Long Time

1862 Regulation US Naval Uniform

1862 Regulation US Naval Uniform (Summer dress)

1862 Regulation US Naval Uniform, finished and worn numerous times

Frock Coats have skirts

The skirt attachment can be a little "fiddly" as some have said. There are pockets under the pocket flap right at the back seam of skirt to center back pieces.

 

The image on the left shows the pocket flap and one pocket edge sewn to the skirt. The right hand image shows the same but without seeing the flap. You can also see the center back part of the skirt which is cut in one long piece from the upper back.

The other edge of the pocket will be attached to that center back piece, but not the at the center back seam.

 

The directions are fairly clear and pretty well illustrated. I always lay it out on the ironing board and pin it together to make sure I am doing it correctly. To the right you can see the pocket right sides are folded together, the flap is laying on the center back piece, the seam is lining up with the side back seam and it is ready to stitch to the body pieces.

With both skirts attatched and pockets accessible under the flaps, we are ready to move on. There will be large Navy buttons sewn at the top of the flaps (side back seams), one at each side. There will also be medium buttons sewn on the flaps themselves.

Attaching the Under Collar to the Coat Body

After all the pad stitching for shape and stiffening, as well as the prickstitching to keep the outer edge of the collar from rolling out, the whole assembly is attached at the neckline to the coat body. The seam allowance of the under collar is pressed under as well as the coat body and the two are essentially butted together and stitched with small almost invisible stitches.

 



This method helps in the proper shaping of the collar. It is only the under collar that is sewn. The upper collar should be kept free and will be secured when the lining is sewn in.

The outer edge of the collar should be stitched with diagonal stitches to help keep it flat and in shape as the rest of the coat is put together. These stitches will be removed later.

Sorry for such a long time out....

Wow, too long away...Been to "Wings over Houston" (Viet Cong)

Liendo Plantation, Hempstead, Texas (with our youngest daughter and her husband below)

Dickens on the Strand, Galveston, Texas (1884 Army Artillery uniform and Ladies wear)

Battle of Galveston, Galveston, Texas (with Doug Porter, Union)

Homestead days at Jesse Jones Park, north Houston, Texas (1830's)

Texas Independence Day (175 Years) at Washington on the Brazos State Park, Texas (Texian Navy below with Jim Bosworth)

Inside Independence Hall with newly reworked print dress and redecorated bonnet

Just now got back to the US Navy frock coat....where was I? It is kind of hard but I will figure out what to post next. On with the show...

Pad Stitching

Pad stitching is used for attaching the layers of interfacing to the under (or inner) collar or in lapels. It is used for stiffening and shaping. A helpful booklet to have for information on tailoring stitches is "The Workman's Guide to Tailoring Stitches and Techniques". I still have not gotten the stitch down to what one would call beautiful but I am trying. With a chalk pencil draw paralell lines 1/2" apart vertically in the stand section of the collar. There is supposed to be only a thread picked up on the under collar fabric. My stitches are a little bigger than that, still trying to be better. No one will see them because the fall part of the collar will cover them.
For this particular frock coat I have used some navy wool flannel for the under collar that matched my outer fabric in color fairly well. The outer part of the collar is then attached to the inner with a "prickstitch" which is hand done. You could use a sewing machine but I have found that doing it by hand makes a nice edge and tends to keep the under collar from peaking out.

Stand Fall Collar

The stand fall collar I have drafted using information from "Men's Garments 1830-1900". Unfortunately, I hate to admit it, I have not found exactly how I drafted it, with a cursory look through the book. But I did and have used this piece for many a frock coat.

Stand Fall collar pattern for Navy Frock coat

To help add some body to the collar, I use canvas. But you do not want so much thickness in the seam line so I have used some muslin applied to the canvas with two rows of stitching, as seen below, then trimmed away. The whole piece is then turned over and the canvas is trimmed away leaving only the muslin in the seam allowance area thus reducing bulk. There is a center back seam that is then sewn and the two pieces are applied as one to the under collar pieces with padding stitches in the standing part of the collar, with the curved seam where it attaches to the neckline. A discussion of padding stitches will probably be next...

Muslin applied to canvas interfacing then trimmed to reduce
seam thickness

Pattern, fabric etc.

The pattern I have used for years, and refined as it to how Greg likes it to fit and look, is the Period Impressions Officer's Frock Coat 712. I have changed over the years the shape of the sleeves, he doesn't like those large shaped sleeves, and the fact that the pattern has them hang way off at the shoulders, which might be period appropriate but...he is having a tailor make this coat. I have not had someone, to my face, say that the fit is not period appropriate. An officer is paying a tailor to make his uniform, it is not issued, and thus it is to fit as he likes. The fabric was purchased from http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/. It is a "tropical weight" or lightweight 100% wool twill gaberdine in a midnight blue or dark navy blue color. If you purchase a "navy blue" it is more like an army color. If you live and reenact someplace colder than Texas, you might choose a heavier fabric, but the color is what I am going for.  I also interline the frock coat with 100% cotton canvas for weight, especially in the body sections and a lighter weight cotton twill for the sleeves and skirt.  And even though I have used this pattern many times, I generally make a mock up ( always make a mock up of scrap fabric if you have not used the pattern before). Some fit very well and other need fixing. I use this pattern, but I think the directions could be better.

Cutting out the wool

I have also drafted a more appropriate collar since it is a stand/fall collar. I used information from "Mens Garments 1830-1900". If you want one, just email me and I will send you a copy of what I have made. (Greg is a 42 regular). You can see the piece for the collar in the upper left just above the "skirt" piece, below the side back. I think I will take a photo of it and post it as well.