Examining an Original 1850s Dress + free patterns from the original

I bought another original!  This one is in not-so-great shape, but I can still learn quite a bit from it.  And of course, I'll have to reproduce it soon-I have a few months before I have that planned.  There's this beautiful red tissue taffeta that was purchased for this very project that is sitting happily in the sewing room closet until I get around to it.

Anyway, on to the dress.

The dress is black silk-not taffeta, I don't think.  It's thinner than taffeta and doesn't have as much body to it.  There are bits that have been reinforced with silk taffeta, but they are all conservation additions; not original.

It's a little larger size with a 30" waist and a 38" bust.  There is no boning (or darts) in the construction of the bodice-everything is gathered to a fitted waistband.  The lining and bodice are treated as one and gathering is put in on both the front sides as well as the back.  The front gathering bits from end to end measure: 4.5" and the back gathering measures 6.75".

The bodice closes with hooks and eyes with the eyes on the right side of the garment and hooks on the left.  The hooks are set it 1" from the edge while the eyes poke out a bit from the center front.  They are between 1.25" and 1.75" apart-no two are the same.  It would seem the original seamstress wasn't measuring her hook and eye placement but rather 'eye balling' it.  They are all run on the same thread all the way down.

The bodice is lined with a medium brown cotton.  Most of the polish has worn off but there are still bits where you can see it!

The waistband measures 1 3/8" in height.  It is not piped on the top edge but is piped on the bottom.  The waistband has two hooks and eyes that are set in different places than the front of the bodice.  My personal belief is that the eyes have been moved to the edge of the waistband but originally were about an 1" over.  The waistband is lined with a dark brown polished cotton.

Of course the bodice is piped at the neckline and armscyes.  The sleeves are bishop-full at the top and bottom.  They feature delicate little cuffs that are trimmed with self fabric ruching.   They are lined with a dark brown polished cotton that matches the waistband.

The skirt is gauged into the waistband but each individual gauged pleat isn't whipped into the waistband as I've seen before.  Instead, two gauging threads are run and then the resulting gathered skirt was then attached with a running stitch in the ditch of the waistband's piping.

Then we come to the skirt.  Currently, the skirt is 38" inches long but it has been rather sloppily shortened.  The original skirt length was 42".  The original skirt length features a dark olive brown wool hem tape-about 3/4" in width-that has been folded in half and attached with a running stitch over the skirt fabric and hem facing.  The facing is the same dark brown polished cotton from the waistband and cuffs.

The dress also features a little pocket in the left side of the skirt.  It is 6" from the waistband piping.  For your convenience, I have included a pattern of the skirt pocket for personal use.

Pocket Pattern

Pocket Directions

And then there's the pelerine.  Made from the same silk as the dress, but lined with a dark polished cotton that is similar but not exact to the dark polished cotton used on the dress.  The pelerine features a center back seam which I believe is due to the width of fabric the original seamstress was dealing with as the lining does not have a center back seam.  The pelerine is bag lined (typical 'modern' lining method), turned inside out, finished with a straight-grain binding at the neck, then trimmed with a 1.5" fringe trim (the fringy bit being 1" and the pretty trim part being .5").

I have also taken a pattern of the pelerine and included it here, again for personal use only.  Do be sure to make a mock up if you're making this yourself-I found it to be a little narrow across the shoulders for me.  It may look one-size-fits-all, but there are still some fitted bits across the neck and shoulder that will need to be worked out to the individual.

Pelerine Pattern

Pelerine Directions

If you make up something from either pattern, I would love to see pictures!!  You can tag me on Instagram (katelyn.heisch) or post them in the comments below.

I suppose the only other thing to mention is the dress is completely handsewn-skirt, sleeves, and pocket have all been done with a running stitch but the bodice pieces are stitched with a (not terribly neat) back stitch.

Enjoy!