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MISS HEATHER, i am planning on making an outfit to attend the san francisco dicken's christmas fair for this year and i am planning on making an 1840's gown from the late 40's with the fuller skirts,and don't want to wear several petticoats and cannot wear hoop(i want to be accurate but need ease and conveniance to go to the conveniance!).i was planning on making a few petticoats of horsehair(our modern version of that),but think it's not enough, and i really want it quiet full.i read in your history of fashion that in the 1840's sometimes they padded and used cane for part of their petticoats to give width and circumference to the dresses,could i do this and how ,simply?..also here is a picture of the kind of fuller skirt i want for the skirt of the dress,thanks for your help!.

[Heather]

I have read about the cane and padding, but there is no explanation for how to use it. The cane most likely was a cane hoop, but it would be breakable and rigid. For the padding ones, I was musing on this the other day and came up with something I wanted to try. It is based on the description of a 'down stuffed petticoat, that floated up like a pillow when you sat down'. (paraphrased, not exact words.)

My idea was this, to make a sorta hoop/stuffed/corded type petticoat by using two layers of fabric, with four or five 2" wide channels sewn into it. Then stuffing the channels firmly with batting like a hard pillow. Or use more numerous, but less stuffed, channels which is closer to the original description I think. These would/should stand out like a hoop, but collapse easily and hopefully not be too hoopish. The problem will be once you get a bend spot in the stuffing, it will collapse there all the time. But that should be period problem I think. And I doubt it would be very washable. But to me, this sounded so much better than a corded petticoat.