18th Century Pockets!

A really long time ago, before there were such things as Levi's Jeans, there were pockets.  In the eighteenth century (and probably before), women wore pockets underneath their skirts.  Their skirts had slits on the side that made it easy to reach their pockets.  The pockets were separate from their dresses, and were tied around the waist.
I decided to make my own pockets this past weekend.  I work as a docent (history enthusiast who gives tours at historic places).  The house I work at is actually an interpretive center that is a replica of a house built around 1795.

Here are a set of pockets in the process of being put together.

This pocket is more of a work-in-progress.  I lined the front part of the pocket so that the slit would look nice.  Here it is from the inside.

I took long strips of off-white (also called "unbleached") cotton muslin to make the ties.

Here is the set of pockets completed.  I made two sets, one for myself and another for a fellow docent.  This set is for my friend.  I made a casing at the top of the pockets so that they could be adjusted along the tie.

Here is my set, complete with iPod to show the size. ;)

 Some people insist that they were worn on the outside of the skirt, but I beg to differ.  I mean, if I have a lot of things in my pockets (and believe me, I probably will), I'd much rather others not see my bulging pockets. ;)

Have a great week!