To continue from last month’s article, I will be talking about the decorative techniques in the six 1890-1910 petticoats described here. There are four forms of decoration that together create all 6 of the decorative schemes in the petticoats being analyzed:

• Tucks
• Insertion
• Lace Edging
• Embroidery

Last month I talked about tucks and lace insertion. This month I’ll be talking about embroidered insertion, lace edging and embroidery. Next month I’ll talk about the construction of the six petticoats.

 

Embroidered Insertion

Embroidered insertion is very difficult to differentiate from lace insertion in fashion drawings. It was available for purchase by the yard, and its use was recommended as one of the ways in which homemade undergarments were superior to ready-made ones. Only one of my six petticoats has embroidered insertion, but the Embroidered Petticoat has two separate rows of it.

Instructions for how to sew embroidered insertion are different than for lace insertion because it doesn’t have a finished edge; instead embroidered insertion has extra material to act as seam allowance. Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques (a republication of Butterick’s Dressmaking, Up To Date, 1905) edited by Kristina Harris gives these instructions for inserting Hamburg and other embroideries into a piqué wash dress (a style more frequently known as a lingerie dress):

“Mark the width of the insertion on the piqué either by creasing or basting and cut, allowing a seam on each side of the basting. Sew the insertion to the piqué on this line with none of the margin showing, and stitch by machine; crease the seam over on the piqué, turn the edge of the margin – but not the material … and stitch an even line.”

There is a picture of this in the book which helps elucidate this last bit; basically the seam allowance of the insertion is folded so that it encases the seam allowance of the piqué.

The insertion that is above the ruffle on the Embroidered Petticoat uses a method similar to the above instructions, but doesn’t do the part about encasing the seam allowance.

Plain Undergarments (a 1920 republication of the 1916 Lingerie and Underwear by Mary Brooks Picken) talks about inserting embroidery into a ruffle between tucks.

The insertion in the ruffle on the Embroidered Petticoat is placed between sets of tucks, so the following instructions might apply:

“The unfinished edges of the insertion should be trimmed evenly, but enough material should be allowed on each side to give a width exactly equal to the space between each tuck. As will be observed, there are five tucks between the embroidery and the insertion – one joining the embroidery, one joining the insertion, and three between; also, there are four tucks placed above the insertion, one joining and three above.” (A pdf of this pamphlet is available on line. See page 29 for the illustration that goes with these instructions.)

Unfortunately, from these instructions (even with the picture) it’s not clear exactly how Picken intends the insertion to be attached. Because of this, it’s not clear if the Embroidered Petticoat follows these instructions.

Embroidered Petticoat (Above Ruffle Insertion)

The top insertion connects the cotton twill upper section of the petticoat with the cotton muslin ruffle.

Above-ruffle insertion	Reverse

Step 1: Sew the top edge of the petticoat to the insertion, right sides to right sides.	Step 2: Fold the fabric open at the seam line and iron the seam allowance towards the insertion.	Step 3: Topstitch1/16” from the edge of the insertion, sewing though the seam allowance. Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 for the bottom edge.

 

Embroidered Petticoat (Insertion in the Ruffle)

The top seam of the insertion in the ruffle is finished differently from the bottom seam. The top seam line is sandwiched within a tuck:

Insertion in the ruffle	Reverse
Step 1: Baste the top of the insertion to the top section of the ruffle, wrong sides to wrong sides.	Step 2: Fold the fabric open at the basting and iron the seam allowance away from the insertion.
Step 3: Above the seam allowance sew a tuck. The tuck fold should be ¼” above the basting. (The tuck will be 1/8” wide when finished.)	Step 4: Iron the tuck flat, so that the tuck covers the seam allowance. Stitch the tuck to the insertion along the bottom edge.

The bottom seam line leaves the raw edges of the fabric exposed:

Step 1: Baste the bottom of the insertion to the ruffle, right sides to right sides.

Step 2: Fold the fabric open along the basting and iron the seam allowance away from the insertion (pointing down)

Step 3: Machine stitch about 1/16” from the basting line, though all three layers. This stitching shows on the outside of the ruffle.

 

Lace Edging

In advertisements it’s hard to find petticoats that don’t use lace ruffles or lace edging. If you count the eyelet embroidery as lace edging then all six of the vintage petticoats have lace edging. However, the eyelet ruffles are sewn similarly to how non-decorated ruffles are sewn, thus I will only treat the two instances of lace edging here, and deal with the eyelet ruffles later.

I found six different instructions for attaching lace edging. Three of them are very similar to each other. The instructions from the 1916 publication Clothing and Health by Helen Kinne starts out explaining how to attach lace insertion and then goes on to say that insertion and lace edging are done in the same manner:

“After the hems have been turned backwards and creased to the wrong side, we are ready to sew on the insertion. Hold the insertion straight with the right side to the right side of the gown, and with the edge of the insertion to the edges of the creased hem. Now great care must be taken. The overhanding stitch is to be used…. In taking the stitch be very careful to put the needle through the edge of the hem, the creased edge, and the lace. The sewing will not be neat unless all these edges are caught by this sewing. This is important.

“If one wishes, it is possible to use only the lace edging without the insertion. Sew it to the gown in the same way one would sew it to the insertion. Towards the worker hold the lace just a little full. Sometimes one can pull the thread at the edge of the lace and use it as a gathering thread; but, as not much fullness is required, it is very satisfactory to hold the lace a little full with the thumb as one sews. Small overhanding stitches will hold the fullness as it is distributed evenly. The right side of the lace is placed towards the right side of the insertion so that the two edges of lace and insertion are over-handed together.”

 

The instructions from Dressmaking, Up to Date are very similar:

“WHIPPING AND SEWING ON LACE. – The lace may be gathered by pulling the thread which will usually be found at the top of the lace, or it may be whipped over and over with needle and thread. Roll an inch or two of the material and place the lace with the right side against the right side of the material, then whip both together … as directed before. The lace need not be gathered unless so preferred, but, instead, may be whipped on plain; although it is always advisable to hold the lace at least ‘easy’.”

American Dressmaking Step by Step gives instructions for whipping on lace edging which are also very similar, including gathering the lace as you whipstitch it and rolling the hem at the same time (left).

All three rows of lace edging (two on Bess Moser’s Petticoat and one the Lacy Petticoat) are whipstitched to the hem. None of them are whipstitched with any fullness; the lace is flat rather then gathered. Only for the Lacy Petticoat does the stitch attaching the lace also finish to the hem; and it’s not creating a rolled hem like all three of the above instructions suggest. In fact, none of the instructions I found describe the hem finish of the Lacy Petticoat.

The simple instructions for trimming a corset cover found in The Complete Dressmaker could be interpreted to describe how the lace edging on Bess Moser’s Petticoat is attached, if you assume that the hem is done by machine before the lace is attached, rather then creating a rolled hem as the lace is sewn on:

“There are many ways of trimming an under waist [corset cover]. If lace is used, the neatest way is to overhand [whipstitch] the insertion, beading, and lace together. Turn a narrow hem on waist and overhand the insertion to the waist.”

I found two more sets of instructions, neither of which describe how the lace edging is attached in either the vintage petticoats being analyzed. But the instructions are interesting, nonetheless. Firstly, The Complete Dressmaker talks about inserting the top of the lace edging within a tuck:

“To sew edging on the bottom of drawers, make one ¼-inch tuck with 1/8 space at the bottom. Then turn back the 1/8 inch on the wrong side even with the edge of the tuck and crease center. Gather and stroke the edging. Place the wrong sides together, fastening the centers and at each end. Then baste carefully, being particular that the rows of gathering and the crease come together, and stitch. Now flatten the seam with thumb and finger. Turn tuck down over the seam, as it is best to turn the tuck back while basting on the edging. Baste down and stitch close to the edge.”

Finally, Plain Undergarments gives instructions for putting lace along a scalloped edge (page 30) which creates a much more elaborate hem then any of the petticoats we’re studying.

Bess Moser Petticoat

Lace edging of bottom ruffle	Reverse
	Both ruffles in Bess Moser’s Petticoat are finished in the same manner. First, the ruffle is hemmed (separately from the lace). To do this, the edge of the ruffle is folded up, the seam allowance is tucked under, and the top fold is machine stitched down. The lace is then whipstitched to the bottom edge, with no gathering.

Lacy Petticoat

Lace edging	Reverse
	The lace edging on the Lacy Petticoat is whipstitched to the bottom edge of the strip of fabric above it. The lace is not gathered. The fabric edge is finished differently then any of the sewing manuals; it’s a wide strip folded in half. The seam allowance is tucked in side and the edges are fastened together with the same whipstitch that attaches the lace.

Embroidery

It is not clear to me that the women who made the petticoats we’re analyzing also did the embroidery that decorates them. The fact that the embroidery does not deal with the seams neatly (except on the Cutwork Petticoat) suggests that the embroidery might have been bought pre-made. Embroidery was available for purchase by the yard, and its use was recommended as one of the ways in which homemade undergarments were superior to ready-made ones. This is what Plain Undergarments has to say about purchasing pre-made embroidery:

“In selecting embroidery, it is well to remember that the sheer Swiss embroideries, which are finely worked designs on sheer, but firm, muslin, wear remarkably well; in fact, they give better service than do the coarser, cheaper patterns of muslin embroidery, for the thread with which the embroidery work itself is done is generally of much better quality on the finer embroideries than that used on the coarser grades. Convent embroideries, which consist of muslin that is usually very firmly and heavily embroidered, are excellent for wear. As a rule, they are almost too heavy for sheer garments, but where durability rather than sheerness is preferred they are admirable.

“Generally, in making undergarments for themselves, women prefer the daintier patterns or designs of embroidery and lace to the gaudy, coarse patterns that are frequently displayed in the shops; and this is as it should be, because the dainty patterns not only express a more refined taste, but wear better and are much more easily laundered.”

 

Below is a basic overview of the stitches used in the embroidered ruffles we’re analyzing. For detailed stitch diagrams, I highly recommend the modern book, The Embroidery Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden.

Back stitch	Illustration from American Dressmaking Step by Step, VI-9 This is a basic stitch used for both sewing and embroidery. It’s described in lesson 44 and 45 of American Dressmaking Step by Step and in The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont, figure 174
Buttonhole-stitch scallops	Illustration from AmericanDressmaking Step by Step, figure X-14 This is a frequently used edging in white work embroidery. It’s described in lesson 253 of American Dressmaking Step by Step and in The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont, figures 181, 182, 183, 184, & 185.
Fern stitch	This is sometimes called a Fan stitch. It is multiple straight stitches that radiate from the same point. Usually it’s three stitches, but in the Embroidered Petticoat insertion, 5 stitches are used to create the design.
Openwork ring	I could not find a name for this design, so I’ve invented my own for it. It bears some resemblance to the openwork designs in figures 87, 110, and 111 in The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont. The design starts with a large whipstitched eyelet. I believe the sequence after that is that threads are sewn crisscrossing the eyelet from the back (you see what looks like a circle of running stitches around the eyelet from the front of the design). These threads do not go though the center of the eyelet. The inner ring is then defined by whipstitching around the crisscrossing threads.
Overcast bars	A drawn threadwork technique that starts by removing many (but not all) of the threads in the fabric, and then wrapping thread around the remaining strands to form bars. See Beginner's Guide to Hardanger for an example.
Punch stitch	This is a form of pulled work. A pattern is created by multiple stitches in each location that share initial starting and ending points with the stitches on either side of them. Every stitch is pulled firmly, so that the threads of the ground fabric are pulled away from the start and stop points of the stitches.
Satin stitch	Illustration from American Dressmaking Step by Step, figure X-13 Satin stitch does not have to be padded, but the both American Dressmaking Step by Step (lesson 252) and The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont (figure 189) explain how to do padded designs. Only in a few cases in the embroidered ruffles being analyzed is it possible to determine if the satin stitches were or were not padded before being stitched.
Stem stitch	Illustration from American Dressmaking Step by Step figure VI-9. This is a frequently used stitch in white work embroidery (and many other kinds of embroidery), it is described in lesson 46 of American Dressmaking Step by Step and in The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont, figures 172 & 173
Seeding	Illustration from American Dressmaking Step by Step Figure X-5 This stitch is frequently used in black work. It involves taking small backstitches parallel to each other in a scattered pattern. It’s described in lesson 244 of American Dressmaking Step by Step.
Whipstitched eyelets	Illustration from American Dressmaking Step by Step Figure VI-9. This is the basic stitch of cutwork embroidery. It’s described in lesson 255 of American Dressmaking Step by Step and in The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont, figure 186.

 

Lacy Petticoat

Front	Reverse
	There are two rows of embroidery decorating both of the fabric strips inserted in the ruffle of the Lacy Petticoat. The embroidery is simple; it uses a variation on feather stitch, referred to as Briar Stitch. On the reverse of the ruffle there are periodically knots fixing the ends of the embroidery thread. See lesson 246 and 247 in American Dressmaking Step by Step for instructions for how to do this stitch. Figure X-8.

 

Woven Lace Petticoat

	This embroidered ruffle is hidden behind the machine lace ruffle; it’s somewhat surprising to find such an elaborate embroidery pattern thus hidden. The embroidery is 2 ½” tall, from the tip of the scallops to the highest row of dots. There are no discernable knots on the back of the embroidery, nor was the thread carried between designs. However, each of the satin stitched polka dots has a tuft of cut threads sticking out from the back of the ruffle.
Front	Reverse

 

Eyelet Petticoat

	The back of this ruffle reminds me of machine made eyelet laces available today, with the sloppiness of some of the stitching. However, no knots or loose threads are visible, nor was the thread carried between designs. The embroidery measures 2 ¼” from the tip of the scallops to the top of the highest eyelet.
Front	Reverse

Embroidered Petticoat (Ruffle Embroidery)

The satin stitch leaves at the bottom of the central flowers, with the center depression, are very similar to option B in figure 189 of The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont.

The embroidery measures 2 5/8” from the tip of the scallops to the top of the highest leaf. The back of this embroidery shows threads being carried from figure to figure. There are no discernable knots on the back of the embroidery. The thread used for the embroideries on the Embroidered Petticoat is noticeably thicker then the threads used in the embroideries on the other petticoats.

Given that, the sturdiness of the fabric, and the density of the design, I wonder if this is an example of the embroidery referred to in Plain Undergarments, “Convent embroideries, which consist of muslin that is usually very firmly and heavily embroidered, are excellent for wear. As a rule, they are almost too heavy for sheer garments, but where durability rather than sheerness is preferred they are admirable.” p. 4.

Front	Reverse

 

Embroidered Petticoat(Above Ruffle Insertion)

	The embroidery measures 5/8” from the top of the insertion to the bottom of the insertion. There are no discernable knots on the back of the embroidery. The thread used for the embroideries on the Embroidered Petticoat is noticeably thicker then the threads used in the embroideries on the other petticoats.
Top Insertion Embroidery	Reverse

 

Embroidered Petticoat (Ruffle Insertion)

	The embroidery measures 7/16” from the top of the first row of squares to the bottom of the second row of squares. There are no discernable knots on the back of the embroidery, nor was the thread carried between designs. In fact, the front and back of the insertion are nearly indistinguishable. The thread used for the embroideries on the Embroidered Petticoat is noticeably thicker then the threads used in the embroideries on the other petticoats.
Bottom Insertion Embroidery	Reverse

 

Cutwork Petticoat

	This embroidery is very fine work, which has not held up that well – there are many tears in the design, which is a rather delicate one given the combination of pulled thread work, drawn thread work, and cutwork. There are no discernable knots on the back of the embroidery, but occasionally the thread is carried between designs. The embroidery is 2 ½” from the tip of the scallops to the highest leaf. This is the only embroidery that stops before the seam, allowing the seam to be sewn on sturdy (non-cutworked) fabric. The final pattern before the seam is only half finished. These suggest that this ruffle was embroidered either during or after the petticoat itself was constructed.
Front	Reverse

 

Seams in Insertion

Most of the Victorian and Edwardian sewing manuals assume you know how to put a seam in lace and insertion. The only direction I was able to find was in Helen Kinne’s 1916 Clothing and Health:

“To seam the ends of lace, make a plain seam on the wrong side. Lay it flat, turn under the two edges together, and hem in a narrow hem.”

This is how the seams in the lace insertion in Bess Moser’s Petticoat was done, but none of the others were done in this manner.

Bess Moser Petticoat

The row of insertion on the top ruffle only has one vertical seam, which aligns with the seam in the tucks and lace edging. The seam allowance is folded to one side and whipstitched to the lace.

The row of insertion on the bottom ruffle has two vertical seams, one of which aligns with the seam in the tucks and lace edging. Both seams are finished the same way, the seam allowance is folded to one side and whipstitched to the lace.

Seam in lace insertion	Reverse

 

Lacy Petticoat

There is only one vertical seam in each row of lace insertion. The seam is a French seam.

Seam in lace insertion	Reverse

 

Embroidered Petticoat

Seam in above-ruffle insertion	Reverse

There are two vertical seams in the above-the-decorative ruffle embroidered insertion. For both, the seam allowance is folded over, and there is no further seam finishing.

Seam in ruffle insertion	Reverse
	There is only one vertical seam in the embroidered insertion in the decorative ruffle. That seam does not align with any of the other seams in the decorative ruffle. The seam allowance is folded to one side; the top piece is tucked around the bottom piece and the fold is whipstitched down.

Seams in Lace Edging

Most of the Victorian and Edwardian sewing manuals seem to assume you know how to put a seam in lace and insertion. The only direction I was able to find was in Helen Kinne’s 1916 Clothing and Health:

“To seam the ends of lace, make a plain seam on the wrong side. Lay it flat, turn under the two edges together, and hem in a narrow hem.”

This is how the seams in the lace edging on Bess Moser’s Petticoat were done, however neither of the other two lace edgings was seamed in this manner.

Bess Moser Petticoat

The top ruffle has 2 seams in the lace edging. The seams are not spaced an equal distance apart. The two lengths of lace edging measure 42” and 78”. For one of the seams the break in the lace edging aligns with a seam in both the tucks and the insertion, which suggests that the ruffle was assembled flat, and sewn into a circle after all the decoration had been applied. The other seam in the lace edging does not align with any other seams in the ruffle.

The bottom ruffle has 3 seams in the lace edging. Again the seams are not spaced an equal distance apart. The three lengths of lace edging measure 28”, 9”, and 91”. Again, one of the seams lines up with seams in the tucks and the lace insertion.

In all these cases the seam allowances are folded over and the edges are whipstitched down.

Seam in lace edging	Reverse

 

Lacy Petticoat

There is only one vertical seam in the lace edging of the Lacy Petticoat. It is a French seam. It does not line up with any of the other seams in the decorative ruffle.

Seam in lace edging	Reverse

 

Woven Lace Petticoat

Seam in lace	Reverse
	There is only one vertical seam in the Woven Lace Petticoat. The seam allowance is folded to one side; the top piece is tucked around the bottom piece and the fold is whipstitched down.

 

Seams in Embroidery

None of the vintage sewing manuals talk about how to put seams into embroidery. I think the manuals assumed you would be doing the embroidery after the construction, despite multiple manuals discussing what to look for when purchasing pre-made length of embroidery.

Lacy Petticoat

There are six vertical seams in each of the two rows of fabric between the lace insertions. The very small seam allowance is tucked inside the tube and the edges are whipstitched together. The strips were folded into position after the vertical seams were sewn, before the lace was attached.

The embroidery on the Lacy Petticoat was done after the seams were sewn, since it crosses the seams without a break. It was probably embroidered after the lace was attached, although that is conjecture.

Seam in ruffle fabric with embroidery	Reverse

 

Woven Lace Petticoat

There are three vertical seams in the embroidered dust ruffle of the Woven Lace petticoat. The embroidery was done before those seams were sewn as the seams cut across the embroidery pattern. All three seams are finished as French seams.

Seam in dust ruffle	Reverse

 

Eyelet Petticoat

There are two vertical seams in the eyelet ruffle. The embroidery was done before those seams were sewn, as the seams cut across the embroidery pattern. One of the two seams is the seam that goes though the tucks and the rest of the decorative ruffle. It has a wide seam allowance (about ¾”) and the edges are whipstitched together. The other seam only has a ¼” seam allowance, and its edges are left unfinished.

Seam in embroidery	Reverse

 

Embroidered Petticoat

The fabric that makes the below-the-insertion tucks is also the embroidered ruffle fabric. There is only one seam in this fabric. The embroidery was done before that seam was sewn, as the seam cuts across the embroidery pattern. The seam allowance is folded together and may have been whipstitched together, but if so, the remaining stitches are lost in the fraying edges.

Seam in embroidered hem	Reverse

 

Cutwork Petticoat

There is only one seam in the cutwork ruffle. On one side the embroidery pattern is not complete, this may suggest that the embroidery was done specifically for this petticoat, or it may just have been the start of the bolt. The seam allowance is folded to one side, the raw edges are tucked under and the fold is whipstitched down.

Seam in ruffle	Reverse

 

Bibliography

Barnden, Betty. The Embroidery Stitch Bible. Iola, WI: Krause Publications. 2003.

BurdaStyle. “How To: Sew French and Flat-Felled Seams” Learning How to Sew. 30 Nov. 2009.

Butterick Publishing Company, The Dressmaker. 1911, Internet Archive. 7 Nov. 2009

Coates, Lydia Trattles. American Dressmaking Step by Step. New York: The Pictorial Review Company. 1917. (Vintage Sewing.info. 1 Nov. 2009)

Dillmont, Thérèse de. The Encyclopedia of Needlework. Mulhouse (Alsace): Brustlein & Co. 1884. (The Project Gutenberg. 1 Nov. 2009 )

Grimble, Frances, Ed. The Edwardian Modiste. San Francisco: Lavolta Press, 1997. (A partial republication of The Complete Dressmaker, edited by Clara E. Laughlin, 1907)

Harris, Kristina, Ed. Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques. New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 1999. (A republication of Butterick’s Dressmaking, Up To Date, 1905). P. 41-42.

Kinne, Helen. Clothing and Health. An Elementary Textbook of Home Making. New York: The Macmillan Company.1916. (Chest of Books. 1 Nov. 2009, )

Picken, Mary Brooke, Plain Undergarments. Scranton, PA: Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences, Inc., 1920. (Original copyright 1916 under the title “Underwear and Lingerie” by International Educational Publishing Company.)

 

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