Elite Infant Layette

As the basic layette was very simple to construct, I'm still couch bound awaiting the birth of our new family member and I still have a lot of small linen scraps... I decided to attempt the Elite Infant Layette in The Tudor Child. This book has been fantastic so far. 

One of the reasons I am keen to make these as they can be constructed using insertion stitch to join the seams. I have always wanted to learn how to sew insertions, so this was a fantastic opportunity. It also linked in well with the Holes Challenge for the Historical Sewing Monthly. Insertion stitch can be a delicate, intricate and ornate way to join join seams. It is far more eye catching than any other type of seam joining as it looks like lace. 

As I am learning this type of stitch I decided to keep it simple and basic for these items. I will try more complicated designs in future items that will be more visible such as chemisettes, under sleeves and caps. 

Elite Shirt (fits 000-00)

Before I could start learning insertion stitch, I had to draft up the pattern, cut out the pieces and narrow hem the pieces all around. The only piece that is not hemmed all around is the collar. I left one side I hemmed as I plan to whip gather it to the neckline once the shirt is complete.

I had instructions in a sewing guide. It suggested basting the fabric to graph paper to help ensure the stitches are  even. I used some of my husbands 2mm graph paper which I cut into strips that are not too bulky. Instead of basting, I found that pinning it in place also works. For thread I chose to us buttonhole thread as it is strong and of a good thickness. My book also recommends that you can use embroidery floss. 

First I had to attach the cute little mini gussets.

Next I closed up the sleeve along the other side of the gusset. The insertion stitch was not as difficult as I expected and became easier as I got into a rhythm.

The insertion stitch I used involved sewing a small inwards stitch through a few threads of the linen before making a small knot in the thread. Then repeat in reverse on the other side. 

The shoulders were then joined together.

Finally the sleeves were attached to the shirt body. 

The last step in sewing the shirt was to attach the collar. The instructions were a little vague, so I decided to just whip gather it on like I do with cap ruffles.

Elite Biggin (fits 000-00)

Sorry I did not take any construction photos. The construction was exactly the same as for the other items. I did choose to attach the crown with insertion stitch. It only took about 4 hours to sew.

Forehead Cloth (fits 000-00)

This is very simple to construct and only took half an hour to sew. It is very good as a starter item to get used to narrow hemming. 

Basic Infant Layette for SCA Events

A while ago I decided to join the SCA. All my historical activities were with family, and I decided I needed some time out away from family. Thus also provided me an opportunity for new research and challenges. 

I am planning and working on a renaissance outfit for myself, as I have been borrowing from a friend. I will post about that in a later post. As I'm still new to this period and with a baby on the way at any time I also required an infant layette, which I could not borrow. Unlike my Victorian layette I only require one of each item as I will not be camping and will only be attending events for short periods of time. 

I was not able to find many primary sources, so a friend leant me her copy of The Tudor Child. This is a fantastic resource with simple and easy to follow instructions. I decided to practice on the basic set and then also try my hand at the elite set which has a more detailed and complicated construction.

Basic Shirt (Edit- fits size 0000 prem to newborn)

I started with the basic set. The first item is the simple shirt. The pattern is very easy to scale up and draw. It is a simple square with a hole for the infants head and two slits for the arms.

The shirt is narrow hemmed around all of the edges. The sleeves and sides are then folded and whip stitched. It was very  simple and the whip stitched joins sit beautifully flat. 

Overall thus shirt only took about 4 hours of hand sewing. 

Basic Biggin (fits size 0000-000)

This was a little more complicated due to the shape. I made a pattern for ease of cutting and reproducing the cap in case I choose to make more in the future. The pattern gives two options. The first is a single layer that is hand sewn and the second was two layer bagged machine sewn cap.

As I prefer to try more period correct sewing, and I'm working on this while waiting to go into labour, I chose the single layer hand sewn version. I narrow hemmed all the edges.

To get the pieces to sit flat when whip stitched I found that it is very effective to only stitch though the end of the fabric with very small, close whip stitched. I only pick up 2-3 threads of the fabric at the edge.

This basic infant biggin was very easy to make. It took less than 4 hours of hand seeing while watching TV. I love how it looks and went together. 

Linen Bed (Both Basic and Elite Layette)

*as this is a published for sale pattern book I am not including any measurements for these items out of respect for the Tudor Tailor.

This item is a simple square of linen that is narrow hemmed all around. I'm becoming quite fast at hemming with all the hand sewn items I have completed recently. It only took 2 hours to hem be hand.

Swaddling Bands (Both Basic and Elite Layette)

This is a very long length of linen tape. It is cut and then narrow hemmed all around. As I am creating these items from the left over linen from constructing my own shift, I did not have a length of linen long enough to construct this in one length. As a compromised I cut multiple shorter lengths and flat felled them together before narrow hemming.

To get my lengths of linen perfectly straight for narrow hemming I drew threads to create a straight line to cut. This makes the fabric easier to hand sew and reduces fraying on the fabric edges.

This was also very simple to make, even though all the narrow hemming did become tedious after a while.

Red Woolen Bearing Cloth (Both Basic and Elite Layette)

This will have to be added later, as I am waiting to pick up the wool.

1860s Cassell's Infant Cape

The Historical Sewing Monthly's Gender Bender challenge came at an interesting time for me. As I'm expecting my first child any day now, I am often asked if I know the baby's gender. Unfortunately, gender and sex get used interchangeably, yet they mean very different things. Whether the baby is a boy or a girl is actually it's sex and has nothing to do with its gender. Gender is more about the traits and the sex that is socially expected to exhibit those traits, for example if something is more masculine or feminine. We decided not to find out the sex of the baby, and as long as it is happy I am not too worried about where the child falls on a gender scale.. 

As a reflection of today's marketed/advertised/consumerist society, many people told me they struggled to find gifts for the baby as most infant items are gender and sex specific. When it came to the layette I have been sewing, I was even asked by multiple people what I was planning to do if the baby is a boy? Assuming that gowns are female only clothing. Nic and I have even discussed whether we should bend to some modern pressures and tack on a coloured ribbon often the baby is born (we decided against this as having people ask us at events will hopefully create an opening for historical discussion). In the Victorian period, this was not a concern. Cassell's (1869) recommends restraint in infant clothing, mentioning the royal family as an example in their infant wear. It also makes references to white for ease of washing and the numerous quantities of clothing items babies are expected to go through each day. The gowns are also far easier for access and the changing nappies. Most boys were not put into pants/breaches until they were toilet trained. 

There was only one mention of sex in the infant wear sections of Cassell's. This was referring to a rosette on the hood that can be purchased to go with a cape for outdoor wear. Having the early garments as non sex specific was very useful as they had no choice in knowing the sex until birth. Otherwise they would have to have made two layers before birth. It also makes it easier for handing down the garments and in making church boxes for the poor. 

The last item I needed to finish the baby layet is a going out infant cape.

The completed cape

Cassell's describes the going out cape with a lot of description for some aspects and almost none for others.

Cassell's 1869

Second page of instructions.

As normal I read the instructions, re-read and noted important aspects. Information is also given in other pages of the book. There are multiple cutting options and all with very little measurement information. One aspect of interest was that it did detail (fig20) how to make a cape pattern using newspaper. 

My short and quick notes, notice the lack of detail for this pattern

The instructions give lots of different options for colour and design. I still wanted the layette to remain sex and gender non specific. Grey was a recommended colour, so Nic purchased me some lovely light weigh grey wool. For lining I chose to recycle a silk skirt. The option for a silk lining was to quilt it. This was vague, so I went with a simple check quilt onto flannelette.

Lining silk and flannelette ready for quilting

Completed quilting and wool facings

The trimming design was a simplified version of this infant cloak braid pattern from Godey's. I drew out the pattern on tracing paper, until I had a design that I liked.

I also decided to match the trimmings to the lining. To keep it simple yet bold I decided to use a mixture of ribbon and tracing braid. 

Colour check and trial of ribbon and braid

To fold the ribbon I placed it over the tracing paper an pinned at each fold. 

Pinning the corners of the ribbon against the pattern. The pins do not go through the pattern, only the ribbon.

I then placed the pinned ribbon onto the cape and re-pinned it into place, making adjustments for the curve of the fabric.

Final ribbon placement. I had to shift the pattern to adjust for the curve.

I tacked the ribbon onto the wool down both sides. Once finished I added the tracing braid by placing and pinning it into place, using visual markers in the ribbon. Once a long section was pinned into place I would tack stitch the braid to the wool.

Pinning the braid into place. This is better freehand as it can be adjusted easily.

If you are as unlucky as I am you will sometimes have issues with connected braid, where the manufacturer has tacked ends of braid together. To hide this I push the end of the braid through the wool on a fold or crossover section of the design.

The end of one braid section and the start of a new piece pushed through the wool.

The ends of the braid are then hidden from view on the inside of the clothing. It is then hard to find where the braid starts and ends in the design.

The inside of the wool, showing the braid ends sticking through.

The completed ribbon and braid trim.

I then cut my ribbon to make 4 ties. I measured, marked and pinned the ribbons to the front. Once I was happy with the placement, I turned it inside out and pinned the fabric to see the seam closed. When I had finished sewing the seams I turned them back to the right side, pressed and pinned with a slight roll. I then finished the seam by tacking it flat from the back to stabilise the roll. 

Tacking down the edges of the wool to make them flat.

I also tacked extra tracing braid around the edges to make the design look more complete. It is only tacked through the top wool layer of fabric, so the stitching is not visible through the silk lining. 

Only the collar left to complete.

Finally, I had to see the collar to complete the cape. As expected the instructions were vague stating that it is to be cut on a similar plain to the cape, only smaller. I traced the neckline and used this to pattern the collar. I decided to use a layer of flannelette to line the collar instead of interfacing as I hope it would be warmer and a little bit softer as it will be for an infant. I machined the layers together, clipped the curves and turned them so that the flannelette was on the inside. I then hand stitched the tracing braid to the collar. 

Fabric for the collars.

Once the collar was complete I machine sewed it to the wool of the cape, leaving the silk lining unattached. I then pushed the collar inside of the cape. I then pinned and hand stitched the silk lining to the collar to close the seam.

Collar lining pinned into place.

The completed collar.

I love this cape. I now have the waiting game until my little one joins us.

Challenge #4 2016: Gender Bender

What the item is: Mid Victorian Infant Going Out Cape
The Challenge: Gender Bender
Fabric/Materials: Silk, Flannelette, Wool

Pattern: Self drafted and adapted using a combination of  Cassell's Household Guide 1869 as well as extant examples available online.
Year: 1860s
Notions: Cotton Thread, Cotton Tracing Braid, 10mm Ribbon, 40mm Ribbon
How historically accurate is it? About 80% due to the ribbons being synthetic and the silk being the wrong type
Hours to complete: Approximately 12 hours total
First worn: They will be worn when the baby arrives in May
Total cost: $35 for the wool, $12 for the ribbon, silk (recycled from a skirt), and tracing braid was purchased a few years ago for $0.50 pm.