The Floaty Petticoat Begins, 1780's style

Now that the jacket is only 2 buttonholes and few button swaps away from being officially finished I've started on the matching petticoat to give myself a break from satin stitch tedium. Plus it's been such an epic journey to sew one jacket that I really feel due for some very simple sewing.

So here's the inspiration, the white self-striped floaty petti worn by the lady in the blue jacket. I suppose I should mention also that "petticoat" in the 18th century meant both a skirt worn under another and the visible skirt. Ok so pop history lesson over with.



I could wax lyrical about this petti. I love sheer self-stripes for a start and the airyness of this one also tells the tale of evolving fashion. Muslins and other sheer and light fabrics would soon become the mainstay of fashion and eventually bring in the empire fashions. I'm a sucker for transition-wear.

Unable to find a suitably floaty self-stripe I've instead opted for a sheer silk voile with loads of floatiness and something else besides, colour. The gorgeous colour of melons, coral and peaches all wrapped up into one. What could say summer more?



Isn't it delicious? Couldn't you just eat this up like sorbet? It could only be more beautiful if it had a satin self-stripe in it. If it did, I would have bought the whole roll.

So today I've cut the pieces out, basted them to the lining and am just about to pleat up. I've done a quick test on the bottom flounce and all looks good there and will shortly be testing a secondary trim which is only a slight departure from that pictured. I can't help myself, I can never just replicate anything, always my own little variation has to go on it.