Bonjour mes petits croissants! C’est fini, la jupe-culotte avec les grands boutons cerises!
Sorry, I panicked there. Here are some beautiful models wearing Edwardian ‘jupes-culottes’
This skirt, from Reconstructing History, [#951] is VOLUMINOUS. I don’t think it would be possible to tell that it’s not a skirt even if I did the splits in it. Not that I can. I could have left it in its insanely pink African print glory, without recourse to the detachable front panel, but that would have been too easy. Sigh.
Of course, the crazy pink buttons I snaffled on eBay are pretty big [just over an inch] because small shocking pink buttons would not have been able to hold their own against the enormous key print on this fabric.
So of course, the next problem was that the Singer buttonholer only makes buttons UP TO 1″ long. The manual does give sketchy instructions on how to make longer buttonholes though- basically you have to start the buttonhole partway along the length, sew round to the other side and stop level with the start, needle down. You then carefully hold the fabric still, wind the gadget through to almost another full rotation, and carry on.
This took about twenty practice buttonholes before I got the method right. Amazingly, the bobbin didn’t run out, but I did have two messes, one bobbin thread jam and there are two buttonholes that would not pass any inspection but I lost the will to redo them.
18 buttons, 1 waist hook and bar, a couple of snaps on the placket, and two very long hems. I was going to sew the hems with crin inserted, [because I had some leftover and thought that it would look more fun with a slightly stiffened hem]…but there wasn’t QUITE enough [about 2″ short, quite annoying. I bound the hem with some of that ubiquitous pink bias lawn.
I decided it didn’t feel snug enough [no hips, remember?] so I zigzagged a bit of elastic onto the inside of the back waistband. Sloppy, but shoot me.
I may go completely colour blind and pair these with my green moleskin riding jacket, or just a white shirt and cropped jacket.
Anyway. Done.
What do you think? Crazy, n’est-ce-pas?http://imgur.com/SO4eIUc
thedementedfairy 
Fabulous!
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Thanks!
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This is a very flattering and fun style on you. I’m curious about how it feels to walk with all that fabric around the legs then it dawned on me that it’s for sitting on a horse!! Can I ask if you made that lovely blouse and is it an available pattern?
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Thankyou! It’s actually very easy to walk in, just baggy trousers really… The blouse is one I made at the start of my steampunk fun and games, from an extremely old, LITERALLY worm-eaten Simplicity 5607. It’s in a shimmery silver linen. I love it.
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You look fabulous – truly!
Pink and green are well known bed-fellows – go for it!
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It’s a surprisingle fun pattern- I thought I hated culottes, but apparently I don’t!
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Now you need a horse! Maybe for Christmas? I don’t think I have ever seen so many buttons or buttonholes! Fabulous!
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I hate horses. And pink. And pink horses. lol
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Well I am a sucker for all things pink. I love the pink and reddish print together. And I think your pink buttons are exactly the same as the white ones I managed to buy 72 of! You look amazing in the culottes and it makes me think you might try a day time work version. Knee length in a pair of interesting tweeds for example. The overall shape of the outfit is beautiful.
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Thanks! I’m not sure the vast quantity of fabric in these would work on my tubular shape without the corset [remember, uncorseted I have no waist at all!] The pink is crazy, but I can’t see myself making anything else this vibrant…
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I love this! I’m so glad to see it made up; the envelope drawing definitely doesn’t show just how amazingly full these are.
I’m wondering if this would give ‘essence of waist’ even without a corset. I’m essentially a tube with boobs, and I find that extra fabric at the hip makes me look like I actually have a waist to hip ratio. 🙂
I had been thinking about trying the Winslow culottes pattern from Heather’s Closet. Maybe I’ll try this instead.
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I’m the same, no waist definition at all, AND a belly. I made these with an elasticated back waist to keep them up if I wear them without a corset [I have no bum either!] and they look good. They’re pleated to the waistband rather than gathered too, so there’s fullness without bulk which is nice. These wide elastic belts are a good trick too, comfortable enough, but give some definition
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Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll keep an eye out for wide elastic belts. I wonder if the thrift shop would have any…
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Fabulous! And great fun too. You certainly wont get lost in a crowd 😉
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