Kickstarter Update: Trims, Frills and Furbelows - only 5 days to go!

Thank you for helping me get this project past the first stretch goal! I am so happy to be adding purses, pockets and reticules. Here is the latest draft table of contents for my Kickstarter Book, 'Trims, Frills and Furbelows' . As one subscriber said,

"it will become a standard reference for those who study such material"

Even though I enjoy sewing historical costumes, I have found over the years that I much prefer researching the finer details of trims and am so looking forward to sharing all my research with you.

I still need your help funding this project - every cent will be used towards the project and all the extra costs of camera lenses, tickets, accommodation, car hire, travel insurance, and more!




I am looking forward to making fly fringe and tapes for this project on a reproduction English tape loom this summer. This will be a nicer alternative to my clover beading loom. This box is patterned off one in Colonial Williamsburg.

Wait, there's more?

I'd like to announce two new goals that I am going to try to reach with this Kickstarter Project. 

To reach these goals I need your help spreading the word about this project with your friends or reaching out to blogs who might be willing to let its readers know more. All the help I can get is very much appreciated and I've enjoyed receiving your feedback for this project.

Please share this link: http://tinyurl.com/kickstarter-tff

Stretch Goal #1: reaching $10,000 AUD activates an extra chapter in the book: Reticules, pockets and purses.

Once this goal is unlocked Aylwen will add an extra chapter for no extra charge for ALL BOOK BACKERS on reticules, pockets and purses and will include lots of colour photos, embroidery designs and patterns for making your own.

Embroidered silk reticule to be included in extra chapter

Stretch Goal #2: reaching $15,000 AUD activates a new companion book: Gentlemen's Fashion of the Georgian Era

Once this goal is unlocked Aylwen will offer you a completely new reward - a long awaited and requested "Costume in Detail" book on Men's Fashion of the Georgian Era. Aylwen will take photographs of men's garments both inside and out and include close-up photos of finer details and trims. This book will be available for order as soon as this stretch goal is unlocked and will be selling at the same price structure as Trims, Frills and Furbelows. A limited 10% discount will be offered to those subscribing to both books before 19 December 2016. 

Amongst garments already selected for the book on
Men's Clothing is a rare pair of men's drawers from the 1780s.

Regency Undergarments

Most regency women wore a set of stays underneath their gowns. They were either short stays or a fuller body stay with cording for strength. They supported the body and lifted the bust but did not bring in the waist - that was to come during the Victorian period.

Stays were worn over a short-sleeved chemise made of either cotton or linen depending on the district/town/country you lived in, the crops that were grown or where your fabric was imported from. Over the stays was worn a bodiced petticoat, followed by a chemisette and day dress for daytime wear and by a gown for balls. Chemisettes were not worn with ballgowns and often a short or sleeveless chemise was used with short sleeved ballgowns. Regency women valued their fair skin and took particular care to keep their skin from burning.
Below are some examples of extant undergarments.

Chemisette, c.1800-25 Snowshill Collection, Gloucestershire UK
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1349950

Chemisette, c.1800 Killerton House UK
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1360127

Early 19C Linen Chemise
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/shift-118902

French, worn in America, about 1821
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woman-s-shift-49989

Early 19C Stays
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/stays-50004

Early 19th Century Petticoat, sold several years ago on ebay by Time Travellers

Early 19C Bodiced Petticoat
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woman-s-underdress-49958

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Early 19C Pocket
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woman-s-pocket-324224

Early 19C Drawers 1810-20, image courtesy http://regencysa.proboards.com/

If you want to make your own undergarments there is an excellent pattern for Regency Undergarments that you can purchase or download as an e-pattern from Sensibility Patterns that includes chemise, short stays and chemisettes. 

Country Wives have a chemise pattern.

Mantua Maker have an excellent long stays and pantalettes pattern.

Laughing Moon have just released a beautiful new regency long stays pattern.

Busk pocket on the inside of a set of regency stays owned by Aylwen Gardiner-Garden