Quilted Petticoats

[MissShuster26]

As I look forward to the summer as a time to make new things for my impression, I wanted to make a quilted petticoat. I did a little bit of research that said they were more of a colonial time period thing. I wondered if anyone had any more information on them and better yet, if they had any digital pictures of quilted petticoats. Any help on the subject is much appreciated. Thank you again.
Heidi Shuster

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Quilted Petticoats

As I look forward to the summer as a time to make new things for my impression, I wanted to make a quilted petticoat. I did a little bit of research that said they were more of a colonial time period thing. I wondered if anyone had any more information on them and better yet, if they had any digital pictures of quilted petticoats. Any help on the subject is much appreciated. Thank you again.
Heidi Shuster

Quilted petticoats were still being worn. In the Mar, 1865 issue of _Godey's_ I found the following: "The newest style of quilted petticoat is of black silk, cut in narrow gores about a quarter of a yard wide. Each gore is piped with a bright colored silk or braid, and the skirt is bound with a braid matching the pipings in color."

I also found references to quilted petticoats in several short stories in _Godey's_ and they were described as being made from an old dress of green mousseline or green satin.

Beth Miller-Hall sells quilted petticoats in her shop and Carolann Schmitt sometimes has classes on making quilted petticoats.

[Spinster]

Re: Quilted Petticoats

The Wightman's also have an original quilted petticoat in their collection. Made of a brown polished cotton, and quilted in a diamond pattern, with a border motif. Marvelous thing!

[S. Hampton]

Re: Quilted Petticoats

Heidi,

I purchased a quilted petticoat from Beth Miller Hall back when she still had the shop on the Gburg square. It's based on an original in her collection. She did this wonderful design in the quilting pattern.

I can't tell you how much I LOVE mine!!! I've worn it in May at New Market during the rain and cold and for events in the dead of winter. It keeps me warm AND DRY...day or night.

Can't recommend it highly enough!

If you'd like, I can take photos of it and email them to you or you can see it IN PERSON the next time I see you at an event.

Stacy Hampton
AGSAS

[cwbelle]

Re: Quilted Petticoats

Ms. Hampton,
If you do get some pictures taken would it be too much trouble to include me on the email recipient list or better yet post them here? I'd like to see it as well! :)

Thank you very much,

[S. Hampton]

Re: Quilted Petticoats--Photos

Ok,

Since I'm new to all this, I'm not quite sure how to post the images to this forum. So, instead, I put the quilted petticoat images on my Webshots page and you can go there to view them. The link is:

http://community.webshots.com/user/civusv

The quilted petticoat photos are in the first album alphabetically, "AC Forum--Quilted Petticoat."

The petticoat is made with a finer gray wool for the outside, the lining is brown polished cotton. The filler is wool batting. The tape at the bottom of the hem is velvet. The waist band is made from checked cotton and fastens with a button (or two....I added a button to "expand" the waist band for my bigger days or so others can borrow it.)

Enjoy!

[vbetts]

Quilted smuggler's petticoat

After the Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1860s Conference in Harrisburg the first week in March, I drove over to the National Civil War Museum to see the exhibit on Civil War Women. Juanita Leisch Jensen had a quilted petticoat on display that was labeled a "smuggler's petticoat." It was very interesting and was the main thing I took notes on--photographs were not allowed. "Quilted petticoat of cotton print fabrics constructed so that folded documents can be inserted in the hem. Most quilted petticoats have criss-crossing lines of stitching that form geometric or floral patterns that extend through all layers of the fabric and are visible from the outside. This petticoat has several unique features that make it suitable for smuggling:
--widely spaced, parallel rows of horizontal stitching form channels (or "pockets") large enough to insert folded documents
--rows of quilt-stitching that do not extend through the top layer of fabric, and cannot be seen from the outside
--a slit that provides entry to the channels formed by the stitching. This slit is finished off so the opening would not fray or snag.
This garment has no family or other history, Its use in smuggling is presumed only from its construction and identity by the Virginia seller as a "smuggler's petticoat."--Juanita Leisch Jensen.

The outside fabric was a pink and black printed plaid, where the pink was a very finely dotted, and the black was a vermicular design. Inside is a ticking with very fine stripes--two blue threads, then two white threads, two blue, etc. The hem binding was a brown or olive and blue on cream warps (my notes are not clear on this). The slot binding was a plain off-white. The inner lining and the padding content were not displayed or listed. The waistband was white broad cloth. The skirt was pleated, with a blue and brown stripey/wavy button in the waistband.

Just an interesting variation on a quilted petticoat that I thought might intrigue someone else as much as it did me.

Vicki Betts
vbetts@gower.net

[cwbelle]

Re: Quilted smuggler's petticoat

Fascinating description of the "smuggling petticoat"! I had not heard one mentioned before...

And thank you for making the pictures of your quilted petticoat available Stacy, words can say a lot but it's the pictures that solidify everything (at least in my mind). :)

[Drygoods]

Re: Quilted Petticoats

Isn't this just the greatest place! :wink_smil I just love coming here in the morning and enjoying my cup of coffee with fellow history enthusiasts and learning new things. This is such a wonderful place for learning

Thank you Miss Hampton for the photos of the petticoat. It always help to see other styles of clothing that are different from your own. Also thank you Miss Betts for the notes about the smuggler's petticoat. I would love to see that one too. I had to print out that description to keep on file because a petticoat for smuggling is so neat...not that I would ever have anything to smuggle but that it would make a good point for living history.

Many thanks for all those great posts.
Mfr,
Judith Peebles

[MissShuster26]

Re: Quilted Petticoats

Wow, everyone. Thank you for the info. Stacy, the pictures are cool. Thanks for sharing them with everyone.
Heidi

[Millie Fillmore]

Re: Quilted Petticoats

Hi all,

I believe you ladies have given adequate proof of the use of such petticoats. However, dare I add yet another source to this discussion? If you can find a copy of "Women Who Work" in Civil War Lady (No. 20, Nov. 1997, pp. 12-16) by Joy Melcher -- there is the cutest period image of a lady with skirts pinned up, exposing a quilted petticoat.

Cheers,

Katie Guslick