Instructions to make a corded petticoat. (Based on instructions from http://www.7thtexascav.com/ladies_getting_started.htm) Compiled and illustrated by Dana Gagnon
Materials: • 2 lengths of white muslin that are (x + 20 in.) each (Note: 36 in. wide muslin is okay for those slim teens.) Estimate: 2 ½ to 3 yards • 3 10-yard-packages of corded upholstery cable (Buy ¼-inch or 8/32-inch in diameter cord or thinner—nothing bigger.) • Wide twill tape (for the drawstring at the waist)
Directions: Sew the two lengths of muslin together at the selvedges (to be between 75" and 90" in circumference) to make a tube, with a placket in one seam. Mark lines around the tube about every 2" up from the bottom to the height of your knees, leaving room for a hem. Starting at the hem, sew the cable into a casing made by the hem. (The cording gets folded in against your pencil mark on the wrong side of the fabric. The stitching is done with your zipper foot on the right side of the fabric.) Use your zipper foot so that you can sew in tight. Cut the cable so that it overlaps slightly at the beginning/end. Now go up to the next line. Tuck the cable from the back into the line drawn on the inside of the petticoat. Sew around on the outside. Do this again and again. Note that the cords stick out on the outside of the petticoat. The underside is smooth. It takes about 10-12 rounds. (Up to 15 rounds with 36" wide fabric)
Now, put it on and measure the length, leaving room for a casing at your waist. Cut the excess length off the top. Make a casing and put in a drawstring (that wide twill tape again). Now you have a corded petticoat. (Remember to starch and iron it after each washing so that it will stick out better and not hang in limp folds.)
Some notes on starching your corded petticoat from a re-enactor’s forum: When I still had a corded petticoat I would starch it by soaking it (or mostly just the bottom part with the cords) in liquid starch that was undiluted, I think it was Stay-Flow (came in a blue bottle). I did it once by mixing cornstarch and water and came up with similar results. After a few minuets I'd take it out ring it well. Then I'd place it over a large 50 gallon trash can that I'd covered in a large trash bag to protect the petticoat from the nasty things on the trashcan. (Oh, ya, and to keep the trashcan from getting covered in starch). Some folks have found that stretching it over an exercise ball works well, too. ď Š Let it sit out in the sun until dry. This also bleached out the petticoat nicely if there were any stains. Now that the starching was done, this was a petticoat that could stand up by itself and unless really humid the starching would last several events.