Making Pantalets from the 1820's

I hope you are liking the 1820's right now, because I am. :)  I've just finished up a pair of pantalets from that era, and yup, that's what this blog post is about :).  I love them, even if I did have to restrain from making tucks.  (random facts about me, I love making tucks and flat felled seams.)

I used a CW drawers pattern (Simplicity 2890), but adjusted it so that the legs were not as full, and took out the tucks.  They legs are attached to a waistband, like the ones below, instead of tying on separate.  I am not sure yet, but I think I will wear these as CW drawers as well.

My original plan for these pantalets was to put some Broderie Anglaise around the bottom like the two pairs feature below.  I did a lot of reading but I wasn't feeling very confident about doing the Broderie Anglaise...so I didn't.  I'm still not exactly sure how it's done...but I did learn a little bit.  At first I thought you just punched holes in the fabric and sealed it off with like nail polish or fray-check, or I'm not sure what.  *wince*.  I now know that it's similar to eyelet...but different.  And that's the part where I was getting confused.  And so we move along.

When I saw this picture of some 1820's pantalets that had lace insertion I thought I'd try that.  I do understand how that is done and had been wanting to try it for several months.  

original pantalets

After that I'm not really sure what happened...I think I just wanted a little bit of colour at the waistband.  I had some early 19th century embroidery patterns printed out from a previous project, and so I just did a little embroidery there.  And then I think I wanted the colour at the hem too so I just went ahead and did embroidery there as well.  At first I thought I wouldn't like it, since I prefer a more simplistic look, but it's just enough to add detail without being over the top.  

french knots!! :)

china buttons

yes...the do split.  It's slightly disturbing to me still...

forgive the skinnies and the sweater :P I didn't feel like getting all garbed up for a picture.  :O I'm currently sick. blah.

I would have done more of a tutorial for you, but it was literally just attaching two legs to a waistband.  And my embroidery skills are not even close to being good enough for a tutorial on that.  I will do a lace insertion tutorial one day, but until then, here is a good site to check out. :) 

I'm happy with my new pantalets. A very time consuming project, but rewarding :). 

~Theresa

No!!!! They'll BURN!!! DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!

I showed you a picture of my pattern organization system when I showed you my sewing room.  Nice, right? All neat and tidy. You would think that because of this, my patterns would be smooth and usable.  But-I do stash them into bags if I'm traveling, and I accidentally leave them out sometimes, or when the kids clean up down stairs, if I've left them out, the poor patterns get crammed into drawers.   Thus, they are no longer smooth. Even if I did always keep them in perfect order, the'd be creased.

So what I'm saying is-I've got some wrinkled patterns that I still want to use.  I need them now, and don't have time to say, press them under a stack of books.  What to do?  What to do? Iron them baby, iron them.

Here's what I do when my patterns get mussy.  They don't burn up, sorry if the title of this post deceived you :P To begin set the iron to low.  When it's hot, then begin ironing your pattern in quick even strokes.  Continue ironing until the pattern is smooth.

I love my really really old iron :)  When ironing patterns I set the heat a little hotter than low.

the patterns can be even more wrinkled than this...or less wrinkled. 

half ironed, half un-ironed

all done

So don't be scared of doing this too...it's really a quick and easy fix. :)

~Theresa

Making Some Fluff

With a new, late Regency (1820's) dress on the horizon, and 2 outgrown bodiced petticoats in storage, it was time to make a new one.

My first bodiced petticoat was a real shame.   I have to whisper that because Caroline wears it now :P.  It's cute, but it has waaaaaay too many hooks and eyes on the back (all upside down, in case you were wondering), ribbon flowers down the bodice front, and plenty of showing serge.  Not to mention the fact that the only thing I thought to use for a pattern was a size small nursing dress bodice.  What was I thinking.

ah yes...add as many gaudy ribbon flowers and beads as ya like.  I didn't even wear a shift under it...what was I thinking!!!???? Can't post the full pic of it on my blog...a little too much skin and cleavage than I'm comfortable sharing :P

Second bodiced petticoat was fairly accurate.  It had 2 rows of cording at the bottom, and a nice ruffle.  I draped the bodice myself, and it had 3 little buttons on the back.  The only major problem was that the skirt was like 6 inches too long in the back...Bascha had to pin it up every time I wore it :P.  (Love you Bascha! :D)  I liked that petticoat though, and it served me well...until I grew way out of it :(.

showing where the under-bust line is (top of my finger)

I've just now completed my third petticoat :). It's not a bodiced petti, but an un-bodiced one (lol).  I had seen a few examples online, of petticoats without a bodice.  I figured this might be a better idea for me, since my bust is obviously not done growing yet. Instead of having to either rip apart my petti and sew a new bodice, or sew another one, I could just do nothing! :D

                                                       

So that is what I've done.  Stats are: cotton, machine sewn, no patterns, 7 tucks.

I am still thinking of adding those narrow straps.  My waist is the same size as my ribcage (28") and so I've got a feeling it'll slide down lower on my body than it needs too.  The straps would help keep it up.

Also...I'm taller than Madame.  This petticoat hits just lower than mid shin.

It ties completely shut on me, I think I actually need to add another dart to make that band tighter.  If I were to grow in width, I can always just tie it with a gap or let all my waistband tucks out.

Now I've made some fluff for under my dress, and can run off to sew some pantalets.

~Theresa