Tucked and Tatted Drawers

So here are my finshed drawers. I am so pleased with how they came out, though I am not wild about the fabrick they are done in. They were drafted to my measurements and cut out. I used a tightly woven muslin/cotton sheeting. They are quite sturdy which is historically accurate, but they aren't as soft as I would have liked. I really had trouble finding just the perfect muslin for these. They aren't uncomfortable by any means, but a little stiff and "rustly", this is the perfect fabric for tucked petticoats. (Pictures in a later post) I added free style waves of feather stitching between the tucks and a fine tatted edging with sz 100 tatting thread.

Drawers in the mid 19th century were meant as a serviceable garment, and didn't gain the lace and fancy stuff until later in the 1800's. Laundry was still quite a rough task and laces and flimsy fabrics just wouldn't have held up to the boiling, scrubbing, and soaps that were used. Our foremothers had a good dose of healthy economy and would not have added anything that would have just fallen apart after a washing or two. For those particular females that wanted a little feminine touch, white embroidery and tatting in cotton threads were the common and logical choice.