Forepart/underskirt question

[Lady Rebecca]

So weird question here - I'm making some new garb, and the over skirt I made is a 5yd cartridge pleated panel. However, I was going to use Simplicity 3782 for the underskirt. But the pattern has a hem of around 192" and the overskirt is only 180." Will this still lay right? The underskirt will be made of cotton sateen, with a detachable forepart panel.

[ArielCallista]

Split front I assume...the over skirt should be a little bit smaller around at the bottom than the underskirt so it splits properly so you can see the underskirt...I'm not the best when it comes to noble garb advice, but it sounds logical and correct to me...

[Lady Rebecca]

Duh. Thank you for reminding me that! I don't know what I was thinking.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Being a new sew-er type person, I was under the impression that if the underskirt didn't show, why use good (i.e. expensive) fabric for the sides and back?  My noble garb has some kind of cotton material on the parts that you can't see, but the forepart is a beautiful brocade.

Looking forward to finding out if this is correct.  Thanks!

[Lady Rebecca]

Yep. I think that's the general method. I'm using cotton sateen for mine, and then the forepart is some sort of nice home dec fabric I found.

[LadyShadow]

Thats what did for mine.  Old fabric in interesting patterns and shades that were given to me got used in hidden areas of garb.

[Lady Rebecca]

Another question regarding the forepart - if my fabric for the forepart is fairly lightweight, do I need to line it with something so that it doesn't hang strangely? If it makes a difference, I plan to do a little pearling on it.

[gem]

If you make the forepart *too* much heavier than the rest of the skirt, it will fall funny (push your hoops back, etc).

[Valencia]

...and if it's too thin, the hoops will show through it.  I did a test run pre-sewing... I made the underskirt out of white cotton, and I pinned the fashion fabric part on the front; then I put it on my dressmaker dummy over the farthingale to see how it would look. In my case, it WAS too thin, and I could see the hoops, so I added a duck interlining between the cotton and the fashion fabric.

[Anna Iram]

I'm curious what the measurements are for the overskirt on the Simplicity pattern? For me, I've never given it any thought, but my overskirt falls just a few inches (maybe 4 at the hemline) over the forepart, I don't have mine sewn in as I like to change them out and just pin it to a simple cotton skirt or even sometimes just my farthingale. Not correct I know, but I play with what I've got.  Then I pin my overskirt in place so a breeze doesn't give me away.

[Lady Rebecca]

It doesn't give the measurements for the overskirt, but judging from the cutting layouts, it's probably about 30" or so more than the underskirt, since it calls for two knife pleated front sections. I've never actually used the pattern for the overskirt. I can't remember what I used the last time I used the skirt of the pattern, but I altered the line of it (it's the one in my avatar).

[gem]

I don't have mine sewn in as I like to change them out and just pin it to a simple cotton skirt or even sometimes just my farthingale. 

I happen to *LOVE* this idea, and it would never have occurred to me! I am taking your Not Correct idea and running with it!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

When using a lighter weight fabric for a forepart, it is wise to underline it. I often do that. That way, the hoops do not show through. I find using Quilter's weight or Kona broadcloth works nicely.

For the Underskirts, I use the Margo Anderson pattern from the Ladies Elizabethan ensemble package.

An underskirt from a project late last year. I underlined the forepart before attaching it to the underskirt.




It was customary back in the time when noblewomen had foreparts and sleeves interchangable. Foreparts were often pinned to existing underskirts to give a gown a  different look.

[Lady Rebecca]

Not yet underlined, but here is the forepart I'm working on. So far, I have added 10 pearls, but by the end, every flower will be pearled, it will be underlined, and it will have snaps to attach it to the underskirt.

[Anna Iram]

I didn't see where you'd said it would be detatchable. I read too fast.  Snaps are a good idea.

Yeah, Gem, it makes it so much easier to make a new forepart without having to make an entire skirt. Find some great fabric and zip zip you have a new forepart.