1780s Pierrot Jacket & Petticoat - Green/Copper Silk

Pattern: Self drafted, except for the sleeves. Sleeves are taken directly from the Anglaise gown featured in The Cut of Women's Clothes, by Norah Waugh (pattern XXVI).

Fabric: Green/Copper shot silk taffeta. Lining is medium weight linen, dusty blue with stripes of yellow and darker blue.

Measurements:
Chest: 37"
Waist: 29"
Hip: Free
Hem: 37" at front, 39.5" at back
Back Width (garment, between armhole seams): 11.5"
Back Width (actual body, arm socket position): 14"
Bicep: 13.5" max
Forearm: 10.5" max
Wrist: 8.5" max (easily adjustable by shifting button position)
Armsyce: 18.5"

Construction
This is another reiteration of the pattern I've been tweaking for a while now, this time in a size larger. The back pieces are based on those from an Anglaise dress features in The Cut of Women's Clothes, by Norah Waugh, plate XXII. The sleeves are taken directly from the gown in plate XXVI, except for my addition of the Mariner's cuffs.

The yardage required for the jacket and petticoat came out to 3.5 yards of silk, at 58" wide, with the petticoat taking most at 2.25 yards. There were only bare scraps remaining, so 3.5 yards is really pushing it. If you do more common 3/4 or elbow length sleeves, you can pull this off for 3.25. Maybe, lol.

Buttons
I wish I had taken pictures of the button making process, but I will just have to remember or next time. Rather than using modern aluminum cover buttons, I make mine in the historically accurate manner. It not really for accuracy purposes alone, I just really do like them better. The modern cover buttons have that stark silver metal backing, which ends up being visible during wear, despite your best efforts.

For these, I used 7/8" coconut shell buttons for my blank molds. I worked brass wire through the buttonholes to form the shallow shanks (you also just make shanks from thread loops, but I prefer this method). Once the shanks were done, I glued circles of wool felt to the tops of the buttons, to soft them and cover the little protrusion of the wire. Once that was dried, I covered the buttons in the usual manner, cinching a circle of silk around the button and fixing it around the back with much thread wrapping. Then a little dab of clear drying glue just to cut down in fraying.

Cuffs

I am a big fan of Mariner's cuffs. They are comprised on a cuff going around the wrist and a placket with buttonholes. Because of the location of the seams on most sleeves, the opening placket has to be slit in the side of the over-sleeve, not worked in the existing sleeve seam. 

I have seem the cuffs on this style sleeve attached several different ways. Sometimes, they are attached at the sleeve opening all the way around, so the cuff is essentially the same size as the sleeve. Other times I have seen the cuff cut slightly larger than the sleeve opening, and attached just at the vertical ends next to the slit (which will be covered by the placket). I prefer this last method, because it allows the cuff to "float" above the tighter sleeve beneath. 

In the picture below you can better see what I mean about the cuff not being the same size as the sleeve. It rests over the sleeve. During wear, this is entirely invisible.

FINISHED