Sewing for shifts aka ''couture rabattue''

Hello,

I'm still working on my shifts (hand sewing can be long, sometime it is painful)

While reading the Art de la lingère written by Garsault in the year 1771, available on web on Gallica, I was intrigued by the term ''couture rabattue'', the sort of sewing that should shifts uses to gather each pieces. I was also a little bit confused by the description of the Fleur de Lyse's pattern, so I went into the writings of 1771 to figure out how it was originally described.

Here the original text:
(I may had transform old french orthography into modern one during transcription)

''La couture rabattue se fait de plusieurs manières; il s’en fait à surjet, d’autres à points-devant mêlés d’arrière-points, le tout pour joindre deux pièces dont l’une et l’autre sont sans lisières; ou bien quand il n’y a qu’une lisière à l’une des deux pièces : car deux lisières qui se joignent l’une à l’autre sans avoir besoin de couture rabattue à l’envers, qui ne sert qu’à empêcher les toiles de s’effiler : voici la manœuvre.

Remployez le bord de chaque toile, mais l’une plus que l’autre; approchez-les de leur remplis, de façon que le rempli de l’une dépasse celui de l’autre de quelques lignes; surjettez-les près du haut de chaque rempli; puis retournant les pièces  et déployant les deux toiles, vous retrouverez l’extrémité de chaque ploiement; vous verserez le plus long sur l’autre, et les applatissant sur la toile, vous les y arrêterez à points de côté; ou bien approchez l’un de l’autre les bords de chaque pièces pliés comme ci-dessus, mais de façon que, Fig. 1G, le bord a dépasse de quelques lignes le bord bb de l’autre; puis le long dudit bord bb, le plus bas, faite une couture à points-devant et arrière-points d; par exemple, successivement deux points devant et deux arrières-points. Vous rebatterez ensuite, Fig.M, le bord dépassant aa, Fig 1G, l’autre morceau par-dessus cette couture et vous l’arrêterez à points de côté.

Les figures G N M, font voir une couture rabattue à points-devant mêlé d’arrières-points au lieu du surjet.

La figure H, Montre les deux pièces ouvertes l’envers en dessous : la couture paroît à peine en dd; car si bien exécutée, à peine doit-on voir la couture à l’endroit.''

First paragraph says that this kind of sewing is used to gather two pieces of fabric to avoid them to frill. If gathering two raw edges, this kind of sewing is not required.

If I understand well old french (it is always a challenge to understand old languages(:

1.  Sew together with a backstitch of the alternate 2 backstitchs then 2 front stitch the fabrics in a way that the sewing value of one border is a little bit longer than the other. 
2. Fold the longue sewing value over the other one in a way to make a little hem in a way that the edge of that hem is in front of the first sewing (step 1).
3. Sew the hem in a way that sewing line won't be visible on the right side of the fabrics. 

Would you like to try an 18th century sewing style for your next project?

Mlle Canadienne

Bedgown or Jacket?

Hello,

This year, I decided to make my articles in english separately from the one in french when it's long texts.

I have noticed that there is some confusion in female clothing called ''déshabillé''. An 18th century ''déshabillé'' is the ordinary clothing to wear casually, the opposite of the court gown or being dressed for Sunday. The term ''déshabillé'' is usually used by wealthy people. Common people would more add white accessories to their everyday clothes, because they did not have money enough to have a completely different kit for Sundays.



First the bedgown. It's an inside clothing for rich people. For poorer, it may be worn in the public space.

From de l'Art du tailleur contenant le tailleur d'habit d'homme; les culottes de peau; le tailleur de corps de femmes et enfants: la couturière; et la marchande de Modes by M. de Garseault, 1769

On this engraving, we can see that there is no sewing at the shoulder (see red circles). This is a pice of clothing almost not fitted so less expensive to sew and easy to do. The front close by overlapping the two borders or with ribbon. The back has a big pleat that look a little alike the classical french gown but much more simple.

 Les cris de Paris (1737-1746); Pommes cuites au four, Edmé Bouchardon

No seam at the shoulder

 Les cris de Paris (1737-1746); Vendeuse de pommes, Edmé Bouchardon

Overlapping of the fronts parts

Anonymous portrait from anonymous painter  
Overlapping of the fronts parts and no seam at the shoulder

Reproduction of a bedgown using the commercial pattern Kannick's Korner I have sewn, worn by Cathrine Davis. 
Crédit photo: Joseph Gagné 

 Reproduction of a bedgown using the commercial pattern Kannick's Korner I have sewn, worn by Cathrine Davis.
 Crédit photo: Joseph Gagné 

The jacket, called mantelet by french-canadians and juste or justaucorps by people from Old France it a more fitted clothing. It was make for someone with musellement  like most of 18th century clothing. the front can be closed by ribbons, pins, little enclosures and sometime a stomacher. The back is flat without pleats. The basques can be splitter or full. The sleeves can be more fitted and end in ''pagodes'' or be less fitted and end with a ribbon. The jacket will always have a different fabric than the petticoats.

 La belle chocolatière, 1743-1743 by Jean-Étienne Liotard (I haven't found the museum)
This jacket has fitted sleeves with pagodes and full basques (the skirt of the jacket)

 La pourvoyeuse, 1739 by Jean Siméon Chardin (museum of Louvres, Paris) 
This jacket has a large sleeve with a contrasting ribbon to hold the sleeve at the elbow.

La fontaine, 1733 by Jean Siméon Chardin ( I haven't fount the museum)
It's probably the same maid of the other painting, La pourvoyeuse. The ribbon on the sleeve has been removed so the sleeve is full long length. Also, we see the seam at her shoulder and the split of the basques near her bum.

My reproduction of an ''indienne'' jacket, made by Evelyne Bouchard with fitted  pagodes sleeves, full basques and ribbons to close the front. 

My reproduction of an ''indienne'' jacket, made by Evelyne Bouchard with fitted  pagodes sleeves, full basques and ribbons to close the front. 

Often the difference is hard to tell in paintings or engravings between jackets or bedgown. Look at the sleeve: if there is no seam at the shoulder, it's a bedgown. If there is a seam at the shoulder it may be a jacket or a half-robe (demi-robe in french). Demi-robe is like a full gown but shorter on the length. 

Exemple of demi-robe

Fêtes galantes of Filippo Falciatore found on Sotheby's

I hope that may help you to recognize bedgown from jackets on paintings and engravings.

Mlle Canadienne