Way back when - in the Before Times - at least 10 years ago, I started doing Steampunk things and making Steampunk Clothing. Some of those things were (frankly) awful, as is typical of someone who is new to a genre and looking for their style. The thrifted tail coat comes to mind, and then there was the gray ruffled skirt that was way more 1970's than 1880's; not to mention the Asian/Victorian mashup thingy that hasn't aged well in any case. Lately, my taste has turned toward more historical accuracy, dressed up with Steampunk dress accessories, so my attire is now closer to historical examples than in those early days.
As I got more knowledgeable about Victorian clothing, I started to make some really good pieces. I drafted a Belle Epoch seven gore skirt and on the second iteration decided that it really needed a petticoat to hang properly. My petticoat had a removable ruffled back panel to give more oomph in the back draperies, and gorgeous purple and green floral embroidered ruffle tiers that started their life as a cotton bedskirt. In general it was a very good addition to my Neo-Victorian wardrobe.
I only speak of it in the past tense because it disappeared somewhere in the Before Times, and since gatherings haven't been a thing for the past three years, I frankly haven't gone looking for it in the pile of boxes filling my storage unit. It seems easier to just make another petticoat.
Besides, one petticoat isn't enough. 1890's skirts are flared widely at the hem to balance the wide leg-o-mutton sleeves. So, three petticoats, really. Three layers of ruffles; at least two ruffle tiers on each.
Of course, me being me, this means commencing the project with research.
I think that the most significant finding is that there are literally dozens of petticoat designs; they have one common element - flat fronts and fullness in the back. (Okay, maybe that's two common elements depending on how you count it.) The number of gores varies, as does the hem width. Some have rectangular back panels, some are trapezoids. Some have a rising tier of ruffles at about the knee, some have no ruffles on the front panel. Some have interior ruffles. Some have ruches on top of ruffles.
In other words, build something that works.
The model that I've picked as an exemplar from an 1896 The Delineator magazine has two tiers of horizontal ruffles, one at knee length and one at the hem. The linked blog post has a lot of written detail that is very helpful.
Of course, I'd cut out the body of this petticoat before I found the linked blog post.
Based on my skirt pattern, my petticoat is seven gores but without the back fullness; I'll likely reduce the gores to five for subsequent petticoats, based on this exemplar. This set of petticoats will be walking length, and my plan is to make them adjustable to ballgown length through attachment of a removable train.
"Premium" 90" wide bleached muslin is being used for the petticoats; it's a dense weave and has a crisp hand. 90" wide muslin is about 1.5 times the cost of 45" muslin, and so there's a significant cost savings in buying it wider. The current cost is $6.99/yard. Besides, there's just the luxury of more efficient fabric use with wider widths. The Delineator calls for silk ruching on the bottom ruffle, and I have some lovely faux silk in my stash (picked up on the cheap years ago) that will serve well for this purpose. Far better as trim than as a garment, which is I suppose why it's still in my stash.
I've long contemplated an adjustable waistband; I don't know how common adjustable waist bands were, but based on the changeable nature of women's waist measurements, I'm guessing that they weren't uncommon. In my research, I've found a period solution - the waistband is a casing, in which a tape is run. The key is that the tape is fixed behind the first or second gores, so the front remains flat and fullness is taken up in the back gores and width.
When one is wearing multiplicities of petticoats, I'm not sure how having three tapes tied in the same place will work, but since they're on top of the corset, maybe it will be okay.
At this moment, the body of the first petticoat (of three) is started; the body is assembled and the interior seams are flat-felled. I've hemmed about 6 yards of 8" ruffle tiers...
And then I was out of muslin and white thread.
And then I started doing math.
So back to the fabric store, where I bought all the 90" "premium" muslin that was on shelf - which still isn't enough for three petticoats. Today I'll start by cutting out a 4" ruffle tier. That tier will be attached per The Delineator, although I'm still pondering about that cording on the top of the tier. It may be there to provide stiffness; it could be there to draw in volume.
Once that ruffle tier is on, I'll re-measure to determine the width of the bottom ruffle, and post the progress in...
Part 2
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