18th century - No. 36

The figure's embroidered white kid slippers have leather soles and are worn over blue linen stockings tied with silk ribbon garters.

The vintage embroidered lawn shift adds a delicate charm to the underpinnings. This image also shows the solid mahogany base that comes with each figure.

This embroidered kid pocket matches the figure’s slippers. Pockets were worn as separate garments by women until the 19^th century. The small panniers pads edged with a vintage trim were also called false hips and were worn for undress (day wear).

Multiple layers of petticoats were worn at all times. They were most often pleated onto a thin tape and tied around the waist. This white linen petticoat is worn over the panniers.

A silk taffeta petticoat is layered on top. The heavy canvas stays can also be seen in this image. Heavily boned stays molded the body into the fashionable shape of the period, insured good posture and provided a solid foundation for the gown’s bodice. Even though a doll does not need to wear stays for perfect posture, stays must be created to accurately recreate the shape of each gown.

Note how the decorative silk taffeta petticoat is trimmed only at the center front where it will be visible in the opening of the gown’s skirt. Here the stomacher has also been pinned in place to the stays. In the 18^th century women were not sewn into their dresses; however, they were often pinned.

A Robe a la Francaise, or sacque back, gown was created by draping various rectangular panels of fabric on the woman, or doll. Here the back panel and right side are complete. The left side of the bodice is being draped and trimmed to fit. Note how all the raw edges of silk have been overcast by hand on the finished piece. This is necessary because of the fabrics tendency to unravel and the minimal amount of seam allowance needed for this small scale.

This view shows the edge of the back panel that has not yet been attached to the side skirt panel as on the right. Note the line marked near the center edge of the right skirt. This is the guide line for the scallop pinking that will be completed on the entire gown after it is fitted and sewn. This decorative edging is hammered out as it was done in the 18^th century with an iron pinking tool and a mallet one scallop at a time.

This is the finished figure as seen on the cover of the March 2007 issue of Doll Crafter & Costuming magazine.

The inspiration was an original wooden doll (English, c. 1755-60) in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. (Photo from Four Hundred Years of Fashion, Page 101)