Progress report: 18th century men's shirt

[luzula]

My 18th century men’s shirt is now finished except that I still need to add some manly lace ruffles at the cuffs and the front! I've done what was left of the sewing by hand, mostly during zoom meetings which I didn't have to lead. Most of the sewing that was left was the gathering at the top of the sleeves and round the collar, and the buttonholes.

The first photo shows the collar along with the opening at the front, and the top of the sleeve. This second one shows one of my button holes, which I guess is not perfect, but this is my first time sewing buttonholes by hand... I'm not showing my first (terrible) attempt, ha ha.



Things I am happy with: Well, I learned how to backstitch and to sew buttonholes by hand? Also all the gathering, I think it's lovely! \o/
Things I am less happy with: the buttons at the collar ended up asymmetrically to one side, which looks fine in the photo, but not as good when I'm actually wearing the shirt. But I guess the collar would be covered by a stock or a neck cloth anyway. I don't have proper button links for the cuffs, so had to connect two metal buttons with some thread. Also I was lazy with the seam at the top of the sleeves, because I just did a simple overcast stitch on the fabric ends on the inside, attaching it at the same time to the fabric of the shoulders. That would not hold up very well to heavy use; properly I should have enclosed that seam within a piece of fabric sewn on on the inside (a sleeve binder).

Also I have no idea if/when I am ever going to actually wear this shirt?? To have a full costume, I would also need to sew breeches, a waistcoat, and one of those lovely full-skirted coats, which is a huge project. Check out this guy, who has COMMITTED. I guess if I make a nice waistcoat, I could plausibly wear just that over the shirt along with ordinary trousers (or a skirt) to a fancy occasion?

Comments

[ride_4ever]

Beautiful! *is very impressed*

[luzula]

Thanks! : )

[garonne]

Your buttonhole is so neat! I must confess I only ever do machine buttonholes :D

Did you notice that Vincent Briggs has a new post this month on shirt-making? https://vincentbriggs.blogspot.com/2022/02/hand-sewn-18th-century-shirt.html With a lot of interesting details.

[luzula]

Ha ha, my mom thought the buttonhole was ugly. This is a fair sample of her ability to be tactful. *g* But thanks! Although I'm sure I can get better at it.

Ooooh, that is so cool, especially his way of sewing on the gathered sleeves etc! and now I see that I should have made my collar higher. Ah well. Mine is a first attempt, and he seems to have a lot of experience, so no wonder his is so pretty.

[garonne]

Haha, I can't help suspecting your mother does not realise how difficult it is to get all the stitches the same length... *g*

[badly_knitted]

Oooh, very exciting! I admire people who're good at sewing. I suck at it, I'd rather knit.

[luzula]

I don't know how good I actually am at it, but it was fun to make the shirt! I tried knitting maybe 15 years ago, but then I got a lot of ache in my hands (which, to be fair, was also because I was writing my dissertation and playing computer games). So I ditched the knitting and computer games…

[badly_knitted]

As long as whatever you're doing craftwise is fun, that's the important thing.

I've been knitting for 40 years, plus I do cross stitch, a tiny bit of crochet, simple jewellery making, macrame... It all helps to keep my arthritic hands flexible.

If you'd like to socialise with fellow crafters, you'd be very welcome at my crafting community get_knitted

[luzula]

Thanks for the link! I think daily crafting checkins are a bit much for me on top of the writing checkins, but I'm glad to know the comm exists. : )

[badly_knitted]

That's cool.

No one has to check in daily though, just when they want to, and members are free to make their own posts to the community too, although not many people have yet. People pop in and out as they feel like it, some are gone months and then pop up again for a few days before vanishing again, so if you ever fancy dropping in to see what folks are doing, or if you ever need any crafting advice, or have some to share, know that you'll always be welcome.

[luzula]

Thanks! : )

i envy your tiny stitches

[jesse_the_k]

Briggs is committed indeed.

I think your lovely linen shirt would be a swell top layer to mid-calf skirt or plain old leggings.

Re: i envy your tiny stitches

[luzula]

Yes! I look at his blog and my jaw drops in admiration.

I do think the shirt would look good with a waist coat or vest of some sort, since it's so wide.

[seascribble]

that is SO MANY HOURS, oh my god. I remember reading something, laura ingalls wilder, maybe, about how button holes are satan’s own invention. Yours looks good, considering that!

[luzula]

Hee. I made the button holes while I was on zoom meetings, or playing Chinese checkers with my mom. If I had to dedicate time especially for making them, it probably wouldn't have happened… and thanks! : )

[mildred_of_midgard]

Laura definitely complains about button holes!

It is not easy to space buttonholes exactly the same distance apart, and it is very difficult to cut them precisely the right size. The tiniest slip of the scissors will make the hole too large, and even one thread uncut will leave it too small.

When she had cut the buttonholes, Laura whipped the cut edges swiftly, and swiftly covered them with the small, knotted stitches, all precisely the same length and closely set together. She so hated making buttonholes that she had learned to do them quickly, and get it over with. Mrs. White noticed her work, and said, “You can beat me making buttonholes.”

Mrs. White being her boss.

[osprey_archer]

What a beautiful shirt! And yes, I think with a nice waistcoat it would look smashing with ordinary trousers or a skirt.

[luzula]

Thanks! I do keep checking out fabric stores and admiring silk brocades that I could make into the front of a waistcoat, so maybe it will happen someday… Oh, and I found a PDF of a great book about the cut of men's clothes 1600-1900, which will be useful if I want it to be specifically 1740’s.

[mergatrude]

I am in awe of your new skills! I think you could wear it over ordinary trousers with a waistcoat.

[luzula]

Thanks! : ) I do keep checking out fabric stores and admiring silk brocades that I could make into the front of a waistcoat, so maybe it will happen someday...although when will I find the time, sigh?

[ljm]

Hooray for shirt completion! It's always exciting when you learn a new skill, isn't?

[luzula]

Thanks! And yes, very satisfying. : )

[sanguinity]

Hooray!

And yes, Vincent makes many beautiful clothes. I follow him on tumblr, and it's fun to see what he's working on, and neat to hear him discuss (and see examples of) how much he's improved since he started. I'm even getting to the point where I sometimes can guess what end of the century a given item is from...

[luzula]

His work is so impressive! I am just boggling.

I did find a PDF of a great book about the cut of men's clothes 1600-1900, which is useful for fic purposes, as well.

[sanguinity]

Assuming that's the book Vincent recommends, I've heard good things about it. The title is basically that, yes?

[luzula]

Yes, that's the one! And yes, I got it off his blog.

[chestnut_pod]

I feel like these shirts are totally everyday wear! Be the trouser-wearing pirate you wish to see in the world! Or the skirt-wearing daredevil!

[luzula]

Hee, we will see! Possibly I went overboard on the floofiness, and if I actually went around in this shirt, I would be dragging my sleeves everywhere…

[regshoe]

Well done, it looks amazing! Little as I know about sewing, those buttonholes do not look at all easy to do—definitely an accomplishment to have learnt how to make them.

And I think you should wear it wherever you like, but it could work very well as part of a fancy outfit with ordinary trousers and a waistcoat. Or you could somehow get a kilt and plaid and dress as Ewen :D

[luzula]

Thanks! Yes, learning how to sew buttonholes is definitely a new skill for me.

I did consider the plaid option for an 18th century costume, yes! I mean, which is easier? Sewing breeches, waistcoat, and a coat, or taking a huge rectangular piece of tartan and wrapping it around myself… : D

[sanguinity]

Does a tartan get you out of anything more than breeches, though? tgarnsl showed me a period illustration (which I can no longer find), of Highland dress which clearly showed a jacket of some sort under the tartan. (I say jacket because it didn't seem to have the long skirt of the era.)

[luzula]

I think it probably depended on class, and on how much you were dressing up? I think ordinary clansmen just wore a shirt and a great kilt/belted plaid. But yeah, I've definitely also seen pictures where they wore a waistcoat and/or something more. There's also the paintings of BPC in Highland dress, which have a lot of added bling. *g*

Relatedly, have you seen this video with the charmingly enthusiastic outdoorsy Scottish guy demonstrating the great kilt?

[sanguinity]

I have! It was linked in the first weeks of the FotH discussion, possibly by you. I like the part where he lies down on the floor and rolls himself up like a pillbug. :-D

[mildred_of_midgard]

I had not seen it! I had always heard/read about the method of lying down to put on the kilt, but I'd never seen it in action, and I always wondered how it worked. Now I know, thanks to you!

[luzula]

There are also doubts that this is in fact the method that was used, since it took a long time and required a sizable floor. This article describes the other theory, which seems more likely to me, namely that there were belt loops sewn into the plaid.

[mildred_of_midgard]

Oh, neat! I didn't know that. And yes, very plausible.

Preferably, it should not be raining

Love the understated sarcasm here, omg.

those puffs of wind that get under the first pleat just as the last one is completed.

Lol, because you know that's exactly what would happen! :DDD

[hurry_sundown]

Lovely work, sweetie, and far beyond both my abilities and my patience. Go, Luz! *g*

[luzula]

Awww, thanks! <3

[china_shop]

That looks amazing! What an achievement! ♥___♥

[luzula]

Thanks! <3

[cahn]

Oh woooow. That is very cool and the sleeve gathering looks so awesome! Your buttonhole looks great too (though as someone who could not make a buttonhole to save her life, I guess my opinion might not mean very much, lol).

And I think this would be super amazing with a waistcoat and ordinary trousers. (Or a skirt.)

(I laughed at the more "manly lace ruffles" because it's true! And I'm looking forward to seeing those too! :D )

[luzula]

Thanks! Irritatingly enough, I mostly see the flaws at this point, but I'm glad you are impressed by it, anyway! : )

[mildred_of_midgard]

Ooh, nice! Like Cahn, I also laughed at "manly lace ruffles". :DD

[luzula]

Manly clothing, it's a cultural construct! : D