Dear Sis,

We have period caroling on the calendar in just a few weeks time. Poor Charlotte has absolutely nothing to wear! We started for the bottom up with a pettichemise.

A pattern for a basic pettichemise or body can be found here. In the photo above, I was marking where to place the hook and eye tape for the back bodice closure and pinning the one inch twill tape straps in place. Twill tape is a time saving hack. I was trying to complete the body in a single night… and did:) Note all the tucks, they are not purely decorative! They help maintain volume in the skirts!!!

I was planning to make a wool petticoat to go with this pettichemise, but they fabric was not 100% wool as advertised and thus I need to order different materials at another time.

I started Charlotte’s dress without a clear plan of what I wanted it to look like. My fabric selection was some tropical weight dark gray wool, with a very nice hand, that was gifted to me years ago, and some teal undershot brown silk taffeta from a botched sash attempt from over a decade ago. I also was operating with the knowledge that Charlotte’s sensitive skin had to be fully removed from direct contact with the wool itself. Thus, I decided to line the wool with the silk. The uncut portion of silk that remained was small, so I narrowed the sleeves to accommodate what little materials I did have, and then opened the upper seams in a decorative way, so they wouldn’t appear too narrow for the period. After I opened the sleeves, I decided I needed more teal peaking out of the dark wool on the bodice and cut the tear shaped eyelets and secured them with button hole stitching. 

After, completing the bodice I decided I wanted to trim the skirt edge in more teal silk. Since my plans for a wool petticoat were thawed, I decided to make a double layer skirt to compensate. Upon completion of the dress, I realized that it needed a bigger splash of teal and I still had the sash itself to cut into. I was able to refashion it nicely using this period fashion plate for inspiration. 

I’ve included photos of the finish dress both on the wiggling two-year-old and off.

Pardon to poor evening lighting… and the blur of a child in constant motion:)

Charlotte enjoys here new dress very much. She and William call it her “princess dress.”

See you love!

Love,

b

See more Children’s Wear in our Historical Closet