Quilted Petticoat

Date1750-1775

MediumPale pink silk satin; white glazed wool worsted tabby backing; pink woolen batting.

DimensionsOL: 35" (front); Circumference: 96" Waist (altered): 24"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1953-436

DescriptionPale pink satin petticoat quilted in running stitches to white glazed worsted wool backing, with dyed pink woolen batting. Lower border design consists of stylized lilies and sunflowers with additional spiky vertical leaves beneath zig-zag arches. Upper portion has repeated swags and three-petal leaves dropping from center of each swag. Replaced linen waistband. Backing worsted fabric retains creases from the original glazing process.

Construction History:
1. Original construction 1750-1775
2. Ernest LoNano February 17 1954, "cleaning, repairing, and restoring".
"pleated to replace waistband" noted by Linda Baumgarten as being done by LoNano
Label TextQuilted Petticoat
England, 1750-1775
Silk satin; glazed worsted backing (tammy); pink woolen batting; quilted with silk; linen waistband (replaced)
1953-436

With their fluffy wool batting, quilted petticoats such as this gave extra warmth in cold rooms or for winter wear. The use of the word "petticoat" has changed over the years. Today the word implies underwear, but it originally meant a pleated skirt, worn either underneath an outer skirt or as a visible garment.
The outside of this petticoat is fine pink silk satin, hand-quilted and padded with wool batting that has been dyed pink so as not to show through the thin silk. The white backing, however, is a sturdy and warm worsted wool textile. The worsted backing material still retains the permanent creases from the original manufacturing process. The long combed fibers of fine wool can become very shiny and smooth when deliberately subjected to heat and pressure. This property was used to make glazed worsted textiles such as this tammy or calimanco.