Nightshirts & Nightcaps

[Drygoods]

Good Day All,

I'm rather curious to know if men's nightshirts or nightcaps had any embroidery on them. I'm wondering about doing initials as well as some vine embroidery down the center placket, and perhaps around the band of the night cap, but was this sort of thing done on men's clothing? I know that women's clothing had these things, but how about the fellas?

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

Judith,

I have a night shirt that has an embroidered tape around the placket. I will see if I cant get a pic and post it later today, or early in the week. It is a nice little red thread stitched piece that makes an otherwise blaw night shirt a tad bit more interesting. I just have to find the shirt in the stack.

[Drygoods]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

Thank you Mr. Morris, your picture and information would be wonderful to see. I know that I've seen decorative handwork on nightshirts in other places, and since I'll have two done by tomorrow, I wondered if it was worth the bother to "dress 'em up" so to speak.
I think that a lot of folks have trouble with how decorative and ornamental period clothing was, especially men's clothing (ie: embroidered slippers, cravat ends, plackets, robes, and even the lowly nightshirt).;)

[Spinster]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

The original nightshirt I have has only a bit of same color faggoting at the neck slit, and a red laundry mark---stitched initial and a number. What that feller did with 18 nightshirts, I do not know, but it explains why this one is in such excellent condition.

More enlightening though, is a pair of men's drawers in the Wightsman collection. No pictures from me, as I do not own a working camera. Linen drawers with a yoke, and the yoke outlined top and bottom with red cross stitching. The cross stitching also outlines the fly, and initials are at the lower right hand--beside the fly.

Yep, somebody was proud of that bad boy.

[Drygoods]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

Mrs. Lawson, many kind thanks for taking the time to write. More than likely I'll do some sort of decorative vine or trim on the placket of the nightshirts. I say shirts because I've made two of them. Only two for now until I hear if he likes the style. It has 8 gussets per gown! (neck, armscye, wrist, hem)

As for that fellow with 18 sets of drawers, I can believe it. I just did 7 sets last week, and tried to cut another one yesterday. I know this sounds crazy to many here, but I find it easier to make a whole lot of a particular item if it's needed. Why not make a bunch of drawers at one time for himself. After all, after 30 years in the hobby, he isn't likely to quit now and these things will get used.

After I get this last nightshirt handstitched today, I'm up for cutting 4 new chemises for myself, more if I can stretch the fabric budget. I wonder, Mrs. Lawson, do other folks go on these sewing binges when they have big events coming up, or simply continue sewing all through the year? For some dumb reason, I do both, but am happy.:D

[Spinster]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

There is a reason that the period manuals on my shelf give directions for things like cutting 30 shirts at once.

And yes'm, the binge now is linen underpinnings. When the smoke clears I intend to have five sets.

And that should hold me through most ten day events.

[tenfed1861]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

Thank you Mrs. Lawson for that information.I plan to now embroider the drawers I get.What to get...

[Doug Harding]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

I wonder, Mrs. Lawson, do other folks go on these sewing binges when they have big events coming up, or simply continue sewing all through the year? For some dumb reason, I do both, but am happy.:D

After 15 years of not making anything for myself, things wear out or seem to have srunk. So on the First of January I started a sewing binge that has not stopped yet. Three shirts, three pair of trousers, two vests and one in the works, and four pairs of drawers. I still have two more vests another shirt and more drawers on my list. When will it stop?

Doug

[Marylander in Grey]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

When we all die the madness will end. I have the same affliction. I am working on a Civilian Double Breasted Frock all that quilting shear madness I tell you.

[Spinster]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

After 15 years of not making anything for myself, things wear out or seem to have shrunk.

Doug

If someone finds a cure for 'closet shrinkage' do tell........

yes, I know, pushing back from the table works...;)

[Drygoods]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

Good Day All,

I have to say, this has turned into a rather funny thread, but something that many of us can relate with. I don't know about closet shrinkage, I think gravity and age seem to be my trouble. Last night before retiring to bed I thought about all the sewing I had completed and the other things on my list, more corsets being one of them. Consequently with age comes a fuller figure and often corsets shift.....I wondered if this was the age many women went to wearing straps over the shoulder corsets? (I'm thinking of making at least 3 of these) I also started to wonder about making light weight wool or flannel chemises for those cold events? Am I too concerned with the size of my period closet, has this hobby altered my view of what is necessary? Absolutely. Hey, I'm old and no spring chicken to sleep on the ground in freezing weather.

As for binge sewing, I think that plenty of folks fall into that category as well. Bigger, better, events require us to constantly improve or change our impression, and with age this is also reasonable. Not only do we need to dress appropriately to our historic age, our clothes age and wear out too. Just as Mrs. Lawson suggested, even WorkWoman's Guide suggests cutting several garments at once to reduce waste of cloth. It makes good sense to sew in binges, and it adds a good deal to your impression.

On a lighter note, I'd go as far as to say that those hardcore living history folks likely own more historic period dress clothes than modern items. I also notice that many items no longer needed are often sold in forums, and buyers are always found. Myself, I recycle and donate many items every year to those loaner boxes/historic sites.

Almost 20 years ago Sew News magazine stated that only 3% of the population sews clothing, now I wonder what the percentage is for people within this hobby? It MUST be much higher than the national average.:D

Binge sewing? Yes, well here it is almost 9 AM and I've not started my sewing yet. I don't sew for others, but unless I dedicate my time wisely, that handwork doesn't get done, and no better time than early morning for old eyes, so good morning to the rest of you.:wink_smil

[Spinster]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

I also started to wonder about making light weight wool or flannel chemises for those cold events?

Silk chemise.

Then do a knit wool undershirt to wear over the chemise and corset. Still warm, but you dont have the challenge of frequent washes to wool underpinnings.

Cotton remains a poor choice.....

[Drygoods]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

[QUOTE=Spinster;155750] do a knit wool undershirt to wear over the chemise and corset. Still warm, but you dont have the challenge of frequent washes to wool underpinnings. QUOTE]

Good Point Mrs. Lawson, but I likely live in one of the few places in the country where you can wear wool almost the whole year through. Rather cool here on the north coast. I have to say that I'm not too fond of silk for chemises, linen suits me fine. I do have a silk/hemp blend petticoat which is very hard wearing, pretty too. Have the look of fine silk on the exterior, and hemp thread on the interior. I might just make a chemise out of this, but haven't done it yet. I imagine that folks might think I'm weird because while cutting all these drawers and chemises, I even made one set exclusively for mourning. I guess that's morbid but figured that it would have been common for folks to have a set of mourning attire set by at a moment's notice. Like I said earlier, this is the type of thing that one who has far more time, and too many sets of period clothes put aside.:tounge_sm With the scraps today I'm making up two nightcaps to replace old ones. Why two? why not, the piece of cloth was big enough. If you go on a binge, might as well make it a good long one.:wink_smil

[MrsArmstrong]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

Not a night shirt, but here is an embroidered dress shirt....beautiful !

http://cgi.ebay.com/BEST-CIVIL-WAR-MENS-FINE-HAND-EMB-SHIRT-W-PENNED-ID_W0QQitemZ300366631345QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Men_s_Clothing?hash=item45ef3f11b1

Susan Armstrong

[tenfed1861]

Re: Nightshirts & Nightcaps

Mrs. Peebles,
We must remember that the Victorians were very flashy.If you take a truly flashy dresser from 1855 and stuck him with a flashy dresser today,the 1855 dresser would outshine.Hence why I love my yellow wool trousers.So embrodering the placket and collar on a nightshirt would be very correct.In fact,you should see the autograph book we have here at Union.It is in our Lincoln collection,and if I can get photos of it,I will post it.