I think many of us have been there: we are wandering around the fabric store, not really looking for anything in particular; more so we are waiting for the fabric to choose us. My husband laughs. A few years ago I found a bolt on the sale rack that screamed 18th century. I pulled all of the fabric off the bolt to see how much was there. Exactly enough for a petticoat.
This fabric is lightly quilted cotton with a dusty pea green and dusty “colonial blue” pattern. I LOVED IT. I also lovingly bought all of it.
My hand from wrist to middle finger is about 8 inches long.
So here is the conundrum. I found ONE example (so far in my initial pinterest search) of a quilted petticoat with a pattern printed on it. And I’m having trouble finding the original source for that one even. I’m not exactly one for just “inspiration” pieces when I’m at events. As I get more involved in my hobby/passion, I want to wear garments that are as close to an original as possible. I know that not every detail can be perfect, but if I can come close, I feel better.
My options:
- make it anyway and whatevs…I wear it saying it is inspired
- think some more about this and keep researching
- toss aside petticoat idea completely and make it in to a caraco or quilted jacket of some sort
I just love sewing large rectangles together…ya know?
Wee Needle 
It’s so pretty. Maybe it is a bit too pretty for a petticoat though… 😉
I have also thought about using it for something else, but I can’t decide. I don’t attend tons of events where I can wear pretty clothes, but I feel I need some. 🙂
It is beautiful, and I would have probably thought the same and done likewise. I recognize the dilemma. I have a length of fabric in a print from the V&A archives dated to the 1810s that I thought would be perfect for a Regency gown. However, the scale is larger than I realized and not I cannot find an example of a print this size used in a garment.
It’s very pretty! I’ve ended up re-purposing some fabric buys that I was unsure of but had to have (and later discovered were not great choices for what I’d intended them for) as home decor projects. I mean, if you can’t wear it, live in it?
It would make really pretty pillows or even smaller quilt on the bed. Your professional opinion: yay or nay for 18th cent quilted petticoat? After going through inspection just a bit ago, I’m just having a tad more difficulty than expected trying to find extant garments that are similar to the fabric I bought.
My gut instinct is no–like you, I’ve not seen any printed quilted petticoats. I’m also unsure of the quilting pattern itself–I’ve mostly seen regular lozenges and vine designs, and this is kinda an in-between with the cool squiggles. If it were me, I would probably either set it aside and keep digging into the research, or brainstorm other uses (but you should know that brainstorming things to do with fabric may be my all-time favorite pastime, so….)