A Problem And A Plan

I have been really struggling with the weight of my clothes. I generally wear a chemise and drawers, a corset, a cage, two starched petticoats and a dress. All of this really bogs me down. Individually, each piece is very comfortable but that is not appropriate for going out to an event.

In looking at fabric I came across some lovely white cotton lawn for a very reasonable price. It was on sale for less than $4 a yard. Unfortunately I missed the sale by a day but I made the purchase anyway. I had my mind made up.

My plan is to make a nice, light chemise, a pair of drawers, and at least one petticoat from this lawn. I would love to use it to remake my blue sheer but I will probably need to order more for that. 

I started a challenge for myself a few years ago and I think that I will pick it up again now. It was to make an undergarment item each month for a year. How nice it will be to have 3, new, full sets!!! 

New Fabric On The Way

My husband had so much fun at the Winter Ball in Gettysburg that he is finally open to the idea of dressing up and accompanying us to events.... such as other balls and perhaps a baseball game this summer. He currently has nothing in the way of historical clothing. So, of course it was time to go shopping. I happened to see some great fabrics at fashionfabricsclub.com and made my order.


I am a little hesitant because the last order I placed with them took over two weeks to get to me. I'm hoping that I get my fabric sooner than that. Most of the fabric I purchased with him in mind, other items in the order were just too good to pass up.




Tan & Brown Plaid Medium Weight Linen



I love plaid. This can be a sack coat or pair of pants. If my husband doesn't like it, I do have two boys that could benefit from new suits.



Solid Cocoa Brown Lightweight Linen



Here is an example of a deal too good to pass up. I had originally picked this for part of my husband's summer picnic suit but now I am thinking that it will be too thin. I may be able to use it with a lining but if it's unusable for him, we will just call it brown Holland and make boy's aprons.



Dusty Plum & Ivory Plaid Light Weight Linen



I did mention that I like plaids, right? This cute plaid is for the vest or waistcoat front. It will be lined with white cotton twill, the same will be used for the vest back. I really can't see using all of this for just one vest so I am hoping that I can get a mini vest too, for one of my boys.



Chestnut Brown Wool Twill Suiting



This is another piece that I have high hopes for but I'm not really sure about the weave. I am wanting to make pants from this but I love browns and this would go beautifully in my modern sewing. If my husband bales on the idea of dressing up before the piece gets cut.... it's all mine.



Antique Gold Plaid Wool Suiting



I love the colors in this piece. It has antique gold, blue, green, burgundy and white in it, according to the description. I'll have to inspect it more closely once it have it in hand, just to make sure. This is a light to medium wool and I'm hoping that it will make a nice vest front. The back will be brown polished cotton. There was only one yard of this available. I would have loved to get a long length for a bigger project. Again, if the weight or weave isn't correct, this will be joining my modern fabric projects list.

Natural Canvas 10 oz

This is just a fun piece. I've been wanting to try my hand at making a painted floor cloth and now I can. I am also playing with the idea of making my own tent for our trip to the National 19th Century Base Ball Festival in July. I'll want to see how well I can sew the hem on my machine before I take on the task of sewing an entire tent. I'll probably play with grommets as well.

Here are some inspirational images to keep me going:

Turquoise Voile Girl's Dress

3/3/2015 Update - Here is how the dress looked for our children's ball last Saturday:

It's not completely finished. I need to add the box plaiting at the hemline as well as adding a silk sash at the waist. Also, the child wants puffed sleeves instead of open sleeves and there was no time to finish that detail before the party. As a side note, it seems that this child also needs a new cage. Her current one doesn't seem to give the proper shape to this dress..... Alas, how my sewing list grows!!

2/9/2015 Update - Well, It's been three years since I purchased this fabric and many dresses (both modern and historical) have been made in that time. I do think that it's about time to finish... or should I say start, this project. It just so happens that the Dreamstress is hosting a Blue Challenge for her February Sew Monthly. Hopefully this will be enough of an encouragement to finish. If I am able to finish this dress, my dear daughter will be able to wear it as a party dress to our private Ball at the end of the month. Wish me luck! 

6/2/2013 Update - Here is the inspiration image for this dress. Unfortunately we only get a back view to admire.

Journal De Demoiselles March 1862

Of course I am talking about the little girl. Here is a closer look:

  

 I will not be doing the fluting at the bottom of the dress because I don't think that the fabric will hold the pleats. I will also need to get some silk for the belt and rosette.

Original Post 11/13/2012 - Fabric Mart just had a $1 sale on turquoise cotton voile.

I was able to pick up 5 yards and am planning on making a sheer dress for my young daughter. I can see a lined body with gathered, puffed, short sleeves, and perhaps some tucks in the skirt. Wouldn't a matching, sheer bonnet be nice as well?

I received the voile today. It is not as sheer as I has expected, but it feels very durable and has a nice shine. I look forward to making a nice dress from it next spring.

Boy's Brown Holland Pinafore

I have used my daughter's hand-me-down white cotton pinafores for my boys.... but now I know better. I can't say if mothers in 1860 did or didn't put white pinafores on their sons but according to the book and magazine instructions of the time, boys pinafores were to be of brown Holland.

Research on this fabric told me that I was looking for a utilitarian brown linen. Another period use was mainly furniture covers. I went with a beautiful mid-weight 100% linen that I scavenged from the thrift store for a dollar.

Here's my first attempt at a boy's brown Holland pinafore:

He really likes that he can play and get dirty and not ruin his clothes. I like that too. I've posted images of boys in pinafores here and boys with drums here. I couldn't help but add my new image to those posts as well.

Peach and Grey Checked Dress

6/4/2013 - I purchased this fabric last year (here) and will be making a dress from it this month.

It will be a long, bishop sleeve, fitted bodice dress with a tucked skirt for my 8 year old daughter. The fabric is shirting so the bodice will be lined. I'm not sure if I will line the sleeves as well. This will be a simple winter dress.

The pattern for this dress can be found over at The Sewing Academy.org. It's the HMP/SA 250: Girls’ Dresses Pattern. I love this pattern and will be using a straight size. It will start out a bit big but my daughter will grow into it and be able to use it again next year. The added tucks may even allow her to get a third year out of this dress.

7/17/2013 Update - I was able to get some work done on this dress and I wanted to take a moment and share. Here is an image of the bodice (I decided on a yoke, gathered bodice) and the tucks on the skirt. Since I used cotton shirting for this dress, it doesn't like to hang well. To give it more weight at the hem, I gave a generous turn of 4" as well as three 1" tucks (each tuck uses 2").

Usually I don't calculate the amount of yardage that I used but this dress is to be entered in a fabric stash contest and the yardage is important. The skirt being three panels around and each being a full yard gives three yards to the skirt. The bodice, being the yoked style and given extra in the gathered part in the front, the natural waist for the back and lined with plain cotton all cut to the natural waist style, used an entire yard and a half itself.  For the sleeves, I chose the full bishop variation that uses but 2/3rds of a yard. Then there is the miscellaneous pieces used for the waistband, binding the neck and sleeve cuffs. In total this dress will use 5.5 yards. This is of course without decorations.

7/26/2013 Update - Well, I'm a bit overdue on this since I wanted to have it made last month. Here it is, all finished. There are but three tucks and plenty of room if I want to add some more. The sleeves had to be pieced because I decided, after I cut them, that I wanted them to be a bit longer.

 

Here's a close-up of the pieced sleeve:

 

 

Wool Sale

Fashion Fabrics Club.com has done it again. They are having a wool sale until 7/22/2013. Some are for $4.95 and others for $7.95. Here are the few that I narrowed my very large wish list down to.

 Brown Plaid Wool Suiting

 

Dark Brown and Black Plaid Wool Suiting
This tropical weight fabric from Burlington is perfect for suits, slacks and dresses
100% Wool, 64" wide, Hand wash cold or dry clean
$25.00/yd. on sale for $4.95/yd.

 

4.5 yards of this will look wonderful as a winter dress for my teenage daughter. She wants a natural bodice and bishop sleeves

 

Tan Plaid Wool Flannel

 

Tan Plaid Wool Flannel
This light/medium weight fabric has a tan, brown, steel blue, charcoal and cream plaid design
The brushed surface makes this wool soft.
Perfect for suits, dresses and slacks
100% Wool, 60" wide, Hand wash cold or dry clean
$25.00/yd. on sale for $7.95

 

One yard will make an adorable boys suit for my toddler son.

 

 Light Maize Check Wool Crepe

 

Light Maize with Ivory Windowpane Check
Wool Crepe Suiting Fabric Suitable for Slacks, Suits and Jackets
100% Wool, 59" wide, Hand Wash Cold or Dry Clean
$22.00/yd. on sale for $7.95

 

I ordered enough to make a fringed shawl. Folded on the diagonal this should be very nice. 

 

 

Bright Red Wool Flannel

 

Bright Red Wool Flannel
This light/medium weight fabric has a soft, brushed surface. Perfect for suits, dresses and slacks
100% Wool, 60" wide, Hand wash cold or dry clean
$25.00/yd. on sale for $7.95

 

Yeah!!! We will have nice warm wool petticoats this winter to keep our legs warm.

 

 

 

Examples of Wool Dresses

Wool fabrics used for clothing include Alpaca, Cashmere, and Marino, to name a few. There were also fabrics of wool blended with silk or linen. Generally when you see a fabric named as cloth, it is referring to wool.

 

SPRING DRESS - Arthur's Home Mag 1863

Cuir-colored Alpaca dress, trimmed with rows of black Alpaca braid. The corsage is made with a deep jockey at the back.

 

 

SIX NEW STYLE JACKETS - Arthur's Home Mag. 1863

* No 1 Cloth Zouavo jacket edged with military braid *

* No 2 A fine cloth or cashmere jacket beautifully braided and made to wear open or closed in front at the pleasure of the wearer *

No 3 A rich Lyons velvet jacket a la Zouave. Made also in rich glace silk

No 4 A handsome specimen of a new style ornamenting jackets, just introduced, made in fine ribbed-cloth, rich velvet, and silk

No 5 The latest style of tight fitting shapes. This elegant jacket is peculiarly cut very different from the usual body jacket and fits in a superior manner. It has fewer seams and is easier made. Got up in all suitable materials

No 6 Chemise-russe one of the happiest efforts to unite the useful and cheap with a novel and stylish appearance. It will quite supersede the Garibaldi jacket on which it is a great improvement. In cloth cashmere, silk and velvet.

 

 

Journal des Demoiselles for December 1862

 

Première toilette. — Robe de laine anglaise, garnie d'une bande de velours ou de soie. Veste écossaise, tricotée, pour mettre sous un paletot ou chez soi. — Chapeau de velours royal, à plumes. — Rotonde de drap.

 

First toilet. (facing forward) - English wool dress, topped with a strip of velvet or silk. Scottish jacket, knitted, to put it under a coat or home. - Hat royal velvet feather.

 

La Modes Illustree for November 1862

Robe de poult de laine gris. Le bas de la jupe est garni avec une ruche la taffettas noir, ayant quatre centimetres la largeur; au-dessus de cette ruche se trouvent quatre rubans de velours noir, dispos?s en quarts de carr?s. Manches demi-larges orn?es comme la robe; corsage montant, ferm? par des boutons de velours noir; le corsage est garni de bretelles dont les pans orn?s comme la robe, tombent  sur celle-ci apr?s avoir pass? sous la ceinture de velours noir.

 

Dress of gray poult de laine (silk/wool blend). The bottom of the skirt is decorated with a black taffeta ruche, about 4 centimeters wide; above this ruche is found four black velvet ribbons laid out in quarter-squares. The semi-large sleeves are trimmed like the gown; the high body is closed by black velvet buttons and decorated with bretelles adorned on the sides like the dress, falling thereon after having passed under the black velvet belt.

 

Peterson's Magazine 1862

 

Fig II (on the right) -  Riding Habit of Blue Cashmere - The skirt is three eighths longer than an ordinary dress skirt. The body is made with a Hungarian basque. The sleeves are close to the wrist, but slashed about the middle of the arm, showing a white under sleeve. Straw hat, trimmed with white and black plumes.

 

Journal des Demoiselles for September 1862

 

Toilette de jeune fille. — Robe en alpaga, deux ruches également en alpaga posées au-dessus de l'ourlet. — Corsage montant. — Manches à revers. — Collet pareil à la robe, garni de deux niches. — Chapeau de crin orné de violettes. — Sous-manches en organdi. — Col plissé.

 

Dress of a young woman. (on the right) - Dress alpaca, alpaca two hives also raised above the hem. - Corsage amount. - Cuffed sleeves. - Collet like the dress, trimmed with two niches. - Hat adorned with purple hair. - Sub-sleeved organza. - Col pleated.

 

Peterson's Magazine for March 1862

 

Riding Habit of Dark Brown Cloth. The skirt should be of one yard and a quarter in length when hemmed. The body fits closely to the figure with square skirts behind. Coat sleeve fitting the arm loosely but closed at the wrist with a velvet cuff. Small linen collar and neck tie; brown Swedish gloves; low crowned hat and brown veil.

 

The What-not; or Ladies' Handy Book

 

The Walking Dress is composed of silver-grey linsey (on the right). The bottom of the dress is ornamented with five or six rows of narrow violet velvet, placed at equal distances; at the top and bottom of this trimming is placed a narrow plaiting of the same material as the dress. The cape is trimmed the same as the dress. Straw bonnet, trimmed with bands of violet ribbon; curtain of the same material, ornamented with white lace; the whole is surmounted with a large bunch of flowers enveloped in blond.

 

Peterson's Magazine 1861

 

Home Dress of Purple Cashmere (on the right), which is trimmed with an imitation of fur called Astracan cloth. the under-body or waistcoat fits close to the figure, and has long tight sleeves. The Zouave jacket is loose, with large flowing sleeves, lined with white silk, quilted. Cap of Honiton lace, trimmed with purple China asters.

 

ALPACA DRESS OF LIGHT VIOLET COLOR - A ruche of black taffetas borders the skirt, and goes up the front on each side as far as the neck, the dress being made in form "de redingote," and fastened by black buttons; five bands of black velvet (the largest being placed in the middle) are put about the lower edge of the skirt; two of these bands ascend the front, and a second ruche terminates the trimming. The first of these ruches its about one inch, the second one and a half inches in width; both diminish in breadth upon the front of the skirt and upon the corsage. Arthur's Illustrated Home Magazine 1864

Girl's Dress Inspiration

6/7/2012 -  Original Post

 

This color fashion plate is from Le Follet

and this fabric is a wool silk blend from Fabric.com

and brown silk ribbon from silkribbon.com

 

9/9/2012 Update -  The wool/silk fabric has a blue thread in it so I have decided to use some blue silk that I have for the accent color. The bows on the skirt as well as the bretelles and bow at the back will all be of the blue silk.

 

I have gold silk that can be used for the hat. I can add the blue silk as the accent color.

 

As for the shirt/body to be worn with the dress, it is planned to be made from a semi-sheer batiste with closed bishop sleeves.

 

6/18/2013 Update - Here is where we are as of today:

 

 

The top is done in pintucks and short puff sleeves. (Read the full post about this top here) This outfit will be worn this coming Saturday for a train ride in York. With such a deadline, I will not be able to finish the hat or the bretelles. Those will be made later.

 

Fine Sheer Fabric

There is a lot of confusion about cotton muslin. The modern term is used to mean that heavy cotton used in quilting, that is quite cheap in price. The term however, in 1860 meant a fine sheer or semi sheer cotton used in making fine, delicate pieces of the wardrobe that were washable. Our modern names for this are Swiss, Batiste, Lawn, Voile, Organza and Organdy. I will try to illustrate the differences with images of the fabrics taken over a colored image.

Here is the original colored image

Here it is again with modern cotton muslin. In 1860 this would have been called book muslin because it's main use was in binding books. Notice that you can just slightly see the image through the fabric. This by no means makes it a fine cotton. The older this fabric gets and more worn, the more you would be able to see the colored image behind it.

Here is a piece of white cotton organza over the same image. You will see a drastic difference. Organza, while sheer and very pretty is also very stiff, even after washing. It is an irritating fabric that you really don't want to have next to your skin for any period of time.

Here is a nice piece of white cotton lawn. This isn't nearly as sheer or shiny but it is very soft and comfortable. Keep in mind that lawn has no body, or stiffness of it's own. It will hang if there is no support to keep it up.

Because I don't have any white cotton voile, I can only illustrate with navy voile. During the 1860s, you wouldn't have seen a solid colored cotton (with a very few exceptions) so, for period use, we will pretend that this voile is of silk. Voile is a very nice, light, sheer fabric that is similar to lawn in it's feel but more sheer. It generally comes well starched to give it body but will become limp once washed.

Fabric Browsing

Just stopped over at FashionFabrcisClub.com to see what their $1.99 sale on shirting had to offer. While I was there, I browsed some other fabrics as well. I just wanted to jot a note to remind myself about some great finds.

Pink Stripe Cotton Lawn

 

Jade Green Dobbie Cotton Lawn

 

Purple Dobbie Cotton Lawn

 

Talish Pool Ikat Print Drapery Fabric By Kravet Fabrics

 

I have no idea what I would use this linen drapery fabric for but I really love the colors. 

A Nice Dress of Plaid Poplin

9/1/2012 - My younger daughter is so very hard on her clothes that I am glad she wears an apron with her mid-century dresses. The two dresses that she has now are of brown cotton prints. However, I think that it's time she had a nice dress.

Here is the inspiration image for this dress:

Peterson's Magazine 1855

Somehow I don't have an image for the fabric. It's a beautiful cotton poplin in peach, blue and cream plaid. I have had this fabric for a year, holding it, with dreams of it becoming this dress. Alas, I have to make 2 new petticoats and a cage for her to wear under the dress before I can even begin..... and as I am currently in the middle of several other projects, I figured that now is the best time to start this one. ;D

Yes, I love to overbook myself. It keep me from getting bored. :D

9/9/2012 Update - The fashion plate dress is most likely of light silk. Mine will be of a heavy, stiff, cotton. Therefore, the flounces will be omitted from my dress. I think the fabric will hold the bretelles well so I am keeping those. The belt and ribbon bow at the back will be of silk to match the fabric. I would also like to make nice closed bishop undersleeves and a collar of batiste.

Here is the conversation about the design and construction of this dress over at
The Sewing Academy.org

6/3/2013 Update - I will be making this dress this month. The bodice will be fitted and lined in cotton, with open short sleeves. The skirt may or may not have tucks depending on how well the pattern looks in tucks. The bretelles, belt and bow will be made in self fabric or I may use some of this voile that coordinates.

Turquoise Voile

Here is an example of bretelles from the period. These are of white cotton worked in broderie anglaise

 .

6/22/2013 Update - Here is the dress as it was worn today. The bretelles are still to be made as well as the silk belt and bow.