1840's Unmentionables

All I can say is thank goodness for the Workwoman's Guide. Granted the book has its quarks and it isn't always the easiest to follow but it is an amazing resource considering it has survived from the 1830's. The diagrams and corresponding measurements take some getting used to but once you get a basic grasp of them and make a mock up things move pretty easily. My plan was to make my shift, drawers, under petticoat, over petticoat, pocket and bustle all out of this guide.
I bailed on the shift and used Past Patterns #002 instead because I was unsure of the sizing. I may choose to give this a try at another point.  My drawers are cut but not finished, I'll update this post when they are. The under petticoat was made following the instructions for a flannel petticoat in the Guide. It is two yards of fabric gathered, with a wider waistband and buttons with a single button in the back, it does not have pocket slits and the hem is quite wide.

I've replaced this button with a wooden one I just don't have a new picture yet

The pocket is made following Plate 10 Figure 10. My only change was to construct the slit closer to an 18th Century pocket. It is large, but the perfect place for everything you could need. The front fabric is a printed cotton and the back is leftover navy linen from my 16th Century petticoat.

 The bustle (Plate 11, Figure 30, 32) was easy to measure, cut and sew, it just took time because I did all of the cording channels by hand. The Guide says to just add a thick cord but since I didn't have any bulky cording I did 5 channels of kitchen twine to each flounce so 10 in total. Twill tape is put through the channel that creates the two flounces and then I gather the bustle on the twill tape and tacked it in place so the bustle wouldn't loose fullness when I wore it. Pardon the wrinkles. I am thinking that starching it will give it a better structure under my skirts.

My first upper petticoat is pleated to a waistband with pocket slits and it ties at the side. I made it from an old embroidered sheet so it isn't too HA but it is pretty. I first wore it under my 1840's wrapper fro Costume College 2017.