busk
tutorial

Gallery:

November 2003
The stays on me. They give me such an interesting shape... very cool!

November 2003
I took pictures of this corset on Narcissa despite the fact she doesn't do much for these stays. She is not as squish-able as I am. :>

Dress Diary:

Sep 29 2003

I'd already planned on using the 1804 stays pattern from Jean Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage & Screen when I was lucky enough to have a fellow costuming friend offer to send me the diagram already sized up. I gratefully accepted the offer as it saves me a bit of work. The pattern arrived in the mail today so now I need to enlarge the pattern to fit my slightly larger measurements.

Oct 1
I enlarged my pattern, cut out my toile and have started to put it together. I've gotten stuck on the gussets (surprise, surprise!). I thought I would try the instructions that Jean Hunnisett gave in her book, since it's her pattern and all. I couldn't figure them out so I moved on to the simple seams and then stopped, thinking I'd try again later. (Why I start these things at 9pm I really don't know).

I just finished browsing Kelly Kingman's excellent pages on the Mantua Maker stays and I think I figured it out! We'll see if I actually have when I try it...

Oct 14
I finished sewing my first toile together tonight. Kelly Kingman has saved my bacon! Her images finally made the "squared gusset" process click. Her "how-to" is a bit different than Hunnisett's instructions but it helped me to understand where JH was going. Merci, Kelly!

While I have to admit that I don't really like the look of the squared gussets, they are easy to mark and to sew. They are also very sturdy - less likely to require binding or over stitching. Skipping those steps sounds good to me!

I fitted the toile on myself tonight as well. That is always an awkward process. I've discovered that it is easier to fit, on one's self, when the toile is a bit big so I purposefully made my toile a bit bigger than I thought I needed. I had my sister lace me up and then got in front of a large mirror. I estimated how much to take in by simply eye-balling it, took the corset off, sewed it up and tried it on again (and again and again) until I got a fit I was happy with. Nothing scientific - lots of guess work - but it works.

I really like the look of the corset so far. The shape is very pretty - so different than the other corsets/stays I've worn and made. What fun!

Oct 15
My second toile is cut out and ready to be sewn. It's not much of an entry I know, but it took me all afternoon so I felt the need to have an entry on it!

I had to pick apart the first toile, iron it out flat again, transfer the new markings to a tissue pattern and then cut out the new toile. Hopefully this second toile will be spot-on, so the tissue pattern will save me time later. It should be okay, I'm mostly checking the boning placement with this toile not the fit.

I plan to use less steel boning (than marked on the pattern), adding some corded runners instead. I really like the look and feel of the hemp cording, it's historically correct and I have tons of hemp left over from previous corsets that I'd like to use up. What can I say - I'm a glutton for punishment! I'll be using the Past Patterns 001 pattern, along with pictures of other period stays as my hemp cord pattern guide. I hope it will work...

Oct 22

I finished my second toile and fitted it yesterday. The fit was good and I've figured out my boning pattern. I'm going to hemp only the front and back; the side and seams will be boned with a mixture of spring and spiral boning. I wanted to buy a thick piece of steel for the busk but I ran out of money so it's back to the old 15" ruler.

My plan was to post a little sketch of my boning plan for you but the sketch I worked on last night didn't come out right. It was very frustrating actually. I have many talents but drawing isn't one of them. I can do stick-people and dresses, but even then my dress sketches are more "architectural" than "artsy". All you people that can sketch and paint, cherish your gift because not everyone can do it! I'll give a corset sketch another go this week I guess.

I ordered the boning from Farthingales last night as well. Man, I wish the exchange rate were better right now!! Hopefully the order won't take too long to get here. The shipping thing said 2-6 weeks but last time I got my order in 5 days so I'm not freaked about it. I can cut the corset out and do some gussets while I'm waiting. :>

I know I've said it before but I really do like the shape of the corset. I can't wait to see it finished!

Oct 29
No sign of my boning order, although I did get notice that has been shipped. I've determined not to be idle while I'm waiting though. Today I cut out my "fashion fabric", in this case cotton twill and cotton muslin, both unbleached. I know, real exciting...

Nov 1
My order from Farthingales arrived today!! I love that company. I choose the slowest(cheapest) shipping option and I got my order in 11 days. I wish all costume suppliers were as prompt!

Nov 4
I began construction on the corset today. I have the front and all the gussets finished and have re-enforced the "points". Two of the gusset points were a little weak and over all they had a "frayed" look. The muslin doesn't really do that, it's the twill. Because the twill is thicker? Anyway, re-enforcing the points was simple and now the corset front has a lovely finished look! Ohhh!

Nov 5
I got a lot done today, despite losing power for a few hours. A stream is being diverted one house down from us (the noise and mess are gettin' real old!) and the construction workers accidentally broke both the power and cable lines this afternoon.

I was working on my stays when it happened. Now how can one sew with no sewing machine and no iron! I wondered around the house aimlessly and then took a nap. The power was only out for a little over two hours but it really killed my momentum. I did mange to drag myself back to the machine and continue working after some vegging. I sewed up the lining then attached the lining to the front. I'm now ready to start on the boning channels...

Nov 11
I have been working on the boning channels since my last entry. The actual sewing time hasn't taken that long but life keeps getting in the way. I finished sewing the channels up this weekend and have just finished cording the channels. Whew! It only took me 2 full evenings because I chose a very simple pattern. Simple, but supportive. Onto the binding...

Nov 12
I finished the binding today, both the machine and hand sewing part. I just started the eyelets and have about a third of them done. I'm doing them by hand - my favorite method. I'd love to stay up all night and just get this thing done but I have a head-cold right now and have no energyto spare. So I'll finish up tomorrow. I'm off to bed...

Nov 14
The stays are finished! I knotted my last thread last night but was too tired to post here. The eyelets took me all day because I had to stop occasionally and take naps. Why does cold medicine make you so sleepy?

But what a great feeling, finally something done off my Twelfth Night clothing list! I'm very pleased, it's pretty and very sturdy. I took some pics of it on Narcissa but I'll have my sis take some pictures of me in the stays when I'm feeling up to it. I hate being sick!

Nov 15
I couldn't stand it any longer and had Bridget lace me up in my lovely stays. You'll find the pics in the gallery. Overall I'm happy. Personally I think this style of corset is rather ugly. I mean the shape it gives me is cool but it's not the kind of garment that I get into and think "oh, pretty". When I put a period dress over it then I thought, "oh, pretty" but by itself it's a bit of an ugly ducking. Maybe it's just on me.

I did make a pesky little mistake. My sleeves are too long. When I fitted them I forgot to figure in the fact that because they were tied on there should be a gap (they should be shorter). Opps! Rather than cut and re-bind part of the sleeves I think I'm just going to add a second eyelet, tucking the leftover part under the stays. I also need to shorten my busk about ¾". My 15" inch ruler is a bit long. Oh well, that is what hacksaws are for!

May 23 2006
I really should have more restraint!!!

I got the bug to work on my Bee Dress today so *almost* like a good little girl I pulled out my stays first to see what repairs needed to be done before I started on dress toiles. The stays fit okay (so weird feeling after the 1770s stays I’ve been wearing so much lately!), just a few tweaks, some of which I could honestly wear the stays without.

I tried I really did… I was only going to replace the boning on the sides that was too long and shorten the shoulder straps so they actually fit. Suddenly I found myself unpicking the back seams so I can make the back edges even (the gap is much smaller at the top than the bottom) and then scheming to rip off all the ugly binding and replace it and finially scheming to remake the back panels just to replace the eyelets B ripped out while lacing me in the first time I wore it, dispite already have repaired them (oh the drama of eyelets!!).

Really, it’s not like I don’t already have a million projects I don’t really have time for as it is. It's a sickness I tell you!! *pounds head on desk* So. Much. Professional. Help.

May 26 2006
Ahhh! This wretched set of stays! The more work I do on it the more I find I need to do. If it weren’t for all the work represented by that cording I would be making a new set at this point. Surely that is easier than tweaking an old one! Cording aside of course…

I decided I really did need to cut it down under the arms. Cutting it down ¼” and using shorter boning wasn’t enough. The original pattern shows the underarm area being straight across but the two times I’ve worn it as is, I was extremely uncomfortable. I can deal with a lot of things but corsets and boning digging into my underarm is not one of them.

While I’m at it I’m also going to cut down the front a tad. I had added to the top front for modesty sake but it really ruins the line of the bust. It also forces me to a higher neckline on my frocks which doesn’t look quite right to my eyes. I’m way past the high modesty lines of S&S patterns at this point in my life. It’s all about neckerchiefs I’ve found. :> I wish I had time to mess with the bust gussets (I think they need to be a little wider at the top) but I’m sane enough to not even go there. New gussets will have to wait for a totally new set of stays…

I’m also shortening the straps more (I need more of gap there to get them nice and tight) and moving the lacing hole on the front of the stays over an inch or so (this should help the issue of the straps constantly wanting to fall off).

All this means all the binding on the top has come off so I will end up rebinding the stays. I don’t think I have any of that binding left so it will have to be new stuff. Wish I could use red or something for contrast but that won’t work with the sheer light colored wardrobe of the Regency.

My biggest issue is the lacing holes of the back panels. When B laced me in for the first time she ripped out 4 of my handbound eyelets (the only eyelets in my entire wardrobe to have ripped). I repaired them as best I could but I noticed after my fitting last night that one of the repaired ones has come out again. I think it’s an issue with the fabric and a lack of technique at the time. I need to see if I have some of that twill left to re-do the back panels… I just don’t see how I can work with re-ripped eyelets. Plus the problem with only get worse the more I wear it…

*sigh*

May 28

Despite a week of debilitating migraines and general sinus ickiness I think I've worked out all the issues with my 1804 stays. I ended up re-doing the back panels. With the eyelet issue it seemed the best thing to do. By-the-by I think another factor in the eyelet issue was that they were spaced too far apart.

Anyway, I still need to redo the eyelets on the straps and re-bind the whole thing but since it was in wearable condition I took all the measurements for the Bee Dress and started draping that pattern. I’ve had enough of the stays for now. :P

Jul 24
I turned my attention to my regency stays this evening. I ripped out the rest of the old binding, started on the new binding and generally tidied up from my re-construction of last month. The bottom binding is done (how I love stays without tabs!!) and the top binding is pinned on.

Jul 25

The stays are finished and look nice and neat once again. It’s so nice to have regency stays that fit properly! I gave up trying to follow the original Hunnisett pattern, which had the top straight across, and cut dips under the arm holes. So. Much. Better!

I also took off some off the center front and shortened the sleeves. And of course re-did all the binding, this time with thin pre-packaged bias tape. I definitely like the look of a scant ¼” binding the best…