The Closet Historian

Because let's face it, the long sleeve one is for September days with a hint of fall's crispness emerging instead... Goodness am I running behind as ever! Thank you for your support and endless patience ❤️ An /actually/ summer goth Gunny Sax dress... (YouTube)

I am working on another proper project for this month as we speak(type), but Sophia has really been delaying the process with her antics. Mostly stealing my chair every time I get up to iron a seam! Still I'll be right back here all week with more... Carmine Cotton Skirt (from last month's ensemble)

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

The under circle connector piece: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/460563499415668582 meant to be used with 8" diameter circles and a 12.5" by 8 inch pattern for the inner liner drawstring bag. Ohhhh goodness, will I ever catch up and feel truly at ease again? You know better than most that the answer

In reality, I am in the middle of chipping old brittle plywood off of the floor in front of my front door, so sewing sounds a lot nicer right about now! I can't wait to have the woodchips and dust all properly cleared away, the floors finally painted, and the furniture back in it's place soon 😩 The

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've got a relatively quick but rather high impact skirt project for you today that just may look a little familiar. This is a slightly more asymmetric take on the side sash Dior inspired skirts I made a few years ago. I'll be making another of that first circle cut style on the channel this next we

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

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

Hello all! Whew. I am typing to you from a hotel back in NY, and I just got the heating on so things are improving by the minute. I got in at 1am last night becuase that was the only direct flight from Denver. I've spent the last several days frantically trying to get everything done for the week si

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

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

The process behind making the jacket to match the skirt from this month's video ✨ Thank you for your support! The updates podcast will be coming as well soon... A Black Marble Jacket ✨ (YouTube)

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

What's this, a video so early?! I know, but it's sorta becuase this is a super simple project, so I owe you something a little more juicy (ahem, written) as well that I hope I can have up on the more usual 20th/21st release date. Thank you so much for your patience and support! ❤️ Making A Hooded Cr

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 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)

Sorry about the delay this month! Between a cold and the length of this buddy I fell behind. Thank you so much for your support! I'll see you again vert soon for another video ✨ The uniqulo tee's I mentioned: https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women/innerwear/airism-innerwear Spider sequins: https://www.c

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)

Time to dive into my one day make! Nothing was matching the tone of the velvet skirt I had made to wear as the finale look for Verdigris, and you know what? Even this evening bodice doesn't match either!! This deep cool tone of brown is just so hard to find a match for, I think I might have to take

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

Today I'm copying the pockets and ankle tab detailing off of some Banana Republic trousers and adding them onto my favorite 1940's trouser pattern! I made these specifically for the upcoming Verdigris lookbook, they are part of the opening look (there is an all trouser more masc opening set of looks

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)

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

Hello there! Just a little bonus project diary today in lovely iridescent silk. I'll have some patterning experimentation up on the 20th as usual as well for curators! maxresdefault.jpg (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

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

I'll be back with more pattern drafting and sewing soon! The original Wrap Back Top video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOvq55ruBbw&t=195s The Shirt Sleeve Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gX--kYVWLg&t=18s My favorite sugar cookie recipe: https://www.dailycal.org/2017/01/23/nostalgic-sugar

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

In which I make a sequined jacket when I should be resting, no one is surprised honestly... Thank you for your patience and support! Cartwrights Sequins: http://www.ccartwright.com/ Making the shoulder princess bodice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EN8g0KcqCY&t=601s How I do bound buttonholes: ht

Hello! I wanted to post a little update on this month's pattern drafting project video. I usually try to get the videos up on the 20th, but due to how long the sequinning has been taking on this jacket...I'm afraid it will probably be the 21st or 22nd this month. I am bummed about the delay, but I r

After all the votes for a housecoat project last month I knew I wanted to try and make that the first project of 2021! So here is my first dressing gown/housecoat! Seeing as lockdown is ongoing, perhaps I will make another housecoat this year too, as this one is quite cozy. I wore it all day today w

Goooodness have I destroyed my back/neck/shoulders over the last week, woah. Major oops. Clearly my set up for hand sewing that has always worked fine for a quick skirt hem or hook and eye or whatever does not work once hours upon hours of hand stitching are required because ache is...an understatem

Today I finished the mock up (with 16 machine buttonholes down the center front to check that fit!) and decided on only a few tiny minor changes. I cut into the beautiful silk, nearly holding my breath all the while, and cut out the interlining as well. The main body of the bodice will be interlined

Hello everyone! Sorry this is going up so late tonight, but I am so glad I managed to get this dress done! Now I really must get back to 1880's dilemmas, but I'll see you all again soon... Fabric from Mood https://www.moodfabrics.com/black-pumpkin-awning-striped-polyester-taffeta-fp18469 PS: enjoy t

I realized while editing this that my sleeves match up with the stripes of the plaid on the front and back pretty dang close too...which I didn't even do on purpose (lazy of me) and yet? Somehow this plaid just wanted to work I guess! Today I'm making a simple yoke accented dress in a cotton plaid f

Hellooo! Finally this video is exported, uploaded, and in the clear! I hope you enjoy seeing these simple modifications to turn the basic all in one sleeve block into a wrap dress version. I know I am excited to use this pattern again in the future, I'd love to have a solid black linen version of th