Plaid Homespun Skirt

So I had my petticoat, my shirtwaist, and all my accessories ready for my interpretation of a Portuguese marketwoman of the late 19th century/early 20th century...but what about my skirt?? Making this skirt was a mad rush before the event (as most sewing tends to be!), and took me only about 6 hours to complete, which included cartridge pleating 5 yards of material!

The following 20th century photos are from Trajar do Povo Em Portugal, a Facebook page which documents clothing worn in Portugal by all social classes during the 19th and 20th centuries:

Sardine vendors from Leiria, Portugal

Woman selling milk in Lisbon, Portugal

Marketwoman eating a snack in Lisbon, Portugal

My skirt is made from 5 yards of this burgundy and cream plaid homespun from Joann's. Five yards created a perfectly full skirt, but presented some challenges when it came to sewing. Between the application of bias tape in lieu of a hem, adding a hem facing, and adding 2 tucks, the skirt has 25 yards of machine sewing alone!

The historical accuracy of the skirt is, in my opinion, extremely high. The skirt was sewn cut edge to cut edge, with a 9 inch long gap left at the top of the seam. As mentioned above, my skirt has a 10 inch tall hem facing made from blue Kona cotton, as found on many extant skirts and nearly all modern reproductions. Two 1 inch wide horizontal tucks above the facing keep the skirt at ankle length--the fabric was never cut, just adjusted to my size to reduce waste. The raw edges of the bottom of the skirt and facing are enclosed in 1/2 inch wide grey double fold bias binding, also seen on period and repro pieces, as a way to reduce wear on the skirt fabric itself.

To create the cartridge pleats, I folded 3 inches of fabric down, creating two layers of fabric at the top of the skirt to add dimension to the cartridge pleats. I then sewed four lines of running stitches every half inch (Warning: this process takes forever). I finished the top of the skirt with grey double fold bias binding, which extended into waist ties.

In this photo, you can see the grey double fold bias binding which encloses the hem, and my embroidered patent leather mules!

This skirt was easy, inexpensive, and authentic. In my opinion, it captures most accurately the experience of a home sewer of the late 19th century/early 20th century in Portugal and other rural areas. The skirt is dramatic, durable, and cost less than $20 to create, including notions!


Have you ever worked with homespun fabric before? Share your projects in the comments section below!