I suspect this may be the most accurate garment I've made. It's what I think a petticoat should be. The skirt is of scarlet say (a fine wool twill cloth) and is upperbodied with hemp canvas. Red was by far the most common colour for petticoats, possibly because of its perceived health benefits; this fine scarlet dye makes this an expensive garment indeed.

I'm particularly pleased with the fit I've managed to achieve with only minimal shaping and no boning at all. The bodies of this garment provide ample support and although they wrinkle slightly, anything else over them sits smoothly. The skirt it slightly gored and it and the bodies give wonderful support to an overlying, fancy kirtle, without the need for anything more fancy. I can't prove this is how they did it, but it works.

The skirt is lined in a very light, caramel coloured say. Incidently, I recommend wool lining for skirts, particularly if they're at or near ground length. The wool doesn't wick water like a linen lining does, so your calves stay dry even if it's muddy. The hem is bound in scraps of black wool. Binding is an authentic technique, and one I find easier than hemming.

Like most garments on this site, this is entirely hand-sewn with linen thread. The wool deserved nothing less.