Fabric for underskirt (w/forepart)?

[gem]

I'm getting ready to do the full Margo Anderson Elizabethan ensemble, and I have all my outer fabrics picked out, including two fabrics for removable foreparts. What should the rest of the underskirt be made from? I just bought a whole bolt of 60" wide muslin. Is that too flimsy, or will it work?

Gramercy!

[Alisoun]

I used a cotton broadcloth for most of my underskirt, which is holding up pretty well, in my opinion.  However, the front panel, which was reworked during my last gown project is heavy linen.  When I attach the forepart(s) and wear the skirt over a farthingale, everything shifts to the back a bit because of the weight in the front.  In addition, I can see the farthingale tubing through my lighter gowns in the side and back sections.  Other than that, the cotton section seems to be fine.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I perfer using a Quilter's weight Broadcloth. It's durable and  breathes in warmer weather.

[Lady Rosalind]

 I use tafetta for my underskirts, as it helps the overskirt slide down better when you get dressed or have to lift your skirts for any reason. I use three panels of 60" wide tafetta and knife pleat it to a waistband. Very simple to make. For my silk gown, I will probably have to wear two underskirts, to keep my hoops from showing in the back.

For the forepart, which is detatched, I line the fashion fabric with cotton drill, thensew on my trims and embellishments. This keeps thing together nicely, and my hoop boning does not show.

[gem]

Thanks for the responses, all!

Lady R, do you mean silk taffeta or a modern synthetic?

Looks like another trip to JoAnn is in order. Oh, the hardship.

[Lady Rosalind]

Just a modern synthetic. I try to get it as cheap as I can, usually when JoAnn's has the red-tag fabrics 50% off.  I just use a decorator weight taffeta rather than the "special occasions" fabric, unless I can get it super, super, super cheap. I try to cut down on the weight of the fabrics wherever I can.

The key is to make sure the underskirt is full enough. 3 panels of 60", or 4 of 45" works well.

[gem]

I was planning to actually follow the Margo Anderson underskirt pattern this time, and it calls for 6 yards (!), which is two whole yards more than my current (and pretty darn full) skirt pattern, and that's without a waistband!

I have this fabulous shopping list shaping up, and I am making myself wait until I make more progress on the smock. And, well, have all my coupons in order. 

[Cilean]

Gem?
It also says in the first set of instructions that if you want a really full skirt to use 16 yards of fabric!! Oy!  As I did research I found Susan Reed's information when she converted the 16th Century yard by 22" to our typical 45" or even 60" yardage of today. 
http://www.nachtanz.org/SReed/fabuse.html

Margo, when I asked her, said she put in the fabric yardage she thought would make a lovely lush and deep pleating. So if you are slighter than what she would call typical I think it would be okay not to use the whole 6.  Now that I have been playing with stuffing the top of my skirts with wool and then cartridge pleating, and I am currently working on a gown that is using all linen I will take pictures this time since the  last gown is now across the country and I can't take a picture of it.

Cilean




I have looked at the information others have given in what they wore in the day and I am 5' 10" my waist is 40" and I only use 4 to 5 yards when I cartridge pleat.  I know you are smaller than I so I can not imagine using

[Dayna]

I use the forepanel front pattern piece from the Shakespeare in Love pattern (don't remember the maker).  I cut 1 from good fabric and 4 from cheap quilters cotton.  I sew two panels together on each side, and sew the back up to about 12 inches from the top.  The fancy front is pinned flat into the waistband, the rest of the fabric is knife pleated, and a drawstring is threaded through the waistband instead of a hook and eye, that way it adjusts during the month and during the season.

[gem]

Thanks, everyone!!

I went out today and bought a whole bunch of black cotton sateen at JoAnn for $3/yard. It should be nice and slick. 

Alisoun, I've been thinking a lot about your forepart pushing your underskirt backward.  That's a really good thing to be aware of. Heavier overgown skirts would probably push back and counteract that effect, but my gown fabric will be a drapery-weight polished cotton (not too heavy), so I've decided to look for a lighter-weight forepart fabric than I was initially planning for.