Skirt, petticoat

Petticoat which is part of a gown (33.91a) of silk brocade with wide skirt to fit over hoops. The dress would have been called a "sack back" due to its construction: the fabric at the back is floating to the ground without being gathered in at the waist. There is also a matching stomacher (33.91c). It is likely to have been made for wear at court.

Fabric: light green taffeta ground with narrow pink cannellé stripes. A broad stripe is brocaded in silver-gilt strip (the gilding has nearly all worn away except on the back) and between the clusters of stripes are (1) a meandering flowering stem in coloured silks and silver frisé and (2) peacock feathers each tied with a bow. These are also woven in coloured silks and silver frisé. The front is decorated with puffs made from the same material and very elaborate matching trimmings (covered crinkled paper?) which dangle. Material width: 20 3/4 ins; selvages: 1/4 ins (red, green tabby 6 outer cords); repeat width: 10 3/8 ins; length 5 1.16 ins. (Note by Natalie Rothstein)

Construction: The petticoat is in the shape of a square or rectangle with drawstrings on either side of the centre front and back waist to be pulled up over the top of side hoops. The upper portion of the petticoat from side front and around the back is a plain green silk taffeta (lustring?), the same as textile used to line the lower sleeve ruffle. The skirt and petticoat are pieced from several widths of fabric which sewn together with loose backstitches; the plain fabric of the petticoat is pieced with the brocade in the same way. The drawstring casing of the petticoat is made by turning under the top edge for approximately 2”and running stitching approx ½” from the fold. The centre front of the petticoat waist is rounded and faced with a narrow green silk ribbon; the petticoat opens at centre back, where the drawstring ends come out. The petticoat hem is faced with same linen as the dress hem. The front of the petticoat is decorated with puffed self-trimming, passementerie and tassels in the same manner as the dress. The puffs on the skirt and petticoat are filled with wool batting. There are no signs of alteration; the only possible indication is an overlap of the sleeve seam visible from the underside – however, this seems more likely to have been an alteration made during original construction/fitting as there are no corresponding alterations to the sleeve end trimming or bodice, nor any old stitch marks. (Constructions notes adapted from Carolyn Dowdell's).