In the first two articles in this series I talked about heirloom sewing techniques and how to decorate Belle Époque petticoats. In the last article I talked about how to achieve a specific shape through cut and decoration.

Now I’m going to talk about all the other construction details associated with Belle Époque petticoats. When possible I’ll compare the techniques used in the six petticoats we’ve been analyzing to the instructions in various Belle Époque sewing manuals.

The result is enlightening (and freeing) if you get hung up on trying to make all the details “right”. You’ll be able to see just how varied the methods were for basic things (like constructing a ruffle or inserting a placket) and be able to relax and sew your petticoat with confidence.

 

Ruffle Construction

Each of the six petticoats we’re analyzing is decorated differently. All have a highly decorated bottom ruffle, however, there are a lot of variations between these six petticoats vis-à-vis how the decorative ruffles were actually sewn, mainly in:

• The order the ruffle was constructed
• How the ruffle head is attached
• How the ruffle is hemmed

Seams in Tucks & the Order of Ruffle Construction

Vertical seams in the tucks are interesting to look at for the construction information it gives us; more than any other decoration they tell us the order the ruffle was put together, whether the ruffle was decorated while it was flat or after it was sewn into a circle.

Bess Moser Petticoat

Find the pattern for Bess Moser’s Petticoat here

The top ruffle has tucks both above and below the insertion. There are 3 vertical seams in the tucks above the insertion, which do not align with the 4 vertical seams in the tucks below the insertion, except in one case. That vertical seam goes though the insertion and both sets of tucks, suggesting that the tucks and insertion were added while the ruffle was still flat, and then it was sewn into a circle at this seam. The tucks were sewn after the other three vertical seams, but before this one.

The bottom ruffle also has tucks both above and below the insertion. There are 4 vertical seams in the tucks above the insertion, which align with the 4 vertical seams in the tucks below the insertion. One of the vertical seams in the ruffle goes though the insertion and as well, suggesting that the lace was inserted while the ruffle was still flat, and then sewn into a circle. In this ruffle, the tucks were sewn after all the vertical seams were put in.

Seam in tucks that aligns with a seam in the lace insertion and the lace edging	Reverse
“Standard” seam in the tucks	Reverse

Order of Construction for the Top Ruffle Sew the vertical seams in the two strips of cotton that make the top and bottom parts of the ruffle. Do not sew into a circle yet. Sew the tucks into the strips formed in Step 1. Hem the long edges that the insertion will be attached to, and the long edge that the lace edging will attach too. (E.g. hem all edges except the top one) Whipstitch the lace insertion and the lace edging into place, making a single ruffle. Sew the last vertical seam together, making the ruffle into a big circle and finish the edges of the lace.

Order of Construction for the Bottom Ruffle Sew the vertical seams in the two strips of cotton that make the top and bottom parts of the ruffle. Do not sew into a circle yet. Hem the long edges that the insertion will be attached to, and the long edge that the lace edging will attach too. (E.g. hem all edges except the top one) Whipstitch the lace insertion and the lace edging into place, making a single ruffle. Sew the last vertical seam together, making the ruffle into a big circle. Sew the tucks into the ruffle. Finish the raw edges of the seam in the lace insertion and lace edging.

Most of the seams are selvedge-edge to selvedge-edge, and are unfinished beyond being sewn together. The seam in the top ruffle that goes though the insertion as well as the tucks is the exception to that statement. It was sewn together; the non-selvedge-edge seam allowances are both folded in the same direction. The raw edges of the lace insertion and lace edging are whipstitched down, but the seam allowance in the tuck area is left unfinished. On the other seams there is no consistency regarding whether the seam allowance for the vertical seams is pressed flat or folded to one side; it sometimes changes between tucks.

Lacy Petticoat

Find the pattern for the Lacy Petticoat here

The seams in the tucks above the decorative ruffle are the seams of the main petticoat. They are very narrow (~ 1/8”) French seams. The tucks were sewn after the vertical seams were put in.

There are 6 vertical seams in the pin tucks at the top of the decorative ruffle. These seams are incredibly tiny (less then 1/16” seam allowance). All but one joins selvedge-edge to selvedge-edge with tiny whipstitches around the edges. The seam that is different has two raw edges, the seam allowance is folded over (both towards the same side) and a tiny whipstitch was sewn down the fold. The edges of the seam allowance are left raw. The pin tucks were put in after all the vertical seams were sewn.

 

Seam in the tucks above the decorative ruffle	Reverse
“Standard” seam in ruffle fabric with pin tucks	Reverse
Seam in ruffle fabric with pin tucks that has raw edges	Reverse
	Order of Construction of the Lacy Petticoat’s Ruffle Sew vertical seams in the bottom row of the ruffle fabric, making a circle. Repeat for the middle row and for the top row of fabric. On the middle and bottom rows, iron the seam allowance at the top and bottom of the fabric loop, towards the wrong side of the loop. Iron the middle and bottom rows in half, with the wrong side on the inside. Carefully measure and cut the lace for the two rows of insertion and the lace edging. Sew the lace into circles with French seams. Carefully whipstitch a row of lace insertion to the bottom of the middle row of fabric, catching the bottom folded edge of both ironed seam allowances. Carefully whipstitch the lace edging to the bottom of the bottom row of fabric, catching the bottom folded edge of both ironed seam allowances. Whipstitch the bottom of the row of insertion attached in Step 5 to the top of the bottom strip of fabric (the one with the lace edging on the other side). Add feather stitching along the top and bottom of the middle row of fabric. Repeat for the bottom row of fabric. Hem he top row of fabric and sew the pin tucks. Whipstitch the top row of insertion to the hem of the top row of fabric. Whipstitch the bottom of the insertion you just added in Step 10 to the top fold of the middle row of fabric, creating a single ruffle.

Woven Lace Petticoat

Find the pattern for the Woven Lace Petticoat here

The woven lace petticoat does not have any tucks to tell us how it was made. However, there is only one seam in the entire lace ruffle. The lace ruffle was woven as a 12 ¾” wide lace. It is woven in a graduated pattern, so that the rows get progressively longer:

 

Eyelet Petticoat

Find the pattern for the Eyelet Petticoat here

There are four vertical seams in the tucks, three of which are selvedge-edge to selvedge-edge and do not line up with any seams in the eyelet ruffle. The seam allowance for these seams is folded over in the same direction, and then the tucks were sewn into place.

The forth seam aligns with the seam in the ruffle. The tucks were sewn before the seam was put in. This suggests that the tucks were put in and the eyelet was attached while the fabric was flat, and that this is the seam that made the ruffle circular.

The seam allowance for this seam is folded to the side and whipstitched together.

 

There are four vertical seams in the tucks, three of which are selvedge-edge to selvedge-edge and do not line up with any seams in the eyelet ruffle. The seam allowance for these seams is folded over in the same direction, and then the tucks were sewn into place.
	“Standard” seam in the tucks	Reverse
The forth seam aligns with the seam in the ruffle. The tucks were sewn before the seam was put in. This suggests that the tucks were put in and the eyelet was attached while the fabric was flat, and that this is the seam that made the ruffle circular. The seam allowance for this seam is folded to the side and whipstitched together.
	Fourth seam (through both the tucks and eyelet ruffle)	Reverse

Order of Construction of the Eyelet Petticoat’s Ruffle

1. Sew the vertical seams in the top part of the ruffle, but do not sew it into a circle yet.
2. Sew the tucks
3. Sew the vertical seam in the eyelet ruffle, but do not sew it into a circle yet.
4. Attach the eyelet ruffle to the top ruffle while the ruffle is flat. See the instructions in the ruffle attachment section.
5. Sew the long vertical seam though both the tucks and the eyelet ruffle. Finish the seam allowance by whipstitching the edges together.

 

Embroidered Petticoat Find the pattern for the Embroidered Petticoat here In the ruffle, the seams in the tucks above the insertion do not line up with the seams in the tucks below the insertion. There is no seam that goes though both the tucks and the insertion, suggesting that the tucks and the insertion were attached in concentric circles, after the ruffle was sewn into a loop.
The four vertical seams in the tucks above the decorative ruffle are the side seams of the petticoat, and the two small side gores. The side seams are folded over and whipstitched down. The small side gore is attached selvedge-edge to selvedge-edge with about a 1/16” seam allowance. The tucks were put in after the seams were finished.
	Seam in tucks above the ruffle	Reverse
There are three vertical seams above the insertion; all three are joining selvedge-edge to selvedge-edge. The seam allowance is folded to one side and no further seam finishing was done. The tucks were sewn after the vertical seams were put in.
	Seam in tucks above the ruffle insertion	Reverse
The fabric that makes the below-the-insertion tucks is also the embroidered ruffle fabric. There is only one seam in this fabric. The tucks were put in before that seam was sewn. 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 the tucks (and embroidered ruffle) below the insertion	Reverse

Order of Construction of the Embroidered Petticoat’s Ruffle

1. Sew the vertical seams in the top part of the ruffle, forming a circle.
2. Sew tucks into the top part of the ruffle.
3. Sew tucks into the embroidered ruffle.
4. Sew the vertical seam in the embroidered ruffle, creating a circle.
5. Sew the vertical seam in the insertion, creating a circle.
6. Attach the insertion to the top part of the ruffle and to the embroidered ruffle. See the instructions in the Embroidered Petticoat (Insertion in the Ruffle) section in 1890-9010 Petticoats Part 2.

 

Cutwork Petticoat

Find the pattern for the Cutwork Petticoat here

The vertical seams in the above-the-ruffle tucks are the seams of the petticoat body. They were sewn together, and the seam allowance pressed open before the tucks were sewn. The seam allowance has no edge finish, even when it is not the selvedge-edge.

There are three vertical seams in the tucks in the decorative ruffle. They are all on selvedge-edges; the seam allowance was pressed open before the tucks were sewn. None of the seams lines up with a seam in the cutworked ruffle, which suggests that the tucks (and the ruffle) were put in after the fabric was sewn into a circle.

 

 

Order of Construction of the Cutwork Petticoat’s Ruffle Sew the three vertical seams in the top part of the ruffle, forming a circle. Sew the tucks into the ruffle. Sew the single vertical seam in the cutwork ruffle, forming a circle. Attach the cutwork ruffle to the top part of the decorative ruffle. Se the ruffle attachment section for instructions.
	Seam in tucks	Reverse

 

 

 

 

 

Ruffle Attachment

All six petticoats have a ruffle starting just below knee level. There are variations in how the ruffle is attached to the main body of the petticoat; there is even variation in how ruffles are attached within the same petticoat!

There are a number of instructions for attaching ruffles in the sewing manuals I studied that do not describe any of the techniques used in the six petticoats we’re analyzing. American Dressmaking Step by Step gives 15 different ways to attach a ruffle (lessons 124-139), many of which are similar but not identical to the methods used in our petticoats. Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques describes putting a flounce onto drawers which results in a look similar to the upper flounce on Bess Moser’s Petticoat, but hers uses an applied strip rather then cutting the hem fold.

“A gathered ruffle of either the plain material or of embroidered edging makes a good finish, and this should be inset in the hem, which is cut though its folded edge for this purpose. Each of the two edges of the material thus separated is turned under a quarter of an inch for a seam, the two turnings facing each other, and the gathered and stroked ruffle is basted to the lower edge, and the upper is basted over the seam and stitched to it”(Harris 107)

Bess Moser Petticoat

There are three different ruffle attachment points in Bess Moser’s Petticoat. The first is the top of the tucked tier, around thigh level. Then there are the two decorative ruffles, starting around knee level. The ruffle heads for all three are done differently.

Tucked tier ruffle head	Reverse	Tucked tier construction

 

The tucked tier (also described as the bottom "half" of the body of the petticoat) was gathered and then sewn edge-to-edge with the upper body of the petticoat. The seam allowance faced outwards. Then a 3/8" bias tape (the seam allowance is not included in the measurement) was top stitched over the seam.

The tucked tier is only slightly gathered (about 1.16 times), as the ruffle head measures 53" around and the circumference at the first tuck is only 61.5".

The top ruffle is inserted into a ¼” tuck in the body of the petticoat. The ruffle is about 1.7 times the length of the ruffle head. (The ruffle head measures 70” around and the circumference is 118”.)

Top ruffle head	Reverse	Top ruffle construction
Bottom ruffle head	Reverse	Bottom ruffle construction

 

Lacy Petticoat

This decorative ruffle was basted to the petticoat (some of the basting stitches still remain), and then a ¼” ribbon was topstitched over the join. The ribbon has a raised decoration, which almost looks like embroidery. (It is the same decorative ribbon that tops the dust ruffle). The ribbon is topstitched with very tiny stitches along both edges, sandwiching the top of the ruffle between itself and the petticoat. The decorative ruffle is quite gathered, it’s about 1.9 times the length of the ruffle head. (The ruffle head measures 83.5” around and the circumference is 157” at the first pin tuck.)

Ruffle head	Reverse	Decorative ruffle construction

 

Woven Lace Petticoat

The Woven Lace Petticoat’s decorative ruffle is rather different from all the other decorative ruffles being analyzed; the entire decorative ruffle is one piece of lace. The beading at the top of the lace is woven as part of the lace. The lace is attached to the petticoat by two lines of machine stitching along the top and bottom of the beading. Despite the back of the petticoat looking like it was gathered along the beading, the beading is sewn lat to the petticoat – the gathering effect is due to a slight shrinkage in the lace beading, but it irons flat.

Ruffle head beading without ribbon	Ruffle head beading with ribbon in the beading	Ruffle head from inside

Eyelet Petticoat

The ruffle head at the top of the decorative ruffle (around knee height) is sewn differently then the ruffle head attaching the eyelet ruffle to the hem of the petticoat.

The decorative ruffle is attached to the bottom of the petticoat body by a topstitched bias tape. The raw edge of the petticoat body has no seam finish; it is left loose on the inside of the petticoat. The ruffle is about 1.7 times the length of the ruffle head. (The ruffle head measures 61” around and the circumference is 105”.)

Top ruffle head	Reverse	Top ruffle construction

The eyelet ruffle is only about 1.25 times the length of the ruffle head. (The ruffle head measures 105” around and the circumference is 133”.) The ruffle head is easier to draw then explain.

Eyelet ruffle head	Reverse	Eyelet ruffle construction

This could’ve been achieved in a number of ways; the simplest is:

1. Gather the eyelet ruffle (use a large seam allowance)
2. Fold the seam allowance on the petticoat edge up, towards the inside of the garment. Iron it in place.
3. Pin the gathered ruffle to the folded edge of the petticoat, so that the gathering line is just above the folded edge.
4. Topstitch the edge of the petticoat to the eyelet ruffle along the fold.
5. (Optional) Trim the seam allowance off the petticoat half of the seam allowance.
6. Fold the eyelet ruffle seam allowance around the edge of the petticoat seam allowance. Pin and iron into position.
7. Topstitch along the top folded edge of the seam allowance. (The seam lines should be about ¼” apart).

Embroidered Petticoat

The decorative ruffle in the Embroidered Petticoat is inserted into a ¼” tuck in the body of the petticoat, just like the top decorative ruffle in Bess Moser’s Petticoat.

The Embroidered Petticoat’s ruffle is about 1.4 times the length of the ruffle head. (The ruffle head measures 71.5” around and the circumference at the first tuck is 103”.)

Ruffle head	Reverse	Ruffle construction

 

Cutwork Petticoat

The Cutwork Petticoat is the only petticoat we’re analyzing that use the same method for attaching multiple ruffle heads. The ruffle heads of the cutwork petticoat are inserted into ½” tucks. (Similarly to how the ruffle head on the Embroidered Petticoat was done.) The body of the petticoat does not continue beneath the tuck, instead the bottom edge is folded up into the tuck.

The knee-height decorative ruffle is about 1.6 times the length of the ruffle head. (The ruffle head measures 72” around and the circumference is 116”.) The cutwork ruffle is only slightly gathered; it’s about 1.3 times the length of the ruffle head. (The ruffle head measures 116” around and the circumference is 155”.)

 

Ruffle Hems

There are two kinds of hem treatments seen in the petticoats we’re analyzing:

• Embroidered ruffles that have buttonhole-stitch scallops at the hem
• Ruffles that have lace edging at the hem

 

Embroidered Ruffle Hems

Three of the petticoats hem finishing is the fancy embroidered ruffle at the bottom. In all three cases the bottom of this ruffle is edged with buttonhole-stitch scallops. For more details see the embroidery section in Part 1 of 1890-1910 Petticoats.

Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques says that a gathered embroidered ruffle makes a good hem finish (Harris 107) but none of the manuals give special instructions for attaching an embroidered ruffle rather then a plain ruffle. In fact, most of the 16 illustrations describing ruffle attachment in American Dressmaking Step by Step (lessons 124-139) show embroidered ruffles. None of the instructions for doing buttonhole-stitch scallops given any extra tricks one should use if the scallops are likely to come into contact with the ground.

Eyelet Petticoat hem	Embroidered Petticoat hem	Cutwork Petticoat hem
Reverse	Reverse	Reverse

 

Non-Embroidered Ruffled Hems

Three of the petticoats have lace edging as their hem treatment. For details on how that was attached see the lace edging section in Part 1 of 1890-1910 Petticoats. In the sewing manuals, applying lace edging to the hem is something they talk about for dust ruffles, “Dust ruffles may be finished at the lower edge with a narrow hem; very narrow lace may be used on the edge applied by any of the various methods for finishing.” ( Baldt 241) Lace edging is not specifically called out for other ruffle edges; however both hemming and attaching lace edging tend to be dealt with in the “basic sewing” sections of the manuals, rather then the sections on particular garments. American Dressmaking Step by Step gives 17 different methods to hem and/or face a garment (lessons 85-102) most of which could be easily decorated with lace edging.

Bess Moser Petticoat lace edging at hem	Lacy Petticoat lace edging at hem	Woven Lace Petticoat hem
Reverse	Reverse	Reverse

 

 

 

 

General Construction

There are four features of petticoat construction that I have not dealt with before, that I will address here:

• Waist treatment
• Plackets
• Seam finishes in the body of the petticoat
• Skirt loops

Waist Treatment

Four of the six petticoats we’re analyzing have a waistband (although the Woven Lace Petticoat has a waist facing rather then a traditional band), the Embroidered Petticoat has a yoke with a drawstring, and the waist treatment for the Lacy Petticoat has been removed. Most of the Belle Époque sewing manuals I looked at seem to think that waistbands are so basic that they only refer to them glancingly. Clothing for Women is the only one that actually gives detailed instructions for sewing a waistband:

“Prepare Waist Band: Take a lengthwise strip of material two inches wide and four inches longer than the waist measure, turn in both lengthwise edges of band one-quarter inch, crease very hard. Find the center of the length and mark with thread; measure one-half the waist measure on each side from the center of band; mark with thread. Turn one end of band on the mark and crease; measure three-quarter inch outside the mark on the other end, turn and crease; then fold though the center lengthwise, crease and baste near fold….

“Placing Band. – (a) Gather back of petticoat if fullness is to be placed in this way; (b) lay plait [pleat] as fitted; or (c) have plain and smooth. Place front folded edge of band to the wrong side of the petticoat, fold directly on waistline and on gathers (if any) in back, letting center of band come to center of skirt, and seams meet marks on band, extension of placket facing to extension of band. Baste side of band to skirt, being sure that the ends of the bands meet. Baste carefully. Stitch all round band, directly on edge and again one-sixteenth inch inside first stitching if desired.”( Baldt 277-278)

 

Plain Undergarments says: “The band should be made double and of the same material as the petticoat; also, it should be finished from ½” to ¾” wide.”(Picken 26) All four waistbands in our petticoats are made from the same fabric as the body of the petticoat, however only one of them falls within the recommended size-range. (This, in fact, conflicts with the size Clothing for Women directed us to use as well.)

Plain Sewing says, “As strength is of primary importance, bands should be cut with the selvedge running lengthwise. If possible, remove the actual selvedge itself, as it is apt to cause puckering when the gathers are set in.”(Roberts 38) While all four waistbands in our petticoats are cut on the straight-of-grain, two of them leave the selvedge in tact.

The sewing manuals spend a fair amount of time describing how to distribute gathers evenly along the waistband (by diving both the band and the skirt into equal sections before starting), the simplest instructions were in The Edwardian Modiste, “To put on the band, notch the center of the strip intended for the band. Put this notch to center of drawers [or petticoat; the same instructions apply to both]. Baste on the gathers.”(Grimble, The Edwardian Modiste, 365) However, only the Cutwork Petticoat has gathering around the entire waist, and even there, the gathering is not evenly distributed. It is pretty minimal in the front but is quite dense in the back.

How the petticoats fasten vary a bit, three of the 4 with waistbands fasten with a button and buttonhole at the top while the forth uses a hook and eye closure. Plain Undergarments gives the following advice on choosing fastenings:

“Buttons and buttonholes, snap fasteners, and hooks and eyes may be used for the placket openings. Wash materials usually require buttons and buttonholes, while for non-washable materials snap fasteners or hooks and eyes are more satisfactory. If snap fasteners are used on a placket opening, the band, since it fits snug, should be provided with hooks and eyes, so that it will hold together well when the garment is being worn.”(Pickens 27)

The buttonholes in the three petticoats that have them are each done slightly differently. If you’re interested in a detailed discussion of buttonholes, I recommend looking at Plain Needlework by Melissa Roberts.

The Voice of Fashion gives instructions for how to place hooks and eyes, “sew hooks on right front and eyes on left side… Sew the hook on so that the end extends about 1/8” in back from the front edge of the lining. The loop of the eye should then extend over the edge of the left front a little less then 1/8”, sufficient distance for the looping of the hook.” (Grimble, Voice of Fashion, 14). However, the Eyelet Petticoat (the only one we’re looking at that uses hooks and eyes) doesn’t follow these directions.

Bess Moser’s Petticoat

The waistband on Bess Moser’s Petticoat is a 23” by 2” (plus seam allowance) band, cut on the selvedge. It is folded in half to be a 1” band. The selvedge edge is on the inside of the petticoat. This could’ve been achieved in a number of ways; the way I think it was done is:

1. The seam allowance along the short end is tucked under and ironed.
2. The waistband is folded in half lengthwise and ironed.
3. The top of the skirt is basted to the long raw edge of the waistband, right sides to right sides.
4. The waistband is flipped into place.
5. The long bottom edge is topstitched down. When doing this make sure to catch the bottom edge of both sides of the waistband.
6. The short ends of the waistband are whipstitched together.

Waistband	Reverse
Left side opening	Right side opening
Reverse	Reverse

On the left opening there is a 5” extension that looks to me like it was put in place after the button ripped out, since there’s a large and ragged hole where I would expect the button to be. The extension is a 2” by 5” (plus seam allowance) rectangle cut on the straight of grain. The long end is sewn together with an invisible slip stitch. This seam is not placed along an edge; it runs along the center of the inside of the flap. The seam allowance on the short ends of the extension is tucked inside and whipstitched down. The extension is attached to the waistband with whipstitching along 4 sides, forming a 1” square reinforcing the area where the original button was.

The buttonhole on the right side is 5/8” long, and is hand-done using the buttonhole stitch. It is placed ¼” from the edge of the opening and has a single shank reinforcing the side of the opening.

 

Lacy Petticoat

The waist treatment for the Lacy Petticoat has at least been partially removed (if not completely removed and badly replaced); currently there is no way to fasten the petticoat. The current waist treatment is a 3/8” band of cotton twill tape that is attached to the petticoat by a large running stitch down the center of the twill tape. The tape does not quite reach either edge of the opening.

Twill tape band at the waist, it is folded around the stitching attaching it to the petticoat.	Reverse
Left side of the opening	Right side of the opening
Reverse	Reverse

 

Woven Lace Petticoat

Waistband

Reverse

The waistband on the Woven Lace Petticoat is a 39 ¾” by 3/8” (plus seam allowance) facing cut on the straight-of-grain. This could’ve been sewn in a number of ways; the way I think it was done is:

1. The seam allowance at the bottom of the facing is folded towards the back and ironed in place.
2. The back of the skirt is gathered into the desired length.
3. The top of the facing is sewn to the waist, right-sides to right-sides.
4. (Optional) trim the seam allowance.
5. The facing is flipped into place on the inside of the petticoat, and ironed.
6. The top edge of the facing (and the petticoat) is topstitched 1/8” from the edge.
7. The bottom edge of the facing is top stitched down, about 1/16” from the edge of the facing.
8. The short ends of the facing are whipstitched to the petticoat, along the opening.

There are two places along the waistband where it looks like the waist has been taken in. There are two pleats in the waistband that are stitched flat on both the inside and the outside.

The button is 9/16” in diameter and feels slightly rough. I’m not sure what it’s made of. The button is place 5/8” from the right opening. The buttonhole is hand down with buttonhole stitches. It is 5/8” long and placed only ¼” from the left edge. There is a single shank on the edge opposite the placket opening.

Left side opening	Reverse
Right side opening	Reverse
Pleat in waistband	Reverse

Eyelet Petticoat

The waistband of the Eyelet Petticoat is a 27” by 1 3/16” rectangle (plus seam allowance), cut on the selvedge. The petticoat fastens with a large hook and eye. The loop of the eye is placed 1/16” from the right side opening. The tip of the hook is 3/8” from the left side opening.

Waistband	Right side opening	Left side opening
Reverse	Reverse	Reverse

 

The waistband could’ve been sewn in a number of ways; the way I think it was done is:

1. The seam allowance along the short end is tucked under and ironed, as is the seam allowance along the raw long edge.
2. The waistband is folded in half lengthwise and ironed.
3. The top of the skirt is inserted into the waistband; the selvedge edge of the waistband is placed on the inside of the petticoat.
4. The long bottom edge and the two short ends are topstitched down. When doing this make sure to catch the bottom edge of both sides of the waistband.

 

Embroidered Petticoat

The top of the Embroidered Petticoat is a yoke with a drawstring. The top of the yoke is folded down 7/8” (plus seam allowance) and topstitched down to form the drawstring casing.

At the center front a hole is sliced through the front of the casing to admit the drawstring. The edges of this slit are roughly whipstitched and the top and bottom have large shanks, like a modern buttonhole.

The yoke is attached to the body of the petticoat with three rows of stitching. I think the order of construction went like this:

1. Gather the body of the petticoat to the length of the yoke.
2. Sew the petticoat to the yoke, right-sides to right-sides.
3. Sew only the seam allowance together, 1/8” from the seam.
4. Iron the seam allowance so that it points towards the top of the yoke.
5. Topstitch the seam allowance to the yoke, sewing with the yoke on top to make sure that on the outside the stitching runs just above the original seam.

Yoke exterior	Yoke interior
Seam at the bottom of the yoke	Reverse
Drawstring opening	Reverse

 

Cutwork Petticoat

The Cutwork Petticoat’s waistband is a 22” by 2 ½” (plus seam allowance) rectangle cut on the straight-of-grain. It is folded in half to become a 1 ¼’ band.

The button is now missing. The buttonhole is hand sewn with neat buttonhole stitches in a large oval. It has no shank on either side. It’s placed ¼” from the left side and is 11/16” long.

Waistband	Reverse
Right side opening	Reverse
Left side opening	Reverse

The waistband could’ve been sewn in a number of ways; the way I think it was done is:

1. The seam allowance on the short edges of the waistband is folded inside and ironed. The seam allowance along the inside edge of the waistband is also folded inside and ironed.
2. The petticoat is gathered to the correct length and basted to the waistband, right-sides to right-sides.
3. The waistband is folded in half and ironed, sandwiching the top of the petticoat between the edges.
4. The bottom of the waistband and the short edges are topstitched down. When doing this make sure to catch both sides.
5. To reinforce the button and buttonhole a 1 ¼” square is topstitched around each end.

 

 

 

 

Plackets

Five of the six petticoats have center back openings with plackets. The Embroidered Petticoat has a drawstring top, instead. In the period sewing manuals I looked at there a lot of descriptions of how sew plackets; usually there are multiple descriptions per manual. All five of the petticoats with plackets are done slightly differently from each other. The Lacy Petticoat and the Cutwork Petticoat plackets are the most similar to each other, and are quite similar to the instructions given in Clothing for Women;

“Hem for Petticoat Placket. – Very narrow hems are sometimes placed on each side of a petticoat opening, the hem on the right hand side folded to wrong side, so as to form a lap, stitched across the bottom in slanting line, and caught in the belt at the top.”(Baldt 243)

Bess Moser’s Petticoat

The placket on Bess Moser’s Petticoat is set in the center back seam. It is a continuous placket, meaning that the same strip of fabric is applied to both the right and left sides of the 6 ¾” opening, but unlike all the instructions I found for continuous plackets, the right and left sides are treated very differently.

Placket open	Placket closed
Bottom of placket	Reverse or inside
Placket laid flat	Center of placket when laid flat (e.g. the stitching at the bottom of the placket)

On the left side, the placket is a 2’ wide rectangle cut on the straight of grain and folded in half around the edge of the petticoat. The inside edge is on the selvedge, but on the outside of the fabric the seam allowance is tucked under and the entire thing is topstitched together..

Left side	Right side (this is done the same way as a faced hem)

On the right side the placket is a 1” rectangle (still on the straight-of-grain) with the seam allowance tucked under on both sides.  Despite the difference in width the right sides and the left sides of the placket are all one piece of fabric. The inside edge on the right side is simply cut away at the center seam (e.g. the seam at the bottom of the placket).

Top of the placket, laid out flat	Cut-away view of the side of the placket fastened to the petticoat

 

Lacy Petticoat

The placket on the lacy petticoat is an 11” slit in the middle of the back panel. The left side is a 1/8” machine sewn hem with the seam allowanced tucked inside. The right side is an 11/16” machine sewn hem, also with the seam allowance tucked inside. So the opening doesn’t gap, the bottom of the right hand side is folded on top of the left hand side and is topstitched down, creating a pleat at the bottom of the placket.

Placket open	Placket closed
Bottom of Placket	Reverse

Woven Lace Petticoat

The Woven Lace Petticoat opening is the top 12 ½” of the center back seam. The two sides of the placket are sewn separately. The left side placket is a 1 ¾” by 13” rectangle (plus seam allowance) cut on the straight-of-grain. The placket is folded round the edge of the petticoat and topstitched. The bottom of the placket is left unfinished; the raw edge is unattached to the petticoat.

Placket open	Placket closed
Bottom of placket	Reverse (The right side of the picture shows the unattached bottom of the left-hand placket)

The right hand side of the opening has a 1” by 12 7/8” rectangle (plus seam allowance) cut on the straight-of-grain. It is sewn to the inside of the opening, right sides to right sides.  The placket is then flipped into place and topstitched down along the selvedge edge (which is the edge opposite the opening). The bottom of the right-hand placket is secured with two parallel lines of machine stitching, forming a shallow rectangle.

Left side	Right side

 

Eyelet Petticoat

The Eyelet Petticoat is the only placket that has fastenings along the length of the opening. It has a single hook and eye 5 ¼” down the 10 ½” opening. The opening is in the center back seam.

Unlike the other petticoats the right and left sides of the opening are finished with the same piece of fabric in the same way. The placket is a single 1 ¾” (plus seam allowance) by 21” rectangle cut on the straight-of-grain. This rectangle is folded in half lengthwise, the seam allowance is tucked under, and the edge of the slit are sandwiched between them. The entire thing is topstitched together.

 

Placket open	Placket closed
Bottom of placket	Reverse
Hook midway down left side of packet (view from interior of petticoat)	View of hook from exterior of petticoat
Eye midway down right side packet (view from interior of petticoat)	View of eye from outside of petticoat
Placket folded out showing the hook (view from exterior of petticoat)	Placket folded out showing the eye (view from exterior of petticoat)
On both sides of the opening the placket is folded inside and the pleat is secured with the waistband.

Unlike the other plackets the right and left sides of the Eyelet Petticoat only meet each other; they do not overlap, making it more likely for the opening to gap. This is probably the reason for the extra insurance of the hook-and-eye mid-way down the opening.

The placket is folded back at the waistband	Sketch showing the same folds

 

Cutwork Petticoat

The Cutwork Petticoat’s placket is very similar to the placket on the Lacy Petticoat.

The opening is an 11 ¼” slit in the middle of the center back panel. The right side is a 3/16” machine sewn hem with the seam allowance tucked inside.

The left side is a ¾” machine sewn hem with the seam allowance tucked inside.

So the opening doesn’t gap , the bottom of the left-hand side is folded on top of the right hand side and is whip-stitched in place, creating a pleat at the bottom of the placket. The stitching barely shows on the outside.

Placket open	Placket closed
Bottom of placket	Reverse

 

 

Seam Finishing in the Body of the Petticoat

 

Clothing for Women describes 5 seams that are generally used for undergarments (see the table below) however, in the section on sewing petticoats Clothing for Women suggests either French seams or a Stitched Fell seam. American Dressmaking Step by Step lists 28 different seams (lessons 56-84) however it (and the other sewing manuals) rarely says when each seam should be used. The names for the seams (and their descriptions) vary slightly between the sewing manuals; generally I have used the names and definitions given in Clothing for Women.

Plain Seam	American Dressmaking Step by Step defines a plain seam as a single row of stitching and no further seam finishing. Clothing for Women defines a plain seam as “Two raw edges, with row of stitching or machine stitching, three-eight to one-half inch from edges, which are afterward neatly trimmed and overcast (for undergarments).”(Baldt 229) The petticoats we’re analyzing use both types of plain seams.	Illustration from Clothing for Women (Baldt 229)
French Seam	French seams are exactly what we modernly define as French seams; first a seam is sewn facing the right side of the fabric. Then that seam allowance is trimmed, and a second seam is sewn on the wrong side of the fabric, encasing the original seam allowance. There are a number of nice You Tube videos showing how to do this. I liked this one. American Dressmaking Step by Step says that French seams are “for thin materials and dainty garments. It should be used on lines that can be easily turned. Often, however, the French seam is used where the Turned-in Seam should have been used and a most undesirable effect is produced.”(Coates 72) See the French Fell Seam entry for more on the Turned-in Seam; I believe Coates is complaining about the use of French seams for armholes and other such curvy seams.	Illustration from Clothing for Women (Baldt 230)
Hemmed Fell Seam	In this variation on a Fell seam, the second line of stitching securing the seam allowance is whipstitching done by hand. American Dressmaking Step by Step says that this seam “is especially suitable for seams on underwear made of medium weight material. The [Hemmed] Fell seam is not used on very thin material, as the edges of the seam will show though the goods.”(Coates 71)	Illustration from Clothing for Women (Baldt 231)
Stitched Fell Seam	In this variation on a Fell seam, the second line of stitching that secures the seam allowance is done by machine. Modernly this is usually what is referred to as a Fell seam.	Illustration from Clothing for Women (Baldt 232)
French Fell Seam	In this variation on a Fell seam, the seam allowance is not sewn to the body of the garment; instead the edge of the seam allowance is folded towards each other and whipstitched together. This results in a seam very similar to a French seam. American Dressmaking Step by Step gives a variation on this seam, which it calls the “Turned-in Seam”. In this variation the second row of stitching is done by machine.	Illustration from Clothing for Women (Baldt 233)   Illustration of the Turned-in Seam from American Dressmaking Step by Step (Coates 71)
Flannel Fell Seam	In this variation on a Fell seam, the seam allowance is folded over, the side that is next to the outer fabric is trimmed, but edge of the top layer is not tucked under, instead it’s left raw and a catch-stitch fastens it down.	Illustration from Clothing for Women (Baldt 234)

 

Five of the six petticoats we’re analyzing use French seams. The seams that are not French seams are plain seams (with or without whipstitching around the raw edges).

Bess Moser’s Petticoat

All of the vertical seams at the top of Bess Moser’s petticoat are 3/8”-1/4” French seams. However, the vertical seams in the tucked area above the ruffles are all plain seams with no further seam finishing. This was probably done so that the seams would not make big lumps in the tucks. Some (but not all) of the seams below the tucks return to being French seams beneath the ruffles. The others remain plain unfinished seams straight to the hem.

French seam	Plain seam in tucks	Switching from plain seam back to a French seam

 

Lacy Petticoat All of the vertical seams in the Lacy Petticoat are 1/8”-3/16” French seams. They are more often 1/8” then 3/16”; some of the seams vary in width along their lengths.
	French seam
Woven Lace Petticoat All of the vertical seams in the Woven Lace Petticoat are 3/16” French seams.
	French seam
Cutwork Petticoat All of the vertical seams in the body of the Cutwork Petticoat join selvedge-edge to raw edge. The seam allowances are folded to one side, and no further seam finishing has been done.

 

Eyelet Petticoat Most of the seams in the body of the Eyelet Petticoat are 3/16” French seams; however there is one exception to this. The center back seam (where the placket is inserted) is a plain seam with the seam allowance folded to one side and whipstitched together.
	French seams	Whipstitched seam allowance

Embroidered Petticoat The vertical seams above the top row of insertion are all 3/16” French seams. Below the insertion, the gore seams are either tiny (1/16”) seams joining selvedge edges without further seam finishing or they are 1/8” plain seams joining selvedge edge to raw end. In this case the seam allowance is folded to one side and whipstitched together.
	French seams	Gore seams. On the left is a tiny plain seam without seam finish and on the right is a plain seam with a whipstitched seam finish

 

Skirt Loops

Two of the petticoats have sections of twill tape attached to the waistband. Occasionally you see similar loops attached to skirts’ waistbands. Plain Needlework (a modern compendium of Victorian sewing instructions) says that tapes “may serve as loops for hanging up.”(Roberts, 46)  The instructions Plain Needlework gives for sewing skirt loops describe how the loops in the Eyelet Petticoat are attached, but the Woven Lace Petticoat’s loops are attached in a slightly less complicated method.

 

Woven Lace Petticoat

The Woven Lace petticoat has two strips of 3/8” cotton twill tape attached to the waistband. Their lengths are not quite the same as each other; the one on the left of the back opening is 2 ¾” long and the one on the right side is 3” long. On both, the raw ends are tucked under and they are whip-stitched to the waistband along the fold. Both the right hand loop and the left hand loop start 3 7/8” from the center back opening.

Eyelet Petticoat

The Eyelet Petticoat has two strips of 5/16” cotton twill tape, both are 3 ¾” long. The sewing attaching the loops to the waistband is slightly different from the Woven Lace Petticoat; the raw ends are tucked under and the fold is whip-stitched down. But this line of stitching isn’t the only one, a square is sewn at each end of the loop, the three outside edges are whip-stitched and the inner edge is a running stitch. This is exactly how Plain Needlework describes, “For tapes sewn on the inside of a band, hem the three sides of the square, then seam… the edges together.” The raw edge of the twill tape is secured between the waistband and the loop itself.

 

Bibliography

Baldt, Laura I. Clothing for Women.Selection, Design, Construction. A Practical Manual for School and Home. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1916.

Butterick Publishing Company, The Dressmaker. New York: Butterick Publishing Company, 1911. (Internet Archive. 5 Feb. 2010 )

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

DraperyIdeas, “How To Sew French Seams”, [Jan 23, 2010]

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

Grimble, Frances, Ed. The Voice of Fashion. San Francisco: Lavolta Press, 1998.

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.

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.)

Roberts, Melissa. Plain Needlework a Guide to Nineteenth Century Hand Sewing. Being the Complete Art of Plain Sewing Minutely Described and Clearly Illustrated. Georgia: Hollis & Bell. Sautee, 2000.

 

Recommended reading

• 1890-1910 Petticoats part 1: Decoration by Sunny Buchler - Studying the methods used to produce the beautiful embellishments on these extant garments, specifically tucks and lace insertion.
• 1890-1910 Petticoats part 2: Decoration, continued by Sunny Buchler - On embroidered insertion, lace edging and embroidery.
• 1890-1910 Petticoats part 3: Shapes and Patterns by Sunny Buchler - Looking at the different factors that combine to create the shape of the skirt, and the petticoats that support it. Patterns of the six petticoats are included this month.

 

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