The Closet Historian

I thought some folks might want access to the torso block tutorial-ish bit of the upcoming Drafting Dangerous video without the other 10 page rant. So if for some reason you still want to make a torso block after all of my sass, this video has my process isolated from the rest! (also: Hello Patrons!

Well, that took me longer than I expected it to! Who could have guessed... I have decided it just makes more sense to put this up on the chanel on Thursday at this point, but here is the Drafting Dangerous episode all about princess seams and style lines. So sorry for the wait! ✨ Drafting Princess S

I know I maybe didn't choose the most popular style to start with over on the channel...but here is another! These Gunne Sax designs are just so straight forward to draft from the basic blocks, I can't help but demo them when the prices for the vintage patterns and dresses have gone so bonkers sky h

Inspired by McCalls 5778: https://vintagepatterns.fandom.com/wiki/McCall_5778 Music and Sound Effects from Epidemic Sound. Does anyone own this pattern and can show me a picture of the back 😅 I made it up! I'll be back with an updates podcast episode soon I promise! Thank you for your patience and

And yes, you can get another sneak peek at the faux paneling on my foyer walls in this reveal footage 😅 I've been chipping away at the foyer painting but it has been slooow going finding time to finish it all! This month I've pulled out another of my fancy fabrics in my ongoing effort to source fro

I recently received a request to discuss this style in relation to how to add in the additional external darts that radiate as part of the design without having buckets of fit fullness to work with. Yet another sneaky vintage design that seems to have darts or fit fullness coming from nowhere, but i

If I ever manage to make a project that is seasonally appropriate to that same actual calendar moment...it is a fluke. I've got a silver stone-textured-look brocade in my stash that I want to make into a full on coat soon, but first I've got to figure out the perfect hooded style ✨ This version need

Whew! This still counts as June right...oof 😅❤️ I'm still stenciling stars and leaves all over my walls, but I hope I'll be back from the forest soon enough. The day I get to move the furniture back into the room will be a very great day indeed. For now I hope you enjoy this simple summer dress! A

It's similar to the Blade Runner dress, but also, completely different. I return to my favorite gradient tones for a wool dress with chevroned stripes created alongside the angled horizontal princess seam I used earlier in the year on the black/on/black late 1930's dress. I still feel awful that thi

Hello there! I finally got the dress I started working on in last month's video together. Luckily a clever patron knew of another source for vintage pattern images and found this buddy here also: https://copa.apps.uri.edu/garmentPatNum.php?patID=33967&patternid=9348 so we can get an idea of what the

And....I figured out how I can do the sleeves this morning ✨ Just needed more room and shorter pleats, I'll show you next time! Here is a dress design I have been wanting to replicate for ages now. I think this design is from 1938, which is a bit earlier than my usual and everything! I have a fun fl

Why? Why did I decide to make a super simple little iridescent holiday party-worthy outfit?!? I have literally /no clue/. You know those old commercials "this is your brain on drugs" Yeah well, this is my brain "on escrow", and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I cannot wait for things to go bac

Increase the size of sleeves as needed ✨ I made mine woefully modern in comparison here by not ballooning them further, oops Sleeve tabs: https://off-the-cuff-shirtmaking.blogspot.com/2014/01/tutorial-shirt-sleeve-placket.html The etsy shop where I stocked up on shirt buttons: https://www.etsy.com/s

The last part of my recent moire ensemble ✨ Gilet Blouse Front // Faux shirt-front situation (YouTube)

Hello there! I'm still finishing up the last little video for this ensemble, a separate how to for the lace under-shirt-front thing, so that will be coming later tonight. Thank you so much for your patience and support! Podcast coming later this week ❤️ A Short Sleeved Moire Jacket (YouTube)

Part one of a three piece late Victorian/early Edwardian inspired jacket/top set ✨ Thank you for your support! The jacquard I used: https://www.silkbaron.com/product_p/1780.htm The fancy B&J moire I mentioned: https://www.bandjfabrics.com/fabric/silk-moire-black-0 Drafting 1890's Sleeves // An Edwar

Oof! Sorry this is so late!! I may have had a got-to-go-back-and-buy-that-settee emergency this week that threw me off course. The long promised 1930's dress demo has arrived, and I aplogize for my general apathy towards this poor little dress. It didn't do anything to deserve this much abuse from m

Whew! Thank you for your patience!! I'll have another video full of sneak peeks at the various nonsense I've been working on behind the scenes here coming for you soon. Thank you for your support ❤️ Also, for real traditional Kimono sewing check out Billy on youtube https://www.youtube.com/@BillyMat

Part one of a suit, the first of two videos I have for you here this month. I have finished making the jacket, I've just got to get the video together and you'll be seeing it soon! I hope you enjoy this little geometric skirt project and I'll be back with more sewing soon ❤ This fabric on etsy: http

Whew! After some PC troubles today, the latest project video is ready 😅 Thank you so much for your support! This fabric on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1461039921/silver-gray-on-black-design-mikado? Making An Epic Cape Coat 🦇 (YouTube)

Okay, I just realized that technically the sleeves on the red dressing gown and the green taffeta one are maybe larger....but these are the biggest sleeves I have ever put on a "normal" garment surely 😅 The silver htv: https://www.heattransferwarehouse.com/deco-film-soft-metallics/ A video where I

Hello there! Here is a very fun 1940s inspired dress in a subtle cotton and rayon blend jacquard. I actually really love the finished dress and can't wait to make it again in another fabric sometime! Reminder there will be no new video on the channel this Thursday (Thanksgiving in the US) but hopefu

Hello again! Here are the arcana blouses, I can't wait to make a few more 💜 This silk at silk baron: https://www.silkbaron.com/product_p/639.htm Making the Blouses for Arcana ✨ (YouTube)

SPOILER ALERT: I do show a bit of the upcoming lookbook set at the end of this video, but not with final lighting/props so there will still be surprises to come I promise 😂 This silk: https://www.silkbaron.com/product_p/1492.htm Thank you so much for your support! Making a Dior Inspired Silk Skirt

An evolution on last month's designs! And this time I liked the mock-up enough to dive into some real fabric and make a dress. Thank you so much for your support! My new "version" of Vogue Couturier Design 359 (YouTube)

Well, this design still needs a little more work! I think I have a new idea on how to make something similar but different which I hope I can try soon 🧐 Thank you for your patience! I promise there are some epic projects coming up soon ✨ Trying to Copy Vogue 359 (YouTube)

I rarely dip into the 1930s, but when this design drifted by me over on Pinterest, I just had to have these sleeves. Little did I realize just how mind bending they would be to put together without messing up the velvet nap along the way, and how they'd be even more difficult to explain of course! H

Okay whoever had "first flight will get canceled" and "will catch a cold" on their B tries to travel bingo cards, cross those off. I'm making the most of my London trip however, even if the proximity to so many humans has attacked my sinuses! I have tested twice, both negative, for the big spicy cou

Helllloooo! You know, sometimes your tattoo artist texts out of nowhere to say they have to move their appointments around and can you come in two weeks earlier than planned? So my own calendar got a bit moved around this last week in response. Hence this video is a day late! I spent most of this la

Just a quick video today to show how I made the metallic blue knit top with a cowl neckline! This fabric from Mood: https://www.moodfabrics.com/metallic-royal-all-over-foil-knit-317265 Thank you so much for your support! Adding the Cowl Neckline to Knit Tops (YouTube)

Hello!! I forgot to mention this in the video, but yes, my hands are very stained from doing tie-dye and that's why my nails are super *yikes* looking in this video 😅 Today I'm making a rather 'business on the top and date night on the bottom' dress in a lovely lightweight suiting wool. A little br

I had the video nearly ready to go...but it just wasn't coming together! I had to start over, and try to explain myself properly. So here is the same dress, but different. I decorated the peplum a little more subtly, but you've seen me color block before, so there are no mysteries there. Then I coul

A quick patterning experiment today! I've been busy working on some super fun projects for next month that I am very excited to show you soon. I think I'll try one of these cowl neck patterns on a project next month too. Thank you for your support! Original cowl neck video: https://www.youtube.com/w

Thank you for your support! I'm busy building the Halloween lookbook set today, I hope you are all having a lovely week 🎃 Lilies and Remains: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LiliesandRemains? The original vintage dress: shorturl.at/airK6 Fabric.com rayon twill: No longer exists?! Fabric.com has fully mer

I will definitely be using this neckline and color again! The pattern image on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/460563499404409730/?nic_v3=1a6Nyj4vx The purple challis was from fabric.com My favorite source for rayon crepe here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StevieSaintFabrics?ref=cart_shop_name

Today I'm attempting to recreate a design from the Butterick counter book from 1945! Black Diamond 1940's Dress (from Butterick Counter Book '45) (YouTube)

This month I'm slowing down and trying to perfect my "Space Queen" dress pattern. I think it's nearly there, but it still needs a tiny bit more tweaking in the future! Thank you so much for your support ❤ Working on my last color-blocked dress design... (YouTube)

She's not perfect, but still pretty dang cute! And yes, I'm afraid that I do indeed now have matching holographic shoes to pair with this becuase I have become a fully iridescent being 😅 I think I'll have to make the black widow spider-ish red and black, new and improved, version of this design nex

Good evening! After a busy morning at the vet (all good, just getting these kittens as heathy as can be now they are in their forever home ❤) I've finally got this month's video for you. I decided to try something different and make a top without sleeves, quite outside of my comfort zone! I actually

We have had the realtor in Tomorrowland dress, this almost feels like the owner of a castle themed bar on Mars...dress? Something like that. What Maleficent wears in space okay? Thank you so much for your support! I have our regular video coming on the 20th as well, and one more space-ish dress late

I have returned from my quick weekend jaunt to Moab with my parents and it was really good to show them the landscapes I had fallen for last fall. I'll fill you in on everything else in the podcast, but thank you for your patience and support more than ever as this last month took a turn for the sad

Thank you for your support! The Tyvek at Mood: https://www.moodfabrics.com/mood-exclusive-metallic-black-glossy-tyvek-133482 Making A Color Blocked Jacket // From Building Materials? (YouTube)

This month I'm diving into another 1940's Butterick design! And this one includes some of those funny hip drapes you see often in forties styles, but that are uh...not my favorite on my own shape personally 😂 The Butterick Design: https://www.etsy.com/listing/985509129/1940s-misses-pannier-draped-s

Thank you for your support! The Butterick Design: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/460563499402440232/ Pattern sold on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/650323161/sale-vintage-1940s-butterick-2804-dress?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details&epik=dj0yJnU9RUdhVkhFd09BZXRRckptWV9DRWVlLVZkZ2RtVmF

Hello! Do we think I should go with the second mock up, refine it and make it out of pretty teal and floral cotton?? Those are my thoughts post-pattern experimentation, but let me know! The 1940's gown pattern: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/460563499402265943/ The second demo: https://www.pinterest.

I have another project(s!) coming soon! Thank you so much for your support! Gathered Bodice Style from Modern Pattern Design (YouTube)

This month I'm experimenting with drafting a 1940's style I can't seem to find demonstrated anywhere. How was this done exactly? I just don't know, but I got close-ish doing it my weird way, and with some more tweaks I think it would work. Then I make a version keeping my favored waist seam and I'm

My favorite thing about this dress is the color, why don't I have more plum or purple in my wardrobe?! Thank you for the design style suggestion! Original 40's pattern design: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/460563499401528895/ The other 40's pattern design: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4605634994003

I actually needed to make something with pockets, the rarest of occurrences has struck! This month's video is coming out a bit early since I'm about to head out on the road, and before I could set out, destiny required a vest with pockets. Will the other folks be in northface jackets or hiking gear?

This month's demo is far simpler than the more advanced things I tried last time, but has resulted in a great simple summer dress I look forward to wearing for many years to come! I'll be showing how I moved the darts up into the neckline and used them to accent a keyhole diamond shaped cutout. I ho