Poe’s Raven

This outfit was my first foray into pattern drafting, or indeed anything more fitted than clothing from the 1100s. I drew my drafting instructions from two sources. For the shirt and chemise, which you cannot see, being my undergarments (for shame! I'm not THAT scandalously inclined) came from "Needlework and Cutting-Out" by Kate Stanley - my version was published in 1883. The knickerbockers and cape were drafted from "Turn-of-the-Century Fashion Patterns and Tailoring Techniques" by S. S. Gordon, published in 1901. The shirt and chemise are cotton, the trousers are heavy wool, the corset is silk lined in linen, and the cape is wool lined in cotton velveteen. All the threads used, both in assembly and decoration, are silk.

I entirely hand-sewed this project, from the chemise on out, which was something of a literal pain - it took me around four months, all told, from start to finish. A major stumbling block was that I've never really done anything very fitted before - fitting my corset in a way that was comfortable took a month, in and of itself. Fitting the shirt to avoid unsightly wrinkles and bulges was also time consuming, but very worth while.

I found a myriad of period sewing manuals available, full text, that were invaluable to me in my attempts, as they instructed me both in how to pattern the items and how to assemble them, from what seams to use to how to sew on the buttons and hook and eye sets.