So! Next weekend is my first official event with the baby. I'm not counting the ball in January because we hadn't planned to be there and didn't even last an hour thanks to the plague. I have various garb specifically made for nursing in the works right now: a cotte with a button front and a hood to go over the top which will be really convenient if I ever finish it (it's been a UFO for TWO YEARS, original blog post here) and an early high-waisted Italian Renaissance dress that will have hooks and eyes or ties at the top of the shoulder straps, originally envisioned as maternity garb last June, but with a busy life, a baby, an impending houseguest, and other excitement I wanted something a little quicker and more trusted for next weekend, so I decided to look at what I already have.
Way back in 2014 I made my red bliaut and gold underdress ensemble for the coronation of TRM Konrad and Kortland. Here is the original post about that, and I will say that those hand-felled seams have lasted incredibly well. The garb still looks good, and has only needed a few minor repairs. Should last a good many years more, though I would like to line the bliaut sleeves and add trim at some point. Anyway, that red dress had a bug that turned out to be a feature. I cut the v-neck way deeper than I meant to, and it reaches almost to the bottom of my ribcage. Wearing the dress without an underdress proved that I could comfortably shift the neckline and get a breast free for nursing, but I still need an underdress for the sake of decency and historical accuracy, of course, so I decided to get creative.
I have looked at a lot of period nursing images to figure out how women did it back in the day. You can see a selection on my Maternity, Nursing, and Kids' Garb Pinterest board if you're interested. Nursing garb in period seemed to either involve vertical slits over each nipple, pulling a breast out of a low neckline, diagonal slits from center front over the nipples, or front-opening dresses, but as a bustier lady I like a little bit more coverage, so I used a different technique copied from my favorite nursing top. I tried on the good old gold underdress, marked the line below my bust line across the front (about where my bra band sits), then girded my loins and cut a horizontal slit from one side seam to the other along that line. I double turned the edges under and sewed them down with my machine. Here's a visual.
Way back in 2014 I made my red bliaut and gold underdress ensemble for the coronation of TRM Konrad and Kortland. Here is the original post about that, and I will say that those hand-felled seams have lasted incredibly well. The garb still looks good, and has only needed a few minor repairs. Should last a good many years more, though I would like to line the bliaut sleeves and add trim at some point. Anyway, that red dress had a bug that turned out to be a feature. I cut the v-neck way deeper than I meant to, and it reaches almost to the bottom of my ribcage. Wearing the dress without an underdress proved that I could comfortably shift the neckline and get a breast free for nursing, but I still need an underdress for the sake of decency and historical accuracy, of course, so I decided to get creative.
I have looked at a lot of period nursing images to figure out how women did it back in the day. You can see a selection on my Maternity, Nursing, and Kids' Garb Pinterest board if you're interested. Nursing garb in period seemed to either involve vertical slits over each nipple, pulling a breast out of a low neckline, diagonal slits from center front over the nipples, or front-opening dresses, but as a bustier lady I like a little bit more coverage, so I used a different technique copied from my favorite nursing top. I tried on the good old gold underdress, marked the line below my bust line across the front (about where my bra band sits), then girded my loins and cut a horizontal slit from one side seam to the other along that line. I double turned the edges under and sewed them down with my machine. Here's a visual.
Then I sewed five hooks and eyes along the slit (because that's how many I had handy, and that seemed to be enough to keep things secure so there wouldn't be big gaps between them).
With this setup, the slit is low enough not to show with the bliaut on. I can unhook the hooks and eyes and lift the front up enough to nurse the baby but still be decently covered. I'll report back after the event next weekend and let y'all know how it works out.
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