This class is a breakout from my complete course "18th Century Working Women's Dress - A Sewing and Fashion History Workshop " 

It is designed for students who want to start small and try their hand at making just one basic piece.

The bedgown was a piece of 18th century clothing, with variations worn by all classes, but simple versions were often used as everyday-wear by working class women. 

Consisting of straight and curved lines & seams and several different stitches (basting stitch, running/gathering stitch, back stitch, and hem stitch) this is a perfect class for a first time hand sewer who wants to work on a serious project! If your student dreams of making reproduction garments, but doesn't have any experience this class is a great place to start. 

Week 1 - We will take measurements and draft patterns. 
Week 2 - We will cut out the pieces from fabric, and begin sewing.
(solo sewing homework between classes)
Week 3 - We will work on sewing the bedgowns together.
(solo sewing homework between classes)
Week 4 - We will finish the bedgown, and students will show off their work!


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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 brief history of common women's garments and their construction as they craft their way through creating a historically accurate bedgown 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 bedgown suitable for any late 18th century woman. The style 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 hand sewn piece AND mastered some important historical garment making skills.
 
We will hand sew the bedgowns, starting each step in class and finishing the steps as homework. 

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.)

The project will not require use of a sewing machine, and students are encouraged not to "cheat" and use one to make their project go faster. 

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