18th Century Riding Habits: Piecemeal & Apace

"Piecemeal" is a good word for describing the sewing of the two riding habits. There are so many individual pieces that go into the construction of each one, some of which have to be completed before others can be started, while others can be finished individually and then await final stitching. 

My head is spinning! 

To help me with this massive project, I texted my sister and asked if I could run up to her farm and borrow some of her habits.

An armload of her jackets and waistcoats (pronounced "WES-kits) temporarily piled on the back of my living room couch. 

Seeing how they are constructed has been an enormous help to me as I figure out this pattern. (The more I get into the sewing, the more missing steps I am finding.)

Now I have riding habits piled on couches and hanging in closets, but I am so glad to have them to refer to.

Aside from the hems, the petticoats are finished. 

One of the habits is for Teacher Daughter Lisa, and she pops in after school for fittings.

I don't like sewing things piecemeal, but because I don't have time to waste, I have to. For example, I finished parts of the the jacket lining (above) but I needed Lisa to try it on for fit before proceeding. Since she can't come until school is out at 3:30, I had to set that aside and work on something else.

Both my sewing and my embroidery machines are getting heavy work outs, sometimes at the same time!

I am embroidering the pockets that will be worn under the riding habits. This 18th century Jacobean flower design has 84,000 plus stitches in it. 

A completed pocket. Pockets are tied around the waist and worn under the petticoat. (These were the forerunner of modern pockets that are sewn into our clothes.)

Another reason things are being made piecemeal is that we still need to choose embellishments and buttons. I have the waistcoat finished; now I need to add the trim (gold or silver?), buttons, and buttonholes. 

But I can't make the buttonholes until I know the size of the buttons.  So, I've set the waistcoat aside and moved onto another part of the habit.

The work continues apace. (A great 18th century word that is very fitting! Er, no pun intended there.) And my mind is spinning with all that I  have to do to finish these habits before October 9. 

Aside from the petticoat, I haven't even begun to work on the jacket and waistcoat of the second one. Any guesses as to who it might be for?