The Summer Dress

 

The last of the Seasons collection  has arrived!  After the Autumn,   2 faces of Winter ( Desolation and Polaris) and the Spring ( The Petal Dress) it was now time for the Summer.

The generic theme and feel was something I had long in mind – fields, poppies, cornflowers – mixing the mythology and folklore images from a variety of cultures –  Greek Demeter/Ceres, Celtic and Slavic elements all combined into a Harvest goddess.

Time and life was against us this time – we unexpectedly had to move house, and trying to do that as well as keep up with orders, new online shop etc took its toll.

But when unpacking the boxes I can across the corset from our previous shoots ( you might recognize it from the Summer bride and from the Autumn Bride shoots! ) inspiration struck and we decided to do it after all.

From all the Seasons, this one was the least difficult and time consuming to prepare –  I was recycling a corset and the dress was a length of muslin  gathered at the shoulders. the headgear  and hair was made from the scratch – but altogether the whole outfit took about 4 hours to make.

The corset: silk underbust prepared – i stitched on gold net to provide base for sticking stuff through it

 

 

 

and wove in bits of wheat, etc found in the nearby field…

The same materials, wheat, the flowers etc formed the crown…

 

The hair was next –   the wig I had ordered some 3 weeks didn’t arrive and so i nipped to the local wig shop and got 3 packs of long extensions – ironically in m natural hair colour! plus some nail varnish, blue contact lenses etc. I plaited 2 bits of extensions and used the third one to formed the head….

 

and that’s how it looked on without the crown….

 and with it…

 

Make up was done with bronzing and honey colours – makes the blue lenses stand out a bit more!

and a few hours later, towards sunset we drove over to a nearby field. Lucas got the technical paraphernalia ready…

 

 and the results!

 

 

 

And there you have it –  4 seasons done and dusted! what’s next – well, toying with an idea of doing the Elements…. 🙂

photography – Pitcheresque Imagery

clothes etc – Prior Attire

 

 

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1885 Riding Habit – tutorial

 One of the articles ( well, two in one, actually) I originally wrote for Your Wardrobe Unlock’d – It is a long and a detailed tutorial, hopefully targeted at folks who would like to make their own stuff… I do make historical habits as  commissions, if you are interested, please check my website!

 1885 Riding habit – jacket

 

I have wanted that habit since  I first clasped my eyes on it –  the one from Victorian and Albert museum. The jacket has been on my to-do list for ages, in fact I had hoped I could wear it for the wedding hack, but somehow ran out of time to make it. Still, its time has finally come and in the present article we will have a closer look at how to make one  as well as the skirt and the riding trousers !

 

As remarked in the article on the Regency riding habit, some significant changes were afoot. Due to the fencing off the countryside, it has become unavoidable that to follow a hunt, one will have to jump all the fences and hedges in the way. Not much of a problem for all the gentlemen, but a serious issue for the lady riders.

A bit of side saddle history should cast some light on it: the saddles used so far for the ladies had only one pommel, over which the lady would hook her leg. This has enabled her to sit facing forwards – a technique believed to have been invented by Catherine de Medici , though there is an engraving by Durer (pic.a)that predates  the French Queen’s time, showing a lady facing forward as well.

 

Albreht Durer, Lady on a horseback and a lnasquenet

 

Whoever could be credited with the invention, it was a huge improvement – before ladies either sat on a saddle facing completely sideways, with a planchette to rest the feet on, with little control of the steady palfrey which was often led by a groom (http://thesidesaddlemuseum.com/detail17thcenthermessaddle.html). Or, for a faster ride, they sat behind a man riding pillion (still practiced in Tudor times).  Neither way was completely comfortable and neither allowed the freedom of movement. However, with the side saddles with a pommel, it was possible for a lady to ride independently.

And it was all fine until one had to jump. Bolder Regency ladies would strap themselves to the saddles to ensure you would stay on over the fences – but it was dangerous as in case of a horse falling, the rider would be easily crushed.  But with the invention of the second pommel, the leaping head, it has suddenly become possible to stay on, quite comfortably so, over all kinds of jumps, fences or ditches. The equestrian minded ladies, for the first time in history, were able to ride independently in all conditions, keeping up with the men – but still looking elegant and ladylike. Indeed the sport became very popular, with several famous equestriennes performing all kind of tricks on the side saddle.

The riding habits reflected the changes in the saddle design, especially as far as the cut of the skirts was concerned.  I remarked in the previous article how difficult it was to arrange my regency skirts on a later Victorian saddle – the skirt would simply not lie properly as the leaping head was in the way, hooking the fabric.   So firstly the skirts were cut much fuller – not a problem in the crinoline age skirts – but that still didn’t completely solve the problem as the skirts would bulk up and get tangled around the rider’s legs .

Lovers-Morning-Recreation-Sarony-Major-1850 – mark the full skirts!

 

Later Victorian skirts are cut very differently – they are much more fitted, hugging the hips, and having darts at the knee, shaping the garment to match the shape the rider’s right thigh would assume on horseback. It was still not completely safe as in case of a fall a lady could still catch her skirts and be dragged behind the horse – but it was the first step towards the later much safer apron skirts which are still worn today.

The bodice changed as well, though here the changes simply reflected the changes of fashions.  A few things remained constant however:  the cut was simple, utilitarian, resembling man’s jackets and uniforms – and the braiding so popular on men’s attire was no less popular amongst the ladies. The riding habits were worn on shirts or chemisettes, and corsets. Indeed a ‘riding’ or a sport corsets were used – shorter, with hips cut much higher to allow the rider to sit comfortably. The corset, boned either lightly or more heavily depending on the rider’s requirements does not restrict the movement – if anything, it provides a terrific back support.

jumping in Victorian underwear, including a fully boned corset

There is quite a lot of extant habits to be found online- I compiled quit e a lot of images of the habits throughout the ages on my Pinterest board 

 

Background information and research.

Well, not much here on this habit apart from the images from the V&A – there are a few photos of the same jacket on the web  but in different light, so although it is difficult to be precise about the hue of the jacket and the braid, it is at the same time easier to see some details more clearly.

The original shows the jacket in grey/blue fabric with a grey braid decoration – as the description says, ‘Flannel trimmed with mohair, and lined with sateen’. Indeed the style of the jacket is described as ‘Hungarian’ or ‘Polish’, so I found it very fitting, considering my Polish origins!  It was made by Messrs Redfern and Co. For May Primrose Littledale.

 

 

 Materials needed

1.5m of the top fabric – flannel, broadcloth, superfine would be best. Here broadcloth is used. ( for great cloth have a look here)

1.5m of lining fabric- cotton, sateen, silk, linen. I used flax linen.

If you are using thinner fabrics, interlining is recommended.

3m of narrow cotton bias binding

17 buttons – here lovely silk wrapped buttons by Gina Barrett

Hooks and eyes – optional, I used mine to secure the underside front

A strip of buckram for lining the collar

4 bones and bone castings

15m of braid – I made my own out of cotton yarn. Simply couldn’t find one that would work well as most of the braids nowadays contain rayon etc. Still, if authenticity is not the priority, there are a few that would do – there are excellent links in Gina’s article on frogging.  I had originally planned to make mine out of silk yarn, but I didn’t have enough and couldn’t find the same colour anywhere. Still, the cotton seems to work!

Tracing paper to transfer the pattern

Calico for mock up

 

Pattern

Well, for once, it was a bit easier. I used the pattern and the mock up from my wedding bodice – the sleeves, back and sides. All I had to do was to experiment with the asymmetric front. Easier said than done – the experimenting did take some time!

A similar pattern can be found on Vena Cava website:

 

I actually bought this one, as the skirt and trousers will be based on that – and maybe one day I can have a go at another jacket too!

 

Mock up

Cut your pieces in calico and sew them together.  As mentioned, I used my existing mock up, and simply drafted an overlapping right front on a calico instead of an original part.

1. Try it on, making sure you wear the underwear you intend to wear it with – in this case a corset. Not so good here -needs a few adjustments on the front.

trying on the mock up for the first time.

mock up front adjusted

1.  Once you are satisfied with the fit, transfer the changes to the pattern and cut the jacket in top fabric  and lining. There are a two options as to the method of lining – you can either flat line it, or make the lining and the top separately. I decided to flat line mine as it gives a bit more stability, seems to be more accurate for the period, and it is easier to attach any bones if needs be. So I placed my top pieces on top of lining, pinned them together even before I  started cutting the lining out – as a result they are ready for sewing the moment you finish cutting

parts cut out in top fabric and lining, ready for sewing

1. Start with the darts in the front parts. Pin them together and sew through all layers of the fabric. If your fabric is flimsy, it is a good idea to baste the layers together first.

darts sewn and the lining being trimmed to reduce bulk

1. With the darts sewn, trim the lining to reduce bulk and press
2.  Sew the rest of the bodice together – start at the back and add part by part, making sure the seams lie flat – careful pinning or basting is recommended, especially on the curved seams. If you need, draw the seam line on the lining – will help if you don’t want to rely on the machine’s gauge

pinning the curved back seam

1. Trim the lining along the seams to reduce the bulk. Notch them too – the seam, especially any curved seam will work better. It is also easier to iron them flat.

curved seam with bulk removed and notched to allow for movement

1. Try the bodice on – there is still time for adjustment, and in fact, mine needed a few! Back needed taking in more and the front didn’t look fantastic either  The front was an inch too high and it turned out that it was necessary to insert a horizontal dart to facilitate the transition between the bulk of the bust and the neck area. Darts like that were used in 18^th century riding bodices and in some Victorian bodices too – so I decided to insert on here too. And it worked nicely.

he neck is too high, and a dart is needed

front adjusted – looking much better

1. Once all the alternations are done, press the seams open and either pink the seams allowance, or couch them down.

seam couched down

1. Sleeves next. Again, pin the two parts together and sew. Reduce the seam bulk and press the seams – not an easy task but can be achieved with the help of the tailor’s ham and sleeve ironing board

pressing the sleeve’s seams

1. Insert the sleeve into the armhole, pin it safely – and if you plan to have the sleeve head slightly gathered (like mine – gives me that little extra freedom of movement!), secure the gathers with a thread. Sew, then treat the seam like all the others – trim the lining seam allowance and notch on the curve.   Repeat with the other sleeve.

sleeve inserted- the detail of gathered sleeve head

1. Tidy all the edges of the bodice, preparing for binding. Pin or baste the layers together and then pin on the bias binding’
2. Sew the binding on. Trim the edges to match the edge of the binding  Encase the edge with the binding, pin and hand stitch. ) Press the finished edges flat. Repeat on the sleeves.

binding sewn, preparing for trimming the inside fabric to match the edge

securring the binding to the left side

1.  The collar – pin the layers together (here 2 layers of wool and 2 of interlining) and sew. Grade the seam allowances to reduce the bulk and trim the edges inside
2.  Pin to the bodice and try on, ensuring that the collar is even on both sides. Sew, right sides together, through the bodice and collar layers (all except the collar’s lining). Grade the seam allowances.
3. Secure the collar’s lining – i used the same fabric as the top fabric here) and hand stitch in place

collar sewn and inside pinned, ready for handstitching

1.  Buttonholes. Mark the buttonholes on the overlapping fabric – the original had 17 buttons, and it so happened that mine was a perfect length for it – a button every inchJ work the buttonholes either by hand or machine.

buttonholes worked

1.  Add the bones. Use either ready-made bone casings or make your own in your fabric. Then stitch the bones to the seams and the front darts.

bone secured at the front dart

1.  Back pleats – pin the pleats in desired place and secure with stitches – all you can add a bit of fabric to strengthen the place.

 

The bodice is basically finished, it simply needs some decoration.

 

I followed Gina’s advice on the type of braid and made mine out of cotton yarn. It is easy to make (7 strand braid – I have done 8 and 5 strands before), but the required length meant there were some complications. Usually, if a short length was required, I would prepare my threads by tying the excess length in little bundles. It works, but the threads tangle quite a lot.  So for the rest of the braid, I simply used lace making bobbins – the braid can be much longer now and plaiting is smoother.

threads on bobbins – much faster!

 

Eons later, once you have all your braid ready (or if you are less of a martyr and bought some nice readymade one!) the real fun begins – applying the braid. Again, I used Gina’s instructions from her excellent article on frogging. I drew the pattern on the paper, based it to the fabric, sew the braid on and then removed the paper. Note though – removing the paper from those tiny nooks and spaces between the braid took ages – many thanks to my husband who spent at least an hour with tweezers…).

drawing the pattern on the paper

sewing the braid on

finished front decoration

 

Repeat for all the other decorations – on the sleeves, back and collar.

 

Add the buttons and the jacket is ready to wear!

 

 Skirt and trousers

 

The original jacket is displayed with a plain black skirt. I have decided to go a bit further and get a skirt in matching wool. As pointed out in the previous article, the skirts for the equestriennes have been undergoing substantial changes in the period. By 1880 gone were the full skirts of the earlier periods – they did look lovely, draping on the side in a gentle curve, but they could also be uncomfortable and dangerous: the fabric would bulk up and in case of falls, the folds of the skirts could be easily caught on the pommels of the saddle, dragging the unlucky rider. The new generation of skirts featured a completely different construction; it was asymmetrical, with the shape of the skirt reflecting closely the shape the amazon’s body would assume on horseback. Although not as safe as later apron skirts, this type of skirt was safer and more comfortable for riding than the previous models, and they also enjoyed the benefit of being elegant, and easy to adapt for walking.

The trousers, based on men’s garments, were sometimes worn underneath. They provided a valuable layer for winter hunting, and, if a fall occurred, they kept the lady decent. I wasn’t really sure if wearing 2 layers of wool would be comfortable, but since I got the patterns for both, I decided to give it a try as well and experiment with the layers, trying to find the safest and most comfortable way of dressing a Victorian Amazone.

The skirt

Materials

3.5m of wool (broadcloth, twill, etc, medium to heavy weight) colour – blues, greens, black and greys were favoured, with lighter colours being worn in summer or in hotter climates.

3m of mock up fabric – cheap cotton, calico etc

2m of lining – here   cotton/linen mix

7 – 10 buttons

1m or tape for waistband

1m of tape for loops

0.5 elastic for the stirrup

Pattern: as mentioned before the one from Past Patterns

Note: the pattern provides instructions, but I admit I found some of them tricky to follow and employed alternative solutions – hope you will find them useful!

 

Making

 

 Preparing the pattern and mock up.

1. Trace the size you require on a pattern paper.  If you are making the pattern only for yourself and will not need other sizes later, you can simply cut the pattern in your size straight from the commercial pattern. Piece the pattern pieces together (front skirt  upper and lower, back skirt upper and lower)
2. Transfer the pattern onto your mock up fabric.  Mark the darts and notches carefully, it also helps to write on each piece which is front side left or right side, which is back, again, left or right. I know, how can you confuse 2 pieces, but trust me, you can.

transferring pattern onto calico

1. Cut out mock up fabric – do not worry about facings at the time.  If you cut the darts on mock up, it is easier to transfer them onto the patter/top fabric later.

mock up – back skirt

1.  Sew up the darts on both parts first, then sew the side seams.
2.  Try it on. Make sure you try it on either the same or similar undergarments you will be wearing your habit on.  If you are planning to wear the trousers, either make the trousers first, or wear trousers of similar weight and shape under your mock up. Essential – do wear your corset. The pattern is cut to modern sizes and does not take corseted waits into consideration, you may find you need to make the darts bigger and take in the side seams to fit a corseted waist.

 

1. Mark any adjustments on the mock up, both in standing position and in sitting, side saddle position. If you are lucky enough to have a saddle and a horse handy, do get on and check the fit on the real thing – will work great on your hem line as well. Here, alas, I only had a sofa readily accessible…

mock up white sitting – ideally in a side saddle….

1. Transfer any adjustments on the pattern if you plan to use it in the future  ( you can also save and use the mock up for that purpose)
2.  Trace your pattern on the top fabric and cut – cut out the two main pieces plus the facings.  Make sure you marked all the darts and notches clearly on the left side.

darts marked on the left side of the top fabric

1. Cut out the lining pieces (front, back and the pocket). Again, transfer the darts and notches on the lining’s right side. Pink the bottom of each lining piece.
2. Place the lining on the wool, left sides together. Match the dart lines and pin.
3. Baste the two layers together, including running a stitch through the middle of each dart, stopping about half an inch before the darts ‘point. You can baste on a machine or by hand, hand basted shown here. On the back piece, at the top opening, pink the wool, then top stitch the lining

lining stitched to the top fabric – top stitched at the opening, and basted along the top, including the darts

1.  Sew the darts on each piece.

darts sewn, inside the front piece

1.  Slice the darts open (all but one- the big horizontal dart on the back should stay shut), trim the bigger darts, press and hem the edges. Press the horizontal dart down.

darts sewn, opened, presssed and overcast

The side facing–

Put the facing strip on the front piece, right sides together. Sew, press the seam open,  flip it over the seam onto the wrong side.  If not using the selvage, pink the edge and secure it to the lining with regular stitches.

facing sewn and pinned on the left side

The pocket.

Put the pocket facing along the straight line of the pocket piece. Sew, press, fold over the seam and secure.

Repeat on the other piece.

pocket pieces with facings, ready to be sewn together

Place both pieces together with the facings outside sew around the pocket.

Turn inside out – the facing will be inside the pocket

Place the pocket on the facing, half an inch below the top line. Stitch to the facing using strong thread. Remember to leave the facing part open!

pocket pinned to the facing

 

Assemble the skirt

Place the skirt parts tight sides together, pin and sew the side seams. Press the seams open (you will need a tailor’s ham for the knee part seam!) and either pink them or overcast the edges.

skirt parts right sides together, stitched, the seam pinked, ready to be pressed

Turn the skirt on its right side.  Try it on again – make sure the waistline sits snugly – if you need to adjust the darts, you can still do it at that stage.

Finish the top

Connect the facing parts by placing them right sides together and sewing. Open and press the seam. Pink the bottom part of the facing and pin the facing on the left side of the skirt, left sides together. Run a basting stitch half an inch from the top.

You can place the top of the pocket on the facing, or enclose it between the facing and the pocket. Here I decided to keep the pocket between the layers, looks nicer.

Take your tape and pin it to the right side of the skirt, slightly below the line of the basting. Sew.

pinning the tape

Trim the seam, cutting notches ion the curved part, then fold the tape over the seam and stitch it onto the facing.

tape sewn, seam notched and ready to be graded, pocket top was sawn with the seam as well – it lies between the facing and the skirt

securing the tape on the left side, encasing the seam

 

 Buttons

Here fabric covered buttons were used – cut a circle of fabric bigger than your button, run a stitch around the edges, place the button in and pull the thread. Secure with stitching and attach the button to the skirt.

place the button inside the circle

pull the thread around the button, secure with stitching and sew the button on

Use as many buttons as you want on the side of the skirt- I used 6 big buttons.

Make one button for adjusting the skirt for walking. Sew it on at the bottom of the lower knee dart, on the back piece.

Cut your tapes to form loops – 2 loops will be used for hanging the garments, one loop, placed at the centre back dart, will be used to hook the knee button onto.

The original skirt also has 2 pearl buttons at the back darts – they were used to secure the skirt to the jacket (the jacket would have 3 small loops at the waistline)

Note – it might me more convenient to place a loop at the knee dart and a button at the centre back. Both arrangements were used at the time.

Work the buttonholes on the other side of the opening,

 

Hem

Try the skirt on again, and mark the correct hem position, if you can, on the horse.

Mark the hem depth with a line – the hem should be at least 4 inches deep. Press the edge inwards – it will make sewing the hem up easier later.

Place your weights in the positions indicated by the pattern. Stitch on either by hand or on a machine

adding the weights

Fold the hem inside, along the marked line. Secure to the fabric with small stitches, just catching enough fabric to be secure, without leaving a big mark on the right side. There will be some excess fabric – simply fold it into shallow darts and stitch them on.

Press the hem.

Take the elastic for the stirrup, form a loop big enough for your foot to get in, secure the loop with stitching.

Place the ready stirrup at the place marked on the pattern and sew it on. You can later adjust the length and position as necessary.

Your skirt is now ready!

 

The trousers

I believe a warning is necessary here: these equestrienne trousers will not make you look pretty.  They are the scariest pair of pants I own, and I do have a few.  If you ever ask yourself whether your posterior looks big, be prepared that in these scary pants, it will. Big time.  It will be noticeable with the skirts on too…. Having said so, they were not worn on their own and are very comfortable for riding, so a good trade-off here.

 

Materials

1.5m of wool

1.5 of lining ( cotton or linen, here linen)

1.5m of calico for mock up

4 buttons

Elastic for the stirrups

 

Mock up

1. Trace the pattern on your mock up fabric, marking all the darts and notches.

trousers cut in calico – front and back leg

1. Sew the darts.
2. Place the front pieces over the back. Sew on the outside leg leaving marked opening on the right side), inside legs and outside the other leg.
3. Now sew the centre back and centre front seams.
4. Try the mock up on. Mark the length, waist size (the same notes as with the skirt apply here – if wearing a corset, you will need to make bigger darts!)

mock up on!

1.  Mark any corrections on the pattern

Making the trousers

7.  Trace the pattern on your top fabric and lining, making sure you mark the darts and notches. Also mark clearly which leg it is, as right leg will be longer!
8.  Cut the parts out.

cutting the fabric

7.  Place the lining parts on the corresponding parts of the top fabric, pin and baste together, as you did with the skirt.
8. Sew the darts on each leg, using the same method as the darts on the skirt: sew, open, trim, press, overcast.
9.  Place the facing over the right front leg piece, right sides together, on the outside seam

facing pinned, right sides together

7. . Sew, trim the seam, flip the facing onto the inside and secure.

facing on the wrong side, ready to be secured with stitching

 Assemble the trousers

The instructions  will tell you to sew all the seams together and then press them.  I prefer to sew seam by seam and press as I go – much easier  for the outside seams pressing!

1. Right leg: place the front piece on the back piece, right sides together.

right leg pinned together, ready for sewing

1. Sew the outside seam up to the facing.
2. Press the seam open and either pink or overcast. Pink the back opening( opposite the facing part)

1. Sew the inside seam, press (you will need a sleeve ironing board for that), finish the seam

inside seam sewn, here pressing on the sleeve board

1. Repeat on the other leg
2. You should now have two separate legs. Turn one leg out, on the right side.   You now have one leg with the lining on top, the other one with the wool on top.
3. Place the wool on top leg inside the other, so that the right sides are together. Pin the crotch seam, and sew from back to front.

sewing the crotch seam. one leg inside the other, with right sides facing

1. Take the leg out – you now have the trousers on the left side. Finish the seams

all the main seams sewn, inside look

1. Fold the hem of ach leg in, secure with stitching.
2. Cut elastic and secure the stirrup as indicated on the pattern. You may have to adjust their length later on, but primarily they are to prevent the trousers riding up.

1. Prepare the waistband – fold in half, length wise and press.  To prevent rolling, either stiffen the inside of the waistband with iron on fusible, or baste in a tape.

1. Place the waistband on the trousers, right sides together, matching the balance points.
2. Sew together, open the seam and press.

waistband sewn in

1. Fold the ends in and whipstitch together, then proceed to stitching the waistband to the inside of the trousers, hiding the seam.

waistband finished inside

1. Add hanging loops at the centre back and front.
2. Add buttons and buttonholes on the right side.

 

The trousers are ready!

trousers ready, no shoes here…

They are really meant to be worn with riding shoes, not boots, but since I didn’t have shoes, boots had to do. The trousers just about fitted inside the boots, and, surprisingly, that improved their look, at least to our modern sensibilities, giving them a rather steampunk look

trousers with long boots on – a bit of a steampunk look….

 

They do make your posterior look big  but I found out, once you have the entire outfit on, you completely forget about them. I didn’t feel any hindrance while walking or for riding, everything worked exceptionally well.

whole outfit from the back….. A tale of two tails….

The whole outfit looks rather impressive and is comfortable: it is easy to adjust the skirt to walking length and the get on and arrange it on the saddle. The saddle we used for the photo shoot was an antique and didn’t fit the horse at all, so we did not dare do more than a walk, but the seat felt secure. There was no extra fabric bunching up around the pommels that would interfere with the grip – something that was proving a problem with my regency habit. I would be happy to canter around and jump without worrying too much about what the skirt is doing. Definitely a winner!

 

 

 

and a few pics from another occasion, showing the habit in motion..

 

 

Bibliography

Victoria and Albert Museum online archive

Lucy Johnson, 19^th Century Fashion in Detail, V&A Publishing, 2009

Rhonda C. Watts Hettinger The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Sidesaddle, Sidesaddle Source, Wilton, New Hampshire, 2009

Vena Cava Design, http://www.venacavadesign.co.uk/Products/1880s-1890s_Riding_Habit_Ensemble.html?q=riding habit

 

 

 

Bibliography

Victoria and Albert Museum online archive

Gina Barrett, Making braids and Cords, DVD

Gina Barrett, Continuous Frog Fasteners, Your Wardrobe Unlock’d, 2012; http://yourwardrobeunlockd.com/costumemaking/fabricsamaterials/601-continuous-frog-fasteners

Jill Salen, Corset: historical patterns and construction; Batsford, 2008

Lucy Johnson, 19^th Century Fashion in Detail, V&A Publishing, 2009

Rhonda C. Watts Hettinger The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Sidesaddle, Sidesaddle Source, Wilton, New Hampshire, 2009

1810 Riding Habit

 1810 Riding habit.

 

Today we are looking  at  yet anothern of my favourites,  a Regency riding habit,  closely based on the exhibit from the Kyoto Costume Institute ( if you have the book, it is on page171-173,  inv AC5313, 86-2AB –  or simply find it here. I am not really a fan of Regency fashions as they are not exactly flattering for my figure, but this habit did catch my eye and my imagination because of its simple elegance and surprisingly, not such a high waistline.  And so, after craving it for the last two years or so, the time had come for me to tackle the project about 2 years ago – and if you fancy having a go as well, I hope you find the information and the instructions below useful.

 

 Background information and research.

 

Those two photos were all I really had to go with. I did write to the Institute asking if it was possible to obtain more information regarding the cloth, lining or the buttons – or maybe just a few more images, but was very politely told that the museum did not provide that service.  So all I had was a short description stating that it is ‘a Riding Suit, c.1810; black wool broadcloth; set of tailored jacket and a skirt of appropriate length for horse riding’.

Not much then – but a start.

The decoration on the front of the jacket is very similar to another item from the institute, a hunting Jacket – a spencer (INV.AC3187 80-8-1, dated 1815). The length of the spencer is also reminiscent of the one of the riding jacket.

The back of the jacket closely resembles that of the riding habit in Salisbury museum described in detail by Janet Arnold in her Patterns of Fashion 1 (page 46). The Salisbury museum skirt features there would also be suitable for my project – there are differences between the original I had in mind, but after careful deliberation, I decided to stick on to the well documented source and pattern instead of doing more improvising.

 

The idea was then to use the pattern from Janet Arnold for the skirt and the back of the bodice, and improvise the front of the jacket – and as i have discovered a little bit later on, exactly what another excellent costumier had done before – though she seemed to have opted for the hunting spencer front instead (http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/riding_habit.html).

 

 

 Materials needed

Black broadcloth wool – 3.5m;

Silk taffeta (lining of the jacket, plus skirts bodice) – 1.5m

Linen (lining for the skirt bodice (0.5m)

40 Wooden moulds for the jacket buttons (or just use ordinary buttons)

2 small and 4 tiny buttons or moulds for the skirt bodice closure

A strip of buckram for lining the collar

Black and white linen thread,

Beige silk thread

2m of linen tape for the skirt ties

Hooks and eyes if you plan to attach your jacket to the skirt

 

  The skirt.

The skirt is attached to a small silk bodice, lined with linen.  There is no mention of the skirt being lined at all – not surprisingly though, since lining the skirt with silk or even linen, would render it even more slippery and compromise the rider’s grip. My 18^th century habit  has a skirt lined with silk, as that’s what the original had for lining, and whereas it rides well and I wouldn’t have problems riding in a show in it, I would not take it out hunting. Considering the fact that in the Regency period side saddles were not the safest contraptions (the leaping head that provides so much more secure grip was yet to be invented), and taking into the account the fact that due to the fencing off the countryside jumping the fences became a necessity, a spirited lady who wished to follow the hunt needed all the help she could get. Indeed, it is believed that some were even strapping themselves to the saddles to help them over the fences  – not the safest idea really. All things considered, it looked as the lack of lining made sense – many thanks to Gini Newton and Becca Holland for helping me out with this issue! )

the-inconvenience-of-wigs-carle-vernet-1758-1836-the-lewis-walpole-library-yale-university

The pattern –  Janet Arnold. I scaled the bodice pattern to fit me, but left the skirt as it was without any changes.

The  skirt bodice construction:

3. linen mock up pieces – later used as lining

1. Cut out the pieces in calico or linen to form a mock up. If you are lucky and your mock up doesn’t require any serious changes, your linen mock up can serve as the lining.

2. Pin or baste the pieces together, leaving it open on the right side. Try on – either on yourself or on a pre-prepared dummy. Make sure you try it on the underwear you are planning to wear with it – especially if you are wearing Regency stays – the bust position is very different to the one the modern bra gives – particularly true for more ample bosoms.

3. Adjust as necessary till you are satisfied with the outcome. Unpin the pieces and use them to draw the pattern.

4.  Cut out the bodice in your top fabric and lining.

5. Sew the top pieces together: first insert the little gussets in the front pieces, and then sew the back pieces and left front together. Add the shoulder straps. The right piece with the gusset is on its own for the time being, it will be stitched directly to the waistband of the skirt later. Press the seams open.  Repeat the same steps with the lining pieces

top fabric sewn together

 

4. Fold the top edges of the silk and stitch it down.  Snip the curves and notch to avoiding bulk- the fabric should lay flat on the curves

 

silk bodice with edges secured

5. Pin the lining to the top pieces and stitch them together.  Press.

Note: if you prefer to save time and use the sewing machine, simply skip the step 4 and 5: pin the lining and top fabric right sides together and sew alongside the top edges. Turn outside out and press.

 

You now have the bodice ready, time for the other components – the skirt, bustle pad and the pocket.

The skirt.

1. Cut the fabric according to the pattern.
2. Sew the pieces together.
3. Hem the skirt – an inch wide hem seems to work fine, giving it enough weight, but smooth finish too.
4. Place the skirt on a flat surface and pin the tapes into position.I used the same position as in the original, but do try it out first to make sure that the tied up skirt is not too short or too long. Stitch them securely, but make sure the stitches do not show too much on the right side.

1.    Cut small tabs and place them on the hem directly below the individual ties. Stitch firmly into position – only at the short sides, making sure the tapes can pass under them freely

tabs in place!

1.  Cut out the waistband – it should be long enough to go around your high waist with a small overlap, and quite narrow.
2. If you plan to have a watch pocket , cut it out now in two layers of silk or linen – it should be big enough to accommodate your watch  (or a ph0ne….). Place right sides together, sew, turn out and press.

It is time to put all the pieces together – and it is not an easy task!

1. Pin the bodice parts onto the waistband. Try to waistband on and make sure the pieces are in the right position.  You might discover it is easier to simply put the waistband on the dummy, then pin the pieces onto it – saves time. Mark the final position of the bodice on the waistband and sew – make sure you sew only through the top layer of the bodice.
2.   Pin the skirt onto the waistband– the front part is mostly lying flat, the back will be cartridge pleated. At that stage you are simply making sure where to start the pleating!
3. If you are happy with the position and know how much fabric has to be pleated into how much space, prepare a needle with a long and strong thread and sew a running stitch through the skirt to be pleated. The pleats should be small – depending on how much fabric you have, you should have your stitches around 1cm long. Draw the thread to see if the pleated section matches its place on the waistband. If it does, tie a strong knot in the thread to make sure the pleats stay together.
4.  Sew the skirt onto the waistband – use the machine for the front parts where the skirt lies flat, and then, with a strong thread attach the cartridge pleats

1.  Try the skirt on – again a dummy is a good option as well.You can now mark the position of the buttons on the shoulder straps – do not do it earlier on as the weight of the skirt will change the position of the bodice a bit!

trying the almost finished skirt on a padded dummy

1.  If everything fits snugly, attach the pocket to the waistband. Then sew the lining onto the waistband, covering its insides

1.  Cut out the little bustle pieces, place right sides together and sew along the outside edges, leaving part of the inside open. Turn inside out and stuff with some scraps. Pin  or sew shut  and stitch to the waistband at the back of the skirt

1.  All that needs to be done now is to sew the buttons on ( I covered mine with taffeta, using tiny ones on the shoulder straps and bigger ones at the side closure then make the buttonholes.

The skirt is ready now!  Here worn tied up to facilitate walking around..

 

 The jacket.

As mentioned before, I decided to use the pattern for the back from Janet Arnold and to improvise the front.

1. Cut the back pieces in calico using a scaled pattern from J. Arnold. Cut all the back pieces including the peplum gussets etc. Also, cut out the sleeve.
2. Draw a simple piece or the front – the important measurements here are the width – front to side seam at the bust and the waist level, the shoulder seam and the front length.

1.  Pin the parts together and put the jacket on the dummy. Pin the back piece onto the dummy and start working on your experimental piece. Mark the waist position, the length in front, back and sides. Mark the darts.  Once the front starts to resemble a piece of clothing, take it off the dummy, adjust the corrections, and sew the mock up parts together.
2.  Put it on the dummy again – if the back and sides are ok when the front is closed, you can now work on the shape of the lapels. Mark how long you want them to be, where is the best place to attach the collar, how high you want it to button up. Draft a collar pattern and experiment with that too.

 

1.   Adjust as many times as necessary till you are satisfied with the look. Then take the mock up off the dummy – it is a good idea to try it on now on your own body too.

paper pattern for the jacket ready

 

Note – it hugely helps if you have another person who knows her/his way around patterning helping  – then you can skip the dummy process and have the patterns adjusted directly on yourself.

6.  Unpick the seams, perform any necessary corrections and voila! You have a pattern.  You can now use your calico pieces as a stock pattern or use them to copy the pattern on a paper.
7.  Cut out the pieces in your lining fabric

6.    Just on the safe side (if you are not lucky enough to have another costumier at hand…) pin the lining together and try it on  your stays and skirt. Any corrections here should be small, but better to see them on the lining than on the top fabric.  Here, although the mock up seemed fine,  I discovered the shoulder seams still needed adjusting

lining pinned, tried onto the corset and the skirt for one final check

lining pinned – back view

6.  Adjust if necessary , transfer any corrections onto the pattern and then and sew the lining pieces together

6.  Cut out the top fabric pieces.  Stitch the darts in the front parts first. Sew in the back gusset, then the front pieces and then the little side and back peplum pieces. Sew the shoulder seam.

6.  For authentic looking finish – and if your fabric is difficult to open seam press, couch the seams down with linen or silk thread. Fold the edges and stitch them down.
7. The sleeves – sew the top fabric sleeves – you can leave the cuff part open, or closed. Couch down the seam.  The lining: stitch the cuffs to the lining of the sleeves first  then sew them shut.

lining sleeves with the cuffs attached

 

lining sleeves ready

6. Insert the sleeves into the armscythes. Pin carefully from underside first.  When you reach the top part of the shoulder, you will see there is some fabric left. Either form it into small pleats to fit the armhole, or, as I did, use a strong thread to sew a running stitch near the edge and gather the pleats as you would have done for cartridge pleating – though here is simply helps to control the tiny pleats. Pin the section in place. Sew the sleeve in and repeat for the second sleeve and for the lining sleeves.
7.  Time for the collar.  You should have the pieces cut out – both top side and lining in wool

the collar pieces

6.  Take the top fabric piece and attach a small piece of buckram using parallel rows of stitching.

collar inside – attaching the buckram

6. Sew the reinforced collar onto the jacket.
7.  Put the lining in. Pin it carefully to the bodice and sew. Once you have done the bottom hem, and attached the lining in front and upper parts, do the same do the wool cuffs at the sleeves

detail of the lining stitched to the bodice

6. For the front, I have decided to use a facing. Cut the facing part big enough for the front part of the jacket, you will need 2 pieces. Stitch them carefully to the front, upper and lower edge of the jacket – and to the lining near the dart.

facing pinned in ready for stitching

6. Pin and stitch the collar lining into place. Mark the position of the front buttonholes than set to work on them – either on a machine or by hand.

 

buttonholes and buttons in place

6.  If you are lucky enough to have appropriate buttons ready – all that remains is to sew the buttons on. If not – make the buttons using moulds and bits of your top fabric.
7.  Sew the buttons to the front edge, then proceed to add the decorative ones on both sides of the bodice, at the cuffs (if you want to have buttoned cuffs, that is), and at the peplum

 

Your habit is now ready!

The whole outfit is worn over a chemise and stays (here once made using a Mantua  Makers pattern – minus the lacing on the hip gussets. The others I had with lacing on tended to dig into the flesh when riding…).

Then a linen petticoat, and a habit shirt with frilled cuffs, with a simple silk stock.

My hat here is a simple silk topper with some rooster feathers attached.

 

and the result – photos  on foot – from an event in Hereford

 

 

And with a mount..

 

 

 

 

Side saddle pictured  here is of a Victorian design – much safer to ride in than the Regency ones, and the skirt works reasonably well, although it has to be said that without a help of a groom who would hoist me into the saddle and help the skirt lie flat over the pommels, it was very difficult to get the folds lie correctly and to adjust the length. Still, the skirt seemed to be reasonably secure to be ridden in, though the cut means it is not perfect for the Victorian saddle.    but more about the Victorian habit in a few days time…. 🙂

 

Bibliography

Janet Arnold, Patterns of Fashion, Macmillan,  New York, 1984

The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute; Fashion, a History from the 18^th to the 20^th century,  Taschen, 2002

Digital Archives of Kyoto Costume Institute: http://www.kci.or.jp/archives/index_e.html [Accessed 8/01/2012]

Heritage Festival Peterborough 2014

 

You have seen the gown and how it was made ( and how much it cost..) in the previous post ( for those who missed it – it is here), and as promised, we have some pictures from the event for you:__ The festival  weekend brought  interpreters and reenacors  ranging from Bronze Age to WWI; there were markets stalls with merchandise, parades, shows, displays, royal audiences etc – a few pictures snatched by Lucas below . Many thanks to the organizers – Stuart Orme from Vivacity – and Ian Pycroft from Black Knight Historical who provided a good few touches too!

enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

and a couple of lovely images from John Grant!

 

looking forward to the next year’s! 🙂