A New Coat for Little C

Little C's growing up and it's about time he had a new sacque coat!  So, as the first project of 2019, I finally made good on a long-time promise...Thank you, Liz, for all of your patience during the long wait and for letting me play dress up with your handsome, young gent! 

A new, mid-19th Century sacque coat for Little C!

Ages ago in 2016 (can it really have been three years now?!), I made a first attempt at child-sized outerwear.  See the blog post, here: A Little Sacque for a Little Gent.  Since then, I've wanted to make another, better-fitting sacque coat, and have high hopes that this one will.  Liz sent me the navy wool to use for the outer fashion fabric, and a soft, grey cotton flannel for the inner lining.  I felt the coat still needed something to tie the colors together, so I found a length of a large checkered silk taffeta to use for the binding.

Materials: navy wool fashion fabric, grey cotton flannel for lining,
and silk taffeta for bias binding 

The pattern itself was self-drafted in four pieces using little C's measurements with a generous cut in hopes that it will serve him for a season or two.  Plus, it allows for extra room when layering.  The design was inspired by similar mid-19th Century boy's sacque coats, though not modeled after any particular extant.  Here are a few historical reference images: 

CDV of a boy in suit with a dark cap.
Image via: Ebay

Image via: Pinterest

Image via: Antique Photo Album Galleries, 52

Our version:  Constructing the coat was straightforward.  I seamed the outer and lining layers separately to enclose the seam allowances, then bound the outer edges, sleeves and collar with the silk cut on the bias.  For modern ease of dressing, I stitched a large snap at the collar, which can easily be swapped out for tapes or buttons for historical use.

Front of sacque coat

Back view

Interior view

Binding detail - bias cutting is so satisfying!

As in the first post, Teddy was more than happy to model.  Might be a little big on him this time around...

I look forward to seeing the dashing Little C sporting his new sacque, and perhaps you'll find him and his mommy out and about in our village this upcoming museum season!

A Little Sacque for a Little Gent

"What good is the warmth of summer, 

without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." 

- John Steinbeck 

After a record-breaking heatwave of a summer, it feels more like winter than fall out there!  And with the colder weather, my thoughts turned to our youngest interpreter of the village...at 15 months and head-to-toe cuteness, I couldn't bear the thought of our favorite little gent being cold.  So, after talking with his lovely mommy, I set out to draft a mid-century sacque coat from his measurements.  

Sacque (noun) - an infant’s short jacket that fastens at the neck.

The little gent's favorite color is orange, so I did my best to include that in the design.  Made from a really nice, dark brown wool and the softest cotton flannel that I've ever felt, the sacque coat ties with a light orange, vintage ribbon remnant.  

Materials: dark brown wool, soft cotton flannel,
and a light orange, vintage ribbon remnant. 

Here are a few of the historical images that were used for inspiration: 

CDV of two Civil War children.
Photograph by Whipple.  Boston, MA.
(Image via: Ebay seller - Somewhere In Time)

CDV of a young boy, c.1860.  France.
(Image via: Past to Present)

Boy's jacket from Godey's Lady Book, c.1858
(Image via: World Turn'd Upside Down)

And our version: 

Front.

Inside.  (Yes, those plaids match perfectly!)

Back.

Detail shots:

For a while, I've been obsessed with children's clothing!  So thank you, Liz, for letting me experiment!  They're just so tiny, so cute...going into the project, at such a small scale, I thought children's clothing would be a breeze.  Well, I've discovered that they take just as much work as adult clothing, and can be just as fiddly to pattern.  Note to self, the mock up should not be skipped next time.  In cutting, I apparently was a little too eager with the scissors and made the armholes too small.  Hmm.  Next year, we'll have to try again!

The sacque was constructed in two pieces - an inner and outer shell -
so that any seams would be enclosed.  

Because of the scale, the coat is mostly hand stitched and entirely hand finished for historical use.  I did use a machine for the four interior seams and to baste the inner and outer shells along the outer edges, none of which are visible after completion.

I made 1/2" bias tape to enclose the raw edges.
Tiny whip stitches to make sure it stays in place.

Inside view.  I like playing with plaids!

Ribbon ties added at the neckline.
The neckband is an inch and 3/8ths, cut on the grain for stability. 

Both sleeves are also bound with 1/2" bias.

Finally, for the photo shoot, Teddy was more than happy to model: 

Teddy's a little shorter than the young gent...

Enjoy the new sacque coat, my little friend!