1690s riding habit

Brocade Riding Jacket 1600s
Inspired by a painting
MATERIALS: pair of lined, brocade curtains. 10 buttons, iron on hemming tape. Hooks and eyes for skirt. Cushion cover, braid for collar. Cost £3.

THE JACKET
The jacket has a Narrow back which flares out at the bottom for pocket hoops. The fabric is brocade. There are two pocket flaps which can be accessed by a slit in the
coat. The jacket is lined. It has a stand-up collar which is decorated with braid.
The entire garment was hand-sewn. The matching skirt fastens at the back with
hooks and eyes and is otherwise left open for about 5 inches

Victoriana

VICTORIAN WALKING OUTFIT

Managed to get hold of a lot of black material with a slight sheen to it in a charity shop and bought some red lining to go with it - total cost £10. The skirt alone took up a lot of material as it has a 3 and a half yard hem! This with the lining makes it a pretty heavy item.

After upsizing the pattern to a length of 42 inches I cut out the pattern pieces which are:
One centre front piece cut on the fold from half a pattern
Two identical side pieces
Two identical back pieces.
n.b It seems to me that by altering the darts and size of pleats the size of the skirt could be altered by about an inch.
It would be an error here if you didn't cut the lining and top fabric EXACTLY THE SAME YOU CAN CUT THEM OUT TOGETHER. Cut all pieces the same way on the fabric so the stretch is at the sides you may be able to get some pieces out if you reverse them ie one top one bottom.

1. I started off by sewing all the top pieces together and then the lining pieces.
When I came to match them up though I had to cut them again as I hadn't made them IDENTICAL in size, allowing more for the seams on the top fabric than the lining. So I had to lay them on the pattern and trim to size. The main thing with this task is to get both seams the same so they match up when you put them together. I used a strip of paper half and inch wide to get a really accurate seam. The tacking was made more difficult because of the size and weight of the skirt so I had to lay the pieces flat on the table to tack them all together it also quite awkward to sew them because of this as well.

2. The next task is to place the lining inside the top layer with the seams together. Then tack the lining to the top fabric at the top.
Leave an opening 10in down the centre back seam. Next you need to do the plackets. Cut out one 4in wide the other 2in. Sew the larger onto the left-hand side and the the smaller on the other. This is the same as a trouser front before it has a zip inserted. Make sure you sew each piece to the same seam allowance as the centre back seam - i.e half an inch. Fold over the short piece to the back so you can only see the skirt material. Sew the other piece the same but leave it so it is all visable (this will overlap the short placket. Sew it down to the lining and neaten the bottom sewing both pieces together and folding over and sewing to the lining just below the centre seam.

Next sew the 2 darts evenly spaced by dividing the front piece of the skirt into 3 these dont need to be very big about half an inch or less in width. I sewed mine through the lining and top fabric though this may not be correct.

Add the pockets to the side-seams in lining fabric with 5in of top fabric sewn on the top part.

Make pleats in the back sections about 4in which will be about 1 and a half inches wide when folded over for a 29in waist. Check for size to your own waist measurements. Tack on and sew the waistband - this is your waist measurement plus the 2 in where the large placket is to be overlapped - I made the mistake of not allowing for this when cutting out the waistband. I tacked a piece of calico fabric to the inside of the waistband for extra strength one inch wide.

You can now fold the waistband over on the inside and over-sew it down mine I decided was 1 inch in width as 1 and a half looks too much. Neaten the two ends of the waistband and sew on two lots of hooks to hold it fast.

Now you need to sew up the hem. I dont quite know yet how far off the floor this is but I intend to do the lining and top fabric separately by hand (machine stitching would look unauthentic. Next Ill be onto the matching jacket.
I noticed that there is extra weight on the back because of the pleats and am not sure yet whether this will drag the material down.

VICTORIAN JACKET

As the large bolt of black fabric was enough for a matching jacket I started this project about 7 days ago and estimate it should take about 3 days more (20 hours total) Total cost £12

LEG-OF-MUTTON SLEEVES
The two-part sleeves are identical in design to those 100 years previous and closely resemble an actual leg of mutton in design (see 1700s jacket.) They are sewn together in pairs down each side and then gathered at the top n.b I started the gather 3 and a half inches in from the underarm seam, pure guesswork. What is different to modern design is that the lining of the sleeves is a different shape from the outer shell, the top of the lining pieces are not gathered but cut the same shape with a backwards c-shape curve at the top (back and fronts identical.
Research says that there can be a gathered frill sewn to the top on the inside of the outer sleeve to hold out the large puff-sleeve. Initially I thought the different lining was actually an alternative pattern so had to cut-down the "puff" part out of the one I'd made an error with.
Sleeves in the Victorian era varied in width at the top as fashion went up to massive proportions and then went smaller again.

SHOULDERS are still not at the top as in most modern bodice patterns but are not cut at such a sharp angle down the back as the 1700s. Thinking in the modern way I put them at the top of my tailor's dummy.s shoulders causing me to think the uppermost seam of the sleeve was making the puff top sag with the waight of its gathered top. This seam was actually about one and a half inches down the back.

The BACK is in one piece now and is no longer narrow as 1700s were and it has side-seams which are fitted to the figure. This time I allowed for the thickness of the undergarments and not exactly to my 34in bust measurement.

COLLAR The collar is cut as part of the front jacket but although the pattern had this part drawn on I thought I should cut it off so I then cut a large banana shape in black and then lining, sewed it together with an interfacing of calico turned it rightside out and then sandwiched it between the lining and top fabric. This worked but was obviously technically wrong and a lot harder to do.

HAND FINISHING
A lot of work is contained in the hand finishing, securing the lining to the top part at the sides, sleeves and shoulders and adding a braid to finish. At this point I realised that the lining being red I would have difficulty not letting these stitches show on the back facing. The cuffs and bottom of jacket need also to be hand-finished and the hem of the jacket also. Luckily there are no buttons or hooks and eyes as the jacket doesnt fasten shut.

BUSTLE DRESS
Dress parts 14 in all: 2 narrow backs, 2 fronts, 2 pieces for side, 2 further pieces . (2x2), 1 placket to be pleated top and bottom and buttoned to the fronts,
4 skirtto meet at back (2x2). Apron front. 4 sleeves, 4 fitted undersleeves, 2 wider oversleeves gathered at tops.

The pattern needs to be half an inch wider on each piece and an inch to the length to fit a size 10.

PLASTRON
The centre piece is called the PLASTRON and this is by far the hardest piece and needs a detailed description.
It is best done in an alternate fabric in this case a pink, synthetic, Japanese silk. DO NOT cut the zig-zags at the top at this stage. After trying various ways of doing the tucks (8 at top and 8 bottom.) The best way I found was to pin the marked pattern (the lines are 2in apart) and tack the lines to the fabric by folding over each tuck. Too many pins ruin the fabric and a washable marker pen will too. Use long tacking stitches. You then need another sloping line for the placement of the tucks one side of the horizontal one. Pin and tack these in place. 2in down the pleats at the top, and 10in up at the bottom. The top piece as an inverted V the bottom comes to a point. Make up the Plastron-facing with a centre seam to join the two sides and tack the plastron to it with the raw edges
innermost. As the sides of this need to have the button holes strenghten the plastron with a strip on canvas as the edges and turn them in by 1in. Sew a line 1in in vertically.

THE BODICE
1. Sew the shoulder seams
2. Sew together the 4 shaped side/back pieces and sew them to the back/front. Note there is a small flat piece on the body start sewing just below this as it is part of the armhole.
3. Sew the centre back.
4. Sew the darts uncut at this stage you may need to alter them
when you fit the bodice.
5. Sew the sleeves, the outer one has puffed sleeves the inside on is a curved
shape. these will be put inside each other with the Witedged facing each other.
6. Cut out a piece of canvas half and inch smaller than the collar at sides and top. With the collar facing sewn to the top fabric sew the top and bottom fabrics leaving the bottom open.
this in not finished

SLEEVES
These ar the same method as for walking outfit, gather the top and make the lining, fit the lining inside the outer piece, attach to armholes together or attach outer shell first then insert lining with wrong sides facing, turn in half an inch and oversew in place. Make up the cuff with an outer layer, a lining and an interfacing. Attach to cuff so that the outer fabric is facing upwards from the cuff. Overlap the points where indicated. Neaten lining on the inside.

APRON FRONT
This is one piece, the middle part is almost identical to the centre front piece you have already assembled on the skirt. The outside edges are pleated to face towards the waist. Mark the positions with long tacking stitches.
indicated by broken and solid lines. Details of attaching - either to the
waist or horizontally
HOW IT OPENS
The dress opens at one of the seams of the front panels. Leave open the front panel/ lining and the apron front slits and sew one side into the side-seam of the centre front. Tack the front panel, the lining and the apron together at the opening, neaten this seam for eyelet fastenings. In order to put the dress on open the buttons and eyelets.
seams to the horizontal line about 10ins and turn inwards to neaten

SKIRT OF DRESS
Sew all the pieces together (centre front, 4 side panels, 2 backs. Leave open at centre front to vertical tack mark ? inches. Use the easy method of tacking 2 outer and two linings together then open out like a book. You will still have to
turn in two of the seams by hand. Or make up the outer and lining separately and put in right sides together. Tack the centre back pleats.
Measure the hem and neaten - If you have used the
simple method just turn both edges to the inside.
Attach the bodice to the skirt from centre front of plastron. Leave the opening
of skirt. Attach the back bodice so that the pleat is held in place.

woollen jacket 1700s hand-sewn

MATERIALS
A second-hand coat cost £4. Brown 100 per cent wood aquasputum
striped material from a cushion cover
Lining peach cotton mix

The first attempt was so hard to cut out as I omitted to cut out a lining at the
same time as the top fabric. It was quite a struggle to cut it out of the material, despite the original coat being a size 16 not a 10 which I am and much longer than I needed. Part of this came from the flare of the bottom and the large front. The sleeves I could re-model from the originals.

The finished coat after adding the cord detail in dark-brown shoe-laces down the front. The lining of the collar and cuffs is a striped silky material

1770s red corset

finally managed to get all 8 pieces together. Have to allow 1 inch each join to get an original 1700s pattern to fit so as my waist is 29 in that means the original must be 21 inches! dont think Ive been that size since I was 10 yrs. The first attempt had to be scrapped altogether but the second so far looks fine. The material was sewn with a

MATERIALS
Red outer fabric cut 2 of each
cotton lining cut 2 of each
canvas/calico cut 4 of each
strong linen thread
Matching thread to outer shell
Synthetic whale bone (6mm cut lengthways to 3mm)
A small pair of pincers to trim and strong scissors to cut in half.
A great deal of time and patience.

I am sure that some of the measuring and other tools for quilted skirts and jumps were used later for corsets. The quilting quarter ruler I have seen for measuring and the quilting clips which are used to hold the fabric secure in a roll would have made it easier to work with(suppled by "Sewing Online".)Also it is common for a quilted square to be bound with bias tape and this feature is shown in the corset I am using as reference. So I conclude that the same skills/tools used for quilting skirts/jackets were later utilised when making corsets.

I managed to make a good paper pattern (see upsizing)and marked out the lines for the boning which is 3mm wide so I needed to split a 6mm one in half though I think the similar version in the KCM may have been even narrower. I then needed to mark the channels. These graduated towards the sides so not all are vertical. I made them 1mm wider to allow room to get them inside.

The finished corset seen open

The stays are sewn in a running stitch and tacked vertically about every inch to stop it from moving when inseerting the bones.



I managed to find a really good blue marker which rubs off but gives a really clear line for the channels. The boning I used was plastic imitation whalebone (Vena Cava.) I got 6mm then split it to 3mm as it was too rigid and too thick to go down
the finger-like bits at the bottom. I drew the channels 5mm apart but it couldnt be drawn or followed exactly. I then did a small running stitch in the thick thread. After a few I found I didnt need to pin, I needed to sew the bottom of the tunnels as I went along as they kept falling out. I did each piece individually and intend to sew them overlapping at the sides later. At the moment I am am on piece five so have 2 backs and one side to go - what a marathon.

1780s dress cotton chinz

After acquiring ann 1780s Round Gown Pattern I found that if I added an inch all around the pattern pieces it fitted an English size 10 with a few minor adjustments.

The chinz fabric design with ivy leaves and flowers very much resembles the patterns in my book from the Kyoto Costume Institute. I now had a skirt with the circumpherence of 5yds but I actually think it was meant to be 6 yards.

I cut out the lining from white cotton and although I could tell which of the 6 pieces went where the 2 sides I put in upside down and back to front on on 3 occasions. The next item I make I will number the pieces where they join ie a/a1 etc.

I then decided to use a contrasting fabric for the sleeves as thie inside would show. I now think this was the small triangle on the pattern. Like the sleeves on the Regency gown mthe armholes and sleeves are not how they make them nowadays.
First attempt I thought to sew the lining and shaped strips together, turn them inside out and sew the two pieces to the back, sew down the top front/back to the lining and turn inside out but forgot I had to sew on the sleeves.
Second attempt I sewed each sleeve 2 top and 2 lining to the back and front that worked I could then size utp the armholes and pin the sleeves in place.
I had also sewn the lining sleeve so I had two the same! Note: If doing a lining or piece of fabric that is the same back and front mark it with chalk.

At the end as Id run out of fabric I made the overskirt with some netting I
thought it didnt look too bad for my show at Reddfest in June.

regency dress 1805

This is my finished dress

Back view of dress
A close up of back detail

I have nearly finished my regency dress. Now instead of a front fastening that is open at the sides I have sewed it up down the front bodice and where the bodice and skirt meets - now I dont have a gap. I have 2 straps at x the first seam after the centre front, this ties the excess fabric of the skirt towards the back but doesnt seem to keep the high bodice up, so it is definately a back closing item. The instructions says to sew tape to what I think is the bottom of bodice and top of skirt but it isnt specific as to where it starts and ends??? The pleats at the back of skirt are sewn to the bodice but what happens to the rest of the skirt which is wider than the bodice? The tape and loop at centre back isnt enough and the instructions say it would need to be pinned but where and how and with what??? I put on a wide purple ribbon and tied at the back it disguises the cords and pulling in of the fabric. It looks good anyway but with a lower bodice seam looks more edwardian than Regency.

To go with this is this simple underskirt with high bodice. It has tab-fastenings
at the top tied with tapes and hook and eye fastening at the back.

1805 redigote

close-up details of front

I managed to find some really good gold braid which I harvested from an Indianni velvet-cushion cover this also had pearl beads which could be useful . Gold trims are very hard to find, I struck lucky. This when unpicked was sews on by hand to the edged of the Spencer.

The first challenge was the slits made in the fabric which I initially thought were tabs sewn on in the picture I had. I then added a backing and measured them vertically and gingerly cut through, turning the raw edges in by hand and finishing by hand, then pressing. Then I made the balls (50 in all 25 down each side!.) the skirt itself wasn't hard flared out to the bottom and made long enough to fit under the bust. It was the thought of facing all those hand made balls, sewn in a spiral (probably not the correct way but it does the job!) I then tried to close it but could,t see any clue on the picture, I came to the conclusion that I had to fix a chain of thick crochet cotton in the front edge to wrap over the bobble on the other side. However I only realised this when I was on the jacket so I need to undo the ones I put behind the bobbles now - a short job.

1790s striped top
I started this project over a week ago. I couldnt get any striped silk so used a pair of curtains which was checked in blue and white Id purchased second-hand. This actually made the top look like a Vivian Westwood or 80's style.

The jacket is shaped at the front and back this is to accomodate the pannier which is under the underskirt. The jacket overlaps at the front. This proved to be the hardest because I didnt get the shaping equally sized I should have used a template or worked on a pattern. I cut the jacket out larger than I needed and pinned the sides to the dressmakers dummy to get it to fit snuggly at the sides and cut the neck which was squared off to the correct shape. I had a problem with the lining which I cut unevenly so it was pulling the top material. I actually thought Id have to start again which was pretty upsetting but when I came back to it the next day I was able to alter one half of the front. To be truthfull I'd overtired myself I then oversewed the button holes using two narrow strips of fabric ebut now the front needs stiffening up!It's all very exciting at first wheen you see the garment coming together but the hand-finishing is the important part as it makes it look professione and I have a tendancy to rush to get it finished and am already thinking about the next garment. Sometimes I leave it and take ages to finish it this may not be a good idea!
This all goes to prove that making a pattern would have been time well-spent in this case. I made one after in case I need to make it again.

Pannier for giving shape to dress/skirt

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Materials used: White cotton,imitation whale-bone.
I made this pannier from a pattern found on the internet. It is called a pocket
hoop as it can have pockets inside which are obtained from slits in the side of
the dress. It would be worn with this dress.

Corset
Materials: brown linen and curtain fabric
Cost: about £3
I got the pattern from a book from the Kyoto costume museum drew it out on paper and made it half an inch bigger. Luckily it was the right shape and approximately the right size. I cut it out in brown linen and some yellow curtain material. I then lined the pieces in the right order this was easier if they were numbered. I then stitched them together put the outsides facing each other and trimmed. The scolopped edges were the hardest as I found I had to undo the top and hand stitch then oversew it flat at the bottom. The eyelets were added I had a few metal stays but didn't add them.

red 1700s jacket with eyelets and shaped edging

I am finally able to show the finished top 1700s it is red linen and cottom lining. The jacket pattern is the same as a modern one except for the detail at the bottom. I sewed the top and bottom down and turned inside out via the front openings so had to hand finish the fronts. the eyelets were too short in the length so I have had to order some online along with some strong laces you have to be careful to measure out the spacing with the eylets. I didnt use a pattern but found my new dressmakers dummy invaluable for size. The top is a strip of material bound at the edges and sewn inside to two layers of lining and red top fabric.

First adventures in sewing historic clothes

I finished my first project about a week ago which was an 1830's dress which I made from old materials no pattern just made from photos. Unfortunately I couldn't tell from the picture reference how the front was and thought it opened at the front however when I tried it on I could'nt get into it. I visited the Costume Gallery at Platt Fields in Manchester rows saw it was should have been sewn shut. I then had to unpick the front and sew 3 rows of gathering at the top of the sleeves. I did however see 3lovely examples of corsets which had a pattern and were laid flat so you could tell how they were made. I also made an underskirt and cotton top. When I had it on it felt quite heavy it was certainly warm!

At the moment I have just finished a 1700s jacket. It went o.k except for the scolloped collar which was intricate, next time I won't sew the top of the scollop and oversew it by hand as it did't look neat when it was turned inside out. he pannier was a pain I

jacket 1700s

I made a 1700s panier but it was not wide enough so shelved two days work, I just finished another one yesterday. If I'd had a complete picture instead of one which was under the corset initially I would have realised it tapered at the front and open with a draw string fastening - the best thing to do is to research first - but would that ruin the fun of discovery I ask myself. Well it would have saved a lot of time and frustration!