HSF '14: Challenge #2- Innovation (or a Marseilles cloth petticoat)

If you reference my HSF '14: Challenge #1 post, you'll see that my fist attempt at a Marseilles cloth petticoat (usually called "matelasse" today) turned out less than perfect. First too long, then too short, then finally made to work by adding a printed band around the bottom.

So, for Challenge #2- Innovation, I've decided to make a more length appropriate (and all hand sewn!) petticoat. Before we get to the petti itself, let's talk about the idea behind this challenge, and why I chose to use it as an opportunity for a new Marseilles cloth petticoat.

Who doesn't want a lovely quilted petticoat, right? You get that awesome fullness of the skirts without having to wear a ba-zillion (technical term) petticoats, and it keeps you toasty warm when it's -48° Fahrenheit due to the polar vortex that has kindly visited Illinois this winter! .... but back to reality- who has the time to hand quilt a petticoat?! (Unless you are Carolyn from Rockin' the Rococo- jealous btw!)

Back to our innovation research: In the early 18th century, Marseilles was very well known for it's quilting manufacture and for good reason: Marseilles quilting is beautiful!  Marseilles quilters worked pieces in yard goods for clothing or in pieces for use in bedding. Some day I will get around to making my very own Marseilles quilting inspired hand quilted 18th century petticoat.

That day is not today.

Thankfully for me (and all of those other 18th century quilted petticoat saps) England's all about keeping it in the country; In 1760 the Society for the Encouragements of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce in England began offering money for those who could figure out how to replicate via a loom the look of "Marseille quilting." By 1763 the first patent is registered, and it is noted in 1783 that the use of Marseilles cloth was "...so extensive...that few persons of any rank, condition, or fix......exist who do not use it in some part of their clothing."

Knowing that in the 1760's and early 70's Virginia is seeing huge amounts of cloth imported from London, and there are quite a few references between '63-76 in the Gazette regarding "Marseilles quilts" being imported, I figured that I could reasonably have a Marseilles cloth petticoat in Alexandria, VA at this time.

Now, onto the petticoat itself.

Front and side view of my Petticoat. It's very full (a little more so than I expected.)
I didn't iron it prior to the pictures, so what looks like a big seam across the
middle is actually a fold line. =P

The Challenge:  Innovation

Fabric:    2 yds Diamond quilted Matelasse (100% cotton)

Pattern:   None. Just my standard 18th century petticoat petticoat instruction.

Year:    1776-ish. Could work for a pretty good range.

Notions:       3/4" linen tape, linen thread

How historically accurate is it?  As accurate as possible (at this time). I'd like to dig a little deeper into the manufacture of Marseilles cloth sometime in the future. However, based on the research I was able to tap into via the internet and my current library collection, she's as close as I can get to what I think is right.

The petticoat is entirely hand sew in the typical manner of an 18th century petticoat. I used linen tapes to attach at the waist as the waistband, and there is a very narrow turned hem. Many quilted petticoats are hemmed by applying tape and turning to the inside, but I didn't have any I thought suitable on hand. I'll probably keep an eye out for further research and proper tape and this will be an easy fix, if need be.

Doing a spaced back stitch- that fabric is kind of thick!

Whipping the tape down to the backside. Made sure to
catch all of the pleats as I went.

Hours to complete:   6hr 20 min. Not bad considering I probably could have been more productive if I'd shut the TV off. I finished it Tuesday.

First worn:   Will be worn for the first time today, at Military History Fest. I'll update with pictures later!

Total cost:  $0.00. Everything was already in my stash. I think I got the Matelasse a long time ago on sale for $6.00 a yard or something to that extent. The linen tape I purchase by the roll to have around when needed, but probably $8 ish in tape.

If you're interested in more information on Marseilles petticoats, check out these two articles which helped me quite a bit with my research.

This article by Loren Dearborn via YWU. Unfortunately, if you do not have a membership, you will not be able to view the whole article. =/

This lovely blog post by the Ladies' Repository Museum.

If you're wondering what I consider my standard 18th. century petticoat, check out this tutorial  by the Ladies over at a Fashionable Frolick. They do some amazing work. =)

HSF '14: Challenge #1- Make Do and Mend (or six inches too short...)

Awhile back (a long while) I decided it would be nice to have a substitute for a quilted petticoat. Without having the time (or talent, at that point) to make one, I went with the alternative of a matelasse (loom quilted cotton) under-petticoat instead.

My first wearing of said petticoat was at a summer event. A very hot summer event. To my horror, at first I cut it much too long. While sweating my life away, I made the impetuous decision to cut the petticoat (while I was wearing it, of course!) shorter so that I would be less hot and fix the length all at the same time.

Poor. Choice.

What ended up happening was I cut way too much off of the hem and ended up with a petticoat that hit just below my knees. Insert sad face here.

While at my last B&T workshop, Angela suggested I could salvage it somewhat by adding a band of printed fabric around the bottom. In Fitting and Proper, I believe there is an example of a linen petticoat with a printed linen band around the bottom. So, applying this concept to my petticoat, I got a lovely piece of the new B&T fabric in the style of some examples from The Foundling Hospital Billets and went to stitching.  Here's what I ended up with:

Finished Petticoat. I love the print on the bottom. You can see how short I actually cut it. EEK!

Close up  of the print and the attachment area.

The Challenge:  Make Do and Mend

Fabric: Cotton print / cotton matelasse 

Pattern: Just the basic petticoat pattern. No official pattern, per say.

Year: 1770-80

Notions:  Linen thread

How historically accurate is it?
While I couldn't find a matelasse petticoat with a printed cotton bind, there is reference to the linen petticoat with a printed linen band in Fitting and Proper, as well as a number of plain matelasse petticoats with heavily embroidered bottom portions that are similar in overall appearance to mine. Overall, this was a decision to make this petticoat workable until I am able to make a new one. It's strictly an under petticoat, so chances of anyone seeing it are slim to none, but at least it's the appropriate length and anything that peaks out is an appropriate (and cute!) print. The added portion was completely sewn by hand in linen thread.

Hours to complete:  About 2.

First worn: Timeline Trading Day at Midway Village Museum. January 18th, 2014. (My birthday!)

Total cost: About $10

Stay tuned for more adventures in matelasse petticoats for Challenge #2: Innovation =)

Historical Sew Fortnightly- Challenge #6: Stripes (or an 18th century striped petticoat)

Not the best photo of me, but you can see my
striped petticoat peeking out from (you guessed
it!) my semi-sheer striped cotton apron.

Well, this was my first challenge that I've done from the Historical Sew Fortnightly hosted by the Dreamstress on her blog. I was a little nervous (as I'm terrible with deadlines not associated with work!) but I thought I would pick a few challenges to try to keep me on track while working on my historical wardrobe this year. To the detriment of my non-stripe-loving-husband, I knew that this challenge was for me! 

This was my first all hand sewn (not just hand finished) petticoat. I am pleased with the results, and will only get better with time!

So, here she is... my sturdy, but lovely, new striped petticoat. All by hand-I'm slowly replacing everything I have made over the years with hand sewn period methods. 

 The Challenge: Stripes (read the original challenge here!)

Fabric: 2.5 yds lavender/white striped linen (maybe linen/cotton blend- I can't rightly remember, but certainly one of the two.)

Pattern: no pattern, per say. Made the way I make all of my 18th c. petticoats: Sew the panels together, cut pocket slits, hem, and then pleat to tape/waistband. Tadaa!

Year: 1768(ish) but can be worn for most of the 18th c.

Notions: 3yds or so of tape for waistband.

How historically accurate is it? As accurate as I know how to make it... It's entirely hand sewn, with a small hem and pleated to waist tapes. My pleats ended up a little smaller than I had planned, but it was so much easier to pleat using the stripes I couldn't help myself.

Top Left: Right side view of the hem. Top Left: underside of the hem.
Bottom: petticoat pleated to waistband tapes. 

Hours to complete: Hmmm.... 4 or so? I kind of spaced it out here or there. (I take a project bag with me everywhere so when I have down time I stitch a bit. But that sounds about right.

First worn: Timeline Trading Day at Midway Village in January (not all the way completed! eek!) First worn finished at Military History Fest in February. (It was my first challenge and I wanted to make sure I would be able to get it done in time!! March is the end of the quarter at the high school where I teach, so I wanted to be extra safe on the deadline. lol)

Total cost: Around $30. (I made one the first time out of only two yards and it ended up being too short after washing... so I gave it to my BFF. I got some more of the fabric for a second, longer version at $12 or thereabouts.)

Marseilles Under-petticoat

As promised, this is an update of the sew-a-thon prior to Macktown. I completed many, many things in a very short period of time, and just haven't put them up yet. So, here is the under-petticoat I made to try to help keep me warm and add some puff without the weight.

It was put together fairly quickly, and because of that has one or two areas with some cosmetic flaws that do not affect the functionality. It is shown to the left with over a false rump with an apron over it and to the right without apron.

Construction was fairly straightforward, much like a normal petticoat, but I documented it below if you're interested.

I used a loom quilted Marseilles (diaper cloth) from from 96 District Storehouse. It is very reasonably priced at $5 per yard and we have always had great service.

Since this was going to be an underpetticoat, I cut two 30'' lengths off of my yardage. I took the two pieces and sewed them together up the side seams.



Now, here I deviate a bit from a regular petticoat. Because I am only using this as an underpetticoat, I sewed one side all the way up to the top, and left an 8'' slit from the top open on the other side.Thus my petticoat ties on the side. This will alleviate the bulkiness of the petticoat overlapping at the sides and  of my ties being all in the front. My pocket will be worn between this petticoat and the one on top of it, so the side slit is only to put the petticoat on and will not function as a pocket slit.

Next, was to pleat the petticoat down to my waistband. As you can see below, I started by pinning the petticoat to my big ironing table at the center. I then used my lines to make pleats that mirror each other radiating from center. You can't see it in the pictures, but I actually used my chalk to mark where the waistband would start and stop so I would know how much to pleat down. I'm not a mathematical pleater on a good day. I like to use my intuitive sense of pleating to tell me when to overlap pleats or not,but I admit to usually sitting down and figuring out with my formula how big each pleat should be and how much to overlap so that they all look pretty and even . I just didn't have that much time this go-around, so I relied on my special powers instead.

After finishing one side of pleating (see right), I continued to pleat the other side using the same method. The only difference this time was since I was pleating the front, I left a three inch flat portion in the center before I started the pleats so that I don't get a poofy belly look. I like to look nice in period clothes, not preggers. =P

I measured a piece of twill tape  by wrapping around my waist the desired number of times, tying, and cutting ends. Taking what I wanted to be the right side of the twill tape, I put that on the right side of the petticoat, aligning it so that when I flipped the tape back it would reach to cover the raw edge and sewed it down.

I turned the tape back, ironed  flat and sewed another line holding the bottom edge of the tape to the petticoat, encasing the raw edges of the pleats within the tape.  Finished front waistband at right.

I wore the petticoat all weekend at Macktown, and the only thing I noticed was how much shorter it made my other petticoats. I anticipated it lifting my hem, but didn't think it would lift quite so much (about two inches.) I'll need to start making my petticoats longer because I felt a little French!