Last Minute Pockets

In the 18th century, dresses had pockets. And I don’t mean, like, little pockets that can barely fit a chapstick. I mean, they had industrial-size, heavy-duty, strap-on pockets the size of bread bags that were tied on to the body separately from the dress itself, which simply had discrete slits cut in on the sides that the wearer would plunge their hand through in order to access the cavern bag hidden beneath.

(Photo from the Thistle Thistle pattern) I know this because I am making one. But it would be kind of silly to walk around in 2023 with a giant, embroidered pocket hanging off my hip- people would think I‘m a real weirdo!- so obviously I am making a full 18th century gown to accompany it. Nobody’s gunna bat an eye at a lady wearing 18th century pockets in an 18th century dress.

This is all happening because a friend (Actually, you know him! He’s the editor consultant for OJST) connected me to his other friend who is super into historical costuming, which is a subject I’ve been fervently following on Instagram for the last several years but have absolutely no idea how to get started myself. That friend organized a meet-up for a couple of us to get together once a month and actually make a historical outfit for ourselves, from start to finish, with her guidance. So. I’m making a late 18th century gown now, starting with the pockets.

Y (I haven’t asked if I can use their name yet, so it’s Y for the moment) loaned me a traditional embroidery pattern to transfer onto fabric and then next month sew the pocket halves together with my sewing machine that I am afraid to touch without an adult in the room. If there’s one thing I’m sure about when it comes to historical costuming, it’s that you are bound by law to insert at least one subtle reference to your favorite 80s children’s property in there somewhere, so obviously I went with the Pixietails from the 1986 Lady LovelyLocks franchise.

After modifying the pattern on tracing paper and preparing to transfer my Pixietailed design onto fabric for embroidering, I realized…

Dude. I ducked around for the entire month and now I’ve basically got one week left to do a butt load of embroidery.

New plan!

After digging through my fabric stash, I rediscovered this fitted bed sheet that I’d bought secondhand from Goodwill for $6.99.

Is the design historically accurate? I assume not. Is it pretty and something I want to work on? Yes.

I still believed that I could squish in one Pixietail if I really managed my time well and got straight to work.

Reader, I did not.

The next meet-up is in two days and I’m thinking that just one pocket (on one side) will have a few sprigs of branches embroidered, kind of popping out against the background of the flat, printed ones. I’m happy with the effect so far and the pattern is busy enough that I don’t think people will notice the lack of embroidery on the other one.

I’ll keep you updated!