Georgian
Over Petticoat

For this costume, you will require intermediate experience in sewing

Difficulty factor 5 - 10
Please note, that we do not make costumes to order or to hire. These are one off costumes designed for Tracy.


Please use these instructions in conjunction with our videos, as they contain more information on items needed, their sources and technique

This has been made using the traditional method.

Materials:

3 Metres of 44" wide Broderie Anglaise or material of your choice
​2 large hooks and eyes
​1 metre 1.5cm wide tape
2 metres Broderie Anglais 10cm wide
2 metres Broderie Anglais trim 5cm wide

Putting the back and front pieces together, measure down approximately 11-12" and place a pin.  Sew from this point down on both sides. The material is cut straight across with no curve.

Iron the seams open, and iron the same width for a neat edge.

Run a sewing line down the open seam and across the bottom.

This is where you will need two people. Find the centre point and mark with a pin. Put the petticoat on and hold it parallel so that it just touches the floor.  Put a second pin at waist level.

Turn the excess to the inside, replace the pin and  pin it to your waistband.

Turn the excess material at the side and pin to the waistband.  A bit of manipulation is required to obtain a flat line, making sure that the material is touching the floor and not distorted, this needs to be parallel to your waistband.  Place pins to hold it in place.

Start at the edge with a double pleat (one on top of the other), this can be 1.1/2" wide (4cm)

Continue with single pleats of the same size until the slack has been taken up and the front is flat.  Now do this for the other side and the back piece. Make sure the fit is very tight.

Whip stitch across the top of the pleats to hold them in place.

What to do for a waistband???  So many methods to choose from.  You could do a proper waistband with side ties, attach a narrow ribbon (which was typically Georgian). A waistband with a hook and eye?  Tracy decided to go for a 1.1/2cm tape sewn edge to edge and will be closed with a hook and eye.  Turn in a couple of centimetres of tape and sew onto the top to start.  Either use a whipping stitch on the edge, or sew in a running stitch to hold it in place.

Just before the end, turn the tape 2cms and sew down.

Fold the tape in half and whip stitch across the top

As for the inside, the Georgians very rarely cut anything off, preferring to leave everything as it is.  We have pinked the inside edge, but you could overlock or turn a hem.  Then whip stitch the loose side edge to the skirt.

The height from the floor will be down to personal taste, but generally, it is just touching the tops of the shoes.  Turn and sew your hem to your desired length.

Sew on a large hook and eye, this completes the Outer Petticoat.

For the bottom layer of frills, cut a strip 9cm wide. Tracy has sewn it seam to seam.

There will be 2 layers of brodiere anglais trim. each one 10cm wide. They are 1" (2cm) pleats.

Attach a gathered Broderie Anglais trim 5cm wide.

The finished petticoat.