Summer List check: I hand sewed an 18th century style petticoat and pockets
posted on:This is a post about an item on my summer list.
Recently I fell down a rabbit hole. I do that from time to time. See my list of interests. They have been rabbit holes of various depths at one time or another. This time it was the one of historical costuming and sewing. There are great YouTube channels on that topic, of which those I linked are only a fraction and my current top favourites.
Anyway, it all started with this video (YouTube) by Ash L G about a no-waste, no-pattern, adjustable skirt. Since my weight has been shifting quite a bit in recent years and most of my skirts no longer fit me, this is perfect. But I fell deeper and deeper and found out about pockets, 18th century style: big ass pockets that tie around the waist. I wanted that skirt and I wanted those pockets.
My mother gave me an old turquoise half linnen that my grandfather probably produced (he was a master weaver (the industrial kind, not a hand weaver)) and I made a skirt. Of course I hand sewed it, "properly" with waxed linnen thread. I really enjoyed the process.
For the pockets I used some cut off from that half-linnen for one. The lining is fabric from old cotton pyjama pants of which I also used the draw string -- as a tie for the pockets. (You can see it in the photos where I wear the pockets over the skirt. This is only to show you how they look and where they sit when they're under the skirt. No ties are visible then.) The second pocked I made with very old scraps that I sewed to the lining fabric like Ash L G shows in this video about Victorian crazy patchwork. (You should go and follow Ash.)
I am so happy with how everything turned out! The only thing I might change is to tack the pockets to the tie. Right now they can slide along the band, which I though could be good for adjusting their position. But when they are loaded they move around my waist while walking. I will have to wear them for a while and see how it goes before I do that though. I only wore them for one day so far.
Of course I am dreaming about more hand sewing projects now: a shift, a kirtle, a waist coat, a shirt. If I'll ever actually make any of them is yet to be seen though. Who knows when I fall into the next rabbit hole...
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PS Pardon the formatting. I have not incorporated more than one image in one blog post before. I am doing this all by hand and do not know how to make images and text do what I want yet. I will keep fiddling with this post. Until then please excuse my dilettante HTML and CSS. Thank you.