Volunteer Sewing

I don't know about you but I do some volunteer sewing. Volunteer sewing to me can be several things: helping a neighbor or friend learn something new about sewing or embroidery, making a garment to give away or doing alterations for free. Volunteer sewing can mean many things. Since I'm a member of the Smocking Arts Guild of America (SAGA) I make Wee Care  items that our Guild donates to local hospitals. Smocked or embroidered Wee Care gowns and bonnets are sometimes the only things that a couple takes away from the hospital...a remembrance of the life they hoped to bring home. As SAGA members we also make blankets, remembrance envelopes and booties. Since SAGA is a non-profit organization, members freely donate their time and talents to make Wee Care items and keep their sewing and stitching skills sharp and optimal.

I've also donated time to help alter costumes for our local, and very successful, Smithfield Little Theater productions. I don't do it very often because of my busy schedule, but I enjoy it when I can help out.

My latest endeavor is making  historically correct men's colonial clothing for our local 1750 Isle of Wight Courthouse in Smithfield, VA. Among other fundraising venues, we always put on a play highlighting a case from the actual surviving Isle of Wight legal records of the 18th century. Yes, we still have those big leather bound books with the incredible cursive writing that can be viewed at the new Isle of Wight Courthouse buildings, and they are amazing to see in person. Our plays always feature the 12 Justices (elected or appointed important citizens of the day) sitting on their row of seats in the Courthouse presiding over a court case. But not all of the volunteer actors have the appropriate costumes... the Colonial Coats and Waistcoats, breeches, linen shirts and stocks, and wigs. That's where I come in.

The local Board of the Courthouse, of which I am a member, helps dress our volunteer actors, and most of us also have our own Colonial clothes so we can fill out the Courtroom and also dress appropriately for other fundraising occasions. Here I am serving punch at one of our Christmas meeting and reception for our members.

But historically correct Colonial costuming is VERY expensive....unless you can make your own, or make it for someone else for free or a nominal fee. The Courthouse has been able to build up a small collection of men's and women's Colonial clothing but occasionally we get a volunteer we can't supply clothing to. That's where I come in.

This week I am making a Colonial Frock Coat and Waistcoat for a gentleman. I already have the historically correct patterns (I'd made another set two years ago). This person is larger from what I have done before so I had to trace off the pattern pieces from the master pattern onto tissue paper. It took two hours to do it all because the pattern pieces are large and don't fit on regular tissue paper (lots of scotch tape used). The pattern pieces also did not have some of the grain lines on them so I had to figure those out, too.

I've done enough Colonial clothing to know what fabrics could work. I was able to purchase some really nice camel colored wool for the two items, and then I bought pre-shrunk basic cotton muslin for the lining for both the coat and the waistcoat. This outfit is for a person of modest wealth and for everyday use. The Colonial clothing patterns are VERY different from what we sew today so it takes some getting used to to figure out the directions, especially for this particular pattern (which is very short of instructions and has no pattern/fabric layouts). I had "leftover" pewter buttons (from previous Colonial construction projects) in both sizes needed for each item....back then men showed off their wealth by the number and type of buttons on their clothing. The coat takes 24 buttons, the waistcoat 16! Many times the buttons didn't even actually button into a buttonhole....they were there just for looks and to impress others.

So here is the final product for our Courthouse Play production this year.


The waistcoat (basically a man's vest) is worn buttoned up over the shirt. The buttons below the pockets flaps are purely for decoration.





Here is the frock coat. It doesn't look like much on the hanger, but this is an extra large and the hanger isn't really big enough. The buttons down the front are again purely for show, as are the "buttonholes" on the other front side. There are no pockets under those pocket flaps, either. The back has one split in the center, and a  double box pleat on each side, also decorated with buttons. This gentleman will wear a wig, typical of the era, that we maintain at the Courthouse, along with a white linen shirt and stock. (Linen was much cheaper than cotton back them.) And he'll have black shoes with buckles on them. A regular Justice of the Courthouse and 1750 community back then. So that's my "volunteer sewing" for this month.
What's yours?