Comments by "Piccalilli Pit" (@piccalillipit9211) on "V. Birchwood" channel.

  1. I USED TO BE VERY ANTI-FUR until I went to Prague in the winter and the windchill was -45C and all my fancy modern winter clothes were completely useless. I realised you either wore a dead mammal or you became one. EDIT: controversy in the comments - this was 1995, Im sure modern Genuine Polar gear is now better than my expensive pseudo polar gear was 30 years ago...!!!
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  2. IT GENUINELY CAME AS A SHOCK to me to learn that people in the past didn't like being cold, wet or uncomfortable and had worked out how to be warm, dry and comfortable. And the opposite of "warm, dry and comfortable" is Jeans, modern jeans are the most uncomfortable, damp, cold garment humanity has ever been conned into wearing.
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  3. THIS IS THE TIP THAT CHANGED MY LIFE I had hand-sewn several bespoke suits, hundreds and hundreds of hours and I never wore them, I was too scared of damaging them. MAKE A PINNEFORE - a big Victorian style pinafore with lots of fabric and gathers that wraps around you and a big bib that covers you up, this way you dont spill tea on it, you dont get food down you, you dont get grease splatters. Having a pinafore I could slip on whilst cooking or doing any dirty job allowed me to wear my sits every day...
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  4. HOW INTELLIGENT PEOPLE WERE is the thing that has really been made obvious to me from wearing historical fashion, People worked out how to stay warm and dry and look good and be comfortable a LONG time ago - and if anything we have devolved. Sweat pants and a T-shirt are NOT more comfortable than a handmade bespoke suit. We look at old pics and think "OMG how stuffy" NO, with few exceptions they were astonishingly comfortable and climate appropriate...
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  5. MODERN LINEN IS "GASSED" another word is mercerized I believe - the spun fibres are run through a gas flame at high speed and this burns off all the little bits that stick out This makes it softer and less scratchy BUT critically it does not BIND to itself as historical fabric would have, this is the same for cotton BTW. The original "bra" [strophian?] would have held in place far better.
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  6. IM ENGLISH LIVING IN BULGARIA I dress in 1900 to 1930 clothing every day and I think most people just assume this is how ALL English people dress... I hear people say "Oh look at him" and their friends will say "Yes - he's English" as if that's the explanation LOL
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  7. REMEMBER that feeling you get when you see another person in a historical outfit - THAT is how 99% of people feel when they see you... The 1%, well that's either jealousy that they don't have the confidence or genuine ignorance. They dint understand WHY you would wear that, it's so outside the boundaries of their world.
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  8. YES as a tailor of historical suits, I can confirm linen has ZERO stretch in it, But also - and this was my comment: MODERN LINEN IS "GASSED" another word is mercerized I believe - the spun fibres are run through a gas flame at high speed and this burns off all the little bits that stick out This makes it softer and less scratchy BUT critically it does not BIND to itself as historical fabric would have, this is the same for cotton BTW. The original "bra" [strophian?] would have held in place far better. ----- "Wools as fine as those used back then are hard to come by". what GSM / Oz are you wanting? I can get lightweight Turkish wool and new old stock wools from the former USSR. And when you sat "fine" do you mean thin or do you mean woven densely from thin fibres? EDIT - I can also get hand woven narrow loom undyed cloth made in the villages here in Bulgaria
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  9.  @ragnkja  I bought this very expensive gortex coat for the trip - like £600 in 1998, I put it on and went out of the hotel, I was fine until I got to the end of the block to the T that intersected with the street at 90 deg which the wind was blowing down. ALL MY BODY HEAT disappeared down the street in less than a second, it was a literally shocking experience, I clung to my partner and we staggered across the road into a bar. I have never known cold like it in my life, it was very scary. We went bar to bar to bar until we got to the fur market and bought coats, gloves and hats and after that everything was fine. Modern coats can cope with low temperatures but as soon as the wind gets up, they fail - in my experience. [Im sure the genuine polar gear is fine]
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  10. Someone is going to be getting a silver play button very soon...!!!
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  11. This reminds me of the correct answer someone gave to the trans debate question "can you define a woman? What is a woman?" - Answer "A woman is whatever rich old white men decide it is" He who does the classification rules the system...!!
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  12. I LEARNED TO TAILOR MY OWN historical clothing and now I wear it every day - SO much more comfortable... The day I put on the first pair of bespoke trousers I had made I literally said "SH!T..! Now I have to remake everything in my wardrobe"
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  13. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST VIDEO's I have watched in a LONG time, you have touched on SO MANY things that I have thought or felt myself... 1) People in the past DID NOT LIKE being uncomfortable or wet or cold or too hot any more than we do - that revelation came as a shock to me 2) Strange "fashions" of the past usually had purpose - "plus fours" look a bit daft, until you walk your dog through long wet grass and suddenly you realise WHY people wore them 3) I have literally developed an appreciation of the season I never had from being dressed appropriately FOR the season - there is NO such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing 4) Cloaks are the single best garment in history [your Winter outfit] there is a reason people wore cloaks for over 2000 years - quick to put on, super warm, waterproof, comfortable BRILLIANT 5) Modern clothing is baggy or elasticated to make up for not fitting AT ALL. Close fitted clothing that FITS is WAY more comfortable than baggy 6) Insulation works BOTH ways - a thick wool hat will keep your head cool in 40ºC direct sunlight 7) Wool is the king of fabrics, it keeps you warm, it keeps you cool, it keeps you dry and its a joy to sew with 8) Silk is the queen of fabrics, it keeps you warm, it keeps you cool, it looks gorgeous and its horrible to sew with
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  14.  @shishunya_  I did comment "Modern coats can cope with low temperatures but as soon as the wind gets up, they fail - in my experience. [Im sure the genuine polar gear is fine]" That said I have absolutely NO idea how you are wearing synthetic insulation at -50C. I have a Canaga Goode down coat my sister bought me to keep in the car in case of getting stuck in a blizzard. I dont believe that would be any good at -50C with a wind. Whenever I see videos of people in Yakutsk etc they are always wearing fur.
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  15. MY LIFE IS BETTER when it has a lot of hand sewing in it, like you I meditate whilst I sew and I find it extremely beneficial for my mental health. I also NEVER do housework when it HAS to be done, I never nagg myself that it should be done, I do it when I feel like it - and guess what, it all gets done, we exhaust ourselves with our internal nagging, and when I do it, I try to do each thing correctly and with calm dedication, I ONLY do that ONE task that I am doing, I'm not rushing to the next, I wash the plate I hold.
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  16. ME TODAY Literally hurt my back whilst washing my hands... V.Birchwood I sew for 12 hours with no back pain.
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  17. HAHAHA I'm British, now living in Bulgaria - I HAVE NO IDEA why we British insist on wearing outdoor shoes in the house, making the house dirty and wearing out the flooring... I stopped the moment I got to Bulgaria and everyone was taking off their shoes at the door; it had just NEVER occurred to me before. ALSO - outside clothes. Bulgarians get changed to go out the door. They dont slob around the house in nice clothes crumpling them and wearing them out OR go out in slobby clothes. I FULLY recommend this from a mental health perspective...! >>> I work with victims of abuse and depression and its really GOOD to have that set of nice clean clothes that you KNOW you look nice in when you go out - even if its just to the shop or the supermarket. Its a great habit to get into, and your clothes last much longer, need much less washing.
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  18. I wear historical clothes [1900- 1930 mens]. Here is my tip - to begin with wear them after dark. Once you have worn an outfit a couple of times at night you will feel much more comfortable wearing it in the day - I promise. Adn it IS true what people say - that 99% of all the comments are very positive. It genuinely makes other peoples day to see you!
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  19. KNICKERBOCKERS or "Plus Fours" are just GREAT - I have about 5 pairs I have made myself and I LOVE them - especially for walking the dog in long wet grass they are brilliant... And they do stand out more than other 1900 - 1920's clothing items.
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  20. She does seem more happy on a deep level. There is so much joy in her.
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  21. IVE NOT SWITCHED THE HEATING ON FOR 5 YEARS Its -5c outside right now and its 13c inside and I am in my super warm 1910 winter weight wool suit... I did it as an experiment the first year and found I was fine and saving €100 a month, which might be €200 not IDK cos I don't put it on.
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  22. You seem so much happier in the last two videos - I hope your life is getting easier and more full of joy...!!!
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  23. MY FRIEND is an actress - she just finished filming "The Outlaws" with Christopher Walken - some days she was on a Welsh hillside in the rain for 14 hours AT NIGHT...!!! Making movies is about as far from glamorous as you can imagine. Its 90% standing around waiting for everything to be ready for that one take, then another 3 hours of waiting around to do it again, and again...
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  24.  @VBirchwood  Im deeply happy for you. I was in a very abusive relationship with a narcissist for just 3 years, but it left me bankrupt and with brain damage, I know what you mean that your body retains this hyper-vigilance you are unaware of until it starts to pass...
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  25.  @tamagothchic  - I agree. I remember when I was a teenager a pair of Levi 501's used to be essentially indestructible. Being a teenager I would wear the same pair of jeans every day for everything for like 3 or 4 years before finally riping them beyond repair and buying a new pair. The last pair I bought lasted about 8 months and were only used occasionally. That was why I stopped with jeans.
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  26.  @alessazoe  - I live in a SUPER dry climate in Bulgaria. Its that dry here that ice and snow from last week has EVAPORATED. Its not melted it turns directly from solid into gas. Im British, I totally understand mould, but no, here I can literally dry fruit on the counter. When I first moved here I had to have wet towels all around the house to get the humidity up to near British levels.
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  27. ON A SIMILAR THEME can I just try and save you from the same mistake I have made TWICE now. WOOL LINING IN A WOOL GARMENT Do NOT hem the bottom of the garment when you make it, leave the two pieces of fabric overlocked and not sewn together for the first few weeks / first few wearings. You will get differential stretching/shrinking on the two pieces and one will sag down in a most unsightly manner- I just had to unpick the hem of a cape - in a month I will actually hem it.
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  28. COINCIDENCE I first used tailors tacks for a waistcoat with a lapel and collar last week... I noticed my accuracy with chalk lines was not good enough for garments with a lapel - its in the sightline and you can easily see a 3mm difference between the left and right sides.
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  29. YOUR EYES LOOK AMAZING in that red dress and head kerchief - they look like they have fier in them...
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  30. YOU ARE LOOKING so much happier and less stressed.
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  31.  @Lovingly_Ashley  Just a couple of points about historical tailoring - fabric cut on the bias [at an angle] stretches a LOT. you can modulate the level of stretch / support by the degree of the cut - 45º being the stretchiest. The other point is - modern fabrics NEED to stretch cos mass-produced clothes dont fit, its how you get multiple different body shapes into the same clothes. Tailored clothes that fit need almost NO stretch. Im wearing a linen shirt that I tailored and fits and I have TOTAL freedom of movement in it, its as if its made of lycra. I can put my hands above my head and it does not pull at the sides at all, the side seam does not move up 1mm as I raise my arm
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  32.  @VBirchwood The first video I watched was "I Wear Historical Fashion Daily... " You had about 1,800 subscribers I think - you have done SO well. Congratulations
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  33.  @martavdz4972  Im pleased it was helpful - modern fabric is very different to fabric even 50 years ago. Fabric on a mechanical shuttle loom drapes much better than modern projectile loom fabric, its much warmer and more windproof. And hand woven is completely different, much less regular but full of charactor
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  34.  @Riley._.Pierce1  - I'm an author on psychology and the collapse of civilisations - it's called KNOWLEDGE. I'm sorry it scares you.
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  35.  @oliviapritt4458  - OH thank you. My life is in a very good place now, thank you. It was horrific at the time - but it allowed me to rebuild myself as the person I wanted to be. That is the one advantage fo being totally destroyed.
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  36. THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER of things you can make from one period before you simply run out of options or inspiration. I love men's suits 1890 to 1920 and I wear them every day. But I am about to start on a pair of 1930's "Oxford Bags" trousers and soon I will make an 18th century Banyan. Its my hobby, not my slave master.
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  37. Just a follow-up on your post about losing a job / client. Dont let it stress you too much, every setback in life really is an opportunity and Im not just mouthing platitudes. In 2014 I was worth €6 million when I suffered brain damage in a mugging, I lost everything and became homeless. I got myself back together and wrote a book about it, I never tried to regain my wealth, I live a very tiny, very happy minimalist life, I taught myself to tailor men's bespoke historical suits and I am just working on a commission for an Am3ric4n fashion critique who you almost certainly know but I cant name. Tough times are by definition - horrible, but they give us the opportunity to go in the direction we want. When there is nothing to lose its WAY easier to take risks. GOOD LUCK
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  38. Im an author on psychology and recovery from abuse. This comment hit me "and things I've made feel best to me" I recommend people recovering from depression or abuse get a hobby that involves making things for themselves. It adds value to your life to sit at a desk you have made or wear a shirt you made from an old sheet. It is something very deep in us humans that we like to create and use what we create. It validates our existence. I also see it a lot in Gen Z, they are big into making thems for themselves.
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  39.  @gailsears2913  Well my coat was down. I was not as good at layering as I am today. But the problem was the coat was quilted and wherever the fabric was sewn together the wind just blew straight through. The one I have now, bought for me by my sister to keep in the car for emergencies, is a Canada Goose Expedition Padded Parka - that has a quilted lining and a solid outer shell, Ive never tested it below -15C. BUT the problems with this one are 1) Its SO noisy, the fabric is this scratchy nylon and it is so noise but more of a problem is 2) The hood is MASSIVE - and it stops you from seeing/hearing traffic, not an issue if you are in Antarctica but a big issue if you are walking down a snow-covered road. I need to modify the hood.
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  40. I MADE A WEE WILLY WINKY night cap and so should you - they are BRILLIANT. The flappy triangle thing - yeah you pull that down over your exposed ear and tuck it under your arm and it keeps your ear warm and blocks out lots of noise - I LOVE IT
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  41.  @alessazoe  Absolutely - if you lived in my sister's house at 15C in the north of England yo would be in hospital in a week with black lung LOL She has to have 2 dehumidifiers running 24/7 to stop the wallpaper going mouldy.
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  42.  @antoinepetrov  - Im over near Burgas, so its not as dry as your area, but to a British person this is like living in a desert LOL. I love Plovdive, but everything is at the top of a hill...!!!
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  43. I MAKE BESPOKE HISTORICAL MENSWARE 1900 - 1930 I don't have a website or Instagram, as I get absolutely swamped with requests. People are definitely becoming more aware of their clothes - more than just the fashion of them, aware of the materials, sustainability, ethics, investment et cetera. The one thing, I wish people would realise, and this was personified in your makeover, historical clothes are more comfortable than modern clothes, not the other way round.
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  44.  @VBirchwood  -Its usual coats and capes - outerwear. But over a full-length coat you can get 5cm of differential stretching in the first month... As i discovered to my horror...
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  45.  @fringelord  Yeah I don't think you will find many vegans in the polar climates.
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  46. I JUST TODAY FINISHED a 1920's double breasted suit with patch pockets and lobe lapels from a fashion plate - its dark but I am wearing it any way :-D
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  47.  @Riley._.Pierce1  You CAN educate yourself for FREE you know. Books, libraries, and online courses are all available you don't HAVE to live in ignorance
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  48.  @angela_merkeI  No I'm not daft - you worded your comment VERY badly and you won't just back down. " I studied Ancient Studies at university," Did you pass??? Cos people with degrees are usually way better at constructing arguments. " AUTHORS, I meant authors. " You DIDNT say authors you said "PEOPLE" "but this stuff didn't normally survive" THAT is what you should have said in reply No1. But instead, you doubled down and defended your badly worded incorrect comment. You made a comment that was factually incorrect and doubled down on it instead of just saying "Yes, this is true, but the very ephemeral nature of these writings means very few were preserved"
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  49. I have 3- seriously they are simply THE BEST.
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  50. I just read your comment and give you a sub. I make this book men's suits 1900 to 1930, but I'm thinking of trying a few things on the 18th century in the near future
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  51. 2 WEEKS AGO I BOUGHT LINEN FABRIC to make bed sheets and duvet covers from - 2.4m wide - it cost me MORE per linear meter than your sponsor is selling sheets at... THANKS LIFE
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  52. I HAVE SOME VICTORIAN PATTERN MENS SHIRTS I often wear them as night shirts when my PJ's are i the wash... They have separate collars you attach with shirt studs so with no collar they are very soft - they are usually off white or cream - the collars are starched white
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  53. Im currently bine watching a channel called "Objectivity" - its all about the items in the "The Royal Society" archives - a scientific institute in London. What you forget is that everything we "know" had to be figured out. We know why the tides of the sea happen - someone very clever had to WORK THAT OUT. Adn the great thing about these videos is you see the people working the things out; what you also see if that people 100, 200, 500 years ago were REALLY INTELEGENT.
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  54. I MADE A NIGHT CAP - you know the "Wee Willy Winky" ones - and actually, like almost everything I make from the past I find out they are GREAT - realy GRAT. You would THINK th e long triangle that flops down would get tangled and be a pain the a****. Nope. You lay down ad pull it over your EAR and put the end under your arm. It keeps your ear warm [I don't heat my house] and its really quiet, cos there are fewer noises distracting your sleep you move less. They really are the perfect solution to sleeping in a cold room...
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  55. WHEN YOU WEAR RED your eyes look to be on fire, like smouldering embers at the end of a bonfire...
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  56.  @user-sg4ov7ng4h  - It was -11C here this morning and I was absolutely fine in several layers of wool. Its when it gets to -25C in my experience and you suddenly get into really scary territory - unless you are used to it
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  57. YOUR CLOTHING must bring SO MUCH joy to the people you meet and those who see you each day...!!!
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  58. And the north of England - its our word for hopes and dreams...
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  59. YOU SEEM happier and more relaxed every video - I hope you are having as much fun making them as I watching them
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  60. YEP - I need this right now, something pleasant and relaxing, tough day.
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  61.  @angela_merkeI  You said mundane stuff was not written about cos materials were expensive when the contrary is true. Materials were cheap and mundane stuff most certainly was written about "he best-known document is perhaps Tablet 291, written around 100 by Claudia Severa,[17] the wife of the commander of a nearby fort, to Sulpicia Lepidina, inviting her to a birthday party. The invitation is one of the earliest known examples of writing in Latin by a woman"
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  62.  @angela_merkeI  "Ancient Romans/Greeks didn't write about most parts of everyday life as writing was a costly affair" Thats what you said. "because everyone was a woman or knew/grew up with/around women so it wasn't anything to waste ink and parchment on." thats what you said. "The Romans wrote on thin slivers of wood or bark. It was dirt cheap. " Thats what I responded" "Claudia Severa,[17] the wife of the commander of a nearby fort, to Sulpicia Lepidina, inviting her to a birthday party. The invitation is one of the earliest known examples of writing in Latin by a woman"". Thats the example i gave. The Romans wrote day to day stuff all the time on low cost media. Just drop it.
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  63. I HAVE BEEN TAILORING men's historical clothing for 2 years now - these are MY top tips. 1) Buy a vintage SINGER STRAIGHT LINE SEWING MACHINE pref 201k if you can but any solid metal - NO ZIG ZAG - NO FEATURES. Get it professionally serviced. The difference between this machine and even a 1980's metal Singer zig zag machine is night and day - it will transform your LIFE. 2) Buy a cheap "disposable" plastic modern machine for button holes [though you can get a button hole attachment for the singer], overlocking, zig zag, decorative stitches etc 3) Buy multiple colours of quality chalk 4) Buy an INCH and a CM tape measure - when drafting you put the NUMBER on your mark - you stretch the tape out and you mark AT THE METAL END i.e 14" to 0" mark at zero 5) Buy either an old heavy vintage steam iron that weighs 1.5kg the Bakelite and metal ones OR just bite the bullet and buy a professional tailors iron 6) Buy / make pressing weights - when you PRESS a seam you then need a heavy metal plate to hold it in place whilst the fabric cools and dries - this is incredibly important 7) Old electric cooker cast iron hot plates make AMAZING pattern weights, look out at the council recycling place for an old hob 8) The "closing seam" is the last seam on a garment to be sewn up - many vintage drafting instructions will mention this but Google has no idea 9) A "scky" is an arm hole 10) Tailoring is a series of separate jobs. Making a jacket is a massive task, but actually, it is about 50 small separate tasks, you don't need to be good at making a jacket. You just need to practice the tasks. So cut out the patter, do the bits you can do. When you get to doing a "welted pocket" - just watch a Youtube video on making a welted pocket and practice 4 or 5 times on scraps of fabric, then do your welted pockets. Move on. DONT BE scared of large projects. 11) there is ALWAYS a great YouTube video telling you exactly how to do each step - even if you THINK you know, watch a video...
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  64.  @shishunya_  I literally said " [Im sure the genuine polar gear is fine]"
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  65.  @elisabethm9655  - I lost mine in a badly executed house move :-(
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  66.  @zoolkhan  QUOTE "EDIT: controversy in the comments - this was 1995, Im sure modern Genuine Polar gear is now better than my expensive pseudo polar gear was 30 years ago...!!!"
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  67.  @jeweledsnail  THAT might explain why they can make them for 1/3rd the price I can buy the fabric...
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  68. I have been on with this for 30 minutes now trying to give you the information but YT comments just deletes everything I put that would be helpful - sorry people - I tried.
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  69. I HAVE A BRAND NEW PAIR OF LEATHER SHOES that are incredibly uncomfortable and not yet worn in - ergo ALL shoes are uncomfortable and no one should ever wear shoes...!!!
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  70.  @wadeevans4355  - you dont know how the world works.
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  71.  @angela_merkeI  The Romans wrote on thin slivers of wood or bark. It was dirt cheap. There are thousands of them found in the UK about day to day gossip.
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  72.  @angela_merkeI  OK fine drop it.
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  73.  @stevezytveld6585  - You are very welcome. Most modern garments usually have about 20% synthetic in them and this is to prevent the stretching / shrinkage problem. 100% wool can change shape a LOT if its like 1m or 1.5 in length - especially if it get rained on.
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  74.  @jodywarren54  - YOu are very welcome - I just unpicked about 3.5m - 10 feet of hem I hand stitched a week ago LOL
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  75. I WORKED WITH ABUSE VICTIMS FOR 8 YEARS you always had the shell-shocked look in your eye, the one that says "there is a pane of bulletproof glass between me and the world" and you are right, it has gone this year, I have commented upon your eyes in the last few videos. EDIT - im super pleased your life is coming together.
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  76. NOT WORN MODERN CLOTHES for 6 years now and I can NOT imagine doing so, clothes that dont fit, that make you sweat, that restricts your movement, that are too cold or too hot...
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  77.  @VBirchwood  - Well I actually live in one of the Soviet era apartment blocks; not I have no idea what they are like in Russia, but in Bulgaria, they are built SO WELL. I LOVE living in it, but the corridor is a little bit dirty - so I take my shoes off just inside the door - put my "pantoffi" пантофи i.e. slippers on and then put the shoes outside the door.
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  78. I GET UP AT SUNRISE EVERY MORNING so every single day of the year my wake-up time is different on the clock - tomorrow it will be 6.13 am the day after 6.11 am It is impossible to explain how natural this is to me now and how completely weird YOUR life that revolves around mechanical time is to me YOU guys get up at a different time every day. Humans are mammals and mammals get up [mostly] at sunrise and my morning is the SAME every day - the sun is common up over the sea as I exercise on the balcony EVERY morning. ---> I started this just as an experiment like you did this Medieval mattress - and I am fortunate that I don't have to do a 9 to 5 job so I am free.
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  79. M[i]s BIRCH WOOD sits under an oak tree...??? Sounds kinda tree-sonous to me Forsaking the one that named you For a rhyming couplet, or three
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  80.  @VBirchwood  - You make me smile, thank you.
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  81.  @olgahein4384  I did say " [Im sure the genuine polar gear is fine]". Im talking about the stuff like the £650 coat I bought that says Polar on the tags but they never believe you are actually going to test that.
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  82.  @christiankirkenes5922  Well lots of people in the comments told me I am wrong and you don't need fur with modern synthetics and down - and Im just not qualified to argue one way or another. But down is natural...! I was out in -10C a couple of days ago and I was toasty warm in my layers of wool - BUT I was wearing 8kg of clothing - I got weighed. Thats a lot.
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  83. IF YOU ARE MACHINE SEWING ACCURATELY there is very little difference in the speed of hand sewing to machine sewing... By the time you have trademarked both pieces, sewn 4cm, stopped to check alignment, sewn 4cm stopped again, finished, and pulled out all the thread marking, its almost the same as just hand sewing the seam in the first place. And one of the biggest jumps in your sewing professionalism is STOPPING sewing to seam allowance and start sewing to thread marking...!!!
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  84. IS NO ONE GOING TO MENTION the horrific haunted dog skeleton in the corner...???
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  85. JEANS SUCK like you I was unaware how much jeans sucked cos I wore them all the time. Then I made a bespoke pair of trousers and I have NOT put on a pair of jeans since that moment 5 years ago. I didn't know clothes were not supposed to be uncomfortable, cold, damp in wet weather, etc
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  86. THE NEXT TIME you do a large standing collar - you need to back BOTH pieces of fabric with heavy linen canvas, excluding the hemming, fold over the canvas and sew. If you want it to be very compliant and malleable - you need to pad stitch the canvas to the collar - you can also create shape this way - pad stitching is way easier and quicker than you think
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  87. INTERESTING FACT the identical civilian outfits of communist China and USSR were NOT, as we are led to believe, communist mind control tactics removing peoples individualism... They are TO ELIMINATE THE MOST WASTEFUL INDUSTRY THERE IS - FASHION...!
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  88. CONGRATULATIONS...!!!
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  89. I AM LITERALLY about to start darning my socks...
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  90. I want a bed in a box like the medieval people had - maybe because I am autistic, I like controlled spaces Im about to re model the house and I might have one made into the bedroom
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  91.  @angelaclements1244  OK - Im not here to argue with you.
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  92.  @emilysmith2784  - Maybe there is regionality to it..??? I come from the working class region of the North and you would definitely take working boots off, but almost no one took shes off. My guess is that the perception would historically be that by comparison - shoes were clean compared to boots worn down a mine or in an iron foundry...?? This is my guess...???
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  93. A PLEA TO HOBBYISTS Please, once you get competent, do not go onto Etsy and sell your labour for pennies on the pound £ You are putting guys like this out of business I know it can be incredibly tempting to just make a few ££ or $$ and just cover the fabric and material cost of your hobby; but I assure you - you are doing NO ONE any favours. You WILL start to get requests and suddenly the £40 for a skirt you charged is now £240 because you are now costing the fabric and your time at minimum wage and your client thinks you are conning them >>> And you are distorting the market for the people who are actually making a living, paying a mortgage, feeding their family off the proceeds of their labour. Never charge less than $15 / £15 / €15 an hour for your work. If its not good enough to charge that - then keep practising until it is, don't sell crap.
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  94. OH WOW - YOU HAVE 40.1K SUBSCRIBERS...! the last time I looked you had 1,300 CONGRATULATIONS
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  95. WHEN I PUT ON my first pair of bespoke fish-backed trousers - my comment was "OH SH!T" They were SO comfortable I knew I could never wear commercially made trousers again... I knew at that moment that I would NEVER wear a pair of jeans again, off-the-peg trousers again. And I have not since that day 4 years ago. I make all my own clothes now, they are infinitely more comfortable.
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  96.  @lalaithan  😀
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  97.  @Mycopoks  Мисля че е.
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  98. ​ @andrem7718  You are most welcome to it.
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  99.  @DonnaHawkTx  Yeah - I also lost all my ties, braces / suspenders, scarves. Packed them at one end - and unpacked at the other and they were not there. I have literally no idea what happened to them. Its not like I used a removal company.
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  100. THAT BLUE is just stunning...
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  101.  @SlavaUkraini2025-n3n  I replied in full but it was deleted - Ill reply in parts see which bits you get
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  102.  @SlavaUkraini2025-n3n  wool fabric is. вълнен плат Linen fabric is ленен плат Cotton fabric is памучен плат Old fabric is стар плат this will usually take you to the fabric made in the communist period. Hand woven ръчно тъкан плат Bulgarians are GREAT hoarders - so when they are clearing out grannies house there is always a cupboard full of fabric
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  103.  @SlavaUkraini2025-n3n  - OK almost all of it - you need to search for the phrase in the next message
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  104.  @SlavaUkraini2025-n3n  "Старинен вълнен плат,платно"
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  105.  @SlavaUkraini2025-n3n  you will get to the Bulgarian v of 4m4z0n / 3b4y. There are 2.3 Bg to the £
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  106.  @SlavaUkraini2025-n3n  *******"Старинен вълнен плат,платно"******
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  107. ****"Старинен вълнен плат,платно"*****
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  108.  @SlavaUkraini2025-n3n  YEP - thats what you need to do - put that into the g00gl3 machine
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  109.  @VBirchwood  QUOTE "was socially acceptable and now it is the opposite" & " employers potentially would look down " I think you may be jumping to conclusions. Naturally, I can not speak for all employers, but I think many employers would appreciate your individualism and creativity.
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  110.  @VBirchwood  - You said you were doing an MA - so I was kinda thinking more of a professional setting. And re "many office and corporate jobs, anything deemed “distracting” is often not allowed" - it entirely depends if the company wants individuals with talent and creativity or just robots fulfilling a task. My point is, there are companies that would immediately White you if you turned up to an interview in a historical outfit cos they are looking for that type of person, someone who "thinks outside the box" and all the other cliches... I think there would be many companies where it would be welcomed. I have certainly worked for several.
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  111.  @VBirchwood  - I am impressed that you worked while studying, this does not appear to be the norm in the UK any longer. May I ask what the subject of your MA is? What career you are hoping for?
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  112.  @VBirchwood  WOW - you look about 21..!!! and an MA in Creative Writing, I'm an author now, after a lifetime in business. So I strongly approve. It does you good [even though you don't think so at the time] to come from a modest family and to have to struggle. Nothing is gained from an easy life, nothing worth having anyway. I grew up with actual holes in my shoes, going to school in a black bin liner with holes for the arms and head, we were too poor to afford coats...
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  113.  @VBirchwood  - I have been a millionaire and I have been homeless. I would argue that you can not grow in character from an easy life, I certainly learned nothing from being rich except that it's not like the movies... Anyway, I just found your channel and I have subscribed, you are charming and I am sure your outfits bring great joy to many people every day. I will say good night as It is late here in Bulgaria. Maybe talk again one day... :-D
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  114. I AM NEVER MORE relaxed than when I am pad stitching a lapel - felling down a seam... I have just finished a 3 piece men's suit [1920 pattern] and I have a kind of grief now, I'm very happy with how it turned out, but its over and my purpose is gone till I find the next inspiration.
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  115.  @VBirchwood  - OH thank you - 120 hours... I'm just piecing the last bits of fabric together to make a different style of waistcoat, which is mostly cos I am at a loss what to do with my hands LOL I know you live in the Uk - Im British so I know people are pretty reserved [grumpy] there but do you get a lot of compliments and comments when you are in public. You look FANTASTIC but I wonder how people in the UK react. I live in Bulgaria where people are way freer with their complements. I wear 1900 - 1930's every day and people tell me that I look good a lot, its just to culture here to compliment strangers.
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  116.  @VBirchwood  -OH that's nice. As I don't live there anymore my view of the Uk gets distorted by the hideous people commenting on the news feeds - I have little idea of what the UK is REALLY LIKE. Its hard to believe there are any nice people left living there if you just read the comments and watch the news...
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  117. I SLEEP DIURNALLY I wake up 10 minutes before sunrise every morning using a sunrise alarm so I watch the sun come up over the horizon every single day as I do Tai Chi on the balcony Obviously, this is a different time every day. I go to bed when I am tired, no set time. I CAN do this cos I an self-employed. What was surprising was how quickly it became totally normal - like a week. I have been living like this for about 2 years, my summer days are very long and nights short and opposite in winter - but it just seems FINE. Its almost like evolution made us to be OK with this... So my day is timed + X hours after waking up, like the old Japanese clocks. 1st dog walk +1 hour. 2nd dog walk +3 hours. Food +5 hours. Etc. Instead of at a given time. The crazy thing is - my dog KNOWS when its time for its walk, even though its walk is at a different time every day, the dog has adjusted to this as well...
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  118.  @Morphis  I dont understand your point...???
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  119.  @jujubesification  1998 - 1998 Before we discovered that the cl!t0r!s5 is a giant internal organ - 1998...!!! It was not scanned and recreated in 3D until 2005. had to code as the AI censor thinks its unacceptable - who trained the AI...??? Men. Lets be clear - Im a man, but I can see the problem.
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  120.  @Riley._.Pierce1  Im sorry my bigoted little friend - If rich white men decided that women were all people under 5 feet 7 inches then THAT is what women would be. Im deeply sorry for your ignorance and lack of education. Also what a woman is has nothing to do with biology "Woman" is a social construct.
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  121.  @36424567254  YEP - agree with every word of that. I have a thick pair of wool work trousers, they are not good quality fabric. I made them before I really knew much about fabric, but I have worn them and worn them and worn them and they are JUST marketing to wear through after 5 years. My last pair of 501's were for "best" and they lasted less than a year.
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  122. I JUST FINISHED A 3 PIECE SUIT on Friday - 120 hours, and I feel just like you - empty and almost grief-stricken LOL Every spare moment for 5 weeks and now its over.
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  123. THIS MADE ME THINK I have long covid and it sucks, but the thought of having it AND being uncomfortable all day in modern clothes OMG
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  124.  @VBirchwood  😀
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  125.  @VBirchwood  -I was meaning in the civilian population. If you look back at China in the 1970's everyone wore the same blue clothes.
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  126. I could not do that even for a week. But its not the style, its that modern clothes are SO uncomfortable
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  127.  @VBirchwood  - Im not good at it LOL. But It stops you from having to throw away good socks.
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  128.  @VBirchwood  - Yeah - mine is always post hole formation LOL
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  129.  @emilysmith2784  "Just asked my office" that was my exact point. If you work in an office your shoes will seem dirty. If you work down a mine or in an iron foundry then you are likely to see shoes as clean by comparison. But I think the "social circle's" point is a red herring as one half of my family are very wealthy farmers who own 22,000 acres of the vale of York and the other are penniless ex-miners and neither take their shoes off in the house. The only thing that unites these two halves of the family except manage is they work in dirty environments in their working day...
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  130.  @emilysmith2784  - AH sorry - I was taking a more generational view and trying to work out why some families / groups of people do this and others don't. I have actually Googled this to find an answer and I cant. Apparently in the Netherlands, they don't take their shoes off; in Australia, the kids don't wear shoes in school. And I can remember that up until my high school at 13 WE did not wear shoes in school.
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  131.  @katherinemorelle7115  - I think this is fascinating. I would LOVE to get to the bottom of why in some places its a horrific NO NO and in others its entirely normal. Certainly here in Bulgaria the norm is shoes off BEFORE you step foot in the house. In my apartment block everyone has a chair outside the door to sit on and take shoes off. Among the group of people, I knew in the UK they never took their shoes off. But they would not poot outdoor shed ON on a morning if they were not going out. It would be slippers...
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  132. I LOVE HAND SEWING I find it helps my mental health greatly, it helps my ADHD. Its too hot to be sewing where I live at the moment and I miss it greatly, I'm genuinely NOT as happy and I am more stressed...
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  133.  @VBirchwood  - I absolutely agree. Cheap prices actually help no one. They trap people in poverty, endlessly rebuying the same item over and over again. You are Russian so you will know the communist era steam irons - I have two of them. I have lived in Bulgaria 12 years and I had thrown 5 modern irons in the bin, broken and unrepairable so I bought two USSR ones - 1977 and 1983 they were made and they STILL WORK. But the expectation now is that everything is for pennies, and people expect creators and artists to somehow compete with throw away fast fashion??? I ONLY do tailoring as a hobby, I dont take paid work. I do get a LOT of requests but telling them the true price it would be usually cures the nagging LOL.
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  134. 8:12 - the spider / bug - my ex girlfriend had exactly that broach - she lost the pearl and we had to replace it...
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  135. IM GOING TO SAVE THIS for later with a cup of tea
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  136. WHAT RUSSIAN WORDS do you find so evocative you use them in English...? Here in Bulgaria, they use шматка, SHMATKA as slang for idiot and I use that. Also I like ужас UZJHAS for horrible, especially when applied to leopard print athleisure suits
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  137.  @raraavis7782  -7 outside now and there are kittns playing like its.a summers day
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  138.  @emapelikanova478  Actually now you come to mention it I want - It was my first time there and I was going on business - I was at the Skoda Hevey Engineering plant at Temelín and some other places. We had sold them video conferencing equipment and I flew out to set it up for them. I think one site was a nuclear power plant or they were building a nuclear plant? and the other I think it made engines for ships..??? I flew into Prague and they picked us up the next day and drove us to what seemed like a completely deserted office building made of concrete rooms about 3m square and 5m tall. God Id completely forgotten. It was after that I started going each year for Christmas - that was my first visit. Ive just looked it up - The Temelín nuclear power plant was constructed in 1991-2003. At two units, fitted with VVER 1000-type reactors produced by ŠKODA Yeah so we supplied the video conferencing - Zoom as we would call it today LOL - for Skoda who were building the nuclear plant.
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  139.  @Ruth-xd2xo  Yeah I agree wiht that
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  140.  @VBirchwood  - I'm sure they do. I'm sure you bring some joy into everyone's life.
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