Starting a Shift

I clearly did too much boning on my stays on Saturday because my fingers were still a bit sore on Sunday. I did a little more boning but left it to start on the shift. I didn't manage to find any extant shifts from c. 1700 so I'm going with something that's a cross between the 1752 shift in Sharon Ann Burnston's article on shifts, the various shifts in Patterns of Fashion 4, and what the_aristocat did for her 1660's shift.

Then there will be big ruffles around the neck and sleeves like in the paintings because I did manage to find paintings that show the shift, and while they're not exactly standard dress, they make sense with the necks of the shifts shown with some of the early 18th century simple satin gowns in other paintings, including some of those in the shifts article.

I cut all of it except for part of the neck ruffle and had very little scrap - 4 pieces of scrap: 3/4"x11", 3/4"x11", 3/4"x4", and 1/4"x11". Most of those are where I wanted to cut the fuzzy selvedge off rather than incorporate it into the sleeve bands. I'll be able to take the rest of the neck ruffle off of the yard of fabric I've got left, but I want to get it mostly sewn together before I do that.

Since I finished cutting it out while the whole family was watching Mary Poppins together, I started hand-sewing it together. I really hadn't meant to be hand-sewing it, but I'm pleased with how it's looking, including tiny (for me) flat-felled seams so I might keep it up. I have until November to finish the stays, shift, petticoat, dress, and cap so there should be time, right?



I started with a sleeve using the theory that if I run out of interest in hand-sewing this, it will be better to have the sleeves hand-done since they'll be visible while the body gores won't be.