I recently made a video about some of the plus size inclusive sewing brands I’ve encountered, and the entire time I was writing and rewriting what I wanted to say, I was editing out small recurring rants about the Big 4+ pattern company (Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick, Vogue and their comparatively newer acquisitions or sub-brands Burda Style, Know Me and New Look). The Big 4+’s issues with plus size representation and inclusive sizing has been an ongoing battle. A battle that seems to spill out onto the independent companies either using the Big 4+ as a template for their own business, or in response to the Big 4’s ambivalence.
But whether it’s commercial companies or Independents, this has been a problem on a large scale for years. Not apologizing for the pun.
It brings up some interesting questions:
Who does inclusive sewing and representation effect? How much plus is enough plus?
IS sewing inclusive? Particularly during the present time?
What should we expect from designers and brands?
Does the size of the company matter when discussing the size of the customer?
How can brands be more inclusive and promote plus size representation?
It seems like a lot of our usual go-to resources for sewing are quickly being merged and sold off. In a world where fast-fashion barely fits the lean and svelte without issue, what’s a plus-size person to do? Especially if they want to make their own everyday fantasy wardrobe?
In this video I talk about plus size sewing & costuming patterns and where to find them now that tissue patterns are becoming scarce. On a local level, at least.
There are two – maybe three – things I think about when I think tartan.
Myths about Scottish heritage, its ubiquity amongst the snobby set, and punk.
I found some fantastic tartan fabric at Marshall Fabric and while I first thought they might become pants (after all, what’s more punk than tartan pants?), this dress by Tiana Herring caught my fancy instead!
Join me as I make the Juniper Dress by Tiana Herring and talk about tartan, plaid, and resistance.
Edwardian French Drawers. They sound a little exotic, don’t they? All the pictures I’ve seen have featured very shapely, slender ladies sporting shaped flounces frothing at the hem with lace trim.
I worried that they’d hang wrong on me, or that they’d look ridiculous, but in the end, I’m very happy with my reproduction French drawers.
I used Truly Victorian pattern TVE02 – Edwardian Underwear to make the drawers. This is probably – so far- the most cottage core item of clothing in my wardrobe. I originally planned to make and talk about both the French drawers and a corset cover. Unfortunately, the drawers were more involved than I thought they would be! There was a lot of hand-sewing, particularly on the facings and hem. I also hand-sewed the lace trim into place, as well as the buttonhole.
I shot the reveal in my parents’ back garden. The weather was beautiful, but I chose the absolute wrong time of day. It was late afternoon by the time I was able to get my makeup on and my gear packed in the car for the trip. As a result, I was shooting directly into the sun – the nicest flowers in the garden are in the west. Whoops. That said, I still had a good time setting up cameras and posing. I hope the neighbours aren’t too confused!
Hot Girl Summer
My main worry was that I might accidentally show more of my body than intended. You usually make Edwardian French Drawers with an open crotch area. This is for practical reasons, Having to use the washroom in a hip-hugging corset in the early 1900’s could really cause some drama in the ladies’ restroom. The drawers are actually very modest. I wore them with my chemise tucked in. If anything, the tucked-in chemise gave the drawers a little bit more poof!
And we all know how important it is to wear well-ventilated clothing in the middle of a heat wave. Seriously, we’re sitting at 32 degrees Celsius right now. Hiding in my basement office is a wonderful way to spend the day.
In this week’s video, I also rant about the pattern industry and the way it still refuses to put serious acknowledgement into the plus-size community. Perhaps this is something that deserves a blog post of its own.
While smaller, independant designers are doing their best to cater to the growing demand for patterns of all sizes, the large pattern companies with actual budgets still seem to deliberately shoot themselves in the metaphorical foot when it comes to doing the simplest things to promote and sell patterns for larger bodies. It’s frustrating. Particularly at a time when sewing clothing is making a comeback due to the cottage core aesthetic and sustainable practices. How maddening.
That aside, I do hope you’ll check out my video. Please leave a like and a comment about my new (perhaps not-so-surprisingly modest) Edwardian underwear! I’m already working on the Corset Cover, and am progressing steadily toward the rest of my Edwardian outfit.
On April 6th, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, advised that wearing non-medical face masks could give an additional layer of protection when needing to go out in public.
My fabric stash is minuscule compared to my Mum’s, so she granted me access to the treasure trove that is her cotton bin. It’s a huge Rubbermaid tub that’s full of swatches and remnants. Some of the contents date back almost 40 years.
I am a colourful ninja
I’m almost afraid that I’ve snagged some of the fabric she’s been hoarding for other purposes, but I’m sure she’d tell me if that were the case.
At any rate, I made face masks for the husbeast, myself, and both sets of our parents. They aren’t the most chic items of clothing, but they definitely have some personality.
The right mask for the right person
I mixed and matched colours suitable for the gentlemen…even in a pandemic, I can’t see my Dad wearing cute owls on his face. Mum might get a kick out of them, but Dad? Not likely. I stuck mainly with grey, grey-blue, and navy for them.
The ladies, however, get the fun stuff. Burgundy and lavender, cute prints…you name it. My favourite face masks have owls and mushrooms on it.
For more information, click on that video up top to see the process!
I have this weird tendency to fixate on new hobbies. Honestly, it sometimes feels like my life is just a series of obsessions that meander through a wild wood full of experiences and knowledge.
Before the new year, I’d been making an effort to update the blog, scheduling posts, and keeping the content running. It was a little…book-heavy, but I was trying to find ways to work in my other interests on the side. Talk about knitting or crafting books instead of fiction? That works!
Still book-heavy, but you work with what you’ve got.
Enter the YouTube
Because I had a bit of time left unspoken-for, I figured I’d try streaming on Twitch. I threw myself into it with my usual manic abandon, watching all the videos on what to do and what to expect.
“You should start a YouTube channel to support your streaming!” they cried, and I rejoiced – I would finally be using my college education.
So I went down the rabbit-hole of online gaming channels and promptly hit a brick wall. I’ll spare the technicalities, but essentially it boils down to the fact that my primary computer is a Mac. You can game on a Mac, but recording that gameplay can be problematic. Thus, I was limited to perhaps two games that I could play somewhat reliably, and only if I rebooted to a Windows partition….look, I said it was technical.
This is the reel that never ends
I actually enjoy editing. I didn’t have much experience with the flatbed film editor in college (I think it was a Steenbeck?), but I got in some time with the video edit suite. I liked using Premiere in the technical course I took afterwards, and I’m brushing up a lot of those old skills.
However, when you’re a gaming channel, the edits never end. If you think about it, a person who runs their own YouTube channel is not only the on-air talent, but also the writer, director, producer, editor, graphic designer, and marketing agent. You have to know what people will click on, and how to present it. We talk down our noses about ‘clickbait’, but to be perfectly truthful, there’s a reason it exists. There are people whose income literally depends on your inability to resist clicking that title.
And when you’re trying to get people to click on the 3 or more videos you produce per week? It’s sink or swim time.
Burnout and a new direction
It’s like a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’
The husbeast brought a nasty cold home from the office sometime in February. I’m prone to bronchitis, so I endured a few weeks worth of coughing while I tried to decide what I wanted to do. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to go back to the endless grind of editing video game footage.
“Screw it,” I said. “I want to knit a sock.”
So I did. I finished off the socks I failed to finish for Yule (Dad. Very big feet), then I found another sock I’d started in November or December and finished that pair as well.
It hit me that I wanted to vlog about knitting. Knitting, crochet, sewing…I want to vlog about the crafting lifestyle. Most of the knitting channels I’ve seen on YouTube have been geared more toward a tutorial, or podcast format. There’s a person centred on the screen, either demonstrating a technique or showing off their completed work.
I want to show the process
If you’ve seen Bernadette Banner, Morgan Donner, or Rachel Maksy’s videos, you’ll know what I mean.
I’ve been watching vintage fashion come and go since the late 90’s, if not longer. I’ve collected 1950s patterns I can’t yet fit into. I’ve built corsets and even made my own 16th Century gown once upon a time. I like the concept of Historybounding, and considered building my own everyday corset because it’s a good, solid, foundation garment.
You know what I haven’t really seen? A similar YouTube channel from the point of view of a sewer and maker who is also a knitter.
I want to see that sweater-girl look with a sweater actually knit by hand. I’d like to see vintage mittens and snow bonnets. As odd as it seems to say it, I’d like to see a vintage 70’s outfit, bell-bottoms and all…with a crocheted poncho.
I’m not about to knit a pair of hose, because, well….that’s far too much work for a pair of tights, but I’d like to see a bit of hand-crocheted edging make it onto a neckline or sleeve cap. Would a Victorian-inspired outfit take longer to make if it had a knitted shawl or mufatees? Probably. Would it be worth it?
Oh yes.
I want to delve into the Mary Maxim back catalogue, as problematic as it might be, and knit a Cowichan-inspired “curling sweater”. Is it cultural appropriation? Very likely. I’m not going to deny that. It’s also a very important touchstone of my formative years growing up in Canada with a grandmother who knit. These are issues and history I could very happily discuss on YouTube.
So that leads me to the end result:
Rebranding my YouTube channel
It’s not really a rebrand. It’s…more a redirection. I kept the name Stringchronicity right from the very beginning. The gaming videos are still there, if for nothing more than reference.
I uploaded my first crafting lifestyle vlog on Sunday. You know what I’m making? Socks. Yes, I’m sure you guessed that. I also demonstrated lever knitting, as it’s the technique I use when I knit, and the lever knitting video I uploaded last year has enjoyed some minor popularity.
The best part is that I feel engaged with my subject matter. I have footage for two more videos that I’m assembling right now, and I really hope that my enjoyment with both subjects is relatable to others.
If you’re interested in seeing what I’ve been up to, you can head over to my YouTube channel or just check out the video below. New videos will have their own blog posts when they appear. I’m having fun putting them together and I can’t wait to share them with everyone else!
