Elizabethe "Lyze" Lynch
- Details
- Written by Tennessee US/London UK
Foundations
When it comes to creating Regency stays, one may choose to make either a pair of short stays or long stays. I created a pair of long stays based on the fact that I wanted to maintain a smooth line from chest to hip in my costume. Keeping my own golden rule of costuming in mind (foundation first) I set about creating the shape I wanted my Regency costume to take.
Employing a combination of research, extant studies, and the patterns published by Jean Hunnisett and Norah Waugh, I was able to draft my own pattern.
The next step was to create and fit a toile. Once I was satisfied with the fit of the stays, I set about cutting into the top fabric. I chose to use two layers of cotton drill in order to “sandwich” the cording between the layers.
The cording proved to be quite trying. I first marked the busk pocket and embroidered the top layer. I decided to sew the busk pocket as the very last thing so that I could fully take advantage of the space it would take up when inserted. I’ve never corded stays before so I was very apprehensive about sewing channels. I started with the first channels under the bust and I pulled the cord through from the busk space, stopping it right at the edge. I continued this process until I finished the cording on every panel. I then stitched the busk pocket carefully, making sure I caught the edge of each cord.
Then I cut into the tape layer very carefully to place the gussets in. I decided to hand stitch the point in so that they would fit correctly. After sanding the busk down, I inserted it into the pocket.
The next step taught me the most valuable lesson I learned from this entire project: keep it neat. The gussets were the hardest part to bind and proved to be the most difficult when it came to stitching them down to the inside. I closed all seams together and then covered them with bias binding.
In the end I decided to use peach ribbon to tie the straps together because it tied all the undergarments together in a manner I found pleasing.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my work with you.
More details in my Dress Diary, on my blog
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This is beautifully constructed, I'm not a huge fan of stays normally but these are gorgeous. Congratulations :)
Well done! The cording and embroidery really complement the design of the stays. And good job on drafting your own pattern!
Lovely cording and embroidery! Your stays look really authentic!
The cording is gorgeous and I love the peach ribbon, so pretty!
