And here's the "finished" outfits (buttonholes still to come and I still need to fix the darts, and we've got a lot left on @maco's saque but it looks good so we're not going to look too closely).

#18thCentury #18thCenturyFashion

When I get home tonight, I'll attach the outer collar (which is machine stitched) and then stitch the inner collar to it along the top and fronts, so it's ready for hand work. I've also got the sleeve caps to ease in place (annoying and fiddly; steam will help but I'll probably do pretty short basting stitches). And I have to decide if I'm adding the pockets. On the one hand, time is short. On the other hand... Pockets.

#18thCenturyRidingHabit #18thCenturyFashion #Tailoring

Muslin vs lining.

Muslin is really handy for mockups because it's cheap and easy to work with - the butcher paper of the sewing world.

But it lies. It doesn't drape well. It wrinkles in weird ways. It bunches. It tries to tell me the draft isn't right even when I've triple checked all my numbers and can feel the fit for myself.

Trusting my math and experience enough to actually cut the fashion fabric is always a leap of faith.

#18thCenturyFashion #HistoricDress

Why do I say a much smaller waist is unlikely? Because someone with my shoulder proportions would absolutely need to waist-train (extensively) to get a waist measurement that would allow this jacket to close. Tight-lacing wasn't common in this period. Stays are boned with whale bone, not steel- they won't hold up to extreme waist training, and it simply wasn't the fashion.

This jacket was cut to be worn open.

Good thing I bought some taffeta for a waistcoat 😎.

#18thCenturyFashion

Here's the front. The original was built for someone with a smaller bust than mine, but even accounting for that, it was clearly not cut to close in the front.

If the back didn't fit, it could have been the original was made for someone with a much smaller waist (unlikely). But the back fits me all the way through the waist, and even someone with washboard abs wouldn't make up 7.5 inches of waist circumference only in the front.

#18thCenturyStays #18thCenturyFashion #18thCentury

There's a note in #PatternsOfFashion that the Snowshill Manor riding habit may have been worn open over a waistcoat. I think I can make a strong case that it was.

I cut the original pattern with no fit alterations besides straightening out the side back seams (they are slightly curved in the original). You can see that the original pattern fits me okay through the back (it bunches under the arms because the seam allowance is in the way).

#18thCenturyFashion #HistoricalCostuming #18thCentury

18th century silk dress, probably Spanish. Via The Met #18thcenturyfashion #dresshistory #fashionhistory

Test fit: success! The side seams are basted at the moment so I could test the fit before whipping in a bunch of stitches I might have needed to rip back out. But it looks like I'm good to go 👍.

#Corsetry #18thCenturyFashion #18thCentury

Certain events of the last two days have left me feeling particularly stabby, so it's a good thing I have thick seams to whip. Two down, four to go.

#Corsetry #18thCenturyStays #18thCenturyFashion

Had to run errands for half the afternoon, but the boning channels are done and the bones are in and tipped: I used a rotary tool tool smooth off the edges where I cut the pieces.

The raw ends aren't exactly razors, but they're sharp enough that over time they'll wear through the fabric and damage the stays.

#Corsetry #18thCentury #18thCenturyStays #18thcenturyfashion

Tracing is done, and that's a wrap for today. It doesn't feel like a lot of progress, but that's because these are the extremely fiddly annoying steps that take forever (I hate cutting and tracing).

Tomorrow I'll flat-line the shirt linen to the canvas, and then I can start construction.

#18thcenturyFashion #18thCenturyStays #Corsetry

#18thCenturyStays fit test in canvas! No boning; just checking the size. Upholstery canvas courtesy @maco. Since it's just a mockup I used some grommets I had lying around - the final will be bound eyelets. I'm really looking forward to giving it my 🙂 🕶️ 😎 awl.

Pattern is Red Threaded's new 1750s stays pattern, with added front lacing.

#18thCenturyFashion #LivingHistory #CorsetMaking #Corsetry

18th century women's mitts ranged from exceedingly plain to highly decorative.

Here's a fistful of favourites:
1. Museum Fine Arts Boston, Accession No. 43.1968a-b, linen
2. Museum Rotterdam, No. 65828-1-2, embroidery on cotton
3. Fries Museum, No. T11118, knitted cotton
4. Worshipful Company of Glovers, No. 23448, metallic embroidery on silk
5.Museum Rotterdam, No. 20837-A-B, tambour embroidery on linen

Which is your favourite?

#DressHistory #HistoricalDress #18thcenturyFashion

The lace I copied was this #Boston area (?) #calash that I love. It's enormous. I don't have the lace dimensions but I used a typical grid size.

#18thCenturyFashion #TextileHistory

https://www.historicnewengland.org/explore/collections-access/gusn/50521

#WIPWednesday My #torchon #BobbinLace with beads is mostly done. It's a bracelet, and I need to figure out some kind of clasp to use. But I'm pleased with the way it came out.

Thrift store beads and eBay black silk thread for a nice wearable item.

In the #lace community, it's custom to wear something you have made. But almost all of my other lace is on #18thCenturyFashion, which is not right for regular events...

What is the hashtag for a #WIPWednesday that graduates to completed? My #18thCenturyFashion cloak, with handmade #BobbinLace, is done! In time for the January 1 event here with General #GeorgeWashington and the troops on Prospect Hill in #SomervilleMA

Here's the #RevolutionaryWar event: https://www.somervillema.gov/news/join-somervilles-247th-annual-grand-union-flag-raising

Thinking back on the work I did in 2021 for the #HighlandThreads online costume collection, including a talk I gave about Spitalfields Silk in the Scottish Highlands in the 18th Century.

I will be pursuing a line of enquiry prompted by this research, for my masters dissertation this coming year.

https://youtu.be/8BgoZCtUpNI

#dresshistory #textilehistory #historicaldress #18thcentury #18thcenturyhistory #18thcenturyfashion #18thcenturystyle #silk #Scotland #Scottish #history #ScottishHistory

Woot! Finished the 2 yards of #lace I needed to trim the short cloak.

With some #caturday supervision (she's sitting on my needle case) I'm doing a little blanket stitch to put it on the cloak over the next few days.

#BobbinLace #18thCenturyFashion

#SundaySewing

De-compressing after an intense semester. A few hours here and there this week while catching up on a few history podcasts... voila! An 18th century cap.

#18thcentury #18thcenturyfashion #18thcenturystyle #millinery #linen #EveryInchHandStitched #WeMakeHistory #HistoryMakesUs #HistoricalSewing

#SaturdaySackBack #SackBackSaturday

(Continuing @18thCent_Kitty traditions to try and find more #18thcentury #dresshistory #historicaldress lovers here...)

Rather than sharing an extant gown in a museum collection, here's the one I just finished making myself. Well, I say "finished"... needs hemming, cuffs and possbily a little trim. :)

#sackback #robealafrancaise #longsack #18thcenturyfashion #18thcenturystyle #FrenchFashion #everyinchhandstitched #wemakehistory #historymakesus