All posts filed under: Tutorial

Panier Along #3: Assembling the Panier Bag bottoms

When I last left you in the Panier-Along we were all sewing on our hoop channels on the panier outside. Here are mine all hand-sewn on with linen thread: Today, we’re going to assemble our panier bags, which is the point where your paniers really start to look like something. First, mark the centre point of the bottom of your panier outside piece (straight down from the pocket slit), and the centre point of the panier bottom piece. Matching these points, pin the bottom edge of the panier outside piece and the large outside curve of the panier bottom piece together: Sew that curve 1/2″ from the edge, just below your first hoop channel. Start your line of stitching 1/2″ from the short vertical edge, at the same point where the hoop channel starts: There is your bottom sewn on! Time to sew on the panier inside piece. Pin the bottom edge of the panier inside piece to the shallow curve of the panier bottom piece. Beginning at the point where you began sewing the …

Panier-Along #2: Pocket slits and hoop channels

Published by The Dreamstress

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 …

Panier Along #1: Pattern pieces

Published by The Dreamstress

Yay! Hello! Welcome to the Panier-Along! Over the next two weeks I’ll be walking you through making 1770sish paniers. To start with, check out the Materials List. Now that you have all your materials sorted, let’s get the pattern figured out, and your fabric cut. I’m using a lovely heavyweight linen in a sort of pinky-terracotta that was in my stash. It’s got some light fading, but is really ideal in terms of weight and the tightness of the weave: it will support the boning well without being too thick to pleat. I know I said I’d be machine sewing, but linen is such a pleasure to hand-sew that I have changed my mind, and will be hand sewing it. The pattern pieces for the paniers look like this: There are two of each (one for each side of the paniers), and they are laid out as I cut them from my 45″ wide fabric. The rectangles are pretty self explanatory, but here is how to draft the panier bottom: Start with a 10″ pattern …