HSM 2022 #7: "Reverse Revers" pockets

Pockets with "revers".

Intrigued by a pair of late 18th century French pockets of an unusual model, that narrowed at the top even though there weren't any side seams or pleats, I searched for photos of other pockets that might explain what they looked like underneath the trim.

Some 19th century pockets from the Netherlands provided a plausible solution. This is one of several examples online. A rectangle is cut as tall as the finished pocket but twice as wide (plus seam allowances all around). The short edges are sewn together for half their length, then the tube is flattened with the seam centered, and the bottom edge is sewn. The edges of the slit are turned back for about 5 cm (2") at the top, forming triangular "revers" on the reverse side. The edges are folded under and hemmed down. 

The French pair has a closed slit, and you can glimpse a gathered back through it. On the Netherlandish ones, the slit is wide open with the back piece slightly gathered in between. I laid my pockets out flat and marked the sides and center back, then basted the slit closed and gathered the entire back piece to fit. 

Two tiny slivers cut away.

 

I arranged the gathered back to form a nice curve, aligned with the top of the slit at center front, and trimmed away two slivers of the front's top edges to match. Then I sewed a twill tape to the top, to encase the raw edges. When I was nearly done, I realized that I probably should've left say 1/4 of the back flat on each side, and gathered only the center half. Then it would've been much tighter gathered around the center, and a better match for the photos of the original - the gathers of mine don't peek out through the slit like they should.

The Challenge: HSM 2022 #7 Geometry.

My submission: The Reverse Revers Pockets (to wear under a petticoat).

Material: 225 gsm (6.6 oz/yd2) vintage linen, with 20 warps and 20 wefts per cm (51 warps and 51 wefts per inch).

Pattern: Conjectured from photos of 18th and 19th century pockets.

Year: Late 18th century.

Notions: 10 mm (3/8") cotton twill tape, 60/2 linen thread, beeswax.

How historically accurate is it? 75 % on the Peacock scale if my conclusions are correct (to be entirely correct, the tape should've been linen too, and in hindsight I should've distributed the gathers differently). Otherwise it could be as low as 0 %!

Hours to complete: 8 hours (maybe I could've used larger stitches!)

First worn: Not yet.

Total cost: $2