2023:8 A bodied petticoat
Kategori: Allmänt, Historic Sew Montly 23, Renaissance, Tudor set
This year's big project turned out to be an attempt at a full Tudor outfit, from the inside and out (except the shift, that I already had). I have a few Tudor things, but I wanted to finish my Very First Outfit (that I started ten years or so ago!) and also get something slightly more fancy. The two projects could be combined!
First out: a bodied petticoat. I think that the research consensus is that bodies or corsets was not a thing at all before the very late 1500s. I have never had outfits that "require" one, mostly because I a) was made aware of this fact early in my costuming - I cannot stress enough how much internet has made things easier and b) I am built in a way which makes a Renaissance look fairly easy to achieve without one. That said, two layers of interlined bodices give more support than one so while a combined kirtle/petticoat definately seems to have been a thing I wanted to try a petticoat AND kirtle for my fancy wear. For larp, it's not uncommon to go with only kirtle either and a bodied petticoat means that it wouldn't be a white shift showing in a lacing gap, but rather the petticoat - a much more dressed look.
The project was extremely straight forward: the Typical Tudor is my new best friend*. I don't know why I didn't just make an inch-grid on cardboard before, but that and pattern paper just makes scaling up so much easier. I am a bit oddly shaped, so will always need to make some adjustments - but I'd need to do that with a bought printed pattern as well.
I was not very diligent at taking photos of the process, but I mostly just followed the instructions. I digressed one and a half times:
- One when I added a bone to each side of the lacing, which the pattern doesn't call for (it does however suggest a single bone for the front of a pointed waist when side-laced). I have done non-boned side lacing with decent results, but I wanted to avoid as much weird pulling as possible.
- A half when I made the bodice sliiiiightly longer, having the skirt starting just below my natural waist. Without side bones it's not uncomfortable, and it lets me have the skirts of the outer garment start at my natural waist rather than slightly above it. As my ribcage-to-waist ratio is rather small, this helps not creating a bulky look.
- One when I added a bone to each side of the lacing, which the pattern doesn't call for (it does however suggest a single bone for the front of a pointed waist when side-laced). I have done non-boned side lacing with decent results, but I wanted to avoid as much weird pulling as possible.
- A half when I made the bodice sliiiiightly longer, having the skirt starting just below my natural waist. Without side bones it's not uncomfortable, and it lets me have the skirts of the outer garment start at my natural waist rather than slightly above it. As my ribcage-to-waist ratio is rather small, this helps not creating a bulky look.
Since I made the petticoat in silk taffeta, I lined it for a bit of body. I want to point out to the reader that I did let it hang on my mannequin for a week before hemming it.
Pinned, after letting the linen lining stretch for a little over a week.
Hemming the thing. Silk taffeta is great, but not that fun to hand sew. I am shit at using a thimble consistently, and even with one I struggle to make a running stitch (i.e. having the needle go down and up in the same motion - four layers of taffeta was simply to hard to get through). This made hemming a bit more time consuming.
Then I wore it once, and then I had to rip it and re-hem it since the bloody lining had stretched and made the hems fold outwards and upwards. I will never learn.
If I, by any chance, have anyone reading this blog somewhat consistently it will come as no surprise that I (wait for it) was short of time by the end. Therefore I opted for lacing rings rather than sewn eyelets for the front lacing. The upside is that I can lace is really quickly. The flip side is that the edge-between-lacing-and-actual-edge (the part where the bone is inserted) tends to pull a bit outwards and that the lacing is harder to adjust. In the picture below, you can see that it accomodates a little more than necessary for the protruding lower part of my rib cage.
I really thought I had better pictures of the finished result, but alas. In this picture the wrinkles from the first wear shows, but I am ok with that. Garments are made for being worn, after all.
The facts:
The challenge: 2023:8, All tied up
What the item is: a bodied petticoat
How it fits the challenge: it's (spiral) laced in front so it's sort of tied
Material: Silk taffeta, linen
Pattern: from the Tudor tailor
Year: late 15th-early 16th century
Notions: Polyester thread in lieu of silk for the petticoat, linen for other visible seams. Visible seams made by hand, long seams by machine (iirc!). A bit of fake whale bone for the bones in the front.
How historically accurate is it? Fairly. Period accurate** pattern and materials, some shortcuts in assembling it. I'd say 90%.
Hours to complete: As usual, forgot to count. With pattern construction, mockups, re-hemming and all I'd say around 30 hours.
First worn: September 2023
Total cost: 55 euros or thereabouts, including taffeta, linen and the coarser linen for interlining as well as lacing rings.
How it fits the challenge: it's (spiral) laced in front so it's sort of tied
Material: Silk taffeta, linen
Pattern: from the Tudor tailor
Year: late 15th-early 16th century
Notions: Polyester thread in lieu of silk for the petticoat, linen for other visible seams. Visible seams made by hand, long seams by machine (iirc!). A bit of fake whale bone for the bones in the front.
How historically accurate is it? Fairly. Period accurate** pattern and materials, some shortcuts in assembling it. I'd say 90%.
Hours to complete: As usual, forgot to count. With pattern construction, mockups, re-hemming and all I'd say around 30 hours.
First worn: September 2023
Total cost: 55 euros or thereabouts, including taffeta, linen and the coarser linen for interlining as well as lacing rings.
*I love everything about The Typical Tudor, thinking it even better than the Tudor Tailor book, especially the information about common fabrics and colours and what was worn by whom. My only tiny tiny reservation is that the sewing instructions require some experience (and occasionally the ability to wing parts of it). It certainly helps that I am like one size from the standard pattern.
**I more than trust the Tudor Tailor people to have done their research, so "period accurate as far as we know today"
