Tags
10th Massachusetts, 18th century clothes, 18th century clothing, Costume, fashion, patterns, questioning my sanity, sacque, sewing, silk taffeta, style
I don’t always feel the need to enhance my anatomy; in fact, I rarely do, but then I started on the sacque. Ah, the sacque. I nearly abandoned the whole business but then I thought I’d look pretty silly dressed as the maid, or for George Washington’s funeral instead of his birthday party.[1]
I also don’t want to have a house littered with UFOs, because that is what my knitting stash is for. In order for the sacque to look right, I need hips. HIPS.
And while I planned to make panniers AKA pocket hoops, a simpler and easier solution occurred to me. Hip pads: I’d seen them on Sharon’s site and thought I could at least try a pair. They’d help my poor fake quilted petticoat (FQP, long story[2]), which will come in handy for a party in February. So I spent my New Year’s Day making hips and playing a bit with the sacque silk.
To make the hips, I started out by laying a piece of muslin against Cassandra, and tracing a waist arc. I worked between the muslin and paper to create a paper pattern, and then made up a muslin, which I filled with polyester stuffing and then tested under the FQP. Better, no?
Then I added the seam allowance to the paper pattern (which you can download here and print at 100% if you have a waist in the 30 inch range and want enormous hips yourself) and cut four more of linen.
After three episodes of Death Comes to Pemberly[3], I had hips. They weren’t quite the same size, but my right hip is larger or higher or something, so I put the smaller one on the right and the larger on the left to balance my own deficiencies.
The alteration to the silhouette is pretty amazing, though Mr S did laugh. Perhaps this figure is an acquired taste.
[1] All I have right now to wear with the Celebration Spencer is a black petticoat, so I’d be rocking the 1799 George-is-Dead look.
[2] The story is that I have a real one basted onto a frame but I cannot fit both the frame and a sofa in the apartment. We chose sofa. I am sad but comfy.
[3] I’m ambivalent. Though I do love Trevor Eve, I wondered why there was not more changing of dress for various times of day
Kitty Calash 
Dear Kitty Calash,
Aren’t you sweet to offer us a hip pad pattern! After making a pair of panniers and finding them just hu-uge, I thought to make a pair based on some yellow ones in the MFA collection, but had not, as of yet. Still fiddling with the construction of an eared cap.
Very best, and thank you,
Natalie
You’re so welcome!
I found that it did not take much tape to connect these in the back, or to make the ties in the front. I used a sturdy cotton tape repurposed from a tablecloth package!
Good luck sewing!
Kitty
Thanks, too, from someone who could probably fill out the FQP just fine without any padding. Well, maybe not panniers, but…
I am curious about your dressmakers dummy. I have an old legged one with Barbie proportions, which in no way match mine (see FQP remark above!). I used to trounce myself regularly for my deficiencies until a fashion design friend told me that sad old Barbie is actually supposed to be a teenager.
So. I may bite the bullet and actually buy one. Do you like yours? Did you buy it online, and if so, did it match the specs pretty well? One of my main concerns about them is whether they wobble or not. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Nancy N
I did buy the dress form online with a coupon from JoAnn. I like it and hate it all at once, but the proportions are about right with the various stays on. (The purple ones are a mock up set, close enough to be useful, that allow me to wear my regular ones for fittings when it really matters.) She’s not too wobbly, but I have nearly pushed Cassandra over in her current garb– that’s a lot of silk on the back– but a sandbag or other weight would solve that.
I biggest complaint is that she slides down the pole. Mr S has tried various clamps, but still she slid. Historic pole dancing with your petticoat ending up in the cat dish is a quick way to exercise your swearing muscles. The last time she slid, he cranked down on the integral threaded fittings and she hasn’t moved at all. Of course, I can’t get her loose, but if she needs to collapse, I’ll call on Mr S.
The dialable measurements are iffy, I think– there’s the whole “my size not my shape” issue, and if your proportions are not classic, you can end up with a slightly wonky, ready-to-spring form. But we’ve made our peace. I’m between the small and large size of form, but I ended up getting the smaller one and cranking it out more It’s this sone: Singer® 150G Adjustable Grey Dressform – Small. I thought better to pad her out for various silhouettes.
The pinnable layer is thinner than I’d like, but that’s typical of these forms, I think. There wasn’t a great range of choice at this price point (List $229, but I paid $99, which was what I wanted to pay, knowing I would have to manipulate whatever form I got.)
The dressmaking course at URI has a component for making custom pinnable dress forms, and Hallie Larkin does workshops for a similar form, especially for people wearing their stays, so you don’t have to lace and unlace. I’d need two for my time periods, so I struggle along with Cassandra. For the price and free shipping, I’m satisfied enough not to replace her.
All the best,
Kitty
Wow, thanks! I can imagine how frustrating a slipping Cassandra must’ve been! Ill probably look around in the garment district first, to see if there’s something generic I can live with, i.e., make a few padding adjustments to. It’s interesting to me how much more accurate you need measurements to be when constructing period garments! Modern clothes seem to have more “slip”.
Thanks again, and I hope you’re surviving the extreme cold!!! We are really hunkered down under blankets here in NYC!
Nancy N