Colonial Shortgown Sewing Pattern

Shortgown Front

"[She had] a short gown, with some red and white stripes and sprigs through it, a good deal worn, and pieced under the arms with check linen, the colour much faded;"

- 1771 Runaway Advertisement for Eleanor Armstrong of Philadelphia  

I finally finished a new shortgown/bedgown. It's about time. It's an easy pattern but finishing the edges by hand took forever.  I find it really hard to get excited about "work clothes." Most notably because they get ripped up and dirty so quickly, especially while cooking. I'm sure only one trip to the hearth will have the kids asking "Why are you so dirty!?"



Shortgowns are unfitted or loosely fitted, work garments. Extant garments show that most were pinned shut but some have a few ties or even drawstrings at the neck and waist.  

 There had been a lot of debate among reenactors and historians about what a shortgown is versus a bedgown and whether or not these were considered appropriate public wear. Evidence points to these being casual or work wear. A 1793 version of the Shakespeare play Henry IV is annotated that "A half kirtle was perhaps the same kind of thing as we call at present a short gown or a bed gown," indicating that they were similar garments if not the same thing. Below are some great 18th century images of people wearing shortgowns outside or with visitors. 

The Abusive Fruitwoman, 1773, Courtesy of the LOC.

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1761

John Collet, 1764

Shortgown back

18th Century Shortgown Sewing Pattern:

Right click and choose "open in new window" to see larger view.

I folded the fabric horizontally and then again vertically so that I only had to cut the pattern out once. Good seamstresses will cringe. If you wish you can fold the fabric horizontally and trace the pattern a second time mirrored vertically.

Cut out the back neck hole first. Open up the fabric,  then cut a vertical line down the center of the front. Adjust the neckline as you like, being sure to leave room for hemming. With right sides of the fabric together, sew under the arm and down the sides. Hem all loose ends. If you wish to have cuffs, fold the cuffs in half horizontally with right sides together. Fold 1/2 in up on the front and back of the cuff and sew the sides. Turn the cuff right side out and attach to sleeve. Fold the cuff up on the sleeve and secure it with a few stitches.   

I ended up sewing a pleat under each arm as well as three in the back, all ending at the waist to make the garment a little more fitted. It's not necessary if you use an apron to give the fitted look or if you are a beginner and just want something easy to work on.

Other Patterns and Info:

- MaraRiley.net: Shortgowns

-18cNewEnglandLife: Shortgowns and Bedgowns

- Making The Manteau de Lit

If you are trying this and need help, don't hesitate to comment or email.  

Reenactor Maxim #27

Civil War Era Lemonade Powder Recipe

Drink powders seems like such a modern convenience that it's hard to image that they have been around since at least the early 1800s!

Known as Lemonade Powder, Dry Lemonade, or Portable Lemonade, these powders were originally made and sold by chemists at apothecaries as a treatment for fevers, digestion issues and gangrene. Oddly to us, lemonade was also drank hot like tea.   

The recipe hasn't changed much over the years, some recipes advice adding a few drops of lemon oil or lemon peel, some use the juice of a fresh lemon and others recommend various acidic compounds. Regardless of the exact mixture, these powders were popular and in the 1860s, many recipes were available in cookbooks and ladies' journals.
 
Lemonade Powder


- 2 Tablespoons Tartaric Acid
- 8 Cups Superfine Sugar/Caster Sugar  (If you can't find any in the store, you can make you own.)
- 1.5 teaspoon Lemon Oil ***Warning*** Be very careful when using concentrated oils.





Mix all ingredients together and let sit overnight covered loosely to keep out bugs until dry. Store in a container until needed. Use 2 Tablespoons of powder per pint of water.

The powdered recipes vary greatly in proportions. I suggest to experiment and find what you like. I thought this needed a little fooling. If tartaric acid is scary, use citric acid which is equally appropriate for the time period. Just be sure to multiply the tablespoons by 4. You can add a few drops of food coloring if you do not want clear lemonade.

If DIY isn't your thing, the modern powder is fairly similar in composition so make sure you and everyone else is staying cool and hydrated!

Secret Life of Bloggers Blog Party

It's been a busy month, especially with the Chester Historical Preservation Ball coming up. I've been enjoying the weather and new things. 

Today is the day of the ball. It's been busy. Really busy. I've been sick for the last month and working furiously on projects. I knew I should have taken the ballgown out of the box in the basement where it has steadily been accumulating dust for the past 5 or so years. But I didn't, until this morning.

It didn't take long for me to realize something was amiss. My hoopskirt looked like it was run over by a train. Now I remember I lent it to my sister. What she did with it I will never know. I look at the top. It's MUCH smaller than I remember it but I try it on anyway. Perhaps this was the real reason I slacked so much in going down to look at it. **grumble** The skirt was ugly to begin with.  

I had three options:

1. Get myself to Joann's Fabrics and try to sew a ballgown before 3PM today.

2. Wear modern formal wear.

3.Try to adapt the things I currently have to make something vaguely ballgownesque. 

But true to my theory that "here/done" is generally better than perfect and that people are more important than perfection, I'll be attending the ball in whatever and will have a good time. I can't stress over it and neither should you in a similar predicament. :)

Without further ado, my photo post for the past few weeks:

Possible cherry pits carefully collected from an archaeological pit at Newlin Grist Mill.

I've been getting more involved with archaeology which is something that has been on my bucket list for many years. If anyone knows of any sites looking for people, please send me an email. I'm on the lookout for new projects. This ceramic dog is a rare find for the time period.  

The Delaware River in Wilmington, DE.

 

 Beautiful pathway out of the 18th century.

It's cat season so my yard is full of cats, none of which are mine. 

Escaping a summer shower under a lovely leaf canopy. 

Reach for the moon. 

Rolling summer storms almost every day this week. They were welcome as it was really hot but I also did have to wear a sweater in June. 

Ben Franklin (Mike Kochan) came to the farm with his experiments. They were so interesting to watch. Some of them are pretty dangerous.Go over and like his facebook page, he's working on some cool new projects so stay up to date.

The Niña, the Pinta and Columbus' Strange Legacy

Last weekend i was invited out to see the Niña and the Pinta, recreations of two of Christopher Columbus' ships for a friend's birthday. They were docked close by in Wilmington, Delaware. Lately the country has been anti-Columbus because of the horrible atrocities he and his men committed against Native Americans and from that perspective I agree he is not a man to be celebrated in modern times for his so called "accomplishments." However, the ships are interesting to see and add a new dimension to the history of some of the earliest European voyages to the Americas.      

From a nautical perspective, the ships are curious. They are smaller than most of us imagine. Many of us wouldn't dare to try to cross an ocean in one. The ships are called "caravels" and the original ships were only 65 feet long. They bobbed in the ocean and were covered in pine tar, making the ships solid black in color. Around 27 men lived on the deck without significant shelter for the duration of the trip, storms and all. No protection from the elements. The hold was filled with supplies and livestock and smelled so putrid that many refused to go down there for any reason.  Columbus' first voyage was 7 months and he spent a total of 12 years on caravels like these during his 4 voyages.    

It is weird to think of Christopher Columbus as an important part of promoting peace between different groups of people but that is really where Columbus' legacy lies. Columbus Day was first celebrated in 1792 but it did not become a national holiday until 1934 as a result of lobbying.

Why did people think Columbus Day was important? In the 1880s up until WWI, Italians starting emigrating to the United States in sizable numbers where they were faced with hatred and discrimination which included violence. In 1891, 11 Sicilian immigrants in New Orleans were lynched by a mob  in the largest lynching in U.S. history. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison promoted celebration of Columbus Day to celebrate the 400 year anniversary of Columbus' first voyage but instead of focusing on Columbus himself, focused on how far America changed and  prospered. Italian-Americans looked to these celebrations of a famous Italian as a way to become accepted into mainstream society although not all Italians want to be associated with the Celebrations today. Perhaps we should celebrate Melting Pot/ Salad Bowl Day instead?
   

Like many ships, the Niña and the Pinta are always looking for people who want to join the crew and experience ship life. Visit their website for more information about the ships.  If you want a chance to see them, they will be traveling up the east coast all this year so check to see when they will dock near you.

Likewise if you ever want to see a beautiful tall ship or even volunteer on one, Gazela (the most beautiful ship in the world) at Penn's Landing is always willing to train new recruits.  I may be biased. :)