I Made Late Victorian Petticoats Using 1890s Ladies' Home Journal Instructions | Historical Sewing

The next couple of months are 1890s themed! A bunch of us are working on a long-distance group collab of Disney cosplays, and I'm putting my character into the mid-late 1890s - which means I need to make everything from the skin out. So this week's video is going to focus on the design, patterning, and sewing of 2 different types of Victorian petticoats (the underskirt and the silk petticoat), and next week's video is focusing on the knit combinations and a bit on the corset (mostly the combinations though because woo am I excited about those (it's a bit video essay and a bit construction in format!)

LHJ is a great resource for tracking trends, and understanding how normal (American) society talked about clothing, and what general fashion was pushing forward as "the right thing to do" during the Victorian era. They are so good about sharing thoughts on everything from nightgowns, corsets, mourning dress, chemises, shoes, gifts, bodices, fabrics, etc. That by just sifting through everything I could find about petticoats and underskirts (including any and all advertisements!) I was able to piece together a good idea of what an "ideal" late Victorian petticoat could and would look like.

The only thing LHJ is lacking is actual patterns, so that's where the Margaret Blair cutting system came into play. It was right in the date range I was looking for, and her instructions are very clear and don't require any weird rule system, etc. Being able to use primary sources for guidance is so important to me when I am doing a historical fashion reconstruction project, trying to put myself into the mindset of a Victorian dressmaker is part of the fun, and I love seeing the finished results!

I'm really pleased with how everything has come out, it's super extra 😂 , but when I look at the photos and see how the skirt hangs I am extremely pleased with my pattern, fabric, and construction choices, and I cannot wait to get the fashion skirt made up.

Petticoats are crucial for all historic fashions, whether it's the 18th century, Regency, Victorian, or Edwardian era, women wore petticoats to help get the fashionable historic silhouette, protect their modesty (because sometimes those dresses were Shear™), keep them warm in the wintertime, and also just wearing petticoats is, weirdly, loads of fun. There's a common "reenactorism" or "historical costumer"-ism to make and wear organdy petticoats, but in all of my research, I have never once come across this in a primary reference. What I see are silk petticoats, cotton percale or nainsook, or flannel (or alpaca or moreen - both of which are stiff woolen fabrics) for petticoats.

If you are new to historical costuming or even sewing, and you want to make yourself a petticoat, I highly recommend going that extra mile to follow fabric, trim, and construction recommendations from the period, instead of trying to find modern "cheats", by following their advice, you can feel and see the difference in the finished product, and that is huge. Petticoats are a great way to practice your sewing, improve your patterning, and are great beginner sewing projects as well!

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[jessicaclakley]

Abby: “were they all drunk on laudanum when they wrote this book?!”

Me: um yes, yes they were

[Absintheskiss]

I want to let you know that telling us how much Victorians pinked seams eases my anxiety over new projects. Thank you!

[saphirephoenix]

Don't think of using your pinking shears as 'cheating': think of them as using 'an authentic, time-saving & historical technique'.

[k_golly_g]

I'm picturing a little Costuming Drama with a pair of horns, sitting on your shoulder, and whispering, "you know you want to..."

[Dumpsterfire]

"This petticoat will never be washed" despite me knowing this is logical and its silk and it doesnt really touch skin much or outside still stresses me out

[koreboii]

Watching you makes mistakes and work with it makes me feel better about sewing. It’s always so frustrating to mess up and I’m learning not to give up.

[TheAgeofFabulous]

Who else thought totally started pictured Lizzo in some Mutton Chop sleeves when Abby started breaking down those lyrics? Oh yeah Lizzo in rocking out in 1890s clothes would be totally badass.

[mikeoliver]

On the subject of the old drafting manuals needing an editor: the long running Charles A. Stone's drafting system, most of the editions of menswear being available on Internet Archive, routinely use "breast" to refer to both the entire chest measurement as well as half the chest measurement. They also sometimes sneak in a "breast net", unqualified and unexplained. If you're not careful you end up with sack coats that are 6 feet around. The diagrams are more accurate than the instructions, and the first section on "the proportionate figure" is pretty useful, though.

[jaspersgrimoire]

Real pattern weights are the mark of someone with an adequate budget for fabric. I use some glass tea light holders I got from Goodwill for like $3.

[robinhahnsopran]

The chaotic energy of this vid is EXACTLY the kind of pick-me-up I needed this morning.

[MrsSmilzall]

"A black petticoat is more practical"
Yeah *sure* it is but being dramatic is way more fun! That is why I made a blue and white striped petticoat. I don't care if I'm the only one who sees it *I'm happy!*

[sweetymee]

And then there’s me, hemming 8+ yards of ruffles by hand - and actually enjoying it😅😂
(And is now hand stitching an entire dress, just to see how much I actually enjoy it)

[Pink_Aqua]

So I'm not a sewist (I LOVE hand sewing, but have never learned any proper techniques, and never made clothes before), I'm not a historical costumer, and I don't understand more than half of the technical terms Abby uses, but I LOVE her channel! I love history in general, and I love watching her content. I'm learning about sewing, and it makes me feel creative. Also, Abby's personality is amazing! She's funny, knowledgeable, and talented.

[julia.mdb]

Do I know how to sew? No. Do I watch all of Abby’s videos? Yes.

[TheMetatronGirl]

I love it! That silhouette is 👌🏻!!! The underskirt and petticoat are truly lovely, and have gotten me very excited for the next few weeks, for sure. But...THAT CORSET! 🤩😍🤩 Be still my heart. It is so close to the corset I dream of making, someday, right down to the trim. Doesn’t hurt that it looks utterly phenomenal on you, either. Seriously, my friend, OOH LA LA! Love and light, and see you next week.❤️

[Alirien]

I love the pink and green color combo! You’ve reversed the colors of Madame de Pompadour’s famous green gown, and I’m so about it!

[knittingmoose]

I hear and deeply empathize with your exasperation on hemming the ruffles. I handmade my first ruffled petticoat and when my non-sewing friends were all "you have been working on that for a while there Deb", I did the math and I realized that the petticoat had involved over 70ft of hemming. I feel for you, so deeply.

[catherinejustcatherine]

Boosting algorithm, hope to watch more later.

[lacyminoux]

That corset!!! It reminds me of R2D2 (and that is said with the highest praise❤️). So. Effing. Cute.

[tiffytattoo]

The green silk was such a happy accident! It looks so cute with the pink! ♡