Finished the skirt (or petticoat, as it was called in the 18th century) late last night but waited until light (such as it is) to document it. Was half of an old duvet cover, now is a house skirt!
Worn here on top of everything else I was wearing, so it looks a bit more voluminous than it really is. 😄 The front pleats came out really nice!
I currently have another unfinished project waiting for my mental roadblock to dissolve, and yet... 😄
I'd recommend making a test one out of some old stash or repurposed fabric by machine (except for the pleating, do the pleating the slow and good way) to see what proportions you actually like! I really like my Victorian skirts floor length but my 18th century petticoats ankle length at most, and the optimal ratio of overlap at the sides I've finally hit the sweet spot after four of these!
The usual price I pay for 1m of fabric is 3-5€, so even if I'm not totally in love with it, it's ok to make it out of nice fabric. And I definitly need to play with the slit on the side, as I prefer my skirtlength to be around me knee. And I always do my pleating (and even gathering) by hand, if it's not really precise it'll drive me insane.
Ah, see, in my local fabric store if I want something that isn't the worst polyester known to man the prices for fabric start at 9€ and often hover in the 12-18€ range. 😅 When buying cotton I think 12€/m is very reasonable! Not that you need more than twice your waist to hem length (plus waist seam allowance & hem allowance) for these, 2m should be plenty unless you're very tall.
There are multiple different pleating techniques people advocate and so far I've only liked the one where you sew on two pulling threads and let those guide you when pinning. 😶
@Sini Tuulia @Lotta Your fabric prices are much closer to what I can get than what I usually hear from Random People On The Internet In English Speaking Countries, and it's *so nice* to hear from somebody with an experience much closer to mine.
We can't do new costumes every other week! at those prices, garments have to have a meaning and be used!
Omg I love it so much! Thanks for sharing, I feel less lonely doing hand sewing, I was wondering how you did the tying part, I'd like to make something alike but with using elastic. It's so inspiring and wonderful, thank you so much for sharing 😭
I do a lot of sewing by hand, both because I'm making Historically Adequate clothing and because it's often just the nicer way to do something that would be faster but way more annoying to do on machine. 😄
Here's a couple of bad zooms of photos from the WIP thread, I don't know if they're informative.
For drawers etc. I often make the drawstring inside the waistband out of twill tape most of the way but a small hidden length at the centre front, to make it slightly elastic... But here I don't think a regular strength elastic would support all the weight?
I totally agree with the machine, it seems a lot of bother and mecanical issues so I rather do hand sewing with way more less noise, I often watch something in the same time or listen to music.
Thanks for the zoom pictures! I was wondering if you sewn the band all the around waist or only where it's needed. Sorry for my very bad english vocabulary.
May I ask... Do you have some websites or books to recommand about patterns?
I like using the machine for long straight seams and when hemming 6+ metres of hem for 'modern' clothes, but all the tiny little details like buttonholes and corners I like doing by hand. 😊 I can't concentrate on podcasts without doing something with my hands, so I only listen to them when sewing!
You could sew it all the way around! I've done it that way too. Your English is also fine, sometimes I only know the Finnish or the English word, not both 😄
I've read a lot of pattern drafting manuals from the Victorian era? There's so many when you search archive.org for them, they mostly have the same things but not always. If you can watch video, The Closet Historian on youtube has extensive pattern drafting videos.
I got taught pattern drafting in tailoring/dressmaking school, so I kind of already have it in my brain though
Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •once for the skirt
once for the Feline Overlord :D
Lotta
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Lotta • • •I'd recommend making a test one out of some old stash or repurposed fabric by machine (except for the pleating, do the pleating the slow and good way) to see what proportions you actually like! I really like my Victorian skirts floor length but my 18th century petticoats ankle length at most, and the optimal ratio of overlap at the sides I've finally hit the sweet spot after four of these!
Lotta
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •And I definitly need to play with the slit on the side, as I prefer my skirtlength to be around me knee.
And I always do my pleating (and even gathering) by hand, if it's not really precise it'll drive me insane.
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Lotta • • •Not that you need more than twice your waist to hem length (plus waist seam allowance & hem allowance) for these, 2m should be plenty unless you're very tall.
There are multiple different pleating techniques people advocate and so far I've only liked the one where you sew on two pulling threads and let those guide you when pinning. 😶
Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •We can't do new costumes every other week! at those prices, garments have to have a meaning and be used!
Lau 🔞
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Lau 🔞 • • •Here's a couple of bad zooms of photos from the WIP thread, I don't know if they're informative.
For drawers etc. I often make the drawstring inside the waistband out of twill tape most of the way but a small hidden length at the centre front, to make it slightly elastic... But here I don't think a regular strength elastic would support all the weight?
Lau 🔞
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Thanks for the zoom pictures! I was wondering if you sewn the band all the around waist or only where it's needed.
Sorry for my very bad english vocabulary.
May I ask... Do you have some websites or books to recommand about patterns?
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Lau 🔞 • • •You could sew it all the way around! I've done it that way too. Your English is also fine, sometimes I only know the Finnish or the English word, not both 😄
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •I got taught pattern drafting in tailoring/dressmaking school, so I kind of already have it in my brain though
Lau 🔞
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Lau 🔞 • • •https://sewing-patterns.trueelena.org/bibliography/index.html#drafting-manuals
(all links to archive.org)
they are all based on math formulas, because that's the system that works for me, YMMV
Bibliography — Valhalla's sewing patterns documentation
sewing-patterns.trueelena.org