Wednesday 16 May 2018
Printed Cotton Ensemble ca 1790
I have done it! My first 18th-century frock is finally done, and so is my thesis! April was a month of finishing projects, and May will be a month of catch up and hopefully getting back to creative endeavors.
This project is a very long time coming, and I feel like I spent more time planning than sewing, but overall I am pleased with how it turned out.
I started this project in February 2018, and according to my Instagram stories, it took 11 weeks to complete. I could have done this much quicker, and it probably won't take me so long in the future, but there was a steep learning curve for the hand sewing and fitting. Now that I have some experience, I feel much more confident for my next project which I am already planning
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| Fabric detail and the very helpful American Duchess |
Fabrics
This project was made from the ubiquitous IKEA bedding which I got for a very good price on boxing day (LJUSOGA - 39.99 CAD for a King size, the equivalent to 11 meters of fabric!!!?!). This pattern has since been discontinued, but IKEA still offers a lot of good 18th-century options. Overall, I would say this was very nice material to work with and is most certainly the most economical way for getting accurate(ish) printed cotton in Canada. I still have enough left to make a Bedgown (which I have in the works), and probably another jacket, or small piece.
I used some very pretty ivory lace at the collar and cuffs for some extra detail and texture, as well as made a burgundy organza bow to pin to my centre front.
Pattern and Design
I based the design on this ensemble on my favourite piece from the Colonial Williamsburg collection (1990.10.2). I wanted something that had an air of effortlessness while still being fashionable. I think the separate jacket and matching petticoat achieve this very nicely and have the added benefit of being more versatile than a gown. I did my best to draft this exactly as it appears in the Colonial Williamsburg, but in the end, made some small adjustments, and fixes to my own errors. To make a pattern, I drafted my own and used the American Duchess Guide (specifically the chapter on the Italian gown) to give me basic shapes. The instructions were very helpful and I am very proud that the entire thing is hand stitched. I would not have been able to do that without the help from the ladies at American Duchess.
The skirt on the jacket is made of 8 panels of fabric that I stitched together using a mantua-makers seam. This helped save on fabric while getting the proportions I wanted. I probably could have just used the single piece that was left after all the cutting but doing it the "hard way" meant that I had more volume and length to work with. I love that the jacket skirt sits at the fullest part of my hips. It is very flattering and accentuates that late 18th-century silhouette.
What went wrong…
Overall, I am pleased with how this turned out, but there were some hiccups and more to learn than I initially thought. The good news is I still have a gorgeous garment and know what to watch out for in the future.
I ended up having the piece the lower sleeves below the elbow - because I did not listen to Lauren and Abby and made them too tight - but they turned out just fine in the end. Piecing was very easy, and it gives my jacket a bit of individual flair. It almost looks like a cuff and bothers me far less than I thought it would.
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| Stitching together the front panel and back bodice. |
The other mistake I made was not cutting the front panel lining on the bias. I did for the fashion fabric but forgot when cutting the lining. This results in the fashion fabric puckering in some places, but it is not horrible.
Lastly, though this is not a mistake so much as an observation, in my next jacket I will make sure the side seams are closer to the front (these ones were quite far back) so that I fit the bodice on my body more easily. I don’t have a helper, and my dress form is woefully misshaped for this kind of work. I could have easily made what is the front into two pieces so that I could reach the side seam, so that is what we shall do next time.
I am not sure when next time will be, the search for fabric continues, but I have the design all planned out. In the meantime, I am going to work on accessories such as a cap and neckerchief. Time to practice my fine stiching! Wish me luck.
-Happy Sewing!
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