Wednesday 21 February 2018
Printed Cotton Ensemble | Planning and Research
I have been agonising over my first 18th-century ensemble for what feels like a year now. And I have finally decided on what to make. I am going to make a jacket and matching petticoat in printed cotton.
The runner-up was an Italian Gown, but I wanted something with some versatility, and I think that once I grow my 18th-closet, I can use the pieces of the matching ensemble with other garments. The Italian gown will have to wait, but I suspect not for long.
I am basing my ensemble off one of my favourite pieces in the Colonial Williamsburg Collection, but with some of my own modifications. I think I will make the petticoat precisely as it appear in the extant garment (but maybe with a longer flounce) but will make some small additions and changes to the jacket.
I will be making the jacket in the "baby Italian gown" style with the point low back waist seam and pleats, but I think 3/4" length sleeves will be more flattering on me (and that is my preferred sleeve length). I will also add some small ruffles at the neckline and sleeves to add some extra texture and interest. I will have lots and lots of fabric for this project so I might as well use it.
In the extant garment, there are 4 back sections (2 each side) with the side seam coming round under the arm. I have draped this out on my form, and the fit is good, but I am considering moving the side seams closer to the back to create narrower back sections for some visual interest in the back, but I am unsure of how this will alter the fit of the garment.
I am going to tackle the petticoat first and think about the problem of the back panels for a while. Any advice would be much appreciated.
-Happy Sewing
The runner-up was an Italian Gown, but I wanted something with some versatility, and I think that once I grow my 18th-closet, I can use the pieces of the matching ensemble with other garments. The Italian gown will have to wait, but I suspect not for long.
Research
 |
| Colonial Williamsburg, 1990-10,1 and 1990-10,2 | Women's Jacket and Petticoat, India Chintz. |
I am basing my ensemble off one of my favourite pieces in the Colonial Williamsburg Collection, but with some of my own modifications. I think I will make the petticoat precisely as it appear in the extant garment (but maybe with a longer flounce) but will make some small additions and changes to the jacket.
I will be making the jacket in the "baby Italian gown" style with the point low back waist seam and pleats, but I think 3/4" length sleeves will be more flattering on me (and that is my preferred sleeve length). I will also add some small ruffles at the neckline and sleeves to add some extra texture and interest. I will have lots and lots of fabric for this project so I might as well use it.
In the extant garment, there are 4 back sections (2 each side) with the side seam coming round under the arm. I have draped this out on my form, and the fit is good, but I am considering moving the side seams closer to the back to create narrower back sections for some visual interest in the back, but I am unsure of how this will alter the fit of the garment.
I am going to tackle the petticoat first and think about the problem of the back panels for a while. Any advice would be much appreciated.
-Happy Sewing
Monday 19 February 2018
Diagnosing Problems on my Stays
For those of you that have been following me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I am working on a new pair of stays already.
I had thought that my first pair was "good enough" - and in many ways they are - but as I wore them around the house and worked them in, I started to notice more and more problems which would result in frustration when it came to fitting and wearing a gown. In addition to the fit problems, I have happily learned so much in the last 8 months that I now see some of my issues are due to incorrect period/style for the silhouette I was going for.
So buckle up for an episode of "Morg critiques her own work and learns from mistakeshopefully!"
The Fabric | My new pair will be made from 2 layers of linen horsehair stabiliser (a good approximation of buckram) a light blue linen outer layer and then lined with cotton. Already the pieces are much stiffer than my original and I think will be a huge improvement.
The Pattern | I still used the Butternick pattern as a base, but I made many alterations. I lengthened the front by about 3.5 cm and reduced the overall width by 5cm. I was a bit too aggressive in reducing the waist but I am still much happier with the fit. I also lowered the back, made them strapless and changed the shape of the neckline. *phew*
I will do I fuller write up when they are complete.
I am pretty happy with the changes I have made to these, but I am regretting the choice to make the back lacing... I am starting to wonder if I will ever be satisfied...
I had thought that my first pair was "good enough" - and in many ways they are - but as I wore them around the house and worked them in, I started to notice more and more problems which would result in frustration when it came to fitting and wearing a gown. In addition to the fit problems, I have happily learned so much in the last 8 months that I now see some of my issues are due to incorrect period/style for the silhouette I was going for.
So buckle up for an episode of "Morg critiques her own work and learns from mistakes
The Fabric Choice | The fabric I used was not bad. In fact, there are a lot of things I like about the cotton canvas, but in the end, two layers of canvas were not enough to create the structure I was hoping for. The panels are quite soft and are very very comfortable, and provide a surprising amount of support for the bust, but let me move around and bend at the waist quite significantly.
The Pattern | I used Butternick B4254. Yep, a commercial pattern. And you know what? It isn't bad. The shape of each panel is actually quite good, and it has a lot of customisation built right in. HOWEVER, the back panel goes up very high, and the front is very low. This style is much better the later decades, say 1784-1790ish, and so do not give me the elegant flat front I was looking for. Without making a stomacher, these stays give me a very pronounced prow front and much softer bust line.
The Fit | This is where I have the most room for improvement. I did make some modification to the commercial pattern in order to have them fit better but didn't make a mockup after my adjustments so it still did not fit as I would like.
Overall they are about 2-3 inches too wide all the way around. I can close these right up, back and front. Ideally, I should have more space to adjust the tightness.
They are also too wide across the front of the chest which pushes the armholes too far back pinching my armpits and gaping in the front.
The Pattern | I used Butternick B4254. Yep, a commercial pattern. And you know what? It isn't bad. The shape of each panel is actually quite good, and it has a lot of customisation built right in. HOWEVER, the back panel goes up very high, and the front is very low. This style is much better the later decades, say 1784-1790ish, and so do not give me the elegant flat front I was looking for. Without making a stomacher, these stays give me a very pronounced prow front and much softer bust line.
The Fit | This is where I have the most room for improvement. I did make some modification to the commercial pattern in order to have them fit better but didn't make a mockup after my adjustments so it still did not fit as I would like.
Overall they are about 2-3 inches too wide all the way around. I can close these right up, back and front. Ideally, I should have more space to adjust the tightness.
They are also too wide across the front of the chest which pushes the armholes too far back pinching my armpits and gaping in the front.
The New Pair
 |
| Work in Progress | Already some big improvements |
The Fabric | My new pair will be made from 2 layers of linen horsehair stabiliser (a good approximation of buckram) a light blue linen outer layer and then lined with cotton. Already the pieces are much stiffer than my original and I think will be a huge improvement.
The Pattern | I still used the Butternick pattern as a base, but I made many alterations. I lengthened the front by about 3.5 cm and reduced the overall width by 5cm. I was a bit too aggressive in reducing the waist but I am still much happier with the fit. I also lowered the back, made them strapless and changed the shape of the neckline. *phew*
I will do I fuller write up when they are complete.
I am pretty happy with the changes I have made to these, but I am regretting the choice to make the back lacing... I am starting to wonder if I will ever be satisfied...
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