Corded Petticoats- HELP!

[Libbie93]

Hello all,
I am appealing to anyone and everyone who may be of assistance to me. I am in need of a corded petticoat. While in Gettysburg last month, I saw one that was marginally well made- but was nearly $200. :( If anyone can stear me in the right direction. Price is second ( of course) to accurate construction. But I could not see paying nearly as much for a petticoat as I have for my dress etc.
Thank you all. I have learned so much by reading all the posts.

Lynne Hogan

[KittyK]

Re: Corded Petticoats- HELP!

Lynne,

I'm not sure what your time constraints are, since you didn't say, but if time isn't a factor, have you considered making your own? It might be cheaper to do it yourself. Plus, that way you could be sure what went into the construction of it. There are several websites out there with "recipes" for making one, like "Recipe for a Corded Petticoat" as well as various project diary blogs. There is a thread about making them at Elizabeth Stewart Clark's forum as well.

Sincerely,
Katharine Kolb

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Corded Petticoats- HELP!

I would heartily recommend making one for yourself; the materials are not terribly expensive, but when someone else makes one, you're paying for the time--and these do take a good deal of time (and a bit of tedium.)

The recipe link above goes to an adaptation of an Elizabethan corded farthingale; I find that for mid-19th century use, it works better to use very fine cotton or hemp cording (about the size of the 4-ply cotton crochet "yarn" you can get at most any shop, including WalMart), and use lots of rows of cording. I also prefer working "in the round" to stitching all the cording in with the skirt opened up in one seam, then stitching the seam... working around and around is just as fast, and I can stagger my "joins" for nearly no collapse points at all.

Do you have a sewing machine? All you need to know is a straight stitch, or a running stitch by hand.

[KittyK]

Re: Corded Petticoats- HELP!

Elizabeth,

As someone who is also in the planning stages for a corded petticoat, I'm trying to get a mental picture of the cording you are suggesting. Approximately how wide is the diameter on the cording? It sounds really small. Is it less than 1/4"?

YOS,
Katharine Kolb

I find that for mid-19th century use, it works better to use very fine cotton or hemp cording (about the size of the 4-ply cotton crochet "yarn" you can get at most any shop, including WalMart), and use lots of rows of cording.

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Corded Petticoats- HELP!

Yes, you can use cording quite a lot smaller than 1/4" diameter... the stuff I'm using for my new one, and my daughter's new one, is actually closer to 1/16" diameter. You don't need a bulky cording to get the body; stacked rows add body all by themselves, and then when you starch it, the softer cords can absorb a lot of starch.

I've used nearly a 2 ounce skein of this cord in my daughter's petticoat, and I'm mostly done. The brand I'm trying out is Sugar N' Cream, and I found it at Walmart for about $1.20--pretty cost effective!. It's comparable in size, weight, and hand to a lovely corded petticoat I got to examine first-hand in Florida last week, which is nice. (The original was one of the woven-in-cord ones, though, which no one is reproducing commercially... any weavers out there want a new project?) For my own petticoat, I plan to splurge $5 on the large cone of the same brand. :)

I've done corded petticoats with cord as large as 1/8", but I really prefer the smaller diameters. The weight is tremendously less, the body all on its own is good, and they have a much more refined look than the larger diameter cords. I've also varied the cording diameter within the petticoat, with a few rows of larger 1/8" stuff, and the rest very small 1/16" cord.

(Another cord I've seen used successfully is the cotton tomato-tying-up twine you get 1000 meters at a time from the hardware store...)

[KittyK]

Re: Corded Petticoats- HELP!

Aha! That helps a great deal. Thank you! :D

Sincerely,
Katharine Kolb

Yes, you can use cording quite a lot smaller than 1/4" diameter... the stuff I'm using for my new one, and my daughter's new one, is actually closer to 1/16" diameter. You don't need a bulky cording to get the body; stacked rows add body all by themselves, and then when you starch it, the softer cords can absorb a lot of starch.

[Libbie93]

Re: Corded Petticoats- HELP!

I guess I should have been more specific and just outright asked who makes the best corded petticoats, as I have neither the time nor patience to attempt it. Thanks.
Lynne Hogan

[KathyBradford]

Re: Corded Petticoats- HELP!

Hi, Lynne,

Contact Lynn Gaither at cordedpetticoats@yahoo.com

She makes beautiful corded petticoats at a much more reasonable price.

[Libbie93]

Re: Corded Petticoats- HELP!

Thank you Kathy for the info. I will email her right away!
Thanks again! :D