Woman's Quilted Petticoat

Clothing and Dress

Woman's Quilted Petticoat

1840 - 1860

37 inches long (93.9 cm); 96 inches at the hem circumference (243.9 cm); made of six panels measuring 16 1/4 inches wide (42 cm); hand quilting at 7 stitches to the inch (2.5 cm); hand sewing at 9 stitches to the inch along the seams;

This brown silk petticoat originally was owned by Mary Perrin. Mary was born 14 September 1811, in Rehoboth, Massachusetts (Steere 2011). The silhouette of this petticoat, with a flatter front due to darts and cartridge pleated sides and back, as well as its even hemline, suggests a date range of 1840–1860.

This Perrin petticoat was hand-sewn, lending credence to the date range before the widespread use of sewing machines. The quilting consists of three different horizontal patterns: diamond, shell, and rope. The waistband is made from cambric fabric and probably originally had hook and eyes as closures, but all that is left is the thick threads that would have held them down. There are three patches on the skirt; one on the center front at the waistband and two horizontally on either side of the back opening near the waistband. The hem has been re-covered from its original brown silk to a velvet fabric (cotton base with silk pile) used as binding. These repairs are expertly mended. This petticoat is a fine example of craftsmanship with very consistent stitching and a nearly perfect match of the quilted pattern where it meets in the back.

This quilted petticoat is both utilitarian and artistic at the same time. Women in New England had to stay warm, and quilted petticoats were excellent objects for that purpose. Brown was a very common color for petticoats during this time period due to its ability to hide dirt. Mary’s petticoat was artistic in that she designed it with three different quilting patterns, something that only she would see, which adds to the impression that this utilitarian object was a prideful piece of her wardrobe.

References

Steere, JoAnn Bussian. The Perrin Collection: History, Fashion, and Art in Nineteenth-century Bags and Purses. DigitalCommons@URI, 2011.

Donor: Maude Ide Streeter Perrin (Mrs. Irving Perrin)
Mabel Etta Streeter Crabbs (Mrs. Frank W. Crabbs)
Perrin Collection

URI 1964.15.12

Maria Vazquez, MS '18

Perrin Collection

brown silk face or exterior
cotton backing or lining
cotton batting
cambric waistband
velvet tape or ribbon (covering hem)