Jacket & Quilted petticoat, 2011
People usually begin 18th century re-enacting by making a jacket
and a petticoat. I got to them only after experimenting with
various other stuff.
I had, for some time, thought that a more practical outfit like
this would be a good one to have in my closet. I found the
inspiration for it when I found a quilted bedcover which just
might, from a distance, pass for silk, for 9€. I had
already been acquianted with the fabulous idea of Elena from HWW
to use a bedcover as a material for a quilted petticoat, as you
have the top material, wadding and lining all basted together
provided only that the original quilting stitches won't leave
marks.
The bedcover was stuck in the corner of my sewing room for about
a year. Sometimes I googled designs for the quilting and carried
a sample piece on my handbag with hopes of finding a
jacket material which would go with it. Finally I came across a
perfect match, a printed cotton with a floral design which not
only bore a close enough resemblance to original period prints
but also matched the color of the petticoat-to-be. Well, of
course I still didn't immediately have the time to begin making
the outfit.
A few months later I suddenly realized that
a Christmas Fair at Sveaborg was coming, and this outfit would
be just perfect for the occasion. Of course I had a bunch of
other stuff at my hands for the ball the same day, but then
again if I wouldn't take time to make this outfit now it would
be pushed back on my project schedule again for who knows how
long. As I had all the materials already (not to mention
inspiration) it would be such a waste to skip it. I had also
recently made a jacket for my friend Ida, which had been a quick
job, so another one would surely follow with minimal effort.
I began with the petticoat. I was realistic enough to forget my
plans for elaborate quilting patterns, at least for now, I could
always take the skirt apart later. Right now I just wanted a new
petticoat fast. I used the whole width of the bedcover (260cm)
and even left the original not-so-neat binding on the hem. The
petticoat turned out really cute and so full that I don't even
need to wear any skirt supports under it - in fact, it can also
be used as a skirt support under something else.
The jacket bodice pattern is a combination of my riding habit
pattern and the skirts of the jacket (garment number 6) in
Costume Close Up, dated 1775-1785. On the pattern the skirt
flare seemed rather exaggerated but on the finished garment it
looked great. I added a wide gore on the front slit to get a
round hem. The sleeve pattern is also based on my riding habit's
sleeve, which I turned into an elbow length one-piece sleeve. I
had originally planned to have wide winged cuffs, but as the
jacket had already taken a more 1770's/80's flair I decided to
leave them off.
As the floral print was small and quite
irregular and the fabric width narrow I decided to cut it
without paying too much attention to the pattern. Thus I managed
to get the pattern repeating off at the center back, though
elsewhere it doesn't really show. For the lining I used linen
which gave some body to the fine cotton. As this was to be a
quick project I bag lined the jacket and inserted ready made
panels of hooks and eyes on the front edges. They stiffened the
front edges nicely and were covered by the hand-sewn lining.
I made up the sleeves separately and finished the armholes with
a bias cut binding on the inside. To get some period flair and
to keep the bagginess off I hand stitched all the edges. I also
gathered the neckline a bit with a stronger thread.
The outfit turned out really pretty, and works well as easy,
practical period wear. It was also a very nice quick and
economical therapy project. In the end I managed to finish
everything else for the ball in time as well, so this little
illicit adventure from the straight path of project schedule was
not disastrous at all.
As the outfit looked so 1770's I realized
after wearing it a few times that it absolutely needed a silly
dormeuse cap, which I finished just in time for the photoshoot.
More about it on 18th century headwear.
I would like to thank
Seitseminen National Park / Kovero
Heritage farm for an idyllic shooting location.