Stitches and Seam Techniques - #134

Seen on 18th Century Garments in Various Museum Collections

The following notes have been gathered while attempting to learn stitches
and construction techniques in use 200 years ago. The following is in no way a
complete report, but only an indication of some techniques observed on extant
18th century garments.
Hopefully, others who are researching actual garments of the period in
question will also report on their findings, so that comparisons can be made and
a better total understanding achieved.
G. Ferris
July 1980
FromtheOfficeof theNorthwest Territory AlliancePatternmaster Stitches & Seams #134
1997 Northwest Territory Alliance pg. 1/8
BACKSTITCH
Found on:
1) Essex I nst., Acc. #101.920 - Womans Stays of Ticking
fabric: backstitch used to create channels for boning.
2) Essex I nst., Acc. #101.670 - Womans Stays of Linen
(Acc. Card says cotton): backstitch used for channels for
boning.
3) Essex. I nst., Acc. #109.900 - Childs Stays of Linen or Cotton: backstitch used to create
channels for boning.
4) Boston Mus. F. A., Acc. #61.1034 MansWaistcoat, England: Quilted in very fine
backstitch in herringbone pattern (also embroidered).
5) Germantown H.S., Acc. #663 Mans breeches: Side seam, center back seam, crotch
piecing and waist gusset all backstitched.
(The fell seam worked on a number of short gowns in the collection of Chester County
Historical Society uses the backstitch as the first step. Please see listing Fell seam worked on
wrong side of garment.)
RUNNING STITCH
Found on:
1) Essex I nst., Acc. #108352
Childs Dress: Side seam worked in
running stitch.
2) Metropolitan Mus., Acc.
#1974.194.2 Womans Dress,
English 1780-85: Skirt panels joined by running stitch.
3) Williamsburg, Acc. #53l-59 Mans Coat, American: Running stitch used to attach lin-
ing to coat edge.
4) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/75CLF98 Womans Short Gown: Pleats on back done
by running stitch (pleats overcast down on inside garment).
5) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/76CLF164 Womans Short Gown: Running stitch
used to sew back pleats.
6) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/76CLF183 Womans Short Gown: Running stitch used
to sew back pleats (pleats overcast down on inside garment)
7) Germantown H.S. Acc. #511 Womans Short Gown: Running stitch used to sew back
pleats.
FromtheOfficeof theNorthwest Territory AlliancePatternmaster Stitches & Seams #134
1997 Northwest Territory Alliance pg. 2/8
BUTTED SEAMS
(Two sel vedge edges, or two folded
edges, brought together edge to edge
and overcast; join usually lays flat)
Found on:
1) Essex I nst., Acc. #108/177
Womans apron of blue and white
check: Center seam butted.
2) Essex I nst., Acc. #101,033
Womans Dress of 1790-1810:
Piecing on sleeves done by butting and overcasting (seam allowance turned in first).
3) Williamsburg, Acc. #1956 Womans Dimity (embroidered) petticoat: Has a 3 strip near
waist joined to Dimity with a selvedge edge and a folded edge joined by butting (the one raw
edge then overcast).
4) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/76CLF184 (also 189)Womans Short Gown: Piecing
seam at front (on inside seam allowances folded back and overcast; raw edges then overcast).
5) Germantown H.S., Acc. #353 (or 55-103) Mans Shirt, --also 3rd Shirtwithout num-
ber: Both of these shirts have one side seam of body with selvedges butted together, the over-
casting being done on the right side of the shirts.
(This t ype of seam is commonly seen on old linens, i.e., sheets, tableclothsalso, blankets and
coverlets.)
STAND-UP SEAM
(A seam which is first
joined by running or
backstitch; then turned
in to the line of stitch-
ing and overcast. This
creates a tubular effect.)
Found on:
1) Metropolitan
Museum of Art, Acc.
#38.26aWomans Dress, American, Mid 18c: Center back skirt seam joined by running stitch.
Then, edges folded in to stitching line and overcast. Result: seam stands up 1/4.
FromtheOfficeof theNorthwest Territory AlliancePatternmaster Stitches & Seams #134
1997 Northwest Territory Alliance pg. 3/8
1
2
SEAMS SPREAD OPEN AFTER JOIN IS MADE
Found on:
1) Mt. Vernon (no Acc. Number) G. Washingtons breeches of twill linen: Center front
seam appears to be opened and edges sewn down on inside. (Seen in case at Museum).
2) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/76CLF183 Womans Short Gown: Piecing on lower
front portion done right sides together, then seam opened and seam allowances folded back,
edges turned under and overcast down.
LAPPEDFELL SEAM
Where a seam in a garment is required, lap one edge over the other for a depth of approx. 1/2.
Fold in the raw edge and overcast (whip) down. Turn garment to other side, fold in edge and
overcast down. Seam finish will appear the same on both right and wrong sides of garment.
Found on:
1) Chester County H.S., Acc #00/76CLF185 Womans Short Gown: The sleeve join
seam is done as described above.
FromtheOfficeof theNorthwest Territory AlliancePatternmaster Stitches & Seams #134
1997 Northwest Territory Alliance pg. 4/8
lap edges
finished
turn work
over
1
2
3
Wrong Side
Edges under-
and overcast
Right Side
Spread Seam
FELL SEAM WORKED ON WRONG SIDE OF GARMENT
Found on:
1) Williamsburg, Acc. #1956.578Womans petticoat of Dimit y: Side seam of garment
joined with fell seam sewn on wrong side (inside).
2) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/75CLF98 Short Gown: Side seams sewn with back-
stitch, then seam allowance (to one side) turned under and overcast down.
3) Chester County H.S., Acc #00/76CLF164Womans Short Gown: seams same as #2
above.
4) Chester County H.S., Acc #00/76CLF183 Womans Short Gown: Sleeves joined with
running stitch; seam to one side, edges turned under and overcast-done on wrong side.
5) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/76CLF185Womans Short Gown: Side seams back-
stitched, felled and overcast as in above examples. Seam result 1/4.
6) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/76CLF184(also 189)Womans Short Gown: Main side
seams and sleeve joins done with backstitch, felled and overcast as above examples.
7) Germantown H.S., Acc. #511Womans Short Gown: Main side seams same as above
examples of seam on short gownsresultant width of seam approx. 1/8.
8) Germantown H.S., Acc. #89-184Mans Shirt: Side seams done with running stitch,
felled and overcast as above examples. Result: 1/8 width.
9) Germantown H.S., Acc. #353 (or 55-103)Mans Shirt: Sleeve seamssame as above.
Result: approx. 1/8 width.
10) Germantown H.S., (No number)Mans Shirt: Sleeve joins done with backstitch and run-
ning stitch, felled and overcast with 1/8 result. Underarm seam done similar ly.
A note from Claudia Kidwel ls article Short Gowns which appeared in DRESS:
Footnote 25 (page 39 or article) The modern technique for making a flat-fell seam (illustrated
in TheFashion Dictionarywritten by Mary Brooks Picken and Published in NewYork, 1957
produces a flatter seam finishing than appears in any of the twenty-eight short gowns. Three
other methods for producing a similar but thicker seam finish were described in the 1840
London publication, TheWorkWomans Guide(pp. 2-3).
FromtheOfficeof theNorthwest Territory AlliancePatternmaster Stitches & Seams #134
1997 Northwest Territory Alliance pg. 5/8
Either running or
backstitch
Overcast stitch
Wrong side Right side
FELL SEAM WORKED ON WRONG SIDE OF GARMENT (cont)
A further note concerning fell seams:
I n Rural Pennsylvania Clothingby Ellen J. Gehret, instructions for making a flat felled
Seam are given on page 24. A question develops as the short gown pictured on pages 42 and
43 of her book, and the mans shirt shown on pages 122 and 124, both have fell seams worked
on the wrong (inside) of the garments, and Gehret gives instructions for another method (a
modern technique?). Why the author chose to ignore the old method is not entirely clear.
However, in talking to Ellen Gehret by phone on two occasions, two items became clear-
er. Ellen Gehret encouraged me to use the method seen on the original garments (this conver-
sation predated any of my research), and also she mentioned that she had not seen personally
the shirts which are shown in the photos from the Germantown H.S.
I leave it to the individual to research and decide for himself on the question of this seam
technique.
WOMENS SLEEVE PLEATS SEWN DOWN
(more usual to seem them left open)
Found on:
1) Metropolitan Mus., Acc. #1974.194.2
Womans Gown, English, figured Chintz.
SLEEVES OF SET-IN TYPE
(SLEEVE AND LI NI NG TREATED AS ONE AND
THEN SEWN I N)
Found on:
1) Essex I nst., Acc. #101,033Womans Dress: Sleeve sewn
in with backstitch.
2) Metropolitan Mus., Acc. #1974.194.2Womans Dress,
English 1780-85: Sleeve sewn in with backstitch.
3) Metropolitan Mus., Acc. #26.38aWomans Dress,
American: Sleeves sewn in with backstitch.
4) Metropolitan Mus., Acc. #38.26aWomans Dress, American, Mid 18c.
FromtheOfficeof theNorthwest Territory AlliancePatternmaster Stitches & Seams #134
1997 Northwest Territory Alliance pg. 6/8
Placelining over
sleeveand work
as onelayer.
FINISHES ON RAW EDGES OF SEAMS
Found on:
1) Essex I nst., Acc. #108352Childs Dress: Seam done with running stitch, then raw edges
overcast together.
2) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/76CLF184 (also 189)Womans Short Gown: On piec-
ing, raw edges overcast with large overcast stitches.
3) Germantown H.S., Acc. #663Mans Breeches: On center back seam, raw edges overcast
together.
4) Metropolitan Mus., Acc. #CI -64.32.2a(b)Womans Sack Gown of Cotton Chintz:
Armhole seam raw edges turned in and overcast
NARROW HEMS AT EDGES OF GARMENT
Found on:
1) Essex I nst., Acc. #1208352Childs Dress: Hem done by
running stitch.
2) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/75CLF98Womans Short
Gown: Narrow hems on sleeve ends and hem of garment (1/8
to 1/4)
3) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/76CLF164Womans
Short Gown: Hems as in No. 2 above.
4) Chester County H.S., Acc. #00/769CLF183Womans Short Gown:--Hems 1/4 done
with overcast stitch.
5) Germantown H.S., Acc. #511Womans Short Gown: Very narrow hems on edges 1/8.
6) Germantown H.S., Acc. #353 (or 55-103) Mans Shirt: Bottom hem 1/8 overcast.
FromtheOfficeof theNorthwest Territory AlliancePatternmaster Stitches & Seams #134
1997 Northwest Territory Alliance pg. 7/8
TOP STITCHING OF SEAMS
Found on:
1) Metropolitan Mus., Acc #147.2Womans Riding Jacket, c. 1775.
2) Metropolitan Mus., Acc. #26.233.9Womans Dressing Gown, French (I ndian Calico):
Backstitch done in red approx. 1 in from seams.
3) Germantown H.S., Acc. #89-184Mans Shirt: Bands of counted backstitching on right
side of garment.
EMBROIDERY ON GARMENTS
Found on:
1) Metropolitan Mus., Acc.
#3895.AWomans Gown, French, linen:
Embroidery very fine chain stitch polychrome.
2) Boston Mus. F.A., Acc. #38.1297Mans
Negligee Cap, France 1750-1800: Embroidery
fine chain stitch.
3) Boston Mus. F.A. Acc. #38.1315Mans
Negligee Cap, Europe 1700-1750: Silk embroidered with straw. Straw looks like gold.
REFERENCES
Arnold, Janet. A Handbook of Costume. MacMillan, N. Y, 1973. (Very helpfulChapter I I
Dating Costumes from Construction Techniques)
Gehret, Ellen J. Rural Pennsylvania Clothing, Being a Study of theWearing Apparel of theGerman
and English Inhabitants Both Men and Women Who Resided in Southeastern Pennsylvania in the
LateEighteenth and Early Ninenteenth Century. Liberty Cap. Books, York, PA , 1976.
Waugh, Norah. TheCut of Womens Clothes 1600-1930. Theatre Arts Books, N.Y., 1968.
(Cutting diagrams, scaled drawings).
Periodicals:
Kidwell, Claudia. Dress. Short Gowns, 1979 (Journal of the Costume Society.)
FromtheOfficeof theNorthwest Territory AlliancePatternmaster Stitches & Seams #134
1997 Northwest Territory Alliance pg. 8/8