1750 Betty Burke

Product Description

This floral design is developed for garments requiring both structure and natural drape. Built from a minimal starting point, the pattern has evolved into a balanced 18th-century composition suited for full garments and layered construction.

Printed on cotton linen, the fabric offers a slightly firmer hand while maintaining flexibility. This makes it particularly suitable for garments where both stability and movement are needed.

Well suited for

Stays, Banyan, jackets, skirts, petticoats and 18th-century dressmaking

Design & Historical Context

The name “Betty Burke” refers to a well-known 18th-century disguise associated with survival and transformation. This design reflects that same duality—controlled structure combined with organic movement across the pattern.

Betty Burke was an alias used during the Jacobite uprising of 1745, when disguise became essential for survival.

The story remains one of the most recognised examples of transformation in the 18th century, where clothing played a decisive role in identity, movement and escape.