1830s Cossack trousers and excellent distractions

Never heard of these Cossack trousers before  starting this course. It seems to have been a popular style -  pleated front and tapering legs- rather more forgiving than the straight cut. These from the V&A are more gathered  than mine and look to be a split fall front, but the idea is the same. They have a curiously feminine silhouette - narrow flat waist, curving hips and narrowing legs- and are pulled straight by the stirrup loop under the instep.   

We already had the toile made to the Ron Davis pattern outlined in  Men's Seventeenth & Eighteenth Century Costume: Cut and Fashion  so roughly knew our way through the process but this time it was in the 'real' fabric and with all those interesting details like button flies to do, and this time it matters that they are dead straight and fit into the trouser properly.



Step one was revising and redrafting the pattern pieces following the fittings, fortunately not a lot was required - raising the waist at the front by an inch and then compensating for this at the back.  The hems were left over long as we want to put in an arch over the foot which  shapes down into the  stirrup  straps like these.

Step 2 - cutting out in calico - this will be the inner lining layer, they were marked up with all the seam allowances, lines, darts etc and then used to cut out the top fabric. My fabric was fairly fine and stripey in greys, black and brown, it behaved well but could fray for the nation when cut square across the grain.

Step 3 - Prep - The calicos were separated and flat tacked to the back of the top fabric pieces  and each long edge on each piece was overlocked.( go too fast and  the industrial overlocker sounds like a freight train in a tunnel, nearly fast and the poise lamp bounces, less fast and anything on the table dances around before throwing themselves over the edge, or slowly and it purrs ( still have to work on my relationship with this machine)) - The extra layer should help to extend the life of the trousers as well as helping to stabilise the top fabric.  All pleats and darts were sewn in  and then.....

one inside out leg

Step 4-  Assembling !  There is a great satisfaction when a garment changes from 2 dimensions  to 3. Outer leg seams then inside leg, part sew the crotch seam and they look like trousers! Only button flies, facings, waistbands, buttonholes , hems and hand finishing to go.


inside the body, the brown band is the back facing,
 button holes for the fly at the bottom ,
the unfinished pleats for the waist show up clearly in the calico.

 In fact the easy bits were over.

Step 5 - buttoned flies - The fabric was thin enough to be used for all the layers, so an interfacing and overlocking fest later, the buttonhole piece, facing and buttonstand were complete and in place. This was Wednesday so nothing is ever straight forward -  now on sewing machine 3,  it seems even Berninas are not Wednesday proof. We consoled ourselves by rootling through old button tins - some fantastic Deco geometrics and outrageously ornate glittery ones. This should be recognised as an official  therapy in any sewing workroom.




Step 6 - The fronts have a waistband but the back does not, so this was the day to regret deciding to have the stripes horizontal on the band because everything had to be  exactly level and matched. Had to resort to basting!  The back facing was friendly and helpful, went on simply and directly. The facing and the waistband were joined at the side seam, so all that was left was hand sewing the inside of the waistband and turning the raw edges of the facing.














Step 7 - waist fastening - lovely mother of pearl button - inside out, of course, and a mini festival of pressing later, the beasties are complete!

They will need pressing again and fitting to sort out the exact positioning of the hem shapings. They are definitely too long at present, they come up to my shoulders, but pattern outlines for the foot arch, and what I can only think of as bunny ears, are drawn up and prototyped, so it shouldn't be a battle once we have the model's legs to measure against. And pressing again.  May be some more clipping to release the curves, and pressing, and then removing more tacking - each time I look I find more to be taken out! But they are complete - honest......except for more pressing.

Hopefully next time you see them they should have someone in them- and be an amazing fit!

As for distractions -
Pocket flap Monday - Jane gave us some excellent tips on getting real precision in the finishing  but the strain of being organised and tidy and measuring......

Wednesday- the Day of Revenge of the Machines - how many times did the overlocker threads snap?,  my sewing machine had multiple hissy fits, and so did the placement and then the replacement's replacement. (I think we have reached an understanding now) . Pauline must have dreaded the squeaks and mutterings of frustration  preceding the plaintive requests for help.

Thursday was Drop the Buttons Day - all 7 of us crawling around under the table retrieving them. Some made a determined break for freedom and evaded recapture for days.

Friday - 4th of July  and Miriam's birthday celebrations (properly the 5th but we scatter over the weekends) - a general surfeit of cakes and chocolate, including trying to set fire to a cupcake and a trip to York Cocoa House.

Saturday - Start of the Tour de France - stage one went through some of my favourite bits of country -upper  Wharfedale- and it looked beautiful. I think the degree of enthusiasm for the event took the commentators by surprise -  and they needed a better guide book to read out from.

Sunday - Grand Depart from York this morning - just started to tip it down after a lovely early start- hopefully it will clear in time - can't say I will be that enthusiastic about going out  to get soaked  so I can watch men in damp lycra whiz past. But the rain is easing - and some lycra goes quite see through when wet - could well be worth it!
And the Wimbledon Final - a proper day of sport - less of that footybally stuff and over grown scalextric........