I’ll give you the link to the listing in a minute…BUT… I wanted to just share with you the petticoat and her pantalettes…
I have had this vintage 1900’s white cotton and lace petticoat for a few years. We were at an Antique mall in Kentucky and I found this and just LOVED it… it’s a very small size, but I think it was for a young girl… not a child though. When I hold it up to me, it is almost tea length… but the waist is super small.. I’m talking… it may go around one of my thighs! :o(
I’ve thought about it from time to time, but never really wanted to cut into it… however, when I was making this set for Freida, I began to think of it, and how delicate the lace is on it and wondered if it might make some nice under garments for her Civil War set.
So I got it out of the box and debated for quite a while and then I got brave and kind of figured in my head, how much I’d need for a petticoat for Freida’s size waist. I looked for the best areas on the slip and carefully cut into it. It felt like I was in slow motion as I was trimming some of it to be used for a smaller petticoat. I didn’t cut into the lace front ruffles this time… I was just using the underskirt with the lace ruffle on it.
The lace ruffles around the bottom of the skirt are SO beautiful…
Let me show you what I turned this into…
It isn’t snow white, but it’s pretty white… and in very nice condition… just a few holes in the lace and they can be fixed so they aren’t too noticeable…
I made the pantalettes to have the same ruffled legs as the ruffles on the petticoat…
You can tell from Freida’s face that she likes it! It was worth cutting into to me… better than sitting in that box for another 8+ years!
Okay… now do you want to see the rest of the pictures… here is the link to the listing on Ebay… HERE… or you can click the picture at the right side bar…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a beautiful petticoat, Jeanne, and I think you were right to use the under layer (which is pretty in its own right) for making Freida’s petticoat and pantalettes. That gorgeous lace/top layer would be best for some other special project (plus that lace would probably be too wide for a doll the size of Freida).
I saw the reticule on the ebay post, and I really like it, too. At first, I wondered why you used that particular check, and then when I saw it up close with everything else, I realized it kind of echoes the “checkered” effect of the background of the laces on the rest of the outfit.
Barbara, thanks for your nice comment on my dolls’ Easter attire (yesterday’s blog reply). Yes, it did bring back memories, working with those fabrics again!
Very nice, Jeanne! That petticoat is so pretty, that I too, would have second thoughts of cutting it up, but then what else could you do with it? That lace is gorgeous and gives delicate vibes to the whole ensemble!
You never mentioned the reticule in the blog, but I see it there and really like the black and white check material! You certainly do know how to mix and match fabrics for the perfect look!
It’s no surprise she looks so darling. Everything came together so well and it looks awesome. The pictures would make a cute story…with all the different backgrounds☺️
I see the Rhubarb is up and looking healthy… hummm pie or cobbler? Decisions, decisions.
So glad you showed us what the original petticoat looked like and how you cut it to get just the right undergarments for this lovely dress. The petticoat overskirt has tons of potential too. I’m loving the way you did Freida’s hair. It really softens her look and she looks so adorable in that sweet bonnet. The idea of making the bow pre-tied and using snaps for the ties is great and I plan on “adopting” that idea, as I often do when you do something clever. You won’t believe all the things I’ve used the tulle lining idea on. If you add it to a bottom ruffle of a dress as a lining rather than narrow hemming it makes such a clean look and actually makes the skirt stand out without a slip under it. And I actually did use it as a lining for the over and underskirt of a dress I made with Tana Lawn. Narrow hemming where it was needed on the overskirt, underskirt and in the back of the dress took away from the soft look of the fabric and your tulle lining idea made the perfect solution.
We got the final inspection on our addition this morning and it passed with flying colors. The city inspector was totally impressed with the workmanship and how my guys handled tricky areas that could have taken away from the clean appearance. It took them longer than the permits allowed but the city didn’t charge any additional fees. Partly because some of the problem centered around the difficulty of acquiring some of the materials.
O.M.G.!!! That’s one of most beautiful petticoats, and DEFINITELY some of the most beautiful lace I’ve ever seen!