Civil War Shirt 18" Doll Clothes Pattern

Shirts worn during the Civil War were basically the same as shirts that had been worn for centuries. This practical Square Cut pattern style wasted very little fabric and only required fitting at the neckline and wrists. Until the 1800s, shirts were considered undergarments and were not worn in public without a vest or jacket. The addition of the bib front by firefighters in the early 1800s, however, sparked it's move from undergarment to outergarment. This shirt pattern by Thimbles and Acorns  includes instructions for both the plain front and bib front shirt. Historically, these shirts were made with half-placket openings, but to make it easier for dressing dolls with larger scale heads, there is also a full placket option. The cut of the pattern is in the traditional Square cut pattern. Instead of full gussets, however, this pattern uses half gussets, making it easier to sew. The shirt is made with working buttons, along the front and snaps with decorative buttons at the neckline an