When we think of historic 18th century costuming, it is easy to immediately find ourselves drawn to the beautiful formal garments worn by the upper class Europeans and wealthy colonial settlers, and those made for very special occasions...

But what about the real life, every day "jeans and a t-shirt" wardrobes of women working in and out of their homes? How did they dress for comfort and practicality? What did women wear while gardening, working in skilled trade shops (like tin, silver, and blacksmiths, etc.)? How did enslaved women dress? How did being colonized from afar influence dress in America, as well as other colonized lands? 

Let's look together at these hardworking women who are rarely shown with much detail in old paintings or most modern depictions of early American life, and appreciate the often overlooked contributions they made in history. 

In this class students will learn a history of common women's garments and their construction as they craft their way through creating a historically accurate outfit from the late 1700s. The class will be casual, conversational, and very hands on - with room for lots of discussion and sharing. 

Students will join me in creating a nearly complete outfit for a working class woman. The styles will be predominately Euro-American, but students will be given encouragement to draw from a variety of sources to create a garment unique to their own regional influences, if so desired. 

I'll walk students through the process, step by step, and in the end they will have created an amazing outfit AND mastered some important historical garment making skills.

We will hand sew all the pieces, starting each step in class and finishing the steps as homework each week. 

Students do not *need* to have any prior sewing knowledge or skills (just some fine motor control with a needle & thread and the ability to use scissors) but this will be a class with LOTS of hand sewing, and students should be prepared to stick with it and work hard each weeks homework if they want to complete all the projects with the rest of the class. 

None of the projects will need a sewing machine, and students are encouraged not to "cheat" and use one to make their projects go faster. 

(Please note that we will NOT be constructing a pair of stays, stockings, or shoes as a part of this class... These garments require a much more advanced level of very specific skill and at the beginning stages of learning are best purchased.)

This class is listed as an "Arts" course, but it will obviously feature a great deal of history and social studies in our discussion topics!

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Week 1 - 
Overview of Working Women's Dress
Measuring Your Body for Pattern Making
Choosing Authentic Fabrics & Supplies
Pattern Making From Your Measurements & Existing Garments

Week 2 - 
Shift Planning & Construction 
Cutting Fabric

Week 3) - 
Sewing Your Shift

Week 4  - 
Sewing & Finishing Your Shift
Pocket Patterning & Planning
Embroidered Initals Details

Week 5 - 
Shift and Show & Tell
Pocket Assembly & Sewing 


Week 6  - 
Pocket Show & Tell
Petticoat Planning & Construction
Beginning to Sew Your Petticoat

Week 7  - 
Sewing Your Petticoat 

Week 8 -
Petticoat Show & Tell
Apron Planning & Construction
Sewing Your Apron

Week 9  - 
Apron Show & Tell
Short Gown/Bedgown Planning & Construction 
Sewing Your Short Gown/Bedgown 

Week 10 - 
Short Gown/Bedgown Finishing

Week 11 - 
Short Gown/Bedgown Show & Tell
Sewing Your Handkerchief 
Cap Planning

Week 12 - 
Kerchief Show & Tell
Sewing Your Cap 

Week 13 - 
Cap Finishing and Show & Tell




*** Please note that the class’ weekly project schedule is subject to be shifted slightly if students need more time to complete their sewing. Learning to hand sew entire garments, and making the time each week to work through all these pieces will be a challenge and I'll do my best to help keep students on track, but I’m happy to schedule additional private sessions with a student who needs extra help to keep up at the rate of $20/session. 

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If this class seems too long or intimidating, I also offer the same content as individual classes that focus on the pieces... so you can start with just ONE item, and add to your 18th century wardrobe as your time allows!