1830's Day Dress: Pelerine

Now, I wasn't sure I'd have the time to make the pelerine or bonnet. Then New Zealand went into a Covid Lockdown and I suddenly had heaps of free time to work on my costumes. Luckily, New Zealand fabric stores were allowed to send silk. So I ordered some silk taffeta and very excitedly waited for its arrival.

In the meantime, I worked on a mockup. There was this pelerine that I had seen in a fashion plate which I thought was very unique so I decided to recreate it. It's the blue one with the web-looking edge.

I started out by draping a piece of calico on top of the dress and drawing a circle where I wanted the bottom edge. I then used my french curve ruler to draw the indents before cutting them out. I found that this had mixed results. The back was at the length I wanted for the top layer but the front was at the length I wanted for the bottom layer. I took out my pattern drafting paper and traced the mockup on the fold onto the paper. I then reduced the front edge by three inches and then reduced that amount as I went around to each point, creating a cascading of lowering measurements. This was hopefully going to make the top layer much more even. Once I was happy with the new shape, I added seam allowance and cut out the pattern piece. To make the lower layer, I traced the top layer pattern piece onto the paper and then extended it back down about four inches at every point. I added seam allowance and cut out the pattern piece. For the collar, I just used a pattern piece from a caplet I made earlier in the year but adjusted the size to fit the pelerine. 

I cut out all the pieces on some calico and got to sewing. I cut out two of each piece. I started by sewing the collar. I sewed around the outside, leaving the neckline open. I trimmed the seams and clipped the corners and curves. I then flipped it right sides out and pressed it. I did the same with the upper layer of the pelerine. I pinned the collar and upper layer together at the neckline before machine basting with a 10cm seam allowance. Next, I pinned the basted together layer between the two lower pelerine layers. I pinned around the whole lower layer pieces making sure that the basted layers were only attached to the lower layer pieces at the neckline. I started sewing along the curved edge of the lower layers. I sewed around the whole thing, leaving about a three-inch gap between the start and end of my sewing. I again trimmed the seam allowance, clipped the corners and curves before turning it all to the right side out through the gap I left and pressing. I didn't sew the gap closed on the mockup but I did on the actual version. I sewed it up with a slipstitch. 

Once the silk arrived, I got to work on making the final version. I made it the same way that I did the mockup. At the center front of the collar, I did add a hook and eye to secure the pelerine when it's worn.

Overall, I think it's pretty cute. I think that the colour ties in nicely with the pink colour on the dress. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to add a contrasting edge like in the original fashion plate. As New Zealand was in a level 4 lockdown, I wasn't able to order any bias binding as I wasn't sure when it would arrive. I still quite like the pelerine without the contrast edge. I think that the shape of the pelerine adds enough visual interest on its own. Whenever I put it on over the dress, I feel like it really completes that 1830s silhouette as it makes the shoulders look massive because of the straight line across the shoulders that it gives. I've gotta say that if you're going to do the 1830s, a pelerine is a must.

I'll talk to you soon. Have a swell day!

-Maysie