Robes de Coeur
  • Blog
  • Quilting
  • Clothing
    • Menswear
    • Womenswear >
      • Self-Made Patterns
      • Commercial Patterns
    • Hats
    • Miscellany
  • About
  • Blog
  • Quilting
  • Clothing
    • Menswear
    • Womenswear >
      • Self-Made Patterns
      • Commercial Patterns
    • Hats
    • Miscellany
  • About

Plastron on a Whim

12/6/2018

1 Comment

 
In which I make a Victorian-inspired plastron or dickie... and end up looking like I work at Grace Brothers!
(Sometimes when I title my posts I amuse myself wondering what Google searches will yield these confusing word combos, and what the searchers will think...)

A "plastron" is a chest covering.  If you're a turtle, it's your shell.  If you're a fencer, it's your padded vest.  If you're a Victorian era lady, it's a lacy faux-front that you tie around your neck to change up the look of your dress.  And if you're me... well.  Read on to see what I came up with! 
My workplace is cold, so I button my shirts up to the neck and wear long underwear.  Buttoning the shirts all the way up gives me a chance to display my brooches or narrow scarves or both.  One night, I decide to make a detachable neck ruffle to jazz up a plain white shirt.  No pattern necessary.
I start with a simple U-shaped base.  One side is polyester poplin(?), the other side cotton organdy.  I sew them together and turn the seam allowances inward.  For clarity, I'll call this piece the base, and the open end of it is its top. 

Separately, I take the embroidered edge of a decrepit old linen pillowcase, gather it with basting stitches, and sew the pleats down cartridge style to the base. 
Picture
The base
Picture
Gathering stitches
Picture
One stitch for each "valley" to make the cartridge pleats
Picture
ruffle on base
At this point the ruffles are in a steep U that mirrors the U-shape of the base.  The goal is to make this like a fabric necklace, where the ruffles hang down the chest.  To that end, I now cut a long strip about two inches tall and tack the top of the base to the center of it.  I make a box pleat in the base as I do so, to narrow it at the top.  Then I fold the long strip lengthwise with the raw edges tucked inward, and sew it shut. 
Picture
base with box pleat, tacked to long strip
Picture
The other side, before I sew the long strip shut.
When I'm done I realize that my long strip is too long for my neck; I'd intended to close it at Center Back with hooks and eyes, or button and hole, but at its current length I end up using safety pins, one on each side of my neck, as the ends cross each other and nearly come to the front! 

FINISHED

Here are two pics of the plastron in use... the one on the left is over exposed, and I had to fiddle with the light settings to see anything, but it shows you the general look of the plastron on a light shirt.  At least you can see the cool brooch I've put on the center!  The one on the right is the same outfit, but with my bed jacket on top for warmth.  The plastron shows very well on the bed jacket. 
Picture
Picture
1 Comment
The Sister
12/12/2018 07:01:51 am

Well... you're aging backwards, Miss Brahams!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Karen Roy

    Quilting, dressmaking, and history plied with the needle...

    Sites I Enjoy

    The Quilt Index
    r/Quilting
    Wonkyworld

    Categories

    All
    1910's
    Alteration
    Antique
    Dyeing
    Embroidery
    General
    Hand Sewing
    History
    Lacemaking
    Mending
    Menswear
    Millinery
    Modern Elizabethan
    Musing
    Other Sewing
    Philippians 4:8
    Project Diary
    Quilting
    Regency
    Retro
    Self Made Pattern
    Self-made Pattern
    Terminology
    Victorian
    Vintage

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    December 2024
    March 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

Blog

Quilting

Clothing

About

Copyright Karen Roy
​© 2017-2024