This one was with 15" white cotton eyelet and 3 tiers on a 6 bone hoopskirt.
I think the bottom diameter of the skirt without ruffles was 165". Don't
be fooled by only 3 tiers, though. It still used over 70 yards
of fabric!! There were NO bones showing on that hoop!!
While this one used just as much lace as the eyelet did, it doesn't show as
well because of the transparency of the lace, and looks so much more minimalist,
with 3 tiers of pale ivory 15" lace. It did the job, don't get me wrong!
Personally, I would rather have had double the tiers, myself. I have
always been a sucker for rows and rows of lace ruffles (sigh!). They just
feel so wonderfully feminine, somehow, don't they? And if you just
happen to show your 'petticoats', well, my gracious! You
couldn't ask for anything more ladylike and feminine, now, could
you?????? Yes, I know, but I can't help it, I'm from Georgia (Gaw-ja), you
know, and I do believe it's bred in the bones!!!
I also like to make the double layer petticoat. You have all the
advantages and none of the disadvantages of multiple petticoats with these
lovelies. Less bulk, less weight, fewer waistbands or drawstrings, yet,
plenty of cushioning for the bones of your hoopskirt, and lots of fabric and
ruffles for the 'girly' part of all of us. And they can be as lacy and
ruffle-y as your heart desires. Here are 2 of my double layer petticoats.
As you can see, one has a set in waistband, and the other has a drawstring
waist. One has an additional ruffle on the bottom, the other doesn't.
They can also incorporate more than 2 layers. It is all about what you
want.
Here are photos of my latest multi-layer petticoat - a repeat customer wanted
a petticoat like the one above, but with an additional ruffle. The photos
below are the result. I made the petticoat from unbleached muslin, and
added another layer on top of the upper layer. So, there are 3 layers of
fabric over the hoops. At the top, where the first ruffle is joined to the
base layer, I have lace to give it that delicate finish and I then put a
matching row of wide lace on the hem of the topmost layer for that essential
feminine touch. I thought it turned out well. Take a look.
You have probably noticed that almost all of my petticoats have a row of lace
on the very bottom. That is deliberate. I feel that if your 'slip'
should show, it should show lacy and delicate. It doesn't take that much
more effort on my part, and quite frankly, I think it gives a more lady-like
and, yes, feminine, look. I know I use that word a lot, but it could be
used as the very standard for the antebellum period. A woman of
'quality' was expected to look as though she didn't do anything except
needlework and wait for her man. When in reality, she worked as hard as
any field hand!! She had to be able to run a household of many members so
seamlessly that no-one knew she was doing it. She also had to manage
accounts, schedule and plan for supplies and deliveries and meals, not to
mention parties, balls, etc. She also had children (whether her own, the
children of the household or family) to look after, and she was expected to be
the first to administer medical care in times of illness and injury.
But!!
She was never to be seen doing any of these things!! She was the
force behind the scenes. The quiet voice of reason, the iron
rod of discipline, the keeper of the purse, the manager of the staff. To
any who might see her, she was the languid, helpless, softly, feminine flower of
the south.
She had white, soft skin. Glossy hair, and bright, shining eyes.
She never raised her voice and she was never in a hurry. If you listen to
older ladies from the south, you'll find they speak, softly, and with a gentle,
measured cadence.
History lesson over. For now.
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These are several examples of Civil War Era petticoats and under slips. Note the fact
that there are
both ruffled and plain
styles. The difference was one of taste and pocketbook. The purpose
of both was the same: to give volume to one's skirts and to avoid 'lampshading'.
Lampshading came about from the 'bones' or hoops in the hoopskirts which gave
the belles the wonderfully full skirts without having to wear umpteen million
underskirts with the attendant weight and bulk. Hoopskirts; a marvelous
invention! Before they went out of style, they actually reached 6-7 feet
in diameter! That means that a 5 foot tall woman could actually have a
skirt wider than she was tall! Today's re-enactors usually settle for
hoops of 120-150" in circumference or 40-50" across. Rarely, you
will see a woman with a larger hoop. Personally, I like the larger
hoop. And for the same reason women back then did: it makes my waist
look smaller by comparison. Look at the pictures below for a prime
example of the larger hoops. However, the hoopskirt did have it's
price: the metal hoops would show through light-weight fabric, causing
ridges that made a skirt look like a lamp shade. Hence the term.
