Pattern Review: Truly Victorian TV244 (Part 1)
Hello again, both stitching and non-stitching friends!
As I wait for my order order from Mood Fabrics, thanks coronavirus, I figured I would start working on my skirt so that all I have to prepare before starting on the bodice is two petticoats.
Fitting the bodice on the petticoats, and even on the skirt itself, is entirely optional. Generally, bodices in the 1860's were worn over skirts, meaning that shirts weren't tucked into skirts but instead lay over top of them. So I personally felt better with measuring and constructing my bodice last (to get my sewing skills as sharp as possible) and to give myself my best chance at laying the entire ensemble together correctly.
(Image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/178595941452485881/)
It is important to note that your bodice, and skirts and hoop skirt, should be constructed over and tailored to your body while in your chemise, corset, corset cover, and shoes. If you opt to not wear a corset cover (that's fine, not all Victorian ladies wore one) you can leave it out, however if you think you may want one, definitely include it in your tailoring. Shoes, too, since they can change your height and you want your skirt to both hang correctly and be hemmed properly. Having a skirt that lightly brushes the ground in your sneakers may unintentionally flaunt your stocking ankles when you put on your heels, shocking!
On to the pattern!
I had initially planned to make the bodice out of a light pink woven twill and the skirt out of a light grey wool and silk blend. However, if you've looked at more than one skirt and bodice combination fashion plate, you'll notice that there aren't many, if at all, mismatched skirts and bodices. Drat.
So I revamped my plan, and I'm making my skirts and bodice out of light cotton lawn in a gorgeous yellow with a stiff, cream broadcloth for both the lining and interlining layers. Hopefully this will make it more of a summer gown and a bit cheerier, too.
To begin, this pattern is one size fits all, so you just pleat the waistband to your waist measurements. To achieve the double skirt portion, you cut out three pieces from the lining and pleat the top into whatever length waistband you cut out. You then attach five identical cut outs of your fashion fabric onto the bottom of your lining. To lay overtop the lining, you cut three identical pieces of fashion fabric, also pleating those into the waistband. Finally, you add any trim or fringe or decoration you want and you have a lovely skirt!
This is the broadcloth I chose. I didn't want to have multiple different linings and interlinings between the skirt and bodice, so I chose a fabric I could use to line both. I prewashed all of my fabric and ironed it out.
Pictures included of (barely) controlled chaos. Since the cotton lawn was so light, I used weights (the pink & blue mini hacky-sacks) to hold down the pattern instead of pinning it to the fabric itself.
At the top of both the lining layer and the top, overlay portion, of the skirt is a small placket, with the edges folded back, pressed, and then topstitched into place.
As I write this, I have the top fabric fashion piece and the upper half of the bottom skirt, the lining section, stitched into a circle with a placket sewn into one of the seams. Once I have the bottom sections cut out and sewn together, I'll pleat them onto the lining and then attach the waistband and decorate.
This skirt is fairly full and can accommodate a hoop skirt with a bottom hoop circumference of up to 225 inches. The waistband is the only adjustable pattern piece, and you simply cut to whichever line indicates your corseted waist measurement. I recommend simply folding down the pattern at your measurement to preserve your pattern for future use or measurement adjustments.
Good luck, and merry sewing!
Yours truly, The Victorian Alaskan
As I wait for my order order from Mood Fabrics, thanks coronavirus, I figured I would start working on my skirt so that all I have to prepare before starting on the bodice is two petticoats.
Fitting the bodice on the petticoats, and even on the skirt itself, is entirely optional. Generally, bodices in the 1860's were worn over skirts, meaning that shirts weren't tucked into skirts but instead lay over top of them. So I personally felt better with measuring and constructing my bodice last (to get my sewing skills as sharp as possible) and to give myself my best chance at laying the entire ensemble together correctly.
It is important to note that your bodice, and skirts and hoop skirt, should be constructed over and tailored to your body while in your chemise, corset, corset cover, and shoes. If you opt to not wear a corset cover (that's fine, not all Victorian ladies wore one) you can leave it out, however if you think you may want one, definitely include it in your tailoring. Shoes, too, since they can change your height and you want your skirt to both hang correctly and be hemmed properly. Having a skirt that lightly brushes the ground in your sneakers may unintentionally flaunt your stocking ankles when you put on your heels, shocking!
On to the pattern!
I had initially planned to make the bodice out of a light pink woven twill and the skirt out of a light grey wool and silk blend. However, if you've looked at more than one skirt and bodice combination fashion plate, you'll notice that there aren't many, if at all, mismatched skirts and bodices. Drat.
So I revamped my plan, and I'm making my skirts and bodice out of light cotton lawn in a gorgeous yellow with a stiff, cream broadcloth for both the lining and interlining layers. Hopefully this will make it more of a summer gown and a bit cheerier, too.
To begin, this pattern is one size fits all, so you just pleat the waistband to your waist measurements. To achieve the double skirt portion, you cut out three pieces from the lining and pleat the top into whatever length waistband you cut out. You then attach five identical cut outs of your fashion fabric onto the bottom of your lining. To lay overtop the lining, you cut three identical pieces of fashion fabric, also pleating those into the waistband. Finally, you add any trim or fringe or decoration you want and you have a lovely skirt!
This is the broadcloth I chose. I didn't want to have multiple different linings and interlinings between the skirt and bodice, so I chose a fabric I could use to line both. I prewashed all of my fabric and ironed it out.
Pictures included of (barely) controlled chaos. Since the cotton lawn was so light, I used weights (the pink & blue mini hacky-sacks) to hold down the pattern instead of pinning it to the fabric itself.
At the top of both the lining layer and the top, overlay portion, of the skirt is a small placket, with the edges folded back, pressed, and then topstitched into place.
As I write this, I have the top fabric fashion piece and the upper half of the bottom skirt, the lining section, stitched into a circle with a placket sewn into one of the seams. Once I have the bottom sections cut out and sewn together, I'll pleat them onto the lining and then attach the waistband and decorate.
This skirt is fairly full and can accommodate a hoop skirt with a bottom hoop circumference of up to 225 inches. The waistband is the only adjustable pattern piece, and you simply cut to whichever line indicates your corseted waist measurement. I recommend simply folding down the pattern at your measurement to preserve your pattern for future use or measurement adjustments.
Good luck, and merry sewing!
Yours truly, The Victorian Alaskan
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