1861 “Lotus” Day Bodice

I decided to make a matching bodice for my 1860s Lotus Skirt using the Truly Victorian 1861 Day Bodice and the padgoda sleeves on page 21 of Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion 2.

The fabric I chose is a cotton/linen blend in the color “cadet blue” from Renassiance Fabrics, which is sadly no longer available. I used a white cotton broadcloth for “lining”. I cut out the following pieces:

• a back piece

• two front sleeve pieces

• two back sleeve pieces

• two side pieces

• two front pieces

Here you see the changes I made for the sleeves. I used the sleeve head and shape from the Truly Victorian pattern, then adapted the cuff into a padoga shape using the piece from Patterns of Fashion.

I then basted all the blue fashion pieces with their corresponding white cotton “lining’ fabric.

I then cut out bias stripes of my cotton fabric and made piping using 3mm cord. I then attached it to the front piece at the side seam using a zipper foot.

I then added some on both the top and bottom of the front seam and well as the side and shoulder of the back piece. Therefore when all my seams would be sewn they would all by piped.

I then sewed the side pieces to the back pieces and ironed the seam allowance towards the side seam.

Here is how it looked from the inside. I pinked the edges to finish.

I then sewed the side and shoulder seam and finished them in a similar manner.

I then sewed the four darts into the front pieces, two on each side, and ironed them towards the center front.

I then cut a stripe of blue linen bias tape and sewed it to the collar. I then turned it inward and finished it by hand using whip stitches.

I then finished the center front edges in a similar manner.

I then made some more bias tape and pinned and sewed it to each seam as well as the darts to form boning channels. I then sewed this on by hand.

I then turned the hem of my bodice up by 1/2” then 1/2” again and finished by hand using whip stiitches. Here is how it looks when finished.

I then instered my boning for which I used spiral steel for the side backs seams and 7mm whalebone for every other seam.

Turning my attention to the sleeves and hemed then using the same bias technique I used on my neckline and my center fronts edges.

I then added my waist tape and attached it to the center back and side back bones. The purpose of the waist tape is to take the stress off your buttons and bring in the back of your bodice to your back.

I then traced out my lotus flower designs and marked out my placement for my velvet bands 1/2” up from the sleeve hem.

I then pinned and sewed on my soutache trim using tiny running stitches then my velvet bands by hand as well.

here is my template for my lotus flowers each sqaure is 1/8” by 1/8”

I then gathered my sleeves and attached them to the bodice.

I then marked out my 10 buttonholes using tailor's chalk. They are 3/4” wide buttonholes, 1/2” away from the center front edge, and 1” away from each other.

I then sewed by buttonholes by machine and my buttons by hand. My buttons are a faux pearl flat top shank kind.