It is lashing rain on the windows chez Calash, and soon enough the present-day chariot known as the Subaru will commence hauling Mr S to the train station and the Young Mr to school. Bikes and buses are unpleasant in the rain, though the Young Mr is always (and only) driven to school on Wednesdays due to a peculiar busing and schedule arrangement.
But what if they lacked this luxury, and had to venture out? The way it sounds out there, the smartest choice would be to stay at home by the fire, but someone has to fetch the wood and the water, and someone has to milk the cow and fetch the fool cat in.

Greatcoat, Chester County Historical Society. from Fitting and Proper, by Sharon Burnston. Scurlock Publishing, 1999.
If you could afford one, you’d wear your greatcoat (new or second-hand).
Made of broadcloth, this would be your non-flammable water-resistant choice for inclement weather. Woven and then milled, the fabric would be dense enough to resist water and hold a cut edge, which makes those capes a more winning proposition.
Over a slim-cut body, layered capes can emphasize and exaggerate shoulder width, making these utilitarian garments sexier than you’d expect. (Of course, I have a thing for guys dressed like this, so your mileage may vary. But by the Civil War, the lines are boxy and, well, yawn.)
Greatcoats aren’t even remotely on my list for this year, but someday I’d like to make one, if only to borrow it. Baby, it’s cold outside.
Always loved greatcoats!! If you WERE to have the time to put one together, what kind of wool broadcloth would you use that would fit the bill you mention–woven and milled? I haven’t heard the term milled before–what does it mean? And for a pattern, would you draft one yourself, or is there one out there you like? I ask because some kind of greatcoat or duster may be in my future and I don’t want to do my usual blind stumble into the realm of new garment construction…
Thanks,
Nancy N
I’d get the wool from Kochan and Phillips (http://www.historicaltextiles.com/). They have the best-made, most accurate broadcloth available, but the prices do leave some gasping for air. I get mine from Roy Najecki, http://www.najecki.com/repro/Wool.html, because he’s local. Milled or fulled, the wool is treated with hot water and friction to produce a nearly-felted surface.
For a pattern, I would start by asking Henry Cooke (hcooke4 at verizon dot net) if he had a pattern I could buy. If he didn’t, I would draft one up from the coat in Fitting and Proper, as I know how well that looks when it is made. http://www.flickr.com/photos/56884612@N07/5323181873/in/set-72157625587768743
Good luck!
KC
Thank you so much! This is a treasure trove, and I am so thrilled you shared it with me! I probably won’t need fabric that is this period-correct, but it sure is nice to see what they’ve done, and see the color palette they work with. I will file all of this away for the future!
Happy T-day,
Nancy
Just FYI, there is a Mill Farm Greatcoat pattern, Burnley&Trowbridgeand WmBoothDraper both have it. It’s cut fuller, more 3rd quarter 18c, whereas the one in F&P is very definitely from the latter part of the 18c.
http://www.burnleyandtrowbridge.com/millfarmgreatcoatpattern.aspx
Fabulous, thanks for the tip!
Nancy N
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