Her are the photos of my recently finished Maid Costume.
I’m wearing:
The Yellow Caraco jacket (part 1 & part 2), brown short skirt, stays, quilted petticoat, and accessories as cap, fichu, apron, bumpads, stockings, black shoes, bible and a cross necklase.
Inspiration
“This is my favourite part… but I’m having a bit trouble living by it…”
Photos: Elin Evaldsdottra och Maria Petersson
I found this fashion plate on Pinerest in early January an knew immediately I wanted to make something similar for an 18th century Tavern event I planed to attending in early February (unfortunately life happened and I ended up not going, but at least now I have a costume if the opportunity arises again).
I made the skirt and shortened my apron to match.
Then it was on to the jacket.
In the book “Skräddaren sömmerskan och modet” by Rasmussen, I found the description and pattern for this jacket called a “Kofta” which translates to “a kind of soft jacket”. 
With it’s short front, tails/peplum at the back and long sleeves, it was perfect!
For pattern I used the “Kofta”-pattern combined with my new favorite 18th century pattern, the “1790s Redingote” from Nehelenia Patterns.
I made a franken-pattern, using parts of this and parts of that to get the shape as I wanted. 
Then I cut and made a mock-up.
The fit was surprisingly good, and all I needed to do was to lower the neckline a bit (I made the decision to make a wide neckline instead of the high one from the fashion plate), and trim the peplum a bit.
Then it was on to the fabric.
Keeping in with my New years resolution, I decided to go through the stash before heading to the store.
That turned out to be a really good thing, since I found exactly what I needed – A soft yellow cotton with purple stripes in a odd (left over) length, that would be on exactly enough for his project. And a purple cotton lawn I previously used for mock-ups, which would be great for lining and interlining. 
Then I realized that this project would fit perfectly into the HSM/15 nr 3 – Stashbusting, and did a little happy dance (to my hubby’s surprise).
I cut the pieces one layer at the time, to make sure to line all the stripes perfectly. 
Laying the first layer up side down on the second layer makes it possible to perfectly match everything.
I basted the whole garment together for a first try on.
Some minor alterations like shortening the sleeves and lower the neckline a bit more was all that needed to be made.
I stitched the pieces together using period techniques (stitching from the outside),
making sure to line the stripes properly.
From the inside you can see the purple interning and boning channels sewn into the seam allowance.
I love the look of the bodice like this – perhaps I need to make a waistcoat from this pattern.
To be continued…
This eastern me and my sister went outside in the beautiful weather to take some pictures of her new ensamble.
She is wearing a chemise, corset, 2 bum-pads, a fichu, a cap, the Pink jacket and the new Pastell UFO Skirt.
Do to some other circumstances we only had about 15 minutes to shoot, but manadged to get some great pictures non the les.
Model: Maria Petersson
When the HSF challenge 3- Pink, was announced in december I was more then sceptical. I am certainly not a fan of pink, I wouldn’t even think of wearing it.
But a challenge is a challenge…
And I decided to face my fears (not a fear really, more of a huge distaste) and do the challenge – and do it all the way.
So searcing my stash for something pinkish (yeah right, good luck) I actually came up with two workable fabric options. One pale pink cotton sheet, and a couple of metres of pink/white checkered linnen curtains – both fabric’s been given to me at some point.
Still not sure of what to make, thinking about something regency, 18th century or early 20th century, I decided to wait until the big opera gown was finished, in late januray, to decide.
Perhaps it was faith, since I found the most wounderful fabric at an internet auction 2 weeks ago.
I emedetly know I needed that fabric. So I bidded on it and won. And a week ago it arrived.
Despite the fact the amount of fabic was really limited (only 1m), I decided to try to get a 18th century Caraco jacket out of it.
But since I’t will need to be a fairly smal jacket, I decided to make the jacket as a “thank you” gift to sister M. She is always so nice and wounderful and helps me with my projects, and without complaining photographs my costumes out in the freezing snow. Thank you so much for everything!
I’m thinking something like this.
So I put my sisters corset on my dressform and started to drape the pattern.
Then I used a good hour trying to get the pieces out, getting the print in the exact way I wanted.
I sewed it togehter using modern sewing methods.
Snipping the allowence to keep the curved edges nice and smooth.
I put the bodice back on the dressform to get a feeling for how it would look.
Pretty nice, and I particulary like the birds placements on the back.
I pleated the trim which I cut from the fabric edges.
Then I needed to decide on how to place it. Playing around with it, I came up with 5 alternatives.
I think I like this one the best (let’s just hope my sister like it aswell).
Then I put in the sleeves
Getting all the seam-allownces between the layers.
When I started to pin on the trim, I discovered something strange…
…A hint: You will have to keep your hands behind your back…
So I ripped the sleeves out (all four of them) and switched the sides. But the result was the same, only worse. So for the second time in on hour, I ripped the sleeves out. Grrr. 
I gave up the idea of a nice finished inside, and basted the lining and the outer fabric together. And stiched the sleeves in one last time (after pinning it in on the dressform).
Then I pinned and hand-stiched on the trim. I used the hooks and thread eyes to lock the light bones on the outer edge of the front.
Finished:
Just the Facts:
Challenge: Nr 3 – Pink.
What: A 1770s caraco jacket.
Pattern: Draped my own using Janet Arnolds “Patterns of Fashion”.
Fabric: 1 m of printed pink qvilting cotton, 1 m of white cotton sheet.
Notion: Thread, 8 hooks and 0,6m of syntetic whale bone.
How Historical Accurate: Not at all. The general look of it is plausable, but the fabric, the print and the construction methods are all wrong and modern. But to be fair – this project was never meant to be accurate.
Time: 12 hours.
Cost: 100 Sek (16 Usd).
First Worn: Not yet (I’m not even sure it will fit her).
Final Thoughts: I like the jacket and would gladly wear it if it would have fit me. Hopefully my sister will like it as much as I do…
Fashion Through Herstory 