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Febuary 2007

Pattern: Diderot Stays from Corsets & Crinolines (pg 40)
Fabric/Materials:
The stays are green silk outside (mounted to white cotton), raspberry interlining (two layers) and pink cotton sateen lining with pink binding. So the stays will be green to match the quilted petticoatand bound in pink to match the silk taffeta jacket I'm making to go over them.

This pattern was orginially recommended to me by Suzi, as a corset she has made successfully for years. I loved my last pair, the green broadcloth pair, but they are starting to show wear so it's time for new stays.

• The Mara Riley Method of Stay Making
• La Couturière Parisienne
• A Note on Cable Ties

Dec 2

I tried on my old stays today and figured out what I wanted to tweak. The first stays/corset always being a working toile you know. So I can work on the new ones anytime now.

Feb 27 2007

Not my most productive day but I did do some sewing - yay! I un-picked my old S&S regency gown (my first attempt at Regency - always hated it), now I just need to decide what to do with it - revamp into a regency day dress or cut it up into a modern skirt or something. *ponders*

I have spent most of my sewing time working on my new stays. I love my old green broadcloth ones but they are starting to show wear so it's time for a new pair. I made a few changes to the pattern, hopefully tweaking those minor things that have bugged me, we'll see. I got as far as cutting and tracing the boning pattern on the fronts. It's always the boning patterns that slow me down to a crawl, wretched things.

I'm using a raspberry cotton twill that Mom didn't want anymore *yay*. The front will be green silk (to match my quilted petticoat) but I thought this raspberry would be fun as the interlining and lining. I have plans to make matching pannier out of it as well. No idea if it's a period color but don't really care, no one will ever see but me (and the one or two who visit my site of course :P).

Feb 28
My second "mental health sewing day" is going well. I'm just taking a break from sewing the channels on the stays. My eyes were starting to unfocus - never a good sign. I'm almost finished with the backs though, yay!

I guess I should go out tonight and grab some cable ties - I only have one or two laying around. I also need some fabric for the binding. I have my heart set on a light candy colored changeable taffeta - pink, peach, yellow something like that - so I guess I will pop into Hancock's and see what they have tonight too. I shouldn't really splurge on it with the DC Big Flea coming up this weekend but I need candy stays! :>

Feb 28
Oh I just ran out of thread! I guess it's time for a break and to run those errands.

Feb 28
I've got the channels finished and the pieces all trimmed and cut. I was hoping to get further today but I ended up running around town all evening instead.

I went to Hancock, forgot my coupon and they didn't have my thread. So I went to Home Depot, just about had a heart attack when I couldn't find the large cable ties but turns out they had just moved them. Got dinner at Panera (took forever!) and came home to eat with Mom.

Went back out to the dreaded JAnn (coupons in hand), they didn't have my thread either. I think the company has just stopped making it. Typical. Nothing matched my silk as well but I eventually decided on a Guitterman that was just a bit dark. I can live with it. I then went back to Hancocks (with the coupon this time) and bought some pink cotton sateen I'd spied earlier. And suddenly it's 8:15pm - ahhh!!

I am determined to finish the stays before the weekend is over though. I need to finish something, feel accomplishment about something in my life right now. So I think at least another half mental health day is in order tomorrow. I have a few things that can't be ignored any longer but other than that... I need my Candy Stays!

Mar 1

Yay pics! These are from yesterday and the sewing of the channels. I did some experimenting and just pinned my two pieces of twill together instead of basting with thread. I pinned around the edge then choose the piece of boning that ran through the middle of the piece and pinned along that line. I started there and worked my way out from the center (like you do with a quilt). It worked just fine - yay some time saved!

You will note it's sewn with green thread, because originally the twill was going to show in the inside…

... but I changed my mind. And so were born the Candy Stays, otherwise named (by the mater) the Easter egg stays! :>

The more I looked at the twill the less I liked the color. What can I say; I've been watching too much Marie Antoinette and having visions of jelly bean colored frocks. Also I decided to follow Jean Hunnisett's advice and mount the horizontal bones on a separate piece of fabric (rather than hand stitching them on like last time) so I needed something.

I spied this pink cotton sateen at Hancock's yesterday and grabbed it. I wanted something that would go with the changeable silk taffeta. Even though I'm making a jacket therefore the stays will never be seen at the same time as the taffeta, I am making these pieces to be worn together and can't help thinking of it as a complete outfit. Anyway I was taken with how nicely the sateen looked with the changeable. (Which of course won't photograph so you will just have to take my word of it. :>) Most fabrics just look like crap next to it, it's so gorgeous you know.

I had originally wanted a changeable silk for the stays binding but being discouraged with the local selection, the high prices up north and being too lazy to order online, it occurred to me why not bind the stays with the sateen? So I had the fabric cut and THEN looked at the pre-made binding. Lo and behold, what do I find but a perfect match to the sateen! The pre-made stuff may be a poly/cotton but for the hassle it will save me I can totally live with it! :> So I now have extra sateen… enough for matching pannier perhaps? I'm thinking yes. :>

So far I've got everything cut, the silk spray basted to a layer of cotton, the front and back layers each joined at one end and the boning channels attached to the front lining. I think I should insert the boning before I attach everything at the sides. I'm not looking forward to it but it has to be done so I'm resigned. At least I can do that in front of a movie.

Right now my headache is back (2 hours before I can take more meds *grinds teeth*) and my brain feels like mush so I'm taking a break. We've ordered take-away gnocci so I think I will dig unto that, slip into a fat induced coma and then pull out the trusty Navy issue scissors and toe-nail clippers to hack away at some cable ties. A riveting evening, no?

Mar 1
I've finished most of the boning in the front. Just a handful of pieces to go but my hands have had enough. I'm also not feeling 100% (I think I ate too much + headache) so I'm off to bed.

It's so nice to see these coming together - these stays have only been on my to-do list since October!

Mar 3
My stays are all boned now as well, except for the side seams which I have to sew first. I also did a quilt signature - and all with a day long headache, go me!

Mar 7

I worked a little on my stays today. All the seams are now sewn, double stiched and everything! I pretty much have only handwork left, plus cutting the boning for the side seams. I totally forgot I don't have any ¼” boning for the center back edges nor any lacing so looks like an order to Farthingales will be in order.

I pinned some of the pink binding along the seams (a la the stays in Fashion in Detail) to see how it looked. Pretty but I'm not sure if it's slimming or not. I'm also unsure if it adds or takes away from the pretty green silk. So now I'm trying to decide if I want the trim and if so, do I want it that width or half that (finished width of the edge binding). *ponders*

Mar 8
Today's stays progress: 4 eyelets.

So 4 down, 26 to go. *sigh* I've decided to go ahead with the pink seam binding, but in the narrower width. I think it looks cool and I figure I can always take it off if I change my mind. :>

Mar 15
Wow it's been a whole week since I posted - didn't realize it had been that long. Not much to report on the costuming front, hence the lack of posts. I've gotten a few more eyelets done on the stays but it's going slowly. If only I didn't love hand bound eyelets so!

Mar 17

A very nice day... spent most of working on my eyelets. It isn't everyday I'm in the mood to work on eyelets so I thought I'd take advantage. So despite a very unwelcome headache the score is 22 eyelets down, 4 to go!

I laced-up for the first time a few minutes ago and am very pleased. The top (where the straps lace) needs to be trimmed but other than that I'm happy. The slight alterations I made seem to be just right. Adding more eyelets so the lacing is all the way down the back feels good, much more lower lumbar support that way... not sure how comfortable they will be to drive in however. Cars are SO not made for corset wearing!

Mar 19

Overall a productive sewing weekend, although I didn't get much done on Sunday. The day was spent mostly on sleeping, church and a cup of tea with a friend - all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. It felt like a true day of rest, which a Sunday should be. I did "clean up" the side seams of my stays (whipped stitched them down on the inside), discovering that I had cut the back piece wrong and it doesn't meet under the arm. Annoying as I'm NOT re-cutting the back piece with 22 eyelets finished. So I'm fudging, not sure how yet but fudging none the less.

I also tacked down the horizontal boning (kept wanting to curve up and stretch out my sateen lining) and got the binding tacked along the seams. Still trying to decide what I want to do with my front "faux" seams. Show the actual line of boning (straight down) or more late century in cut (curved). *ponders*

Mar 19

I had a massive headache today so I didn't go out tonight like I wanted to - blah! Once dinner was settled in my tummy and the meds kicked in I managed to work on my stays a bit though.

I was hoping not to baste the tabs before I attached the binding but they were not being friendly at all. So I'm basting the tabs with a very loose and sloppy buttonhole stitch (love that stitch, so handy!). The binding is going much better now so the extra effort is rewarded - yay! I must say I'm totally digging the matching binding/lining on the inside - so cool!

The clear majority is for curve faux seams, which is nice because that is what I was leaning towards myself. If I'd had the time I would have attempted a stays pattern with that shape (so pretty) but with my deadline restraints I couldn't mess with a new pattern. Much better to perfect the stays I've been wearing for the couple of years and make a new outfit for the tea. *wink*

Mar 21
Another day, another headache so I stumbled through yesterday doing quiet work. Actually got quite a bit done in the real-life world of site updating, paperwork and such. Even folded my laundry!

I did sew 3 tabs last night, so that is something. Almost to the side seam so almost a third of the way done with the bottom - yay! I always do the bottom first because after all the tabs the top seems a breeze! :>

My head seems to be clearer this morning - let's hope it stays that way!

Mar 25
I finished the bottom binding of the stays today - yay! I also pieced under the arm where I cut it wrong. Some binding to cover up the join and no one will ever know my mistake - another yay!

So just the top binding and the last 4 eyelets. Should go quickly now that the wretched tabs are done (I must remember to use less tabbing in B's stays or I shall go mad)... almost there. :>

Mar 26
It was a crazy day yesterday so I didn't get much done on the stays but I did work on them (in between church services since I had to hang out to do the announcements and just before bed to wind down). The join of The Mistake (TM) is now covered in binding and one third of the top is done. I have another busy day today but I'm going to try and take some personal time and get it finished - at least the binding if not the eyelets...

Since I have been so remiss at taking pics this week I'm just going to wait and show you the stays in all their finished glory. Because I'm just mean that way. *evil laugh*

Mar 28
In happy news *drum roll* - the binding is done!! Just four more eyelets and the stays are done!

Mar 28
My stays are done - yay! I took pics for you but they came out horribly so I will try again tomorrow. The stays are pretty though - I'm very pleased!!

Apr 6

Wow my friend's list sure has been quiet this week! Not that I've been doing much to fill the silence... just refreshing my page a lot. :P So for the rest of you to-busy-to-sew-lj-refreshers out there - behold the stays!! As you can see I have unashamedly pinched the line of seaming from the pattern Katherine just used but really it's too pretty not to pinch!

I'm very pleased with the stays, they are pretty, MA-ish and fit very well. Unfortunately I’m not pleased with any of the pics I've managed to take on them on me. So you get Narcissa as a model until I can try again on me. :> Oh yes and a little preview of how the outfit will look with the quilted petticoat- yummy!

Apr 9
Ack, my stays definitely need some breaking in. Good news is they give me the pretty shape I want, bad news is they give me a tummy ache. I seem to recall my old stays doing that at first. Forgot about that part. Truth is I really just need to get rid of my too big tummy for the 18th century cone shape... maybe I should take the time to go the gym tomorrow after all... :>

Apr 14

My stays! I'm very pleased with them, they give a better shape than my last I think and are quite comfortable, now that they are broken in. Lacing all the way down takes more time to lace but it does give better lower back support. It’s something I will definitely do on all my future stays. Love the silk - not the most practical of fabrics but so fun to stroke! :>

More pics now in the gallery!