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Monday, June 28, 2021

Something Blue ~ A Silk Wedding Petticoat

 Several years ago I found a set of blue silk curtains at a thrift store for a couple bucks per panel. Of course I bought them! Who can pass up cheap silk? Not me!

I brought the curtains home, and being in "This is what I do with thrifted stuff" mode threw them in the washer. Of course this changed the texture of the silk. Whoops. I shouldn't have done that! Oh well, it was still nice fabric and still usable, and once it was washed a folded it up and stashed it away with the rest of my silk stash to be used "some day" for a yet to be determined project.

Sometime around getting engaged, or possibly before that, I don't really remember when, what that project would be was determined. The curtains would be turned into a petticoat. A blue silk petticoat to be worn under my wedding dress over my hoop skirt. My "Something Blue". (The hoop skirt would be my "something borrowed" and I had plans for the "old" and "new" as well!)


A couple weeks after I got engaged I began this project by seam ripping all the hems and casings and linings out of the curtain panels. Then I ironed all the panels flat, restoring some of the shine they had lost in the washing machine.


Once that was done I figured out how long I needed the petticoat to be and how much of a ruffle I wanted. I then cut 3 panels to length for the main body of the petticoat and cut six 12" wide strips to be seamed together to make the bottom ruffle.


I sewed together the main body of the petticoat and stuck a pocket in the right side seam because one never knows when a petticoat pocket might be handy.


I hemmed the ruffle then gathered it onto the body of the petticoat. Once it was sewn in place I trimmed the seam with some lace I picked up in Malaysia while I was on the World Race.


I'd bought this lace with my future wedding dress in mind, but when it came down to it, the style didn't quite fit with my dress design and was better suited to the petticoat.


I love the lace here and have zero regrets!


Ruffle and lace on, it was time for the petticoat to be gathered onto a waistband!


I opted to cartridge pleat it. 


I love cartridge pleats! They're not something I've ever taken the time to do on a petticoat however. . .


But a silk petticoat for my wedding? Ahh yes, I could certainly take the time to cartridge pleat that!


Once pleated, the petticoat was whipstiched onto a waistband, as you do.


Then the petticoat was finished off with a fancy double hook and bar from this set of unique hooks and bars I found in a recycle shop in Japan.


I'm a fan of these and wish I had a few more! 


Hook and bar on, the petticoat was done!


All done and ready to be worn on my wedding day!


My first wedding garment completed!


It just feels luxurious to have a silk petticoat!


And yes, now that the wedding is over, I certainly intend to wear this beauty under my historical costumes too!


It's just too pretty not to wear!


Come back next weekend and I'll share about another of my wedding undergarments, one I didn't intend to make - my corset!


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