Welcome back to the Panier-Along (look, there is a button!  And it links to a Panier-Along page!).  Yesterday we cut out our panier pattern pieces – today let’s start sewing! The first sewing step it an optional one.  Some historical paniers have slits at the top so that you can use the paniers as pockets (since wearing paniers and pockets can get a bit tricky).  If you don’t want pocket slits, you can skip this step and move halfway down the post to the next step. First, mark a line 6″ down from the centre top of your 25″ wide panier outside piece.  This will be your slit to reach through. Cut down this line: Now, you need to finish the raw edges of the pocket slits.  My way of finishing pocket slits is based on historical examples, but if this method is too complicated you could just widen your slits a little so that they form narrow U shapes and bind the edges with bias tape. To do it historically,  make a narrow hem …

With the Under-it-All challenge coming up on the Historical Sew Fortnightly  I offered to write a tutorial on how to make paniers, and the idea was met with much enthusiasm.  So, from Jan 30th to Feb 8th I’ll be leading a Panier-Along, providing a simple pattern and walking you through the steps of making your own set of paniers. My panier pattern is based on information in Norah Waugh’s Corsets & Crinolines, and on the panier pattern at Tidens Tøj.  It creates a set of separate basket hoops that give a modestly wide silhouette, suitable for informal dress (e.g. not court wear) in the 1760s and 70s. The tutorial will focus on being easy and simple (I’ll probably be sewing by machine), with an accurate silhouette, rather than strictly historical accurate, but it shouldn’t be too hard to adapt to be perfectly accurate if you would prefer. The challenge doesn’t start until the 29th, but we need time to assemble our materials.  If you want to participate you will need: 1 yard/95cm  of mid to …