path: root/source/historical_womenswear/bodices/peasant_bodice/index.rst

Peasant Bodice
==============

.. figure:: peasant_bodice.jpg
   :align: center

This is a bodice inspired by peasant and folk-wear of the 19th century;
since sources for such clothing aren't as easily available as those for
more urban ones, I have striven to reproduce the general look, as seen
in artwork and some limited pictures of few folk-wear garments from
various parts of Europe.

There are two variants for the pattern: one is a more fitted design
based on :cite:`1892:cutters`, not historically accurate except possibly
as a costume made by a middle class person of the later Victorian age;
the “simpler” variant attempts to be closer to the 18-th century bodice
pattern in :cite:`2018:friendship`, which uses straighter lines and
moves the side seam towards the back.

The “simpler” front can be used with the base back by cutting it at the
dotted line (plus seam allowance), moving the side seam forwards to the
side.

For the construction, I was inspired by the methods used e.g. in 18th
century stays, with fully finished panels whipstitched together with
strong thread. This method produces a pretty strong garment, but needs
to be done completely by hand. As a simple garment it's not a very long
project, but of course assembling everything by machine using a modern
assembly method is also perfectly feasible.

The front is reinforced with two lines of cording at the center front,
near the lacing eyelets; plastic whalebone boning could also be used, or
additional cording added between the fabric and lining for more support.

Materials
---------

Fabric
^^^^^^

* Less than 1 m main fabric;
* less than 1 m lining fabric.

The combination of main and lining fabric should be dimensionally stable
enough to make this a somewhat supportive garment.

Notions
^^^^^^^

* sewing thread to match the fabric;
* buttonhole thread to match (or complement) the fabric;
* ~2m cord 2-3 mm thick or yarn suitable for cording;

Pattern
-------

This pattern uses the :doc:`../../drafting_methods/cutters/index`.

Measurements
^^^^^^^^^^^^

You need to take the measurements for :ref:`cutters_jackets`;
the file :download:`../../drafting_methods/cutters/cutters.vit` is used
by default by the pattern file and has the list of needed measurements.

Pattern
^^^^^^^

Get the valentina file for the pattern,
:download:`peasant_bodice.val`.

You also need to decide the following measurements and set them in the
table of variables in Valentina; most defaults in the file are sensible.

``vest_length_in_front``
   vertical distance from the waist down to the point of the vest, for
   the pointed variant;
``bust_to_neckline_front``
   vertical distance from the bust line up to the neckline in the front:
   if this is too high there will be fit issues, as the pattern goes
   somewhat straight up rather than sloping towards the neck;
``nape_to_neckline_back``
   vertical distance from the nape of the neck down towards the
   neckline;
``shoulder_strap_width``
   width of the shoulder strap at the top: this should be narrow enough
   to give a nice shape to the deep neckline;
``length_darts_waist_down``
   this controls how spread out the dart should be down from the waist
   line: 20 - 25 cm is a good value;
``distance_dart_center_front``
   horizontal distance from the center front to the dart: 6 cm is a good
   value;
``ease``
   ease to add to the bust and waist measurements, it should be only
   just enough to account for the bulk of the chemise or other
   underwear;
``waist_ease``
   ease to add to the waist measurements for the simpler pattern: it can
   be a bit more than the bust ease to have a less dramatic angle at the
   sides;
``side_seam_displacement_armhole``
   how far back the side seam should be at the armhole;
``side_seam_displacement_waist``
   how far back the side seam should be at the waist;
``sewing_allowance``
   e.g. 1 cm, as it only needs to be folded down: the allowance at the
   side seam is already double this amount to allow for alterations;

Instructions
------------

Cutting
^^^^^^^

Cut two fronts and two backs from the fabric.

Also cut two backs from the lining fabric, and two fronts, with no
sewing allowance on the center front edge.

.. tip:: 

   .. figure:: 0101-back_dart.jpg
      :align: center

   .. figure:: 0102-back_dart_pressed.jpg
      :align: center

   Instead of cutting two backs, you may put the pattern in such a
   way that the back lies on a fold, parallel to the grainline, and sew
   the excess fabric in a big dart, pressing it open.

   The simpler back can also be cut simply on a fold, with no dart.


Note that the seaming allowance is 1 cm on all sides except for the
center front, where it is needed for the cording and the eyelets, and for
the side seam, where a bigger sewing allowance can be used to let the
seam out if needed in the future.

Fronts
^^^^^^

.. figure:: 0201-dart_fabric.jpg
   :align: center

If present on the pattern, sew the darts with a running backstitch on
both the fabric and the lining, press the ones on the fabric towards the
side, and the ones on the lining towards the center front to reduce
bulk.

.. figure:: 0202-pressed_edges.jpg
   :align: center

Press all edges of the fabric pieces towards the wrong side by the
corresponding sewing allowance, mitering the corners and clipping /
notching the curves.

.. figure:: 0203-first_cord.jpg
   :align: center

Cut a length of cord as long as the front fold, put it inside the fold;

.. figure:: 0204-sewing_first_cord.jpg
   :align: center

sew a running stitch from the front to keep the cording into place.

.. tip:: you may want to use buttonhole thread for this step, for a more
   decorative seam.

.. figure:: 0205-sewing_second_cord.jpg
   :align: center

Repeat with a second length of cord.

Lining
^^^^^^

.. figure:: 0301-pressed_back_pieces.jpg
   :align: center

If you haven't already, press all edges of the back pieces towards the
wrong side by the corresponding sewing allowance, mitering the corners.

Press all edges of the lining towards the wrong side by 2-3 mm more than
the sewing allowance, mitering the corners.

.. note:: if the outer fabric isn't structurally stable, only press the
   edges of the lining half a mm more than the sewing allowance, and
   make sure to catch it in the seam when assembling the garment.

.. figure:: 0302-hemstitching_lining_to_back.jpg
   :align: center

.. figure:: 0303-hemstitching_lining_to_front.jpg
   :align: center

Pin the lining on top of the corresponding fabric piece, wrong sides
together and sew it with a hemstitch, catching just the sewing allowance
of the fabric piece.

Eyelets
^^^^^^^

.. figure:: 0401-marked_eyelets_left.jpg
   :align: center

Mark the eyelets on the center front, half a cm from the last cording
seam; on the left panel start about 1 cm from the top and mark eyelets
every 2 cm, ending 1-2 cm from the bottom with two eyelets at just 1 cm
from each other.

On the right panel do the same, but start at the same level of the left
panel, mark a second eyelet at 1 cm distance, and continue down every 2
cm.

Also mark the eyelets on the armscyes, where marked on the pattern, at 1
cm from the fabric edge.

.. figure:: 0403-sewing_eyelets.jpg
   :align: center

Use an awl to open the eyelets without breaking the fabric threads, and
sew all around them with waxed buttonhole thread.

Assembly
^^^^^^^^

.. figure:: 0501-sewing_back_front.jpg
   :align: center

Right sides together, put a back over a front and sew the side seam with
whipstitches, using a well waxed doubled (or even quadrupled) thread.

.. figure:: 0502-sewing_shoulder_seam.jpg
   :align: center

Sew the shoulder seam in the same way.

Repeat with the other half of the bodice.

.. figure:: 0503-sewing_two_halves.jpg
   :align: center

And finally, put the two back right sides together, and whipstitch the
center back seam, again with a well waxed doubled or quadrupled thread.

Variants
--------

Back or Side Lacing
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

To move the opening to the back or to the sides, cut the fronts with a
regular 1 cm allowance, and cut the 5 cm allowance on the fabric and no
allowance on the lining on the seam that will have the opening.

Proceed to work the cording and eyelets on that seam as per the
instructions above.

Pieced Shoulders
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

To cut the fabric more efficiently, the shoulder straps can be pieced on
either the outer fabric, the lining or both.

To do so cut the pattern on the dashed line, adding 1 cm sewing
allowance to both parts.

Then, if piecing only one of the two parts, sew the shoulder strap to
the main front with a backstitch, press open and sew the lining to the
main fabric as per the instructions above.

If piecing both the fabric and the lining, finish the shoulder straps
separately from the fronts by folding under the allowances and
hemstitching the lining to the fabric, and then whipstitch the shoulder
straps to the fronts as the first assembly step.

..  Gallery
   -------

See Also
--------

* https://www.sewhistorically.com/how-to-sew-a-historical-peasant-bodice/
   for machine sewing instructions that could probably be used with this
   pattern.