Historical Sew Fortnightly #3: Under it All: 1850s flounced petticoat done!

pettiThis is another UFO that's been languishing in the pile forever - an 1850s flounced petticoat.  This was really easy, just straight lengths for flounces and skirt, but rather time consuming with all the gathering.

The Challenge: #3 Under it all

Fabric:  Some cheap, rather thin, but crisp silk taffeta I got back in about 2000-2002?  I think when a fabric store was going out of business?  It doesn't have the thickness or luster than most silk taffeta has, and it's possible it's a blend, but it is nice and stiff and I thought that would be perfect for a pre-hoop era flounced petticoat.

Pattern: This is the 1850s skirt pattern A from Jean Hunnisett's Period Costume for State and Screen 1800-1909

Year: 1850,  but would work for 1840s or even1860s if I wanted to leave off a hoop or wear it over a hoop for a really full skirt.

Notions: thread, hook and bar.

How historically accurate is it? Fairly accurate

Hours to complete:   About 8

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: Not sure, I got the fabric so long ago.

But what's really fun is to see just how effective it is. Skirt on the left with a corded petticoat & a cotton flounced petticoat, and with both of those AND the new flounced petticoat on the right:

with petticoatno petticoat

Poof!  What a difference!  And it makes such a lovely rustling...

Comments

  1. So fun and fluffy! There's something just so luxurious about silk taffeta, isn't there?

    ReplyDelete

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