A 1790 Redingote

I started on a new project a couple days ago and I'm very excited about it, because it's the first gown I will completely hand sew. I put away the machine and to tell the truth, I am loving it. It's a lot faster than I though it would be, it's prettier than by machine, and I can go anywhere with it, so I'm not relegated to the sewing room! Yay!

Let me start by showing my inspiration. Im basing this 1780-90's style redingote on the following examples. Especially the one from the LACMA.

Louis Carrogis Carmontelle, 1780's.

LACMA, 1790. I loooooove this one!!!

Mrs. William Mosely, by Ralph Earl. 1791.

So far, I've pieced together the bodice pieces and finished up one sleeve. It is pinned on below, not set in yet. The lapels were cut with the bodice front. The collar will be attached separately. I don't know how 100% correct this is, as I have never seen a real redingote up close, but looking at any suit jacket, you can see the lapels are cut as part of the front and the collar is sewn in after. I'm putting two and two together here...

As for the fabric, the color I have seen in garments from the period, however the dupioni silk I have never, ever, ever seen. I am using it, however, because I had it in the stash and I'm really trying not to buy more fabric before the new year. I am so running out of room! And this is kind of a test run anyway, authenticity wise. Other than the silk, I am using linen for the lining and I am stitching with silk thread, waxed.

For draping the pattern I used this awesome
pattern paper that feels more like fabric than
paper. No crinkling. I know it's modern, but I'm more
comfortable with it than draping with my lining.
One thing at a time. Added bonus: at the end
you have a pattern to keep for future use!

This is assembled as a quarter back and will be single breasted, with self-fabric covered buttons like the LACMA redingote. Im also planning on adding nice crisp cuffs and a big fab collar to go with those dramatic lapels. Yum. 

One of the stitches I have been using, that I absolutely love, I don't even know the name of. But if you want to check it out, go here for an excellent tutorial. This seaming technique is awesome for piecing the bodice together. It's quite fast and looks very clean on the outside. If anyone knows what it's called, please do share!

Outside view using this seam.

Inside view. Up close.

Inside. Not so close :)

I also used an over hand stitch along the center front. I don't know how accurate this is, but because the lapels fold over I chose to use a stitch that would look uniform on both sides, unlike a slip stitch. I suppose I could have used a running stitch too, but the over hand worked very nicely (as long as the stitches are kept fine).

When assembling the bodice pieces initially, I left the bottom seam open, since I wasn't 100% sure how the skirt gets attached. I will be closing it up though, since after pouring over my books for the thousandth time, I think I finally get how to execute and attach cartridge pleating. I've always found it very frustrating trying to figure out sewing techniques from print descriptions. When we were in Williamsburg last, I asked the ladies (and gentleman) in the millinery shop about a thousand questions. This really helped. Many, many thanks to them! Especially since I got explanations and was able to see the inside of their reproduction garments at the same time. Now when I read, the descriptions make a lot more sense. Yay! 

The Lady's Guide to Plain Sewing, volumes one and two, are especially helpful, as is Costume Close Up, by Linda Baumgarten.

Check out some pictures of a couple of reproduction pieces - riding habits - from the Millinery shop. The red and green is from later in the century, the blue from earlier.

Is it a robe a l'anglaise or a quarter back or both?

Recently a new term has peaked my interest: quarter back. I've gone about for a while now, thinking a quarter back gown was just another way of constructing a robe a l'anglaise, like there were two options, quarter back or en forreau. I asked Nicole over at Diary of a Mantua Maker and she has informed me that, at the millinery shop in Williamsburg, they refer to these as two different types of gown. She has also informed me that museums often categorize their collections in very broad terms, which is probably why I have never seen gowns called this before. I scanned through all the fashion plate books I have and still nothing, and in all the fashion history books I have, I have never come across this term. Only online. I'm so curious why this term is so hard to find information on. 

From what I understand, here are examples of each:

A 1750's Robe a l'anglaise with it's en forreau back,
which is cut as one with the skirt. From the Met Museum.
C.I.68.52. 

A 1784-87 gown in the quarter back style, with a bodice cut in
separate pieces from the skirt. This is listed on the
Metropolitan Museum's website as a Robe a l'anglaise.
1991.204a, b. 

Another 1780's dress listed as an Robe a l'anglaise
by the Metropolitan Museum, but cut in the
quarter back style. 1982.291a, b.  

Does anyone have a book or any info that refers to this?

One theory that seems plausible is in regard to language and things getting "lost in translation." So many of the terms we use in fashion history, especially in the 18th century, come from the French language. Could it be possible that the French called both styles of fitted-back gown a l'anglaise, because they were adopted from the English? Then when people use the terms, they use the French, and certain terminology used by english-speaking countries gets lost? Is this why other english terms, like "round gown," "kerchief," etc are less commonly heard, but robe a la _______, fichu, etc are very commonly referred to?

So now I'm wondering if it's inappropriate to refer to both of these styles as a l'anglaise? Or if it is acceptable, and we can still call quarter back gowns an anglaise, like we call jeans, pants, but not all pants are jeans? Ooo I'm itching to find out!

And whatever do we call this one? It is both pleated and separate from the skirt!

1780 -1790. Listed as a robe a l'anglaise
on the LACMA site. M.59.25a. 

Ideas anyone???