#1760's

Robe à la française ca. 1765

I made a pair of gloves based on the pattern diagrams in Diderot's 1765 Encyclopedia. This is my 3rd time making gloves, but my first time using actual nice new leather for it. (The first pair I ever made was re-used leather from an old jacket, and it was weak and tore, and the second pair was re-used suede from a skirt which had next to no stretch.)

These are made from a goatskin I've had in my stash for years, and which is a bit thicker than I'd prefer and not a very nice shade of greyish off-white, but I wanted to be sure my pattern was perfect before cutting into the nice lambskin I bought more recently.

I first drew up my glove pattern back in 2018, and made a few slight changes before sewing it up this time, and even more changes afterwards. (Photograph is of the pattern after all these changes.) I found that the first finger I sewed up was too big, so I trimmed down all my fourchettes before sewing up the rest of them, and narrowed the pattern pieces accordingly. The thumb fits quite badly here too, so I lengthened it and nipped in the sides where it was too loose.

Teapot with fossil design, c. 1760-65, The Met.

A similar fossil patterned teapot, also c. 1760's, Milwaukee Art Museum.

Another 1760's teapot that is very very similar to the first one, also at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

• Woman's Dress and Stomacher (Robe à la française).

Place of origin: Italy (?)

Date: Textile: 1700-1720; Dress constructed 1760's