An Adventure

Historic homes are a pleasant fiction. Most held generations of families or were sold more than once. They may have been gutted or had plumbing and heating installed. To restore them back to a particular year seems impossible. How do you know how they were before?

First, what walls have been moved/removed? What going on with the stairs? What were the rooms used for originally? Fortunate is the curator who has an inventory of all the furniture by room. Mostly it's guesswork. But what if a direct descendant, living four hours away, offers to donate a bed that was known to be in the house 200 years ago? Just needs to be picked up.  That's an adventure worth having. Kitty's job took us to the wilds of Vermont. Driving a large cargo van is an exercise in faith. Best just to shout "WITNESS ME!" When changing lanes.

The donor is delightful, a wise woman of 85. Like the house it came from, the bed had been upgraded, it's rope pegs cut off to take a modern box spring. The handiwork was unmistakable: small carved roman numerals marked every groove and slot. The hand carved posts are perfection. You know you are in Vermont's hinterlands when Google's hotel and dining recommendations start near Montreal.

Time to tackle the terror of flap pockets. Here is the back of the trousers and pocket (with cover in place.) The top of the bag back will act as trouser front for the waistband. The L-shaped bit at bottom left is where the flap stops and the leg seam begins. It's confusing. There are more photos here. It's easier to assemble the pants first, then sew the pockets together. Just don't sew the flap to anything.

Here is the even more confusing front. The bag front is pinned on, and the L-cuts don't match the trouser fronts exactly. Not a problem since the whole thing gets trapped in the seam. Pleats peek out from the pocket edge, and the stripey bearer lining is evident. The edge of that wonky L-notch on top lines up with the bag back and completes the waistband front.  Next come the waistband, buttons and button holes and the outside leg seams.

Chicken Legs

One spat down. The buttons are sewn to the straight back piece. The larger curved bit gets (more or less) evenly spaced buttonholes. A leather instep strap runs from the bottom button under the shoe to another button on the inside.

The difference between good spats and bad is tightness. Button the two parts together and fold them in half along the toe to determine where the center back seam should fall. Pin them loosely together and fit them over shoes and stockings. Backstitch for strength. If they are hard to put on, they are made properly.

Here is the belted waistcoat pinned over a shirt. The pockets are British Army style, but slightly higher. Keep in mind there is scant evidence for belted waistcoats, so interpretation will be conservative and familiar. The front is made of white cloth and the back of serge. No vents or tails, the whole thing is tight.

The bottom is cut square, but slightly lower at the front to match the tilted waistband on breeches and overalls. The vest covers all but the lowest button on the pants. A period button formula has a space of two button widths between each actual button, so between ten and twelve buttons depending on height.

Weskit Pockets

This is going to be easier than doing things from scratch. Here is the complete pocket from the old 7th Regiment waistcoat. This style is typical for watch pockets in breeches. A tutorial on how to make these is here.

The new fronts have a chalk line the width of the pocket bag, but not as wide as the broadcloth welt seen on the left of this photo.

Here is the welt pinned upside down to the weskit front. After the welt is back-stitched to the slit, the pocket bag is pushed through. The pocket bag back is then sewn to the slit sides and top, the welt is folded up, pressed, and the welt sides are back-stitched. Easy.

Next time--the fronts get buttons and linings.

Pockets and &c.

Merry Christmas, all.

 Here is the marking stitch for a pocket flap. On period coats, the pocket flap is even with the lowest button on the coat front and the hip buttons over the side pleats. The curve matches the top of the flap.

Small problem: sewing is going to be with right sides together, so that reverses the curves. The pocket flap interfacing is cut a 1/4" shorter than the outer material, which acts a as handy measure. The trick is to go slow and check measurements often.

 Once the flap is back-stitched in place, it is pressed down and the seam allowance works as a guide to cut a V-shaped slit in the coat. All the slit edges get turned under, as does one edge of the pocket bag piece. With the two turned edges whipped together, the bottom lip of the pocket is done. The pocket bag is one piece. Folded in half, the other top edge gets sewn above the slit--under all the flap edges in the top of the photo.

All that is left is to back-stitch the bag sides, and buttonhole stitch the edges of the slit to the back of the pocket. A bit of top stitching to finish the flap and four decorative buttons complete things. One down, one to go.