Discovering that Colonial Williamsburg was offering a sewing class on 18th Century hand stitches while incorporating Diderot’s Encyclopedia, I immediately signed up!
Costume Design Center Sewing Class
Led by the manager of the CDC, the students were comprised of both CDC employees and guests.
Paying about $70 for the four-hour class was worth every penny, because of the expert knowledge and experience, historical examples, and the take-home supplies and references we were given.
In four happy hours, we learned 15 different hand-stitches commonly used in the 18th century to sew clothing.
We also learned how to cover a button with fabric, in the 18th century manner (a hint of the next class in February).
Variety of student backgrounds benefitted from the class
First, we introduced ourselves.
A guest who had never sewn before, but was deeply intrigued, received lots of attention (as we all did) and completed every attempt well!
Another non-seamstress was an employee who organizes all the CDCs historically sewn clothing.
There are tens of thousands of costumes in the CDC and tons assigned to each interpreter.
Depending on the number of personas interpreters portray, some interpreters require more clothing than others.
Some employees might have 80+ pieces or more!
The gent sitting next, a consultant for museums, explained he doesn’t typically sew.
Although he struggled a bit, he positively persevered and said he learned plenty of information to help him communicate in his consulting job.
Having grown up in the area, he’s always liked CW, and does some reenacting.
Other guests who were visiting the historic area while their husbands attended the current CW woodworking conference, were looking for something to do. This sounded fascinating to them.
As far as I know, I was the only guest who currently sews historic costumes, which was revealed later!!! =0
Learning 15 historic hand-stitches on natural fiber fabric
Samples from the CDC sewing stash were provided for our hand-stitching lesson.
Hand-sewing on muslin
First, we practiced hand-stitching muslin fabric. Ack! My basic stitches looked awful!
This is exactly the problem I’m having with the 18th century shirt I’m trying to hand sew for my son. Impossible.
I’ve been ready to quit even contemporary machine sewing for years. Ugh, the agony! I’m not as happy with the product as I used to be.
However, I kept my grumbles to myself. I think. =/
Hand-sewing on 100% linen
Then we were given period accurate linen fabric, used for shirts and shifts in the 18th…and used by the CDC to for the interpreters’ shirts and shifts in the historic area.
Wow! Sewing the same hand-stitch on the linen was amazingly easy!
My exclamations caught everyone’s ear.
The staff, when they heard my woes suggested, “You’re using polyester/cotton?”
“Yes, so I don’t have to iron.” I replied.
They kindly explained that my struggles were with choice of fabric.
I learned a lot about how the type of fabric dictates how lots of things turn out.
Ah-ha well-made natural fiber moment
In short, natural fiber for the win!
Looking back, I recall machine-sewing tons of 100% cotton dresses for myself in college and beyond, with much happiness.
Then by the time I started homeschooling my kids, my machine sewing went downhill. (That’s when polyester/cotton blends became popular.)
That’s when I began to prefer quilting…maybe. (After discussion on the merits of some fabrics versus others, I realized my poor quilts were made with cheaply made fabric.
Wow! This class is revolutionary!
And that was only after the first of 15 projects!
This class is my life saver!!!
I further learned from the gent sitting near me that we could pull out a thread and use for a stitching line.
Overhearing that, the manager threw in an extra lesson, teaching us how to do that. Wow!!! What a difference!!!
You know, every time I’ve ever visited a trade shop in the historic area, to watch and hear discussions of old methods that date to the Middle Ages, I’m impressed with how simple and beautiful, with high quality, the results are, despite the hours taken to make by hand.
Meanwhile I keep replacing modern items quickly produced by machines. Hmmph
Now I’m learning the historic trade of sewing. Thank you for making this class available! No wonder I love Colonial Williamsburg!!!
Hand-sewing with 100% wool
When we learned the topstitch, somehow the subject of military uniforms arose so I casually mentioned that I made my son a Lafayette costume.
Ringing a bell with one of the CDC employees, she exclaimed that she had seen me and my kids at the CDC open house.
I told her that since she had seen that Lafayette costume, I had made another one, which was more accurate and that the actor who portrays Lafayette told me I got the details right.
When the manager heard all this, she explained that topstitching is sewn differently with wool, because it is thicker.
When she showed us samples of wool fabric on the table, navy blue and buff I excitedly suggested that must be for the Lafayette coat and she said yes.
Explaining it is a broadcloth wool, she handed me a sample.
I marveled at its luxurious feel. It’s a wonderful fabric.
Ah-ha wool moment
Immediately I realized it would be easier to sew with than felt, which I used for my son’s, due to expense and ease of care.
Um, no. That’s a misnomer.
Felt is not easy to care for! The cheap fabric is already pilling and looking horrid after my son wore it to the Grand Illumination and for a day’s journey a few days after Christmas.
Looks like another Lafayette coat is in my future, after having just making his second version last month, and his first one the year before that.
When I mentioned this, I was told that wool is easy to care for and they even dry cleaned it back then, with powders and such.
Handing me some blue and buff samples, she taught me how to topstitch on wool.
Because wool is thicker than linen, it is topstitched a bit differently.
Again, on my samples, my stitches on the muslin were poor, while my stitches on the wool for three different types of stitches were nice!
What a great living history sewing class!
The Manager kept us moving according to the schedule of learning all 15 stitches (which is exactly what we willingly paid money for) but she also added quick extension lessons!
Usually bored with classes and upset that I wasted money to learn little, this class is perfection!
When I met up with my son later, I enthusiastically showed him the Lafayette wool. Hewas equally thrilled to see and touch it.
I think I’m going to like sewing again!
Sample fabrics walking and dancing in the historic area
On a striped linen, I practiced a flat-felled seam.
One of the guests liked the buttonhole stitch so much she vowed she’d never make them on machine again!
Receiving a sample of grey damask, I wondered who wore that in the historic area, as I stitched a reinforced seam.
Handed a golden-brown silk, I imagined it floating, swaying, and swishing at the Governor’s Ball while I completed a combination stich.
Queries from employees and guests about my son’s Lafayette Coat
While we took a break at the midway point of the class, everyone asked me tons of questions about my son and the Lafayette costume.
This continued in class in between the lessons on how to do stitches, while we hand-stitched.
In essence, when asked how and why, I told them that I have made historic costumes across the different eras of history for our homeschool history presentations every nine weeks.
Stunned, one of them repeated, “You sew a historic costume every 9 weeks?”
“No,” I clarified. “I sew 3 historic costumes every 9 weeks. One for each of my kids and one for myself.”
I explained our classical history and literature studies, our Becoming History presentations, which led to more questions.
They asked me specifics about how the Lafayette costume began.
I explained the first meeting of the CW Lafayette and my son on our vacation from Texas.
Then when we did the Yorktown EFT, my son asked for a Lafayette costume.
Then we moved to Virginia, so like on the trip from Texas last summer, they wore old homeschool colonial costumes, until my son grew 5 inches.
Historically accurate sewing journey began
Thus, I’ve been trying to glean all the historical sewing tips I could. Where to start?
By autumn all that would fit him from his historical wardrobe, was his first Lafayette costume…but he was rapidly outgrowing that, too!
So, I threw a new Lafayette costume together in 3 days for Grand Illumination.
Although I added more historical details to the look, the fabric is cheap.
The guy sitting next to me said it was so neat for my son to have a mom willing to make these costumes for him.
Lots of guests tell me that when they were kids, they begged their parents for costumes but never got one, so they admire the ones my kids get to wear.
Historical Sewing Homework
The gent next to me highly recommended Burnley and Trowbridge sewing classes.
The Manager handed me two more broadcloth wool samples, one in buff and one in blue. She said, find 100% broadcloth wool like this for your son’s next Lafayette coat.
When I mentioned some questions I had about attaching historic buckles I want to buy for a black stock and a white stock, The Organizer dug samples of them out for me to analyze!
I also said we figured out Lafayette’s coat was supposed to open like we’ve seen George Washington do, but I couldn’t make it lay smoothly because of the curves.
Also I couldn’t make the button holes by machine, because the facing was too thick.
The CDC staff members nodded their heads in agreement.
The Organizer said she’d get a coat out for me to see and show me how it lays!
Wow! =)
Kindred Spirits
As I packed up to go, The Organizer said she’d like to see my son in his Lafayette costume the next time he’s in town.
I said he was in the costume in the historic area right now and everyone laughed.
Since we were all headed our separate ways for lunch, she said to come by sometime with him.
Really? Anytime? The manager even nodded her head! So we will! My son is so excited!
Take-home 18th century hand-stitch reference pages
I love our take-home notebooks catalogue our hand-stitch samples and references, incorporating Diderot’s Encyclopedia.
Premade explanatory pages for our lessons that day, which we can easily slip into our three-ring binders when we arrive home for future sewing reference, were provided at the beginning of class.
After we finished each sample, we pinned them to the appropriate page for future reference.
And in perfect 18th century style, it documents the progression of our sewing skills.
Each instruction page includes a diagram of how to create a stitch, written directions from Diderot’s Encyclopedia, a place for annotations, and a place to pin our sample.
Eight more sewing classes this year!
There are more classes coming for the 75th anniversary of the Costume Design Center, one per month, from January through September.
With one class down and eight to go, I’m thrilled to pieces.
Obviously I have lots to learn, but I learned the essentials in this first class to set me on a happy path of success.
Since my kids are quickly growing up (now aged 14 and 16), I have a lot of sewing to do while homeschooling for our 18th century adventures.
(Not many photos due to copyright ownership by the Costume Design Center at Colonial Williamsburg.)
Comments from my old blog
Dana @ School For Us January 21, 2010 at 4:12 PM Even as a non-sewer, I really enjoyed reading your post. Your enthusiasm is just bubbling over! I’m so glad you enjoyed your class so much. And, it sounds like you learned a ton! Can’t wait to see what you do next. 🙂 Dana, www.alexml.blogspot.com
