Have you ever screwed up a sewing project so horribly that you want to burn it, and the house down? Just me? I made every mistake possible while attempting my 18th century grand pannier, because although I have pocket hoops/side panniers for my sack-back gown or robe à la française, I wanted options. I’ve no business giving any advise on constructing this [should be] simple undergarment, so here’s what not to do…
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Mistake #1: Thinking I had my shit together…wrong!
I used an out of print (for whatever reason) pattern that other historical costumers were using and didn’t even bother to read blog posts about their experiences with it. Had I checked American Duchess’s post (http://blog.americanduchess.com/2013/04/finished-project-18th-century-grand.html) or Angela Clayton’s post (https://angelacostumery.com/2017/01/20/making-a-grand-pannier/) I’d have known what and how to modify the construction. Rookie move.
[On Amazon IF you can find it: Simplicity Sewing Pattern 3635
Mistake #2: Adding a ruffled layer at the bottom…careless!
I vaguely remembered Lauren Stowell adding a ruffle layer to her grand pannier while I read her robe à la française post on American Duchess, and again I didn’t even bother to look it up. So I added unnecessary weight and length to mine. So much length that now it was too long. Idiot.
Mistake #3: Not measuring the boning/channels…stupid!
Here I am just trucking along, drinking wine, and not measuring shit. I only roughly marked the boning channels and didn’t even measure the length of each steel boning that is clearly there in the instructions! Brazen.
Mistake #4: Not overlapping the boning in the back…what?!
Majorly facepalming here, so I backtracked and made little 4″ boning sections and sewed them over the boning ends in the cener back. Well that didn’t bloody work at all.
Mistake #5: Buying 1/2″ coiled steel boning…heavy af!
The one time I do follow directions and buy the proper notions, this one bites me in the ass. Steel boning is extremely heavy, not to mention the 1/2 wide steel, and don’t even get me started on cost. The boning weighed down the skirt so much that it looked like a pair of circus pants. Nothing like the wide rectangle it should’ve been. This brings me back to Mistake #1 when I should’ve read other blog posts first. Angela used a combination of boning materials, and Lauren just used long zip ties. I’ll be damned.
Tell us what happened next, Sheila!
Had a little bitch fit is what I did. I cut that mofo apart, set aside the steel boning for another project, and threw away the shreaded 10 year old sheets that I used as the fabric in this project. And then I made other quick-win historical undergarments to make myself feel less stupid. I’m better now. Still salty about the whole thing, but better.
[Related: Sewing 18th Century Pocket Hoops]
Pictured above from left to right, top to bottom:
Late Victorian bustle cage: RC963 – Ladies’ Bustle Cage Sewing Pattern by Reconstructing History
18th century pockets: OOP Butterick Making History Pattern B4484. Misses Szs 12,14,16 Stays, Petticoat, Pocket Hoops, and Pockets.
Regency half stays: PDF DOWNLOAD Regency Short Stays Corset Pattern Size MEDIUM- Printable Costume Sewing Pattern for Empire, Napoleonic, Jane Austen
We all have those projects!! Thanks for sharing – it helps remind the rest of us that it’s normal, and hopefully it was cathartic for you too lol 😉 I hope your next go-around with this project is less stressful. You got this!!
Thanks AndI! It’s like the sewingverse reminded me “slow down there, cowboy” and knocked me off my horse. 😆 I may revisit the pattern again when shops open…or after I clear out other unfinished projects (which evidently is a long list). ❤️
I am so so glad I came across this. I’m looking into maybe making something like this to support a hoop skirt that I messed up at the waist 🤣
I’m still salty about messing this one up 😆
This is an absolute treasure of a post, bless you for taking the hit for the rest of us.
Thanks Amanda! I still hiss at the screen like a mad cat whenever I see grand panniers, I think I’m scarred for life. Lol