Quilted Petticoat and Caraco

12/14/05

Well, it feels good to finally be working on a serious, long-term project again. The event I'm wearing this ensemble to does not take place until the summer, so I've got plenty of time to really do it right. Of course, thanks to my weight loss, I will really need that time in order to also make all new underpinnings.

The inspiration for this one actually started with the fabric. A little over a year ago, Joanns had these rather 18th Century-esque cotton prints. I absolutely fell in love with them and figured they were close enough to "period correct" for me. I bought yards and yards of one with a red background, not really knowing at the time what I would do with it.

Around the same time, I had a growing interest in quilting. Unlike modern quilters, I have absolutely no interest in design and piecing--I just want to do the quilting part. Later, I realized that an 18th Century quilted petticoat would be ideal--no piecing and lots of quilting. Of course, all of the extant petticoats I've come across in my books are made of silk with wool batting; this doesn't quite make sense when my caraco will be made out of cotton. I also don't really want my first major quilting project to be on silk, if you know what I mean. So, I made the decision to stick with cotton fabric and batting for this project. (Also assuming that even if I can't manage to find any examples myself, they must have had quilted petticoats in other fabrics. It's just too sensible a garment to only make them in insensible silk!)

Then, last year at Costume College, I took a class on constructing pocket hoops. I now have a lovely set of pocket hoops nearly complete just waiting for new motivation for me to finish them.

Okay, so now for the plan...

My first task is to design my quilting pattern. I've already started on the upper portion--a diamond grid pattern with another diamond inside each. I'm saving the border design for last since a lot of it I will need to simply freehand, and the idea makes me a bit nervous even though I'm working in pencil. Once I'm done with the design, I need to find a yellow fabric I like, trace my design onto the panels and then begin quilting it to cotton batting. (I'd normally never wear yellow, but I also don't typically wear red, which is the primary color for the caraco. Besides, the yellow won't be anywhere near my face, so it should be all good.)

Next, I'll need to work on a new corset. (I may also need a new chemise, but I hope not. I've hardly even worn the old one.) Last time I made the Mantua Maker corset. While I liked it well enough, if I make it again, I'm going to cut back on some of the layers. I'll probably still use the same very sturdy boning that I used last time (spring steel, but thicker than the typical stuff), so I don't really need five layers of fabric. However, I'll need to make sure I use a thinner boning for across the front; the stuff I used before wouldn't bend, so I didn't get that nice rounded look it's supposed to have.

Now, while I'm working on all that quilting, I'll probably also want to drape an underpetticoat so I can get an idea of the shape the quilted one needs to be. I made the mistake last time of just gathering straight across the top and attaching it to the waistband; it produced some odd looking swags across the front since the fabric was pulled up to get over the side hoops. So, this time I'm going to do it right, especially since the quilted petticoat will have a border that needs to hang straight at the bottom. (Note to self: I must remember to leave the very top of the petticoat unquilted and without any batting so that I will actually be able to pleat it into a waistband.)

For the caraco, I'm thinking of purchasing the J.P Ryan pattern. I'll look through my pattern books first, though, to see if there is anything there that I can use. (I'm very hesitant to buy patterns right now as I'm still planning on losing more weight, especially since the pattern in question only has two sizes in each envelope.) I really should try to size up something from one of my books since I have so much time on this project and I need the practice. Of course, I could also use some practice at draping, but the dressform I have right now is completely inadequate to the task, especially since she is now larger than me and can't be padded up to squish into my corset.

12/24/05

The quilting pattern is finished, but I'm now waiting on fabric. The store where I finally found the fabric I wanted (yellow cotton sateen) didn't have enough. It wasn't a problem to special order more, but that means it will be at least another week before I actually get my hands on it. At any rate, the pattern should be just wide enough to fit two mirror images on each 45" wide panel. To make sure I don't have any overlap or empty space, I'll mark the design on the fabric first, then stitch the panels together so that I can match the edges up.

So, in the meantime, I've started working on the corset. I enlarged a pattern from Corsets and Crinolines, which is working out marvelously. I only had to go through two mock ups. The only things I had to change on the final mock up were the length of the shoulder straps (still a bit too short after adding about an inch and a half) and the placement of the front neckline (just a tad too low). I decided to stick with the many-layered approach, but make it half boned instead of fully boned as I did last time. I figure that I'll start with only the bones recommended in the pattern and then add as needed. At this point, I've got four layers cut out and just need to start assembling. (Sorry the picture didn't come out too well--it was just too dark in the room to be taking a picture in the mirror. It should still give you a pretty good idea of how the corset mock-up fits though; I'm very happy with the shape, and that's without any boning and with only one layer of canvas!)

On a side note, I very quickly finished my pocket hoops earlier this week. I'm a little disappointed at how weak the cotton twill tape is, I'm concerned that the hoop steel may decide to pop out at any time. I need to make another pair for Mom and will definitely be using grograin rather than the twill tape. (I'll also be creating a detailed diary/how-to for that project, so stay tuned!) The finished hoops do seem to stand out a bit too much, but I'm sure the weight of petticoats will fix that and also probably add a lot of stability. If not, a quick fix will be to add ties to the lower front and back corners, though I'm afraid that might inhibit mobility a bit. We'll see--hopefully, I won't need them, at least not for this particular project. The quilted petticoat alone should be more than sufficient to weigh these down a bit, not to mention at least one under-petticoat.

Now, on to finishing that corset!

1/3/06

Maybe I'm going a little overboard with this project, but I came across another great fabric while on vacation that will match the quilted petticoat. This one is on a black background, but with similar flowers and such. I could only get a little over three yards of it, so I'm planning a short bodice/jacket. (Once the yellow fabric comes in for the petticoat, I'll be sure to get some photos of all three fabrics.) If all goes according to plan, those of you attending Costume College this year should be able to spot me in the jacket during the day and the caraco on Friday evening.

UPDATE: The black fabric has already been stored with the rest of my stash, so I couldn't get a picture of it.

1/10/06

I've decided that I really do want a new chemise for this costume. This past weekend I was organizing my chemise shelf and pulled out my old Georgian chemise; it's terrible. The sleeves are gathered rather than the slim fitting sleeve I've seen in period examples. The chemise overall has way too much fabric in the body, with a gathered neckline and such, making it very bulky. Plus, I made it out of muslin, which I like less the more that I work with it; I've decided that the only good use for modern muslin is making mock ups.

Now, since I have plenty of white linen/cotton blend (a little on the heavy side, but better than nothing), I may as well whip together a new chemise. I pulled out my copy of Everyday Dress of Rural America, 1783-1800, and made an overhead of the chemise pattern on page 24, which I'll probably enlarge sometime today. (I know. I know. Some of you are thinking I couldn't possibly need a pattern for such a simple garment, and you are probably right. I'm much more comfortable with a pattern, though, and am willing to take a little extra time to enlarge this one in order to save myself from the possibility of frustration later on.)

At this point, I'm also kicking myself for purchasing fabric through a special order at Hancock again. Last time I did this, I waited nearly two months without hearing from them. Finally, I called and, after checking in the storeroom, a woman told me that my fabric had been there for three weeks! I've now been waiting for two weeks without word, and while it's still too early to get antsy, I'm afraid they won't contact me again and I'll be waiting indefinitely. If I had taken the time to try to find the fabric online, it would have been shipped directly to my house long before now.

In my fabric anxiety I also checked on the red fabric I have for the caraco. I've got gobs of it. Over eleven yards! I don't know at this point if I want to make a whole other gown out of it, maybe a polonaise, or another petticoat with a deep ruffle. On the other hand, unless I attend some sort of 18th Century weekend-long event, which isn't likely, I just don't see myself needing several different ensembles. As it is already, I'll have the caraco and a jacket to go with the quilted petticoat. I suppose I could also simply use as much as I need and then sell the rest on ebay--I just hate parting with fabric.

Of course, I shouldn't complain too much about not having my yellow fabric yet, since I still have quite a bit to keep me busy. I should have enough to do with the corset and shift. I also want to get a petticoat draped before starting on the quilted one; I realized that I will want a very definite idea of the shape of the quilted petticoat before doing all the marking and quilting. That, unfortunately, cannot be done until I have an accurate waist measurement.

In actual sewing news, I worked on the corset for a little while last night. I got the two interlining layers sewn up but quit when I got to the point where I couldn't avoid getting the iron out to press my seams open. So, tonight I guess I'll start with the ironing and then sew the boning chanels and do a fitting.

1/11/06

Heehee. Started stitching my boning channels last night and didn't realize until after I had started that some of the boning channels would cut others off from access. I suppose if you were stitching these by hand and could insert boning as you went along it wouldn't be a problem, but for little ol' me, it's a big problem. I suppose if I had been paying attention, I could have saved the horizontal boning for last, stitching those rows after I had put the vertical and diagonal boning in. It's too late for that at this point, though. So, my solution is to try using an awl to carefully open a hole large enough to insert the boning in the channel without actually breaking any threads of the fabric. I'll let you know how that goes.

I only got the front boning channels stitched last night. I wanted to get some reading done and figured that I'm not really in any hurry anyway. Tonight I should be able to get the rest of them stitched and maybe even assemble the fashion and lining layers. In the past, I've had issues with my fashion and lining fabrics stretching more than the interlining. This time I tried cutting those looser weave fabrics a tad smaller than the sturdy interlining. (We're talking maybe a sixteenth of an inch. When I traced my patter pieces onto the fabric, I cut the interlining just outside the line and the fashion and lining just inside the line.) Hopefully, this will take care of the slight puckering I always end up with, forcing the fashion fabric to stretch ever so slightly to fit the interlining.

I think this weekend I want to make the shift. I want a project that's going to be quick, something where I can see results right away. Not that I mind working on longterm projects, but every once in awhile, I need a quick fix.

1/12/06

I finally got the boning channels done! It might have gone a little faster if I had actually marked them on the fabric, but it's done now. Tonight I'll move on to assembling the other two layers and maybe even get all the layers sewn together at the center back and the channels sewn in for the boning on either side of the eyelets. I briefly thought about sewing handmade eyelets, then I realized that the back of the corset will never be seen, so what's the point. I may as well save myself some time.

Besides, I'll have enough handwork to do on this corset with the binding. I realized as I was sewing the boning channels that I really will need to do all the binding by hand. I usually sew one side on by machine, but between avoiding boning and getting around those pesky tabs, I'm bound to break needles and lose some sanity. Handsewing definitely looks favorable in comparison with the alternative. I just need a really sharp needle!

I'm also avoiding store-bought binding at all costs. I usually use it just to save time, but it never goes around corners the way real bias-cut binding does.

2/10/06

It's about time I had an update! So, I finally put the boning in the corset. It looks fantastic. I'm still a bit worried about those two small pieces that I had to insert by using my awl to open a hole in the fabric; I'm just not sure that the whole will completely close and can only hope that they will stay in place. Those pieces really are needed, though, so I am glad I didn't leave them out.

I was a little concerned that I'd have difficulty getting the horizontal boning in since I had to get it across the center front seam. It was actually quite easy once I figured out that I needed to pinch the layers together at the very end of the seam allowance (where the boning needed to get between the correct two layers). For some reason, the pressure on the layers made it much easier for the boning to go directly between the four layers of fabric.

I was also going to sit down to finish the center back seams when I realized that I haven't pressed the fashion and lining layers yet. So, that will wait for another day--too much work is involved in getting the ironing board and iron ready. Besides, I wanted to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, so the sewing kind of got sidelined tonight...but at least I made some progress.

Hopefully, I'll get this corset pretty much finished in the coming week. I have the whole following week after that off of work, so I'd like to be to the point where I can go on to the next project--draping a petticoat mock up (which will serve as an under petticoat). I'm really itching to get started on the quilting, but I don't want to mark the design on the fabric until I know exactly what shape I need it to be.

2/13/06

This is getting ridiculous! I could have handsewn the stays faster than this! The only thing I did this weekend was press the seams of the lining and fashion layers. Granted, I had a busy weekend, but my lack of progress on this project is starting to disappoint me. I suppose I should keep in mind that it really is turning out to be a lovely corset that should fit me for a while yet, even if I manage to lose the next twenty-five pounds I'm aiming for.

Which reminds me, I need to take weightloss into account as I build this outfit. I probably need to make all the petticoats with slightly small waistbands and just have them tie closed. For the quilted petticoat, I think I'll make a waistband that I've done for dance skirts, which need to be adjustable for several generations of high school dancers. I'll attach the front and back of the skirt to separate waistbands with long ends that can wrap around and tie. That will also leave me openings over my hoops at the sides for pocket access. The only thing that will need to fit perfectly will be the caraco, so I'll make sure I wait until we are close to the event before I start on that.

3/1/06

No, unfortunately I have not gotten anything done on this project. (Though I did help my mom make my cousin's wedding dress a couple weekends ago. Does that count?) I do, however, have some new motivation: Costume Academy. I'm taking the 18th Century bodice draping class, so I want to at least have my corset done beforehand.

3/8/06

I finally finished all the machine sewing on the corset last night. Yipee! All that was really left was to sew the shoulder straps onto the fashion and lining layers then finish the center back seam with all the layers together. Now I'm working on getting eyelets through all those four layers. My fingers could only handle one side of the corset last night, so I still have the other eight eyelets to put in before I can try it on again and take pictures.

I'm still not sure what I want to bind the thing with. I'd really like to find a thin, pliable leather to work with--I think it would complement the fashion fabric nicely--but I'm not sure if I'll be able to find something like that at my usual retail sources. I'll stop by Joann's and Michael's this afternoon to see what I can find. If I can't find anything, I'm just going to get some sort of sage green in something like an Egyptian cotton.

Once I get the binding done, this corset will finally be finished!

My next task will be to drape a muslin petticoat. I'm hoping that I'll be able to use my dressform for that, but I'm worried that the form is just way too big by now. I could always drape it on myself...it is just a petticoat after all. We'll see. Oh, and I need to remember to put something in the pocket hoops to weigh them down while I work on the petticoat.

3/10/06

No luck on the leather, just as I thought. Both stores sold narrow strips of leather that would have worked if they were a little wider. Since that won't work and I don't have time to get leather from another source, I'll have to make do with cotton. I think I'll have time to run by Joann's this afternoon before heading over to the airport to pick up my cousin, whose wedding dress mom and I will be working on this weekend. I wish I just had some fabric in my stash that would work, but for some reason I'm rarely drawn to buy solids; the few that I do have are either the wrong type of fabric or the wrong color.

On the positive side, I think I have a partially assembled petticoat that I can use for my mock up. I had meant to make it for Dickens Fair, but never got it finished. Right now, it's just four panels sewn together with a ruffle cut out, waiting to be applied. I'll use the panels to drape the petticoat so that I know how the top edge of the quilted petticoat should look to fit over the pocket hoops. Then, I'll go ahead and finish the petticoat, attaching the ruffle to the bottom edge to use as an under petticoat for this outfit.

3/15/06

I finished the eyelets and got some pictures last weekend. I still haven't bound the edges. I'm thinking of trying to get some leather now that I know I've got some time. It doesn't really need to be completely finished until I need to wear it. In the meantime, I can proceed with the petticoat now that I have an idea of what my waist measurement is with the corset on.

As you can see, I ended up with a very wide lacing gap. I'm absolutely thrilled. I will definitely not need to remake this corset any time soon, even if I do lose another twenty pounds before the event. And speaking of losing weight, I'm definitely going to make the petticoats tie, but I'll do it a bit differently than I initially thought. I'll sew each petticoat to a flat waistband close to my waist measurement with the ends open so that I can run a drawstring through it. That makes so much more sense than my previous, convoluted ideas that I won't try to explain again. (I don't know why my brain tries to make things so complicated sometimes.

After taking all those 18th Century classes at Costume Academy last weekend, I'm a bit torn on how to proceed though. It really does seem like the quilted petticoat was more typical later in the century when the skirts had become more rounded and the hoops had gone out of fashion, but I kinda had my heart set on using those pocket hoops I made. Should I just say to heck with what was fashionable and do my own thing (which is usually what I do anyway) or should I at least get the silhouette right if I'm doing all this work to make a quilted petticoat?

Oh, and I picked up a light weight linen at Costume Academy to use for my chemise. It was a lot more expensive than the stuff I have, but definitely a better weight for a chemise.

3/16/06

I love having an online costume community! Thanks to everyone who sent me feedback on my previous post. I guess this just teaches me to stick to my guns, that my first ideas are usually on the right track and I shouldn't start backing away from them or changing my mind. So, the resulting resolutions are as follows:

1. I'm sticking with my original petticoat idea, attaching the front and back to separate waistbands that tie closed. (Three examples of quilted petticoats in Nancy Bradfield's Costume in Detail show them tied on the sides.)

2. I'm also sticking with my pocket hoops. While there seem to be many more of the later examples of quilted petticoats online and in museum collections, both Bradfield and Arnold have a Snowshill Manor dress that consists of a quilted petticoat and jacket dated towards the middle of the century (Bradfield, 21-22, and Arnold, 30). Bradfield also says that "plain quilted petticoats c. 1710 were at first used as an under-garment for warmth. During the '40's, when skirts opened in front to display the petticoat, the quilting became more and more elaborate" (23-24). Linda Baumgarten's Eighteenth-Century Clothing at Williamsburg also shows many examples of quilted petticoat's dating from 1750-1775 including one "signed and dated in the quilting 'Abigail Trowbridge, 1750'" (24). No wonder I thought I could get away with putting a quilted petticoat over pocket hoops; all that early research just slipped my mind, or got pushed out with all the new information. (Thanks Kendra for pointing me back towards my research again.)

3. The one thing I am still thinking about changing is the jacket design. The caraco pattern that I was going to size up from Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 1 (page 24) is dated a bit later than I wanted, considering that I want to stick with the pocket hoops. She also has a pattern for a pet-en-l'air on page 30 that is starting to grow on me. I've never been a big fan of all that pleating in the back, but I'm starting to get used to it and have become intrigued by the construction. I like the sizing flexibility that the lacing in back affords--that could end up coming in pretty handy. Besides, I've got a ton of this fabric to use up, so I may as well go all out, right?

The really good news is that my darling K will be out of town this weekend. Don't worry--I'll miss him sufficiently, but I'll also get more work done than I usually do on weekends. :)

3/17/06--Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It took a couple of hours on my knees last night, but I got a petticoat draped over my dressform. I just hope I can read my own markings now that I pulled it off. I had originally planned on using four panels, but that was just going to be way too full for me to pleat into the waistband. Maybe if I had done a whole bunch of double pleats, or overlapped them a lot, but I just don't think it'll be very easy to do that with the quilted version. So, I went with three panels instead and am very happy with how it looks. Now I just have to take a pattern from what I've done and cut pieces out of my yellow for the quilted version. Then, I can also assemble this mock up version to use as an under-petticoat--it'll just need a ruffle at the bottom.

4/4/06

Only a little progress here and there over the past few weeks. I have started marking the quilt pattern on the petticoat...it's going to take forever, especially since I've been such a slacker lately. It doesn't help that I have to work on it over at K's appartment, since I don't have a sliding glass door or an accessible large window at my own home. That also means that I can only work on it on weekends, since I need the sun to backlight my work. So far, I've only gotten half of two pannels done...sad, isn't it?

I ordered leather binding for my stays from the Silly Sisters. It arrived on Saturday, so I started binding the neck edge on Sunday night. I'm realizing that maybe a three yard bundle won't be quite enough. That's frustrating. Oh, well. Maybe I'll find something else I want from their site to add to my next order; I feel a bit silly calling in an order just for a roll of leather binding. I did make the unfortunate mistake of beginning to sew without my thimble. I did have the foresight to use a leather needle, but I managed to put a hole in my finger with the dull side of the needle just after thinking, "Gosh, I really should be using a thimble." I'm going to bind that fiddly bottom edge next (the part I've been dreading). Hopefully, the binding I have will be enough for that part, leaving just the armscyes without. Then I can decide if I want to order more leather or just use something else. I really like the leather, though, so if there isn't enough, I do think I'll order more.

Other than that tiny bit of progress, I've only managed to wash my chemise linen and think about assembling the underpetticoat.

The good news is that I won't be going to New Orleans over my spring break and will have time to sew. Not to say I wasn't looking forward to helping with hurricane relief in New Orleans, but it's just not going to work out right now. Hopefully, I will use that time to make up ground on this year's sewing plans.

5/12/06

Okay, the quilting is going to take forever! Not to mention, my procrastination has really screwed things up. Now that the weather is warm, I really don't want to be quilting this huge petticoat on my lap. I'll keep working on it, but I seriously don't think it will be done by August, and now, I'm not ever sure I'll want to wear it in August--too hot!

So, plan B: I'll go ahead and make a matching petticoat out of the red, flowered fabric, since I've got plenty of it. I'm certainly glad I purchased enough fabric for a back up plan.

Unfortunately, I've also been procrastinating on the stays. I just can't bring myself to attack that bottom edge. At this point, I'd try to get mom to do it, but it's tough on the fingers, and her hands have been taking enough of a beating lately. I just have to buckle down and get it done...soon. I'd like to have the corset done and a couple of petticoats before the fitting get-together at Kendra's. I have over a month, but with the way I've been sewing lately, or haven't been sewing, this could be interesting.

I must interject, though, that I have been doing little things here and there. I did help my mom the tiniest bit with my cousins' wedding dresses. Plus, another cousin is getting married next weekend and needed a few alterations to her dress, which I've been working on this week. Okay, I've only worked on it one evening, but I've had a cold. Is any of my whining generating sympathy yet. Probably not. I guess I should just go plant my butt in front of the sewing machine until I actually have something to show for it!

1/16/07

Sorry for the long pause, but I was making my wedding dress and working on various other wedding related projects that are all described in great detail on this page. Now that I am a happily married woman, I have picked this project back up. It is especially nice to have the quilt to work on with all this cold weather we are having.

This past weekend, I managed to find that lightweight linen I bought more than half a year ago. It was even already washed! I was able to get the chemise cut out using the Mantua Maker pattern and will get it assembled sometime this week.

The corset is mostly bound. Unfortunately, I'm going to run out of binding before it's finished, though. I suppose I should go ahead and get more ordered. I've just been procrastinating because I absolutely despise trying to get around those tabs. I hope I never have to remake this corset!

2/1/07

I've been working on this project, but slowly. The weather has actually been very cold lately--perfect for working on the quilt--so that's what has gotten most of my attention lately. It's slow-going, but I enjoy having a project like this--something that I can pull out to work on while I'm watching television.

I've also started working on the chemise. I pulled out my Mantua Maker chemise pattern again. I wasn't very happy with it as a Regency chemise, as the sleeves were too full, even when I made them only wide enough to fit the armscye. The one mistake I may have made was to eliminate the sleeveband. Without the band to hold the sleeve in place, the chemise sleeve just bunches up in my armpit when I try to get my gown on. I'm hoping the issue will be solved by making the longer sleeves and putting the band on in an attempt to keep the chemise sleeve below my elbow when I put on the bodice.

3/7/07

As of last night, the chemise is finished! All the machine sewing has been done for some time now, but I decided that I wanted to add lace to the sleeve bands and the hem. It looks adorable.

The sleeves seem like they will work well now, so I'm very pleased with that. I'm also very happy with the linen I used from RenaissanceFabrics.net; it is so incredibly soft.