Yuletide 2015: The Dress, Complete!

It's that time of year again, December means Yuletide Theatrical Tours at the Genesee Country Museum!  The date is 1849, and Christmas has just been declared an official holiday in New York State.  There's music, dancing and drama as business and homes herald in the new holiday.  Running throughout the first three weekends in December (that's December 4-6, 11-13 & 18-20), click here to book your reservations today - with only one weekend left, you won't want to miss out on this annual tradition!

A sneak peak at the Livingston's soirée!

Another view of the Livingston's private dining room.

This year, I was cast as Mrs. Jeannette Hutchinson, one of the MacKay sisters.  Upon entering our scene, visitors are informed that we, the MacKay family, do not celebrate this "new money" holiday of Christmas, preferring the venerable, Scottish holiday of Hogmanay.  My brother, Mr. John MacKay, Jr, however, has other plans on his mind, perhaps concerning our Irish maid, Mary Shannon.  All in all, our scene is a whole lot of fun as the four of us every night have added to and played off each-other to heighten the dramatic atmosphere.

Oh Hogmanay!

Enough on Yuletide for now, and onto the sewing!

Perhaps it was a tad crazy to want and tackle an entire, new outfit for Yuletide less than two weeks before the dressed rehearsal.  But, somehow, with lots of long days and long nights of stitching, it happened...Jeanette was very pleased.


Constructing the Dress 

First, let's talk about the dress, itself.  Last Spring, I approached my friend and accomplished seamstress, Allison, who runs her own sewing business, Clara Jane: Seamstress & Supplies, about an 1850s bodice commission.  Set on the polka dotted fabric and double puffed sleeves, I delivered the challenge into Allison's capable hands.  The result (here) was stunning!  Allison does fantastic, historically accurate work, especially menswear, so make sure to check Clara Jane: Seamstress & Supplies out on her blog, facebook page & etsy shop!

However, half a year later, my shape sort of fluctuated, ahem, and her bodice no longer fit...so to the scissors I went!  I didn't take any pictures of this process, so let's look at some of my inspiration instead:

THE inspiration.
(Image via: Pinterest)

Very full sleeve puffs & cravat bow at the neck.
(Image via: The Barrington House)

Sarah Chamberlain photographed by W.M. Pierce in Brunswick, Maine
(Image via: Pinterest)

More double puffed sleeves & a belt with a buckle!
(Image via: Ebay, Pinterest)

Tackling new sleeves was the next part of the process.  For this, I turned to two outstanding resources - The Dressmaker's Guide by Elizabeth Stewart Clark & this tutorial, Making Double-Puff Sleeves, by Sarah Jane of Romantic History.  Both are my go-to resources!  '

I found the process so interesting, I decided to document each step:

Step one: Drafting sleeves.

Step two: More drafting...and more...and more...and, finally, a successful mock up!

Step three:  Slashing and spreading the puff pattern to double the original.
Step four: Cutting out the puffs.  Two for each side.  Double for four. 

Step five: Stitching each puff & gathering the tops and bottoms.

Step six:  Stitch bottom of lower puff to sleeve, right sides together.

Step seven:  Stitch top of lower puff to sleeve.

Step eight:  Stitch bottom of upper puff,
making sure to enclose raw edges and previous rows of stitching.

Step nine:  Stitch top of upper puff to sleeve edge.

Step ten:  Handset piping and sleeve into armscye.

And we have sleeves - success!

Break for Accessories

While it may be simple to break down construction into a series of pictures and words, I assure you that it is not as easy and straightforward in real life...The dress (and looming deadline) was frustrating me, so I took a break to make a few accessories - a short and satisfying way to make progress!

First, a red, silk cravat or bow:  See Sarah Jane's splendid, little tutorial on How to Sew a Pre-Formed Cravat to make your own!

Front & back of bow.  I added a small clasp with a pin for wearing ease.

Second, a matching red, silk belt with a large, mother of pearl buckle:  The silk is flat lined with cotton muslin and interlined with cotton drill.

Hand-stitched belt closes with two hooks and thread loops.

And third, a plain, 2" collar:  My good friend, the dressmaker, swooped in to save the day with a yard of her loveliest cotton batiste!  I actually ended up making a few collars because, well, when you're tired and a perfectionist, drafting simple things like collars are beyond you...

My first collar fail with a four inch gap at the neckline;
even had it whipped to the bodice before I realized...

Collar drafting - success!

Back to the Dress 

With the necessary accessories finished (yes, I still need to make undersleeves, shhh), it was onto the skirt for a very deep hem facing of a brown, cotton broadcloth (sorry, no pictures) & gauging the skirt.  I ran into a small snag with the gauging - too much fabric at 180" and not enough waistband - so I turned to Liz Clark & the Sewing Sisters on Facebook for some advice.  The uneven gauging they suggested, 3/8" on the outside and 1/4" on the inside, worked like a charm!

Gauging AKA three rows of even stitching.

Closures, hooks and thread loops, were literally finished right before I hopped into the car for dressed rehearsal.  Phew, and with that, the dress was done!

Closures consist of hooks & thread eyes.
Worn over two gauged petticoats (including my flannel) & one corded 
to add a nice support for the very high waist. 

Listening to:  Broadway musical soundtracks!  Including Jekyll & Hyde, Wicked, Lion King & Phantom of the Opera.


The Dress, Complete at Last

So far, I am very pleased by my first, mid-century, day dress!  The one thing that I would change on the next dress would be to bring the waist back down to my corseted waist.  This bodice sits about 2" above my natural waist, and I guess I like long-waisted bodices (or those modern sensibilities getting in the way!)...anyways, I am just so happy to have a new dress:

The finished dress.
Liz Clark left me the kindest, period compliment on Facebook,
saying that it's "neat, tidy, and very delightful!" - I am so grateful for all of her help! 

Front, close up shot.

Back, close up shot.

Just to show off how versatile this dress can be, here I've paired it with a warm sontag for indoors:

A coat & hood for outdoors:

"Dressed up" or "dressed down:"

Day vs. work dress.

And finally, I couldn't resist a few shots before dashing out the door, courtesy of the Mom!  

Now I'm off to beg the sister for a proper photo shoot...Stay tuned for the upcoming posts on my new cap & sewing box.  Thanks for reading! 

Short Gown Study III

Hello friends & Happy December!  How it is already well into the new month, I do not know...time sure flies!  Especially, when you're sewing on a tight deadline...In two weeks time, stitching day and most nights, I was able to crank out an entire, new, mid-century outfit for Yuletide 2015 (plenty more on the project to come).  But for now, let's pick up from where we left off in my Ode to Autumn - 1830s Photo Shoot with a look at the construction details.

Photograph Courtesy of Maria M.

As I have mentioned previously in both Short Gown Study I & Study II, working at the Genesee Country Village has certainty inspired an interest in the working class attire of the early 19th century.  That said, I began this series of "short gown studies" not only to expand my historical wardrobe for work, but to draw attention to the beauty of the often overlooked ordinary.  Practical clothing can be just as pretty as high fashion!  

Completed 1830s working wear!

The Short Gown

First, let's take a look at the short gown, or "mantelet" as Old Sturbridge Village calls it:

Constructed from the same pattern as the first 1830s short gown - please do visit Short Gown Study II for the in-depth study of this style short gown - this simple "T" shaped garment features set-in sleeves, much like a fashionable gown.  Furthermore, the small poof provides an economical and practical nod to the fashionable giggot sleeve style of the era.  However, unlike fashionable gowns, the unfitted short gown closes with a drawstring at the waist and pins shut at the top.  

For this particular short gown outfit (intended to be my new chocolate attire for the Agricultural Fair and American Heritage Chocolate demonstrations), I chose a rust-colored reproduction cotton.  The print ended up being darker and a smaller scale than I had anticipated (drawbacks of online ordering), and there was only about two and an eight yards left on the bolt, when I had ordered three (more online purchasing caveats).  However, I managed to eke out the garment and a matching belt!

Matching belt interlined with cotton drill.

Though, the piping (for the sleeve seems, shoulder seems, armscyes, neckline and wrists) needed to be pieced together.  Mostly hand stitched with a combination of spaced back stitches and whip stitched.  Machine stitched two interior seams and piping strips.

Piecing piping strips from the scraps.

As always, for examples of extant garments, please take a look at my 19th Century Short Gown Pinterest Board.


The Petticoat

While the short gown was finished right at the beginning of September, the petticoat sat for nearly a month just needing to be pleated and attached to ties!  (Sad, I know...)  Anyways, it was finished in time for chocolating at the Domestic Symposium.

  

Made from two, 60" panels of a rather heavy, medium weight, chocolate linen and sturdy, 1" cotton twill tape from Wm. Booth Draper, the straight petticoat was made to tie the 18th century way, rather than close at the center back.  First the back half is tied in the front:

Then the front half is drawn up, with the ties crossed in the back, to tie neatly in the front: (Have I confused you with all the "fronts" and "backs" yet?)

What I like most about this style is that it provides easy access to pockets on the side, which my 19th century work petticoat does not.  If you look closely where the edge has been turned and stitched, that's the slit that provides pocket access: 

Want to make your own now?  There are two tutorials I highly suggest - A Fashionable Frolick's: A "Threaded Bliss" Tutorial on making a standard, straight 18th-century petticoat & The Fashionable Past's (Koshka-the-Cat): An Easy, Authentic Eighteenth Century Petticoat on making a petticoat to go over pocket hoops (or other supports).  Both are fantastic!!

In fact, I based my petticoat on the directions in the first tutorial by A Fashionable Frolick!  The only change really was in the way I pleated mine, with stacked knife pleats and omitting the wider box pleats (I had trouble fitting all of the bulky fabric!).  Though, I still do have a box pleat center front and inverted box pleat center back.

Back with close up of inverted box pleat & directional knife pleats. 

The other deviation is in the way I've chosen to finish the hem.  As Rebecca discussed in the tutorial:

"Rolling the hem twice is the most common (and easiest) way to finish it, but if you're working with thicker fabric (wool or a quilted or marseilles fabric), or if you need to eek out as much length as you can, you could also bind the raw edges of the hem...Your third period option is to face the hem, typically with a light-weight silk; this treatment is almost always reserved for silk petticoats and silk gown skirts, though it is seen on expensive cotton gowns as well." 

 And since mine is none of the above - I applied a three and a half inch facing out of a dark brown, cotton broadcloth on a linen petticoat - my hem should have been turned.  Now I know!

The Accessories 

Nothing completes an outfit better than the accessories!  And for working class wear, I've found that this is where the fun begins.  The opportunities are limitless - go wild with the colors, prints and scales!

For this short gown outfit, I made a new bibbed apron from a large purple & cream checked cotton and paired it with a small, light green & white checked kerchief.  Both were entirely hand stitched.

Detail shot of the kerchief with 1/16" rolled hems.

The Colour Challenge: Brown  

Back in September when I started the project, I had intended it to be my September entry in the 2015 Historical Sew Monthly hosted by the Dreamstress...however, pleating that petticoat (as well as photographing it) sure held up the process!  While it is several months later, I guess now is better than never!  So onto the details...

The Challenge: #9 Brown - it’s not the most exciting colour by modern standards, but brown has been one of the most common, and popular, colours throughout history. Make something brown.

Fabric: Rust-colored reproduction cotton (I consider rust in the brown family), chocolate-colored linen

Pattern: Short gown from a diagram provided by Old Sturbridge Village, petticoat based on directions from A Fashionable Frolick's: A "Threaded Bliss" Tutorial

Year: 1830s, with the petticoat leaning more towards the late 18th century based on style.

Notions: Matching threads, crochet cotton for piping, cotton twill tapes

How historically accurate is it?  Very high 90% for the short gown; fairly 75% for the petticoat with a subtraction on the facing.

Hours to complete:  Unfortunately, I didn't keep track.

First worn:  For the Genesee Country Village & Museum's second annual Domestic Skills Symposium!  In short, it was absolutely fantastic!!  There were historians and enthusiasts from living history museums in six states (incuding Colonial Williamsburg!) and Canada.  Three days chock-full of symposium lectures (featuring Lynne Belluscio of the LeRoy House, Jonathan Townsend of Jas Townsend and Son, Inc., Rabbit Goody of Thistle Hill Weavers & Patricia Tice of the John L. Wehle Gallery) & workshops (I even had the chance to take a cordage workshop)!

It was a huge pleasure and privilege to be allowed to help and to represent the museum's craft in the village program!  On the Saturday of the actual symposium lectures, I was asked to wear 1830s attire to promote and hand out samples of American Heritage Chocolate.  All in all, I had quite the time discussing everything form historical sewing, to 19th century fiber arts, to favorite museum programs and to American Heritage Chocolate and confections with the attendees!

I even snapped a few pictures of the crafts-in-the-village tables to share:

Some of our crafts from the village!

A year's worth of spinning & dyeing (or at least what was left on the third day).
Just look at those vibrant colors!

Berlin work purses, made by one of my very talented friends!

We also had entire table devoted to 19th century confections!
There were hundreds of gingerbreads, shortbreads, Amelia Simmons Christmas cookies,
speculaas, marzipan, gum paste flowers, candies of all sorts, and, our most popular,
orange springerle cookies!

More beautiful orange springerle cookies!
These represent four nations of the British Isles with the English rose,
Scottish thistle, Welsh leek & Irish shamrock.

What a weekend!  Thanks for reading!