated research and practice you can see what you did wrong - but to my eyes it was just perfectly wonderful. Also love to see baby you 😊 It would be a shame for these gowns to be tucked away in the dark, they deserve to have their time in the public eye being admired and fussed over and loved by their owner - good luck with letting go!
An astonishing and inspiring amount of work, Nicole. Thanks for sharing your talent and knowledge. ❤
Just the little intro with the fashion show has made me love your brain even more. Good god, the treasure trove of knowledge and practical ability in there...
"I had an event so I had to whip up a (fill in the century) outfit..." I fantasize about having the knowledge, skill, and assets to put "whip up" and "period clothing" in the same sentence that doesn't mean me going to a thrift store and cobbling together "ish" looks. Thank you for letting me live vicariously through you!!
...and that's where I learned...and that's how I learned about...and so I learned lot...
on and on all through this journey of two decades.
and that's what it's all about.
and we are now so lucky to learn from and alongside you, we are truly blessed.
Oh my god…I’m a huge Critical Role fan and spotted both Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham in your screenshots from To Have and To Hold…the crossover is exploding my brain. Also, the clothes are beautiful and I love your work!😅
Haha omg I didn't even realise that was Travis because I was so surprised to see Laura that she was all I focused on 😄
S A M E 🤣
The haunted mansion bride dress is amazing. I go to Disney frequently and have never seen anyone wear something that fine.
Congratulations on your 20th anniversary!
The time thing only gets weirder. I am 54 and I still feel like exactly who I was when I was 35 except that I know more stuff now and I've also been traumatized by different events from 2016 and 2020. 😅
I'm so excited about this video! ❤
If the production company that makes "The Great British Sewing Bee" ever makes a similar program here, such as for PBS, my hope would be that it has the two regular judges and a host, but also rotating guest judges so historic clothing youtubers like yourself, Abby, Morgan, Bernadette and more could get even wider exposure.
Astounding amount of work. I started following you in 2020. You inspired me to start sewing again for myself after stopping for 30yrs. I have learned with you and have grown and even if I’m no where near you level, I am having so much fun. Thank you
At one point in my life I thought I could make complete historical outfits for every event the way you have done, but life (and buying old houses to fix up) got in the way. I have patterns and a lot of fabric, and who knows if I'll every get to it. I do have a viking ensemble, a number of Norman-style dresses from SCA, a 1790s traveling dress (yes, inspired by Amadeus), and an 1880s bustle bridesmaid's dress from my friend's Christmas wedding. This was a terrific vicarious costuming experience for me. Thank you for sharing your wonderful work. I enjoyed the journey. You are so skilled, and it's great you met someone like Abby to share your passion for costuming history.
You are amazing Nicole! Not only do you create historic clothing that you look beautiful in, but shoes too!
This historical costuming wardrobe is an amazing achievement! I never cease to be blown away by your skills!
It's always so cool to see where someone has started and how much they've grown! Some of these pieces truly are art
Thank you for sharing all these lovely projects. It is important to look back once in a while, to see how far you have come. When you are just starting something new, it can easily feel overwhelming to see everyone at their current level of skills and expertise. That is why I think it is also super important for the more experienced people to share their journey, to show that everyone is a beginner at first. And with more and better resources available today, who knows how much faster the beginners of today can develop and progress!
My personal favourite is the navy steampunk jacket at 14:06, the lapel and standing collar just look excellent and the detailing is great.
That steampunk phase immediately resonated with me. That was the first alternative style I discovered and fell in love with. I did construct a shoulder harness out if leather, but it was first when I discovered historical costuming (via Bernadette’s now famous modern walking skirt video) that I found my way into sewing. Along the way I discovered you, Abby and all the others. Seeing this made me think of my own (fairly new, been sewing since 2019) journey so far and made me genuinely happy about the years and projects to come❤ also I put my current project in the timeout corner yesterday, so this was I nice reminder that it’s going to be fine. Eventually.
Hi, Nicole! You're such an inspiration of fearless enthusiasm. Thank you for sharing your vast talent so generously. ❤️
Some of these items literally took my breath away. You are incredibly patient, talented and an astute expert at your craft. thank you so much for sharing this with us all.
20 years of costuming from one professional would be an amazing museum exhibit. In 100 years people will be trying to reassemble your collection.
This is why I make fashion dolls now, instead of full human sizes garments. Ran out of room with less than 30 garments. I have a many garments stored in totes. Even though I keep it down to the 16th century, quite of few changes over those 100 years. Thank you for sharing your collection and hope you can find new homes for them. All the luck!
You have literally been sewing historical costume longer than I have been alive. You are such an inspiration to anyone wanting to start on a historical sewing journey and I’m so glad that even you think some of your projects were probably best just as learning items.
As someone who lives near Williamsburg, I'm always impressed with the employees' costumes and how they manage to survive our summers lol like it's 115° with the humidity and yall just calmly walking down the street
I finally was able to change my minor to costume design, I'm currently in a class called the history of clothing. Now we won't be getting into the era's as late as Victorian, this was amazing timing. My professor would love these!
'Silk can't manage summer heat in Virginia'
NOTHING and NO one can manage June heat in Virginia.
Lovely, lovely work. incredible achievements in every possible way. You have not only a surplus of talent, you have a surplus of skill, passion and knowledge. WELL DONE!
I love Williamsburg. I'd love to tour Williamsburg one last time, this time with enough money. I haven't been back since the 1970s. Fell in love with the whole area and one very particular gentleman, from Charlottesville. I love the history.. the haunting feeling of beauty and history. Loved those costumes you wore there. One particularly was perfect. It wasn't a gown, it was a day dress.Have you ever considered the possibility that you are drawn to some eras because you were alive in those eras? I believe in reincarnation and believe my last lifetime was in the 1790s.Oh.. my mother actually did very elaborate needlework beading for a Catholic church. It is the most time consuming work possible. She refused to teach me and her knowledge died with her. Very good work.
You mean June heat is worse than July in Greece? And yet we manage not to go around naked. And, about a century ago, ladies here were fully dressed with various layers as everywhere else in the world, corset and all. That's dedication to fashion for you!
Oh my goodness!!! Thank you for sharing some of your early history and work. It is absolutely amazing! ❤️
I understand, my 1st SCA event was in 1969….. my garb closet is immense.
We love an audacious level of confidence! Also, I'm now using that term when describing my mentality when I dive head first into a new project with *just* enough knowledge for it to be potentially disastrous while having an outrageous level of self-assurance that I can problem-solve & research my way out of any sticky situation that may arise. I am so happy the YT algorithm works in such wonderful ways. A YT search for darning so I could mend socks I had knit led me to Bernadette being recommended and I became obsessed. In the process of binging her entire playlist, the YT algorithm gifted me with Abby and I proceeded to consume her entire playlist which is where I found you & Morgan and proceeded to do the same. The inspiration has been so rich and the company has been fabulous. I often have one of you lovely ladies (or Rachel/Noelle/Karolina) keeping me company while I go head first into one of my audaciously confident creative endeavors... be that learning a new technique on an ridiculously elaborate shawl, finding a picture of an extant historical piece and saying, "hey! I can do that" and winging a pattern for it, or that I too, can be a writer of books other people want for reference.
What a lovely collection which represents an enormous amount of time, effort, and money. I'm glad you're proud of your efforts. You have every right to be.
Thanks for sharing these lovely clothes and your seamstress/tailoring/costuming journey thus far. I LOVE the two 19th-C blue gowns and hope you get to wear the last one you showed very soon to some special event.
Those 19teens dresses and suits absolutely FLOORED me. Wow, I had no idea that period was so vibrant and interesting!
To anyone wondering, yes that was Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham in the screenshot at 1:18
that blue 1860's gown is actually stunning, I'm never really a fan of the silhouette but that gown 😍It's the first time I've even liked a gown from that period and maybe *the* strongest case of instant lust I've felt for a gown, omgggg the shoulers are exquisite
Congratulations on 20 years of amazing work, fun, and learning! And thank you for sharing these beautiful creations with us. Even though I don't sew, I am always impressed by people like you who combine great passion with great skill in any field.
👏You're sewing journey has been and continue to be absolutely amazing! Applause to you!👏👏👏
I've been sewing costumes for 40 years and I ran out of room about a decade or so ago. I started shoving them at friends who could fit them, even altering some, just to clear out my closets and racks. It's an ever burgeoning problem, because I still have things I want to make. I started making historical costumes for BJD dolls recently, because they take less yardage and storage is easier. Lets me try out styles, designs, underpinnings, etc. in miniature, like dressmakers' dolls of old, and I can make my mistakes without ruining 20 yards of silk. (Which remains a truly painful memory) I feel you in this video on a truly spiritual level. XD
So many amazing and beautiful pieces! I think its easy to forget how much you've done over the years when there's always a new project in your lap. I love that 2023 Nicole is amazed at how much time younger Nicole put into some of these projects. You're an inspiration for us to keep trying and to keep learning.
Nicole, I am totally in awe of your ability and creativity and craftsmanship in creating these gorgeous ensembles. My absolute favorite is the 1790s evening gown. So beautiful!! I love the embroidery and the beading. It’s exquisite! You are very talented and thank you for sharing your creations with us!!
I really appreciate you talking about your early days and all the "mistakes" you've made. I'm just beginning my journey into making historically inspired clothing and it's SO intimidating; it's good to have a reminder that we all have to start somewhere. After all, "mistakes" is just another world for a "learning opportunity". :)
I watched this entire video with my jaw on my chest. Just WOW!
The fact that you worked on the unreleased Travis Willingham/Laura Bailey movie is so cool!
Wait wait wait, is that Laura Bailey on the 'To have and to hold' picture at 1:22?! I love unexpected crossovers :D A stunning collection, Nicole, thanks for the video!
Sure looks like her to me!
i think it's pretty common for any crafters to have made tons of stuff, learnt thru them, never get to use them and they're all stashed somewhere taking up a lot of space.
The garments are beautiful. Everything looks well-planned and executed. My sewing skills are rudimentary. I take thrifted items needing only minor surgery to make clothing suited to my body and my needs. What makes that possible is finding garments with "good bones" (aka expert tailoring) made by some one who cares as much as Nicole Rudolph concerning fit and function.
Thankyou for doining this video!!!! Im glad im not the only one...your collections are truely stunning. However making all these before you tube exploded with costubers was an interesting exercise.
My addiction to silk is beyond the pale!! However I have also found ways of being incredibly thrifty. Ive made everything from early season Outlander, Georgian, thru to 1970. (I did take out a first for my silk Georgian gown at the Royal Show last year in the costume category, and there was a LOT of entrants.). I too have been doing historical costuming for over 20 years, and I too have run out of room. I did costuming at a family level, not only historical but cosplay for the family. My husband is in either Original Trek or Zapp Brannigan and, the kids go to comic con in either Trek, LOTR (my daughter went as Arwen and she took out a first for stage/screen replica), Dr Who etc. I made an entire wardrobe of Victorian for our children too, lots of clothing there as we started doing this while our eldest was under 10, and they were still doing events with us when they were 17! The number of high quality garments Ive made is eye watering. . At last count Ive mad over 80 to 90 FULL costume sets, (including those for our children, and they needed a new set each year they grew. So the equates to approx 200 garments, and that doesnt include the garments Ive made for others as commissions or the ones for friends for our birthdays. I made 40 garments for my non sewing freinds for my Hobbit themed major birthday, and the previous major birthday was 1940's, and i made 6 gowns for that, and 3 sets of 2 piece sets. . (mine was an original ). Yet the addiction is still there. Then i discovered milinery about 12 years ago...and i quickly became the go to gal for bonnets. We are part of The Victoriana Society of South Australia and they started in 1985, and i joined in 2002.. The lack of room is my biggest issue as altho I now use our daughters old bedroom as my sewing room, I STILL dont have room for normal storage. The most precious of garments are inside I decided to take the hoops out of the crinolines and roll them up, tape the into a round, and fold the frilled skirts to put them away. I hadnt used them in over a decade mow as if i do any kind of Victorian event i use my rope one for 1930, or I do 1890's/Edwardian. The rest are in deep storage, or Ive sold off. that was HARD!! But we did this as a family, and now the kids have left home we have vintage cars and do mid 20th century costuming and am now a judge for a national Morris Minor rally here in April. Its definately a lifestyle, not a hobby. I want to take my costuming now in a different direction. Now I do more commissions than anything, but Its kept my alive in one of the most stressfull times in my life. Thx for the fashion show...your work is SO impressive!!
The 1860s blue dress absolutely took my breath away 😮
All of this is so overwhelmingly beautiful
You are building an amazing legacy. I admire this. You have built on your love of history. Thank You
I think Nicole is so amazing! So knowledgable and professional, showing such love for the craft.
Oh gosh, so many beautiful garments it made me breathless, I could never get rid of any of those precious things!
But many years to come, and I believe you’ll be making many more. I just discovered this channel and I’m subscribing to see it!
I used to work for Colonial Williamsburg! Their costume department is really impressive. I always loved wearing a gown to work every day!
I'm just now realizing that I could have met you or Abby in 2006/7 (when I was 6) on a vacay to Williamsburg and found you on RUclips all these years later is bananas! Got my first historic dress there too and was mad I had to wear crocs instead of accurate shoes. Let my dad hear about that for awhile. 😂
There's something else going on here. Good self care is relapse prevention. We learned this in an addiction support group. Good clothing supports good health. Most of the modern clothing for the lower classes is made to fit a plastic mannequin. The clothing irritates our skin because it's not made to fit us. It actually cuts our skin. It's literally bad for our health to be too poor to afford clothing that fits. So the work that you are doing is improving the quality of life for everyone. Keep going, no matter how discourage you get. You are doing really well.
You could wear the blue ball gown to costume college this year as Cinderella! It’s gorgeous!
I'm glad I'm just a spinner and my last 10 years' worth of yarn fits in a... two... uhm, twelve 80-liter-boxes. Your craft is amazing and beautiful!
I volunteer at a historic site that focuses on the 1670s and that era doesn't get much representation, so I was excited to see your 1670s gown! We've talked about doing a fancy schmancy Christmas party at the site so that we have excuses to make and wear fancy gowns instead of just every day peasant clothes
I loved you (and Abby) for what feels like years. But I just learned that we are both BSU grads. Love another cardinal 👌👌👌
I bet there's some theater companies that would kill for some of these! Magnificent!!! I love so many of these. Congratulations, and keep up the excellent work!
I love that you are wearing your aesthetic gown! I want to live in that gown.
I squeaked a little bit when you said you were at TeslaCon. I have been going since 2013 and it's been a huge part of my life. Seeing that there were two years in which we were both there may be very happy. Looking back I definitely remember your Harley Quinn outfit!
Very cool! I rarely sew clothes but I do make lamp shades and this video was great inspiration for fabric and color combinations. Now off to the stash!
I love making custom clothes and had my own shop twenty five years ago. I gave it up because of a customer that had me make a wedding dress black and blue. She loved the finished product! I hated it and decided to stick to my own choices.
A very impressive collection and understandably difficult to part with. I really love your Gonzo's costume. During COVID I made a 17 century outfit & have no idea what to do with it🤔. I think it will be my children's problem when I die.
OMG, I worked in the costume shop at Ball State in the 90s. Have so many great memories and learned so much there! So nice to see the photos of the shop again!
I so hope you wear the 1860s blue ballgown to something. It is so beautiful.
Wow, this was really fun to watch! I think the Steam Punk garments are my favorite. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Same here !!
Loved hearing you speak so appreciative of all of them, even the once that are no longer to your standards. :}
I feel a little bit mean, but I like that someone else also had big plans for 2020 and they didn't work out, a lot of people in my real life didn't have big specific plans for the year so they weren't completely devastated when it all fell apart so it's nice to empathize with someone else on that front
These outfits are stunning! Love seeing your progression and knowing more of your history.
I think I was a muppet at you about the yellow inked Regency look at an event. You were very nice, despite me being totally weird, lol. I was obsessed that fashion plate and you just did it so perfectly! I loved seeing all of your pieces, thank you for sharing!
I just want to say that it is very impressive that you have the knowledge and skill to hand sew so many different time period gowns. If we think back historically, people didn't have to know how to sew that many different style gowns, they only had to master their time period techniques. bravo! 👏
So, luv, since your out of room.....SELL US SOME of your beautiful creations.!!!!
That's Laura Bailey in the film! I love it when my interests overlap!
Absolutely marvellous, watching it now for the third time! You are a great artist and craftswoman. Thanks for this beautiful inside look!
Absolutely beautiful! You SHOULD be proud of all your hard work and artistry. I oohed and ahhed over every dress, but the last dress blew me away! How absolutely fabulous! Thank you for sharing your creations on RUclips!
I love learning about women who become experts in their chosen field. Kudos to you. You have very right to be bursting with pride. I hope you get to wear the blue gown soon!
I enjoyed this a lot, thank you so much! I always wondered when, where, how, why you learned your amazing skills, but I didn't want to ask, cause I thought this video already existed somewhere and I had just missed it ^^ PS love all of your videos
Thank you so much for sharing your journey! I think a lot of the time what we see online doesn’t include earlier work. I’ve been sewing since I was a child and I certainly wouldn’t show off what I made in college. But it’s so cool to see the journey!
I have huge respect for old craftmanshifts, it is so great to see that you put so much work and effort in your peaces and hold on to old technics. Great you choose to do youtube. I love it.
Looking forward to the vintage collection!
You are Amazing, by far my favorite Historical Garment / Sewing channel ❤❤❤
I make clothes but they're old handstitched either straight or whipped I hand embroider everything I don't generally use a real embroidery hoop most of the time sometimes I do but it's a small one if I do I have no ability to use the pattern I do everything draping hand stitched I don't even make mock ups I haven't done that much yet so most of my costumes I tend to do as just store-bought one piece at a time mix-and-match or closet Cosplay
I'm enjoying them all but I love the Navy Suit from you steampunk era and those leaf patterns on that green dress. Cynthia's ironwork Worth gown is fantastic.