Maternity Stays

It is time to turn our attention to some feminine sewing. After all that wool and broadcloth and shiny brass buttons spending some time working on some purely lady-stuff sewing has been so enjoyable and relaxing. Not that I don't enjoy sewing men's stuff - I do, and already have plans for a white linen frock coat for David sometime in the next month or so - but it's nice to have change. To avoid monotony. To keep things fresh.

I finished these maternity stays yesterday and today David helped me take some photos of them. With my boys I did not need special maternity stays since they carried so very low but this baby is higher than they were. I suppose I could have gotten by with my regular corset but it was a little uncomfortable around the midsection. And who *really* needs an excuse for new stays? Not me. ;)

They are simply from Mantua Maker regency stays pattern, fitted to my pre-pregnancy body, adjusted for pregnancy by adding two laced sections that go from the side front hip to just under the bust. That's it. Really easy and the lacing will allow me to expand comfortably in the front and side while allowing the rest of the stays to fit my body normally.

The only other change I made was to shorten the busk. Instead of using a busk that goes all the way to my abdomen I am using a short one that goes to the top of my baby bump. As I grow I can shorten the busk (it is just a paint stick cut to length) or remove it completely if necessary. I get better bosom shape WITH the busk in but it is not strictly necessary for bust support.

Here you can see the stays laid out flat:

Detail of the abdomen lacing. I just slit the stays to make the opening and bound the opening with a straight strip of cotton. Then I worked the eyelets and threaded the lacing through. Simple.

The short busk:

The nice thing about these stays is that they give the right shape (generally speaking) for everything from regency era up through the Civil War era. So I can wear these with my regency dresses and get a good shape, my 1820's "New Salem" dress and my 1860's dresses for reenactments. I tried this green dress on today after not having worn it the past few years. The stays work very well underneath it. The bodice is a tad long so there are some wrinkles at the side but it still fits well enough to be warrant being worn.

I seriously love my black silk quilted bonnet for this beautiful April weather. It is too bad I will have to wait til the fall to wear it to an event. Our first Civil War reenactment will be in May and by then I am sure it will be too warm for anything but a light sunbonnet or a straw fashion bonnet. Sigh. Oh well.

It is hard to believe that it is already Palm Sunday and Easter is next week. The months are whirling away and
only four are left before Baby is due!

Love,
Sarah

J.P. Ryan 18th Century Strapless Stays

I found myself in nearly immediate need of a new set of 18th century stays. I furiously started cutting and sewing last night, after supper, and this afternoon finished these pink linen stays that I hope will suffice for our outing this weekend.

Since I was crunched for time, I whipped them up in the same manner of construction I use when making 1860's corsets. There are three layers; an outer layer of pink cotton (cut down from a skirt from Goodwill), an inner layer of white cotton sateen and a lining of canvas ticking. I ought to have used the canvas ticking for the inner layer, but oh well. The binding is of bias cut white cotton sateen. They are boned with zip ties.

These are made exactly to the J.P. Ryan pattern, with no changes whatsoever to the pattern pieces. I did make a mock up last night and pinned it together in the back. The length seemed fine, but it was a little big (I like a big gap in the back) but I figured that with 3 layers of fabric and boning in the final version, it would be a little smaller than the mock up anyway.

The finished version seems to fit. . .okay. . .but it is really not flattering in the least. It makes my waist bigger and my bust smaller. Is this really the look that I am going for? The pattern did say that this was a working garment, made for flexibility of movement and that the waist measure when wearing the stays will probably be larger than the waist measure without the stays. But it doesn't give at tidy trim waist and support the bosom in a high rounded shape like I am used to. In fact it seems to smush the bosom together for a monoboob effect. I am so used to gussets or shaped seams creating "cups" for the bust this is very strange to me and I don't know if I am doing something wrong, or if this is just the way it is supposed to be. Any 18th century experts have any advice or opinions?

On to draping the dress. . .hmmm. . .thinking about it now that I see these photos, I wonder if making a few more eyelets towards the bottom of the stays will help draw the waist in more, and make my bust feel more supported, since the stays would be pushing up off the hips more so then they are doing now?

Sarah

Finished! Long Regency Stays!

They are done.

I'm happy with them. Quite so, indeed. Every time I make a corset, I think it is the most comfortable one I have made yet. I do think so about this one. I like it a lot. True, it is hard to get into without help and David finds some sort of twisted, hysterical amusement in me crying out to him "Help! I'm stuck!" when, several times after the last few days, I have become so firmly wedged into the stays as I struggle to put them on, that I need his help in tugging them down into place. Two options here; get a ladies maid, or use longer laces so I can unlace them more widely in order to put them on over my head with ease.

I think I'll go with the longer laces.

I'm wearing the stays over my medieval shift, since I don't currently have an accurate regency shift. The last one I made was way too full and the drawstrings kept breaking, so a new one is being planned. For now, this one will work (at least with long sleeved gowns). The construction is almost the same anyway. Funny how little things can change within 500 of years of fashion.

Love,
Sarah

Long Regency Stays - Progress Update #2

I think I am going to be very happy with these stays. They fit just as I had hoped they would, give a good shape and I have a nice wide 4" gap evenly spaced down the back lacing. Yeah! I was somewhat hesitant about making these since I started working out and counting calories after Christmas and hoped to loose weight. I am thinking I am about half way there, and was worried that if I made stays *now*, they might not fit if I keep loosing. However, with the wide lacing gap I hope I can fit into them for a while. I really don't see myself getting too thin to wear these, at least for a long time. I wish weight came off as easily as it goes on. . .sigh. . .

All that I have left to do is to bind the bottom edge. Since my last post, I added some cording to just under the bust area, some cording at the back and put in a total of 10 bones. I was going to go with just 6, but then upped it to 8 and then, finally, to 10. This seems a little too boned but I am most comfortable in it. I have become accustomed to some degree of firmness in my corsets since I mainly do 1860's, so a very minimally boned corset just felt a little loose to me. Four bones are at the back - one on each side of the eyelets - and then there are three on each side panel. The lacing is cross lacing. I know spiral may be more appropriate for this period, but Katherine pointed out in her documentation of her regency corset that cross lacing did exist in corsets of the time.

My busk is the beloved paint-stick which David carefully sanded and shaped for me and inscribed with his own sweet message. :) It really works awesomely. It is exactly the right length and I can sit without my bust being shoved up under my chin. Perfect. Plus, the paint stick was free. You can't beat that.

Well dearies, I am off to bake up a pan of browned butter brownies. The recipe comes from last months issue of Bon Appetit and is, I think, a new staple recipe in my collection. They are simply divine. Chocolate once in a while doesn't hurt anyone, does it now?

Have a fantastic weekend!

Love,

Sarah

Long Regency Stays - Progress

So, long regency stays are one type of corset I have never done before. I've made several variations of short stays and I used the Mantua Maker regency corset pattern to make 1820's/1830's stays (see two posts below) but this is my first, real, long regency corset.

I don't know why I have been so afraid of making long stays. The cording always looked so time consuming and the style looked very critically fitted in order to perfectly get that "lift and seperate" look. Well, I washed my fabric two days ago and cut out the stays yesterday and guess what. It's not that hard.

I used the Mantua Maker pattern, the version I fitted to myself last fall. I had to take the pattern in one inch all the way around and then four inches more at the hips. I also shortened the bust gussets by one inch.

The pieces were easy to sew together. I've done corsets before, and that is no problem. The cording was different, for me. I have never really corded a corset before. I opted for cording only on the front panel and running down the side of the front hip gusset. I thought about putting more cording in the back panel, but decided it wasn't really necessary at this point. I used a blue marking pencil to pencil my cording lines - all straight, for ease of sewing - and sewed the channels and then threaded the cotton cord through with a bobby pin. I will have bones at the back opening, on either side of the lacing eyelets, and also one bone at each side panel. That's it - the wooden busk will do the rest. I personally think the cording is more for decorative reasons that true support, to be honest.

I've put about five hours of work into the stays so far. All that is left is working the eyelets and binding the thing - really - that's it! I was thinking this would take me at least a few weeks to complete and am shocked to realize that I will most likely have it finished this weekend. I suppose it would take me longer if I were hand sewing the whole thing, but I am sticking to my usual historic-clothing-construction philosophy: If it will be Seen, do it by hand. If it's on the inside, don't worry about using a straight machine stitch, for Pete's sake! ;)

I'm really hoping The Cut of Men's Clothes comes in to the library soon. I think I will be ready to start on David's regency things before too long!

Love,
Sarah

18th Century Stays

My project the last few weeks has been my first set of 18th century style stays. For those of you who follow my Historical Clothing blog, you may have read a bit about these on my dress diary page. I finally finished these on Saturday. I tried them on but wasn't quite sure if the fit was right so I asked a few experienced and knowledgeable ladies their opinions. As a result, I learned these will be best suitable for the late 18th century (which is what I wanted - yay!) since they are shorter in the waist than earlier 18th century stays. I also was encouraged to take in the front width a little. My original stays did not have a center front seam, but I was able to take in the width by slashing down the center front of all layers, removing the middle two bones and thus create a seam down the middle. This took in the width about 1 and 1/4" and the fit is much better now. On my next stays, I think I will make the back longer and maybe the sides a tad longer but I think these will work well for what I want to use them for now. They are very comfortable and supportive. In these pictures the colors show up a lot lighter than they really are, but it was the only way I could get them to show any detail.

They are made with instructions and tips being taken from all sorts of places - the Marquise instructions on making 18th century stays, Mara Riley's instructions on making 18th century stays, Cherry Dawsons stay making notes, JP Ryans strapless stays pattern instructions and illustrations and descriptions of extant stays in Nancy Bradfield's Costume in Detail.

They are made of two middle layers of cotton canvas, an outer layer of plum colored wool, a lining layer of pink linen and are bound all around with a golden brown colored taffeta. They are boned in the half-boned style, which, although using less bones than fully boned stays, are still much stiffer and unyielding than the most highly-boned Victorian corset that I've ever made!

The back lacing is made for spiral lacing which uses a single lace. The eyelets match at the top and bottom but are offset all the way down. This is different than the cross lacing I'm used to with Victorian style corsets but - I like it!

These pictures were taken last night of my adjusted stays - I don't really care to show the pictures of them before I created the center seam since they were so awful! :) I'm sorry they are blurry and dark, but I didn't feel like taking new pictures today and having to lace up those stays all by myself. That will take some getting used to! They are shown with my regency chemise since I haven't made a proper shift yet. I will be making my shift using the instructions in the JP Ryan Basic Women's Wardrobe pattern except I think I'll make a small cuff instead of using a drawstring in the sleeve. I particularly want to make three gowns to wear with these stays. One is a Caraco Jacket and petticoat from Janet Arnolds pattern, dated 1775-1785. The second is a round gown based on Janet Arnolds pattern for a polonaise, dated 1770-1785. I plan to use the bodice pieces but will make the skirt closed with a fall front opening instead of an open skirt.
The third is a chemise a la reine, which probably won't take place for a while since wearing white is just impractical for me at this point in my life. (children think Mommy's skirt is an always-available and accomodating napkin) But still, eventually I want to make one since I've wanted one for a long time. I'm thinking it would make a nice Easter dress. I don't have a picture of it, but you can see a beautiful reproduction that first inspired me to make one at Katherine's Dress Site.

Now, since the stays are done I really need to get out of the 18th century for a little while and focus on sewing for our upcoming Civil War reenactment season. What's more - I'm even in the mood for a little mid-19th century sewing. Next up is a wool underpetticoat for me, a civilian sack coat for David and some new trousers and a new hoop skirt since my old one has bit the dust. This time I'm making a covered hoop instead of a cage. The cage was nice but it just didn't hold up to heavy wear like I needed it to plus it was a tad bigger than I wanted (my new one will be in the 90's-ish range at the bottom). It lasted me about five or six seasons so I think I got my money's worth out of it. I would like to make a new corset too but it is not as necessary as some of the other things I need to make. The older two boys need new clothes since they have outgrown last years things, but Malachi can wear Judah's gowns and petticoats from last year. I don't want to make the boys things until just before the season starts since I don't know how much they may grow between then and now. Our first event is in Keokuk, Iowa at the end of April. Not really that far away if you think about it!

So much to do!

Love,

Sarah

End of the Year Sewing ~ Regency Short Stays

I have been on a wild cleaning spree since David went back to work after his Christmas break. The tree is taken down and the ornaments and decorations packed away. Today I swept everything up downstairs and mopped everything and dusted everything. Two days ago I spent three hours cleaning our tiny closet of a bathroom. With great joy did I vehemently scrub away the soap-spots on the tub with a bristle brush and baking soda! I've reorganized the office and sewing room, hung new pictures, taken old ones down, rearranged furniture and cleaned all the mirrors and windows. The end of the year hustle to make things nice before the new year begins. Sigh. It is always like that around here.

So, therefore, I have not had much to post about. Unless you want to hear about and see pictures of the newly reorganized and decluttered office closet, which I really had to clean out to be able to put away the Christmas things.

I did find time to finish up a set of short stays from the Sense and Sensibility Regency Underthings pattern. I got the pattern a few weeks ago and had not yet used it til yesterday when I cut out the short stays. I don't really need a new set but I was curious to see how they went together and if the size I normally make would work for me. They went together very easily and quickly - I finished them today - but the size is absolutely enormous on me. I can usually wear a pattern size 18 from the S&S things but not with this. My underbust measurement is 30". The underbust measurement on the finished size 18 stays is 37". WAY big. And the cup size, cut with gussets in a D cup, barely goes a quarter of the way up to the midline of the bust. The width of the cup could work for me, with some amount of squishing, but the gussets need to be a lot longer for my particular size. So. They are now For Sale, and I posted them in my Etsy shop. Somewhere out in this great world there must be someone whom these will fit prettily. I corded these, instead of boning them. I wanted to get in some practice on cording so I can remake my 1820's/1830's stays with cording instead of boning. I was shocked at how easy and how quick the cording process went. I have no idea why I have thought that cording took so much time and was so hard to do. It's not, and I love how it looks and how it gives firm yet flexible and comfortable support. I can't wait to make a fully corded corset of my own now!I have so many projects I want to start on right away. There is a gorgeous 1790's gown in Costume in Detail that I long to copy as well as a drop front regency dress that I simply am dying to make up. For some reason, post-Christmas is always a very regency time for me. It may have something to do with the fact that several Christmas's ago I received the dvd of Pride and Prejudice and consequently, each year at that time I get into a regency mood again. Plus I have my 18th century stays to keep working on and I also want to make all of us a Tudor outfit (peasant) for a Ren Faire about six months from now (if we go. We'll have to give up a CW reenacmtent to go to it and David still isn't sure if he's willing to do that or not!)

So much to do! So hard to know where to begin. In the meantime, I clean. For one can think and plan quite easily while one cleans and it is always more pleasant to sit down to sewing work when the house is tidy and everything neatly put into its own place.

May you all have a very blessed end of the year!

Love,

Sarah

1790's Transitional Stays Finished Photos

I am finally getting some pictures of my 1790's Transitional Stays. I have had these done for about a week but failed to wear them thus far because I was too lazy to put in a lace.

I love these. Out of the corsets/stays I have, I think these are my favorite by far. They are insanely comfortable. The back is quite heavily boned and the front boned only at the center front which seemed a bit backwards to me at first, but I really love the great back support and the gathered cups give enough support to the front without additional boning. These are meant to be a little short waisted, but they really do end at just about my waist level. They do not reduce my waist at all which really adds to the comfort level. Nothing is tight, actually. . .just supported.

I used cross lacing instead of spiral lacing just because I find it easier to do when I have to lace something up myself.

I really didn't think gathered cups would offer much support. And, compared to more heavily boned and structured corsets, they do seem flimsy. But I was pleasantly suprised with how well they have worked. I have been wearing them today for the past 8 hours or so and they still seem to be fine.

What is great about these stays is that while they work well for my drawstring gowns, they also work perfectly with my 1820's dress from last year, which I am wearing today. Past Patterns has a similar pattern which is dated 1790-1820. PP usually has fantastic documentation with their patterns so I'm sure their dates are right, which means I can wear these with my early 20's dresses and not feel farbatrocious.

I hated binding the tabs at the bottom but it was worth it, I think!

Love,

Sarah

1820's Stays Finished Photos

As promised, here are some pictures of my finished stays. I am so relieved that so far they seem to fit; now it is a matter of seeing how well they will hold up with day-to-day use!

Here is a front view. I have a waist! :) Yay! I love my babies but I do not love what the munchkins did to my waistline. Flab, excess mushy flesh, excess softness, lovely little wrinkly silvery lines from which someone so inclined could read fortunes, permanently embedded upon my lower belly. Nothing majorly horrid, but still, it bothers me. Thankfully, there is such a thing as a corset. I don't think any amount of sit ups or twists will give me back my nice defined BC waist (which I didn't appreciate when I had it. I still thought I was fat, even then). But a corset will. It actually does not really take many inches off my waist but it firms up the torso and just redistributes everything into a nice shape. And it downsizes the look of the bosom. I'm soooo thrilled!!!

Back view. Compared to my 1860's gored corset, this one is very lightly boned. Yet it still provides the support I need and is extremely comfortable, just like it is giving me a gentle hug. There are three bones down the center front of the corset to take the place of the more period-correct busk (which I did not use), a bone radiating down from the outside of each bust gusset and one bone radiating up from the inside of the hip gusset. Then there are bones on either side of the back eyelets. The spring in the back is not even so I will have to work on that. Either I need to tighten the top or loosen the bottom to get a more uniform space.
A closer view of the shape from the side. The one thing this corset doesn't do is provide the "divide" factor so desirable in regency corsets. I think a period correct straight busk would have helped but honestly, there is no space between to have anything straight to divide! :( I content myself with thinking that these stays are for later than regency dresses anyway. I still like the overall shape and think it will work perfectly for what I need.
Now that this is done, I need some chemises. For these pictures I used a mid-19th century style since my one drawstring regency chemise currently needs new drawstrings.

But maybe I will start a dress first. I am going to try on my current 1820's dress to see if it fits well over the stays. If it does, I will use the pattern I used for that as a base and tweak it to suit me. I think I will start off with a very simple and plain basic 1820's style dress, perhaps something along the lines of this one:

Love,

Sarah