New Underpinnings!

This post is long overdue-not just because I made these back in October, but also because I have not made new underpinnings since I began the hobby 8 years ago.  With how often I used to dress up at the Bell County Museum (almost daily at one point), that's quite a while for 2 chemises and 2 drawers to be in commission!  They've seen their fair share of action and have the battle scars (patches) to prove it!  Especially since I didn't exactly use top of the line materials and tend to sleep in my chemises in the summer.

Every year around the time Welbourne comes around, I go through my wardrobe and decide what I need to update/fix.  Let's just say underpinnings have been on that list since I started going to Welbourne 3 years ago.  And they just finally got done.

I decided to make 4 sets.  The longest consecutive events I attend are 3 days long-that gives me a set per day plus an extra just in case.  Each set contains a matching chemise, drawers, petticoat, and corset cover.  I used 200 thread count cotton-it's not quite as thick as Pima but isn't semi-sheer like regular muslin fabric.  I ordered a whole 25 yard bolt and ended up ordering a second 25 yard bolt to make a new nightgown and a few petticoats.

For all four sets, I used Simplicity 9769 for the chemise, making my own sleeve patterns.  I used this chemise the very first time I made a chemise and I have never had a chemise fit as nice as that one, but the sleeves went all the way to my elbow! I used Elizabeth Stewart Clark's instructions for drafting your own drawers pattern that can be found on The Sewing Academy.  I highly recommend Mrs. Clark's directions for drafting drawers-super easy and they fit so nicely!  I have never liked drawers-mostly because I can't stand fabric between my legs AT ALL but these I can tolerate.  Doesn't mean I'll wear them all the time, but at least I can tolerate them if I ever NEED to wear them (warmth, doing a talk on historic underpinnings, etc.)  Of course, I just drafted my own petticoat pattern (it's just rectangles!).  I believe I used 3 panels of 45" fabric for each petti.  And the corset covers are just my bodice pattern.

Enjoy!

Set 1: Wavy Braid

Original Inspirations

Original chemise in in the MET

Original Chemise in the collection of Carolann Schmitt.

Original drawers in the MET

Original petticoat in the MET

Corset cover illustration from 1868.  I don't think original trim was wavy braid, but it is very similar.

My reproductions:

Chemise back

Chemise front

Chemise close up

Drawers detail

Drawers front

Drawers back

Petticoat back

Petticoat front

Corset cover close up

Petticoat detail

Notes on construction: This set is stitched completely by hand.  I melded the two original chemises together-using the plain wavy braid as in Mrs. Schmitt's chemise but also adding a section of it in the middle of the yoke like the MET one.  I have had the privilege of handling an original chemise/drawers set in the Bell County Museum that was made just like the MET's.  That's a lot of handwork and a lot of time, so I opted for simple.  For the petticoat, I used less wavy braid in my petticoat for the same reason-you have to tack each point of the wavy braid (both top and bottom) to the fabric and that was going to take forever.  Right now I have some china buttons on the set, but I love the look of the thread covered on in Mrs. Schmitt's collection and may have to attempt something like that in the future.

Set 2: Tucked

Original Inspirations

Lady's Handbook showing
tucked chemise 

MET tucked drawers

MET tucked petticoat

           

Corset cover from 1868 showing a tucked corset cover.

My reproductions:

Drawers front

Drawers back

Chemise back

Chemise front

Chemise close up

Drawers detail

Petticoat front

Petticoat back

Petticoat detail

Corset cover close up

Notes on construction:  This set is stitched by machine and finished by hand.  I meant to add ruffles on both the petticoat and the drawers, to be more like the MET petticoat, but I ran out of time before Welbourne and have left them as is.  No one really sees them anyway (haha!).

Set 3: Plain

Original Inspirations

MET drawers

Chemise from an
Auction site

MET petticoat

Private collection of Anton Priymak, ca. 1860.

My reproductions:

Chemise front

Chemise back

Drawers front

Drawers back

Petticoat front

Petticoat back

Notes on construction:  This set is stitched by machine and finished by hand.  If I ever end up doing working class events again, these will be my go-to.  They're really versatile which is why I made a plain set.  They're basically an exact replication of my original set of underpinnings I made 8 years ago, since I used those so often!

Set 4: Embroidered

Original Inspirations

Original chemise in a private collection

Original petticoat off Ebay

Original drawers in private collection

Embroidered corset cover from the MET.

My reproductions:

Drawers front

Drawers back

Drawers detail

Chemise close up

Chemise front

Chemise back

Petticoat front

Petticoat back

Notes on construction:  This set is stitched completely by hand.  I picked up the Swiss insertion and edging off Farmhouse Fabrics.  I was going to do this set by machine but then realized that to get the embroideries straight, it would be easier by hand so that's what I did.  I've worn this set several times already and love it!

Enjoy!