On Saturday morning I went to a local antique shop, looking for a wooden hand that I could use to display gloves. (As you do.) I didn’t find one, but I did find four lovely pieces of vintage underwear that I snapped up with great glee!
First out of the basket was this petticoat. It’s in perfect condition, just a few rust spots here and there, and it actually fits me! I’ll just need to shorten the straps, and unpick the tape that’s been used to create gathers under the arms. Then I can wear it underneath the dresses I’m planning to make from my new pattern.
Next up was not one, but two pairs of great big drawers! They’re decorated with drawn threadwork on the legs, each in a different style. Both pairs are a bit damaged. One has a lot of yellowing and a hole in the crotch. The plan for these, I think, is to cut away the worst of the damaged fabric and put in a whole new panel. I’ll also need to replace the elastic and drawstring at the back.
The threadwork is gorgeous though, so fine! I genuinely can’t tell whether the spots in the middle of the squares are made by hand or machine. They’re so even!
The other pair has a simpler design, but no less lovely. These have been repaired quite a lot, and will need a fair bit of work doing if they’re going to be rescued and returned to a wearable state. There’s a small tear at the front waist, and the drawstring channels have come apart on both sides. The crotch is intact in this pair, and in fact looks to have been replaced. The stitching is so tiny that the seams are virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding fabric. There’s also quite a large tear in the back of one leg, that’s been mended in a similarly delicate way.
Both pairs are monogrammed with the initials “MR” just to the left of the centre front.
And last but not least, there’s this pretty little camisole. More modern than the other pieces, it’s overlocked on the inside, and made from lawn rather than densely woven cotton. I can’t tell yet whether the straps will need replacing, or whether they’ll be fine after a good hot iron.
The ribbon that’s threaded through the channel at the front definitely needs replacing though, and there’s a tear that will need to be mended. There’s also a double row of stitching around the waist, that must presumably have once contained elastic. This one’s not as carefully made as the others, which makes me feel less bad about altering it rather than trying to preserve it. In fact, I’m thinking that I might turn it upside down, and make it into a pretty little petticoat or summer nightdress for my niece.
Not bad, for a completely unexpected find!