The Sewing Academy Returns

Huzzah for Liz (and us all) The Sewing Academy is back.

Linen Sleeve Protectors

Finished my 2025 Christmas presents for real, this time, back in February (though apparently I never actually published this post), with a pair of linen sleeve protectors. While the documentation I gathered back in the day suggested that such sleeves were primarily used by clerks and other people engaged in large amounts of writing, there was also scattered references to grocers' assistants, artists, and other occupations where one's forearms are at risk of soiling, but where rolling up the sleeves would be inappropriate.*

This pair is intended for one my favorite tin-smiths, who has been looking for a way to protect her dress sleeves from snags and abrasion while cutting tin. The mid-weight linen I used is fairly stout and close-woven, without being coarse, and I hope that it will do the job.

*Of course, when I repeated the search in 2026, Google Books had exactly 3 results for this kind of oversleeve in the period 1840-1865: a clerk, an artist, and a doctor performing 'chemical experiments.' 

Original: Brocade Gown, c.1775

 Something that's aged well over 250 years:

French brocade gown, c.1775, in the MET.

The bright fabric initially made this gown catch my eye. According to the Met's write-up, the attached bodice front with button closure (rather than a separate stomacher piece pinned to the overgown) is what makes this garment unique. While I still find panniers a bit ridiculous, they do show off the material very well, especially designs with large motifs. Do follow the link for additional angles: this gown also has a lovely sacque back, and there's also a nice side view which shows the gown's surprisingly narrow profile (compared to its width).

HMP-150 Infant Dresses

 Managed to finish one project in April/May: a set of infant dresses for the newest Fort volunteers. As usual, I used Liz Clark's pattern.

Size 2 dress with high neckline, smooth fit bodice and slim short sleeves.

One of my favorite parts of this pattern is the ease of customization. I made 2 complete dresses, with a second (one size larger) bodice for each, and was able to use different style elements every time.

A

The other size 2 dress, with a yoked bodice and long straight  sleeves.

This was also the first time I made resize-able dresses. The skirt was made to the largest size, and hemmed long to cover a pre-crawling baby's feet. Sewn to the size 2 bodice, it has a generous overlap at the waistband; when it's too small, the bodice can easily be removed and switched to the next larger size (though the hook and eye on the waistband will need to be moved, and tucks taken in the skirt once baby starts crawling.)
 

Size 3 bodices: both with boat necklines, the blue is yoked and has short loose sleeves, the orange plain with puffed sleeves.

Purple Silk Cross-over Bodice, c. 1840

 

Purple silk dress, c.1840, from The Met.

 

Looking for 1850s dress inspiration, I stumbled upon this fun c.1840 silk dress with a surplice/cross-over style bodice. At first glance I took it for an early 1860s dress with relatively large coat sleeves, but from the side view, it's more clearly one of those fun shapes that appears post-1836-sleeve-collapse where the sleeve is gathered/shirred down close around the upper arm (and visually smoothed out here with a jockey) then balloons out again a little above the elbow, only to get tight again around the forearm.

In the close-up views, the fabric appears to be a satin; and I'm very intrigued by the small edging detail on the sleeve jockey: overlapping loops of perfectly color-matched satin-covered cording. I'm very curious about whether that was a manufactured-to-match trim, or actually pieced from the same fabric as the dress.

Wool "Corset Bodice", First Quarter of the 19th Century

Corset Bodice, c.1800-1825, Snowshill Collection 

accessed through UK National Trust.

I have So Many Questions about this garment. It came up while I was looking for inspiration images for some early 19th century short stays, but thus far it's eluding classification.

At first glance, I took this for a set of short stays with unusually long tabs. On further reflection, I started wondering if it was in fact long stays that had (possibly through later alteration) voids instead of hip gores.  The double bust gores are a very common way of shaping long stays in the 1820s and 1830s, though I haven't seen them in the few short sets I've found. The front laces are also nigh-ubiquitous for those elusive early 19th century short stays; at the same time, I can't recall seeing a single set of longer stays from that period with front laces instead of a front busk. And then there's the fact that there are only 6 eyelets per side, allowing the garment to lace mere inches past the bust itself.

 On the whole I'm leaning towards considering this to be a set of short stays with very weird tabs and a bust treatment more typical of long stays. I'm not wholly convinced they weren't meant to be long stays which was never completed or was turned into short stays halfway through (the lack of additional eyelets is what's keeping me from speculating that they were long stays with later alterations). Or possibly this is something else entirely: an unusual, or perhaps a costume piece meant to evoke 18th century pastoralism with a fashionably raised early 19th century waistline.

I do like the contrasting color along the upper binding at the underarm: though not specified in the description, this would match the places where chamois leather is used on some 18th century stays to deal with a high-wear area. 

Originals: Bright Embroidered Slippers, 1855-65

 I love these:

Embroidered Wool Slippers, c.1855-1865, from Historic New England.

The description says that these are wool with embroidery and silk lining. I really love the contrast between the white ground exterior and the bright scarlet trim/bow/lining.

Zooming in close (thank you for the high resolution photos!), the embroidery appears to mostly be in chain-stitch, with applique (the red shapes and green and blue rosettes) and gold couched threads. At least two of those chain-stitch lines are done in alternating colors.