Frock coat pattern?

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

So just who custom tailored these garments to fit the original soldiers like a glove? Most images I've seen have the coats kinda minorly ill fitting like most everything else they recieved. Yes frocks are a bit harder to construct, but not hard enough to warrant paying exhorbitant prices for them.

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

So just who custom tailored these garments to fit the original soldiers like a glove? Most images I've seen have the coats kinda minorly ill fitting like most everything else they recieved. Yes frocks are a bit harder to construct, but not hard enough to warrant paying exhorbitant prices for them.

Clark:

Contrary to popular belief, the Army issued only two sizes of uniforms: 2 Large and 2 Small. Not surprisingly, that's a custom of the service that they still uphold today. That being the case, it's up to the individual soldier to get his stuff altered for a suitable fit. Nowadays we take them to the AAFES pick-up point to get them fitted, back then most companies had men who had worked at tailoring in civilian life, and who for some consideration would make the appropriate tucks or let out seams here and there to get an appropriate fit.

Issue uniforms were produced in standard sizes, and if you fell somewhere in between those measurements, you needed to do something about that...

Tom

[Michael McComas]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

Yes frocks are a bit harder to construct, but not hard enough to warrant paying exhorbitant prices for them.

Mr. Badgett, could you expound upon the economics of making a frock coat?

[James Masson]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

I think someone did the math before, on the old site. Working only at minimum wage, with the raw materials included, I think the numbers came out at around something like $900-1,000. Unless I'm not mistaken and someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Considering that most quality frocks sell for less than $500, you can see that someone (the tailors) aren't really getting back all of what they invested. They're working for much less than minimum wage, something in the neighbourhood of $2-3 an hours.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

Frock coats require more labor for several reasons.
There's just "more" to do. Going from jacket to frock, one adds padding to the chest, quilting, the skirt, tail pockets, etc. For a Federal enlisted frock, you must add the complexity of piping and additional buttonholes on the cuff.

Even if one is not daunted by the complexity, a frock simply requires more work to complete.

[fidlr1]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

[QUOTE=Will Eichler]Hi,

My experience with the Homespun patterns is that in the larger sizes (I wear a 46 too) the grading goes quite astray. I have a friend who does period patterning and she had to help me quite a bit to get the pattern to work. They are graded evenly over all parts of the body which makes parts like the shoulder seam (from your neck to the edge of the shoulder) be way too long.

If you have the help of a very experienced person, Homespun may be a good starting point. However, if you're still new to sewing, I would steer clear of it.

I think they get the back piece too wide where it joins the shoulder seam, also to get a good fit the back pieces need to be kept narrow at the waist, size adjustment should be done at the side seams. For making a good frock, period books such as "Complete Guide to Practical Cutting" can be helpful.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

Frock coats require more labor for several reasons.
There's just "more" to do. Going from jacket to frock, one adds padding to the chest, quilting, the skirt, tail pockets, etc. For a Federal enlisted frock, you must add the complexity of piping and additional buttonholes on the cuff.

Even if one is not daunted by the complexity, a frock simply requires more work to complete.

Not to mention getting the near impossible to find correct material, and then making it all line up properly. To top that off, larger reenactor sizes are really hard to do.

[hardtack1864]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

Now did all Federal frock coats and federal jackets have the padding in the cheast or did it vary? Also what were some common linings in Frocks and jackets?

[LibertyHallVols]

Details of Originals...

Check out some originals at John Wedeward's site:

http://www2.inxpress.net/jwedeward/original_frock_coat.htm

Best Regards,

[Rooney]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

Good luck finding alpaca to line it with.

A few months ago, I spoke to Pat Kline at Family Heirloom Weavers, he had material which he called alpaca...this might be the material to line a frock with.


Richard Kroon

[Jeffrey Przewozniak]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

Attn: Textile wizards...

What exactly is alpaca? I know that the Alpaca is a close relative to the Llama,

http://www.alsashow.org/

but I'm pretty sure that's not what I ned to line a frock, their fur is pretty thick... ;)

I am in earnest,

[markmason]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

Alpaca was very commonly used for linings. very inexpensive and very common in both officers and enlisted coats.

Properly lined and padded requires lining, buckram, wool batting, buckrum, layered in that order. The whole thing placed in a sewing machine and quilted, afterwards placing this quilted lining into the coat.

mark mason

[markmason]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

just a quick thought.. though these things can be learned through desire and want, I do not recommend an attempt to construct a frock coat unless you have some solid sewing skills....setting pockets into skirts, working cuff vents and setting the lining in is tricky enough without attempting the piping and hand worked buttonholes. :(

OK I will crawl back into my corner and shut up now.


peace

mark mason

[Jeffrey Przewozniak]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

Great info!

but...

What exactly is it? How is it woven? Is it a fine cotton? Is it something like polished cotton? You know, one would think that half the problem with finding a period fabric is that it's now known by a different name. Is this the case here? I am in earnest,

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Frock coat pattern?

I'm like you. I've seen it mentioned several times, and find it hard to think it is wool, but it may be. The 2 artillery frocks I've looked at, had linings that LOOKED like black linen, but seeing how nothing else from that era is what it appears to be today, it probably ain't.

Frocks are definately not for beginers, but they aren't as hard as some of the other things I've sewn. But on that point I digress, one of my pards sews very well and won't even attempt trowsers, even though I find them quite easy to sew.