1790's Transitional Stays

October 31, 2009

I have made several gowns from the excellent Elegant Lady's Closet Pattern from Sense and Sensibility. These gowns are in the style of early regency, and most appropriate for 1790's and very early 1800's impressions. My favorite is the "drawtring dress" which slips on over the head and the fit is adjusted with a drawstring at the waistline as well as the neckline. It is a pretty, easy to wear style and works well for maternity and nursing which is why I made a gown from this pattern in the first place!

I made a set of short stays a few years ago to get the proper "shelf" look of the regency era. While my first attempt did not come out badly, they no longer fit me correctly since the waist is now too loose and the bust much too small. (as my husband considerately noted, I might as well not make new clothes until I'm done bearing children since my shape changes with each new baby I have!) I wasn't overall pleased with the look of the short stays I made either. It gave a very high, rounded bustline which I felt rather self conscious about.

I decided to make some transitional stays in the style of these 1790s stays from Kent University:

Katherine has made a lovely reproduction set as well as my dear friend Lauren. Check out their work - it is lovely!

For my own set, I first spent a lot of time in thought about the project. I really did not think I'd get around to making my own set for a while, at least til the New Year. But I wore one of my drawstring gowns to church this past weekend and was extremely unhappy with my short stays. I just can't wear them anymore. So until I get a new set made I have to wear my gowns with a modern push up bra, which I hate and find very uncomfortable. These new stays suddenly hopped to top priority on my "to sew" list.

So, first of all I had to make a pattern. I started from scratch and took my own measurements, which is a tricky and difficult thing. I made two rectangles to start with. My goal was to make a fitted band which closely hugged my ribcage area all around, beneath my bustline in front and a bit higher in the back. Once that was done, I drew seamlines on my pieces, having a front, side front, side, side back and back piece. I cut away a cup shape on each front piece for each breast to lie in. This was a little tricky since the cup line had to snugly hug the outline of each breast, which was fitted mainly by trial and error.

Once that was done, I made a mockup. I had to take in a little from the center back seam and had to narrow the side back pieces by 1/4" on each side. Then the stays fitted very snugly. Since these will lace closed in the front I want them to bit a bit too snug to start with since I know they will stretch a little with wearing.

Using an outer layer of white cotton twill and an interfacing layer of white cotton I sewed all the pieces together right sides together and pressed the seams open. I treated the twill and cotton layers as one. I took this construction method from the instructions in the J.P. Ryan Strapless Stays pattern. After some of the construction is done a lining layer will be pinned and hand stitched to the inside of the stays to cover all the seam allowances.

Once that was done I sewed a bone channel at each seam line, except the center back seamline. I cut two longish oval shapes for the gathered cups and gathered them to the cut out cup areas and sewed them in. The original stays appear to be more gathered than mine are, but I think the lady who wore the original stays must have had a slighter figure than mine. I don't think I'll get much gathering at the top of the cups either. But so long as they fit and give the right shape I will not be overly picky.

That is all I have done so far. Here is what I have finished thus far:

Next I think I will sew in the lining. Then I have to make and attach the shoulder straps and all that is left is binding and making eyelets. These are going together much more quickly than I anticipated.

Love,

Sarah

November 3, 2009

Well my stays are nearing completion but I think it will still be a few days before I finish them. I'm not really looking forward to binding the tabs on the bottom. I love the look, but I hate binding scallopy things.

Since posting last I have sewn in the lining by hand but have had the worst time with the cups. I have decided I hate cups. I am completely in love with gussets in comparison. Why is it so hard to fit an individual . . .for lack of a better word. . .um. . .chest gland?

The first cups I made (as shown in the picture in my last post) held them up, but they were too tight in places making little ripply hills instead of a smooth mound. For lack of better adjectives. So I sliced into the existing cups and found I had to add about 2" in width to each one to make them fit the roundness without squishing it. So I did that. That gave me extra to gather at the top of the cups too, which I liked. I quickly did the eyelets so I could lace the thing up and see how it fit. While the gathered cups fit the breast quite well, they did nothing at all to support it. Major droop issues.

So I took those out. I made a new cup piece shaped similarly to the old ones but with plenty of room at the bottom of the cup but fitted straight across (no gathers) at the top of the cup. That seemed to work pretty well so I went with it.

So that is about where I am at right now. I sewed binding to the cup seam and also to the top of the stays. I also made and attached the shoulder straps. I have slip stitched half of the binding to the stays and tried them on earlier today and I think despite the problems I've had with the durn cups I'm going to really like these! They are extremely comfortable, they support but no do lift the bosom up so much that it forms a plate beneath ones chin. I tried on one of my drawstring dresses over them and I think they will work perfectly. They position the bust in a place which lets the waistline of the dress fall at a nice place, just below the bosom and I do not get any cleavage since the busts are seperated.

Next time, if/when I make this style again I think I will give myself some more room between the cups to get more of a seperate look. But then again, if I remain the same size I am afraid of getting a "wing" effect at the level of each armpit. Sigh. For now, I am very happy with the shape. But I am dreading binding those tabs! :)

Love,

Sarah

November 6, 2009

Well I finished the binding on the bottom this afternoon and it really wasn't as bad as I had thought. It took me longer to figure out how to apply the binding than it did to stitch it on.

The instructions in the J.P. Ryan stays says to pin the binding to the edge of the stays on both the right and the wrong sides, pulling the binding up between the tabs a bit.

I made my own binding from bias strips of twill. It was so bulky that pinning it did not work very well. I ended up stitching it with a half backstitch by hand to the right side of the corset and flipping it over and slip stitching it to the lining on the inside, while manipulating it around the curves by hand as I went. The binding looks bulky; I think next time I will use something much thinner and fine for the binding rather than bias strips of twill. But for a first attempt I am pretty satisfied.

All I need now is a good lace for this. The pink ribbon I've been using for try ons just is not the thing!

I'll try to get some pictures of it being worn within the next few days or so!

Love,

Sarah

1820's Basic Cotton Day Dress

October 22, 2009

Since finishing my corded stay (which ended up being not corded!) I decided to go into making a gown to wear over it right away rather than working on additional sets of undergarments. That way I can refine the fit and once I have a good basic bodice pattern to work from I can pretty much create limitless variations!

That being decided, I had a terribly hard time deciding what would be a good basic pattern to start with. There are so many styles in the 1820's that you can go with. Round high necklines, shallower necklines, wide scoop necklines, squared necklines, gathered necklines, V shaped necklines both steep and shallow. . .so it was difficult deciding on an overall representative style.

In the end, I chose this. The sketch is bad, but it was a quicky drawing after a whole morning of laborious thought for me to go off of and reference as I made my pattern and mock ups. It has a shallow scoop neckline because that is an oft seen style in the 20's and is also more flattering to me than other styles. It has a front opening because I need nursing access and I didn't want to make a seperate nursing panel. (Most dresses from this period I have seen pictures of open in the back). The lining will be darted to fit and the outer layer will be gathered over the fitted lining. It has moderate size gigot sleeves. (Is there a different name for moderate size gigot sleeves??) I don't need huge sleeves and besides taking more fabric I think the bigger sleeves look ridiculous! I am comfortable with this size but would not go any bigger. At least theoretically on paper. It will have a waistband which will open to a dogleg closure and the skirt will be 3 panels of fabric gathered or gauged to the waistband. The skirt hem is to end just above the ankle, a good "active style" length.

To start with, I tried on my 1820's style dress from last year over my stays to see if I would have to make adjustments to the pattern. I decided I wanted a slightly lower waistline (last years dress was made to go over short stays) and I needed a tad extra width across the bust. I also wanted curved back seams instead of the more straight diagonal seams I used last year. Curved seams are just prettier. :) I made the modifications to my paper pattern and traced it out new. I went through 3 mockups before getting the fit I wanted. I had to lengthen the waistline, try on the mock up, pleat the front excess at the waist, tie an elastic cord around my waist where I wanted the waistline to sit, mark it on the mock up (while it was on me. That was interesting.) I also had to refine the armscye curve and take some excess fabric out of the shoulder seam. I measured my arm and using the Sense and Sensibility Spencer pattern and Janet Arnold as a guide, made a draft for my sleeve. Once all that was done I ended up with these pieces: (my main pattern pieces are for a round high neckline. It is much easier for me to cut a new shallower neckline if desired than to raise a shallow neckline to a high one if I need to).

Then it was time to decide what fabric to use. I decided to use this pretty cream and pink cotton print that David gave me for Christmas last year. It is not exactly historically accurate but it is pretty. He will be pleased I am finally using it. I first tore 3 panels for the skirt, full width and 38" long. I then tore a strip full width and 2.5" wide for the waistband. I then folded the width in half lengthwise and positioned my bodice pieces on it and cut them out.

I ran into a snag with the sleeves. I didn't have quite enough yardage left to cut both sleeves on the fold. I at last decided to fold each selvedge edge in to the center line of the fabric width. Then I placed the sleeve on the fold. Part of the sleeve head did not fit, so I folded it out of the way and cut out what I could.

After I cut both sleeves, I cut off the little folded piece and added 1" allowance to the cut edge. I cut four of these pieces from scrap. They will be sewn to the sleeves to get the finished shape and I don't think the seams will be very noticeable. This method allowed me to get both sleeves from 31" of fabric - half of what it would have taken if I had folded the fabric lengthwise and cut both sleeves on the fold that way! Out of the remaining 1/3 yard of fabric I cut a multitude of bias strips for piping. I plan to pipe all the bodice seams, the waistband and the sleeve seams.

Then, I cut out lining pieces for the bodice from strong white cotton. I don't know if I will line the sleeves or not but I think not. . .they are so large anyway (compared to what I normally make) I think extra fabric would end up weighing them down. On the other hand, something light yet firm would help give the sleeves more shape, especially in the head. But I don't have anything light and firm like that so for now, I think I will leave the sleeves unlined.

Finally, I cut out the new, shallower neckline on all the bodice front and back pieces. I threaded the machine and laid everything out so whenever I get the chance I can start sewing the bodice pieces together!

Love,

Sarah

October 23, 2009

Yesterday afternoon I was able to start sewing the bodice together and was able to get all the main pieces put together and the piping added around the neckline for a finish. I piped each seam on the bodice; the back to side back seams, the side to front seams, and the shoulder seams. I use Peaches n' Cream cotton cord for my piping. For some reason the piping on my last years 1820's dress looks huge to me now. My goal is to get as teeny a pipe as I can. On the few original garments I've actually seen in person, the piping was so small as to be astonishing. It looked almost like a teeny bitty fold of fabric, so much different than the modern day clunky chunky piping you can buy pre made at the fabric store!

So anyway, I piped the bodice. I piped down the center front openings because it gives added strength to that area and on some original gowns with 2 piece fronts (even though they open in the back) the center seam is piped. I like piping; it gives such a neat clean finish and is so quick to do. I turned the raw edges of the piping under and slip stitched them to the dress lining to finish everything off.

This morning I tried the bodice on inside out and pinned it shut down the front. I took up darts in the lining fabric only and pinned them in place. Most original gowns I've seen have only one dart on each side of the front but I had so much extra fabric at the waist, I really had to make two darts on each side to get the right contour to the bust and for everything to lay nicely. *Note: It is usually not recommended that you pin in darts with your inside out bodice on you. This is because when you turn your bodice right sides out, the side you fitted to, for example, your left bust, will now be on your right bust, and vice versa. If your body is noticeably different on either side, it is highly recommened that you make all darts in a muslin and transfer the muslin to paper, clearly marking "left" and "right" so your final product will fit correctly. I hate bothering with this so I never do it. But for those of you who want to take the time to fit something perfectly, this is what is suggested to do.Once the darts were pinned I sewed them in place. Then I gathered the outer fabric down over the darts, and sewed on the waistband. I left 1/2" extending on either edge - the cut edge of the waistband is not flush with the finished bodice edge. This is so later I can turn it to the inside and cover it with the inner waistband.

I then turned my attention to the sleeves. I was pretty excited about them since last year I tried to make this sleeve style and it failed since I did not give myself enough length in the sleeve head. This time, I made sure to add plenty of length! :) Since the sleeve is fitted at the wrist I wanted a short placket so I could easily get my hand through. I sewed piping to the sleeve down the seam on one side, across the bottom and up a few inches on the other side, tapering the piping out to the raw edge. Then, when I sewed the sleeve seam I stopped the stitch line just below where I stopped the piping. The sleeves were turned inside out and the raw edges of the piping turned under and pinned to the lining along the bottom of the sleeve and up the sides of the short placket. A tidy way to do a placket and hem, all at once, and very fast and easy. I will sew a hook and eye to the wrists when I finish the dress.

I was getting a little tired of working on the dress by this time but thought I should at least pipe the armscyes on the bodice, so I did. I then ran gathering stitches across the tops of the sleeves and drew them up. And that was all I cared to do at the time. Next up is sewing the sleeves into the bodice and then turning my thoughts to the skirt. . .
Love,

Sarah ~ who is starting to have a most terrible and untimely fascination with 1810's fashions instead of the 1820's. . .

October 25, 2009

Yesterday I had a little time in the morning to work on the dress so I sewed in the sleeves, trimmed the allowance and considered it good. On historical dresses, many times the sleeve seam does not match the side seam like modern garments. The sleeve seam often is meant to run down the inside of the arm so it is matched to a place on the front bodice, usually at or just below the bust line. I don't have a set, mathematical method for positioning the sleeve seam. What I do is put on the sleeveless bodice, pin it shut, and pull up the sleeve on my arm. I adjust it til I like how it looks and where the seam lies and then I mark the position of the sleeve seam with a pin, on the front bodice. Then when I go to sew the sleeve in I just match the seam to the pin-point.

I don't know what kind of seam finishes were commonly used for dresses of the 1820's. It seems in pictures of original dresses the seams of sturdy fabric are left raw. Since my fabric is pretty sturdy, I just left the seams raw as well. For my 1860's style dresses I know seams were often not finished and if they were, a largish overcast stitch was used or, for underwear, the seams could be run and fell. Sometimes seam binding was used. I like ease, so I just left the seams raw. Later, if I notice them fraying a lot (on past dresses I've made this way the seams just soften up with washing) I can overcast them by hand.

Once the sleeves were in I decided to work on the skirt. I seamed the 3 panels of fabric together, using the selvedge edge in the skirt seams as a natural seam finish. One of the seams I left open for a few inches at the top. I turned under, pressed and handstitched the allowances on each side to finish off the placket.

Then, to make the dogleg closure, I sewed an extended waistband onto one side of the waistband. This band extends 5.5" from the bodice front edge. On the opposite bodice front edge, I marked 5" from the center front.

I gathered the skirt panels by machine (2 rows of the biggest stitch my machine makes) and drew up the panels. I started pinning the skirt to the bodice along the extended waistband, making sure the waistband extended 1/2" from the finished placket edge of the skirt. I pinned the skirt all around, stopping at the point 5" from the edge of the opposite bodice front. This is how it looked once it was sewn to the bodice:

To close, the skirt is first fastened and the bodice then lapped and fastened. This is how it will look when it is shut: I then tore a scrap of white cotton into a strip 2.5" wide and about 34" long to use as the waistband facing. I pressed under 1/2" on all raw edges and laid it wrong side down over the waistband on the inside of the dress. I pinned it to the seam lines, enclosing the seam allowances. Here, it is just pinned but since this time I have slip stitched most of the waistband facing to the waistband. Then to get an idea of what the dress will look like when it is finished, I put it on my homemade dressform (who is in urgent need of re-shaping and re-stuffing) and pinned it shut. I'm happy with how it looks so far! The skirt is gathered in the front just under the bust gathers per an original dress I've seen photos of (I have pics of the original dress on my Sangamon Settler blog, if anyone wants to see it - it is lovely!) The sides of the skirt are ungathered for a few inches on each side and the back is very tightly gathered. Now I must finish attaching the waistband facing and make the hem and the dress is ready for fasteners! :)

Love,

Sarah

October 28, 2009

It's been a few days since I've posted, but a few days ago I finished the hem. The hem was done in this manner:

3 strips of white cotton about 4" wide were torn full width and sewn together into a tube, equaling the circumference of the skirt. The white cotton facing was sewn to the skirt, right sides together, all along the bottom edge of the skirt. The seam was pressed towards the facing and 1/4" was turned under along the raw facing edge, towards the inside:

Then, the facing was pressed up inside the skirt and pinned in place. A teeny bit of skirt fabric was turned under as well, just so there is no danger of the white facing showing from the outside! :) I used a running stitch with small stitches on the outside and larger ones on the inside to attach the facing by hand. This is a quick and easy way to do a hem and can be done on any rectangular skirt. The hem facing will also take the abuse of wear and can be replaced once it gets dingy and dirty (I have done this before!) thus protecting the dress fabric from getting tatty at the hem prematurely.

I still have to sew hooks to the bodice (I already sewed them to the dogleg closure) but I need 10 and only have 5 on hand so I need to pick up some more packages of them. I won't be going to town until tomorrow, but perhaps I can take some hooks off an old dress so I can finally wear this one.

Love,

Sarah

December 4, 2009

I have had this dress finished for over a month but have procrastinated posting pictures of it here until now. These were taken at the beginning of November outside of our house; the last warm days of fall! Now that it is finished I think it looks more late 1820's/early 1830's due to the height of the waist, the full skirts and the size of the sleeves. It's still an 1820's dress, just not as early a style as I had originally been going for. :) But I really like it anyway, I think it is my new favorite gown.

Classic Cap

Basic Cap

This simple cap has a fitted brim and a semi circular, puffed crown that can be adjusted to fit with drawstrings at the neck. Although this cap is not taken directly from any particular period, I think it looks best with late 18th century and early 19th century styled/inspired gowns since the way the crown is shaped conveniently accommodates the hairstyles of the time. This pattern could also be used for a cozy nightcap, made out of cotton for summertime wear or flannel (wool or canton) for cooler weather.

Pattern:

Please click on the pattern pieces below to be taken to the file for each piece. The crown is in two pieces and you will have to tape them together to get the final shape. Match the triangles and cutting line.

Brim

Crown

Crown (lower portion)

Cut two brim pieces on the fold out of your fabric. If desired, you may cut your brim piece onto fresh folded paper, placing the fold against the fold, to create a complete brim pattern. You can then lay this pattern on your fabric with the longest edge against the fold. This way, you do not have a long seam around the face edge and will have to sew only the two short sides.

You will also need to cut the following pieces:

2 Drawstrings for back neck, each appx. 8-10” long. These can be made from narrowly hemmed fabric strips, or twill tape. Ribbon can also be used but does not hold a tie as well as tape or fabric.
2 Ties for securing cap under the chin, each appx. 12-16” long. As for the drawstrings, you can make these of fabric or use tape or ribbon.

Construction:
All seams for a ½” seam allowance.

Brim:

*For Two-Piece Brim -
Lay your two brim pieces on top of each other, right sides together, matching corners. Pin baste and stitch around two short sides and longest side, starting and stopping ½” from the edge of the shorter “back“ edge (where the gathered crown will be attached). Clip corners, trim seam allowances, turn right sides out and press. Set aside.
*For One-Piece Brim -
Press brim, right sides together. Pin two short side seams. Starting at long “face” edge, stitch the seams, stopping ½” from the edge of the shorter “back” edge. Clip corners, trim seam allowances, turn right sides out and press.

Crown:
Create drawstring casing at the back neck edge by turning straight edge up ¼” and again ½”. Press. Fold crown in half lengthwise and press to find center. Open the crown back out and mark two dots appx. ½” from the center, pressed mark on the drawstring casing. Going only through the turned-up edge of the casing, make two eyelets through which to thread your drawstrings. Once your eyelets are made, re-press casing up and stitch in place. Thread your drawstrings through the two eyelets and pin them at each side while you finish the crown.
Run gathering stitches all around curved edge of crown. Draw them up to fit the brim. Right sides together, pin crown to brim, pinning only to the top layer of the brim. Stitch, being sure to catch edges of drawstrings in this seam on either side, and remove gathering stitches.

Finishing:
Finish the inner seam by turning under the free edge of the brim ½” and pinning to the stitch line, enclosing all raw edges. Slip stitch to stitching line.
Attach ties at the lower corners of the brim.
Wear with your favorite historical gown and enjoy!

Below are photos of a white striped cotton cap made from this pattern with tape ties.

Using the same pattern with heavier fabrics resulted in a warm and cozy bonnet like cap. This one is made of deep blue velvet and has a 2 piece brim with the lower brim being brown cotton twill. The crown is lined with cream colored silk and black ribbon used for the ties.

Mid-19th Century Infant Chemise

Mid-19th Century Infant Chemise

This pattern was kindly submitted by Mrs. G, who gave me permission to post it here for the benefit of anyone who might like to use it! The photograph above is one of the chemises she made for her baby.

This pattern was taken from several different original chemises from the Wisconsin Historical Society Website. It consists of two pieces, a front and back cut identically. The side seams are sewn and finished with felling and the top curved edge is turned and finished with narrow trim. Mrs. G sewed reinforcement squares to the shoulder area and the chemise is finished by hemming and making buttons and buttonholes to close the shoulder. A very practical style and easy to get off and on a tiny new baby!

Pieces:
I could not fit the entire pattern onto one sheet of paper, so the pattern consists of two separate pieces which you will need to print and tape together.

Chemise Body
Chemise Bottom

1820's-1830's Corded Stays

October 5, 2009

I have at last decided that I am completely sick of modern clothing. I hate it, it doesn't last very long nor hold up to washing well. I also hate modern underclothes - they really don't last and they are just not comfortable! On the other hand, I love corsets. They are comfortable, fitted to onself and are very supportive - a bra, a back brace and a body shaper all in one! What can be more perfect? :)

So, deciding the above I have also decided to make a complete 1820's style wardrobe for myself for this fall/winter. To start with, I need some corded stays. Today I started a mock up for my first set. Once I make the first set I will see if I like them, if I need to adjust them, and then make a few more. I think for this set of clothes I will go more for the overall look of the period instead of sticking to strictly period construction techniques. I think I'll use my machine for nearly all of the construction. For a perfectly period garment, all seams should be sewn by hand. But since these will be for everday wear I'm not so concerned about being 100% historically accurate. Sturdiness and relatively fast construction takes precedence!

Pattern:

I have looked at all the extant 1820's-era stays I could find and have found rather diverse styles! I already have short stays that can work for 1820's style clothing but I find them more comfortable if I am pregnant and have a baby bump that can support the waistline of the short stays. Right now the waistline digs into my flesh. Not so comfortable! I am not currently pregnant and would like the added support of longer stays so I have decided to go with the longer style.

I really like the look of Past Patterns 1820's-1830's corded stays but do not really want to pay for a new pattern that I will have to alter to fit me anyway! I thought about sizing up the corded corset pattern from Katherine's Site but after a miserable failed attempt I pulled out my Mantua Maker Regency Corset pattern.
This pattern creates a raised bosom, tubular look so popular in the early 19th century. I first made a mockup of the unaltered regency pattern but decided the tubular look was not what I wanted. The 1820's were a time of transition and I wanted some more waist definition and I did not want my bosom right up under my chin! I am a bit busty, very short waisted and have larger hips. The tube thing just doesn't do it for me. I'd gladly give up some of my hip girth for a more slender line but after three babies that is just not going to happen!

So I altered this pattern by marking the point on each pattern piece where my waistline is. I am very short waisted so this line was pretty much just below the bust gussets and just above the hip gussets! I had to shorten each pattern piece between 2" and 1 1/2" to get the waistline to fall in the correct spot. I carved out a little curve at each waistline mark on each pattern piece, except for the center front. I lengthened the bust gussets to 6" in length so the bosom will not be pushed up so much. I also realized I need an extra 2" or so around the hips. I could have added another hip gusset to the seam between the back piece and side piece but instead I angled those seams out so the gusset will be cut as one with them, for ease of construction. Anything to get away from gussets! :)

I cut another mock up out from an old denim skirt. I added 1 and 1/2" to each back piece and sewed up the back seam, added 1/2" to the center front piece and cut two front pieces. When I tried on the mockup, I simply had to pin the front seam together. The 3" of "gap" (the area where the final corset will be laced) in the back was filled in by the extra I added to the back pattern pieces. This is a great way to fit a mock up of a corset and was taken from the fitting instructions in the Laughing Moon Victorian Corset pattern.

The final mock up fit wonderfully! I traced each pattern piece off onto fresh paper. Here are my altered pieces:Next step: Cutting out the "real" fabric and sewing up the shell and the lining. For that I plan to use gray cotton twill for the outer layer and a white striped cotton for the lining. Once the corset is corded I may fell in an additional lining layer but we'll see when the times comes!

Love,

Sarah

October 7, 2009

Yesterday I cut out my twill and cotton layers for my corded stays. After reading more about construction techniques, I decided I didn't really like the way the Mantua Maker pattern tells you to put your corset together. Sew all seams right sides together, press seams open, put lining and outer fabric wrong sides together and "stitch in the ditch" to attach them. I hate stitching in the ditch for anything, especially corsets. I knew there had to be a better way! Plus the construction technique sounded horribly modern. A pressed-open seam is not very strong.

So I went to Katherine's Dress Site again and read more about how she constructed her 1820's-1840's corded stays. The technique was intriguing. The seam allowances are pressed down, to the wrong side of the fabric, then the pieces are sewn together as close to the edge of the folded-down allowances as possible. This gives you more layers in the seam, thereby strengthening it, and forms a slight ridge on the wrong side of the seam. The outer seam looks like an ordinary one.

So I tried this technique on my twill stays. I loved it. It was quite firm and strong. But alas, when I went to measure the stays at the waist they came out 2.5" too short! I planned a finished waist measurement of 25" to allow for 3" of "gap" so I could lace to 28". (very doable, due to "squishable flesh"). But the measurement of the stays, with the back edges yet unfinished, measured only 23.5". I need another 1.5" just to bring them up to what I want my finished measurement to be, then another .5" on each raw back edge to turn under and sew to the lining before I do the eyelets. Sigh. I was very, very disappointed. I have no idea how this happened since I carefully measured before making the final pattern pieces but it doesn't really matter how it happened, just that it did.

So I made a cup of coffee and browsed some more online images of corsets, especially the ones from the Antique Corset Gallery. I got some good ideas for cording and decided there are a few things I want to change on my current pattern before I make the final stays, anyway. So my twill disaster was just really another great mock up.

I would really like to eliminate the hip gussets if possible. Adding them onto the existing pattern pieces worked great for the back hip gusset. I could even add the front hip gusset onto the existing side pattern piece. This would just give me one gusset towards the middle of the hip. Adding the gusset pieces on like this also gives my pattern pieces a shape similar to the corded stays on Katherine's Site. I am going to play around with the pattern today to see what I can do.

I won't be able to get into town to pick up more fabric for new stays until this weekend, so until then I will be trying to perfect my mock ups and pattern so the finished garment will be a breeze to put together! (hopefully!) :) I plan to get a few yards of cotton twill and some cotton sateen for lining. Hopefully that will be sturdy enough to hold up to everyday wear, yet light enough to be comfortable and easy to work in.

Now I'm pondering what to use for cording. . .

Love,

Sarah

October 14, 2009

Well, it has been about a week since I last updated. I went to Jo Anns over Columbus Day weekend and got some cotton twill on sale. The bolt I brought to the cutting counter had nearly 3 yards left on it; I wanted but two yards in two, one-yard pieces and one peice was almost a yard and the other piece was just a bit less than two. Because of that, the nice cutting-lady charged me 50% off the sale price - already at $3.99 - and gave me all the yardage as remnants! How cool is that?!

I cut out my stays from my fresh, altered pattern yesterday. I drafted in the front gusset as part of the side piece and it worked very well. I used a white striped cotton as the lining and just one layer of twill as the outer layer. I sewed the pieces together using a different technique than I did with my gray twill set last week. I first layed out the front lining, wrong side up, and placed the twill layer, wrong side down, on top of it. I then placed the side piece beneath the lining/fashion fabric piece (as if I were going to sew it to the front piece, lining to lining, right sides together) and then layed the twill piece on top of the front twill piece, right sides together. In the end, four layers (both the lining and fashion fabric front piece, and lining and fashion fabric side pieces) were sandwiched together. I sewed one seam, and there was the front and side pieces attached, and all seams nicely enclosed. This gives me a strong, four-layer seam and encloses all allowances at once. What could be better? This is a technique described by Carolann, a resident Expert, at the Sewing Academy in the context of mid-19th century corsets. I don't know if this technique was used on earlier corsets but it works well and is much quicker to do than other techniques. At the end, 1/4" on each raw edge of the back pieces was turned to the inside and the edges stitched together very close to the fold.

Today I had to stitch-in-the-ditch to connect the twill gussets with their linings. I hated that; it took me two hours to do six gussets!

Once that was done it was time to cord the stays. I had previously decided to cord and bone these stays since I really do need the extra support for a good shape. I made a set of corded stays pre-baby and even then, at a C cup size, the cords didn't support nearly so well as the bones in my 1860's corset did. Now, I'm bigger "up there" and want a good, supportive shape since I'll be wearing these for every day.

A major question for me was - were 1820's-1830's era stays ever boned? I had no idea. ..all the extant examples I've seen in pictures (maybe a dozen or so) didn't have any apparant boning. But out of the thousands of women who wore thousands of stays during that time period, surely someone used boning, right? I looked online and found a blog post someone wrote about a set of corded stays she made for herself that she ended up having to add boning to, since she was a curvier lady. Someone mentioned in that post an extant set of stays that had boning in them! So, 2nd hand documentation, sure, but it does seem to indicate boning was used!

So then I thought. . .why not just bone the durn things? I like the way cording looks but I don't have time now to hand sew cording channels and then thread cording through them. I need these stays soon. I could put in bones now, and if I needed or wanted to later, reinforce areas that need more support with corded channels.

So that is what I did. It took me about an hour this afternoon to mark and sew bone channels. Here is a picture of them so far. The channels are all sewn and bones are inserted into the (your) left side. . .I held them up to me and I think they will work very well. With this boning placement, the final stays will have twelve bones, although I may add an extra bone to each seam between the side/back pieces, giving me a total of fourteen bones. I did not leave an area for a busk, since I want these to be flexible and I never used a busk with my last set of corded stays. I do have channels for bone where the wood busk would have been, if I had chose to use it.

So all I really have left to do on these is finish putting in the boning, binding the top/bottom edges and working the eyelets. I need to get some laces too, but otherwise I should have these done by the end of the week!

Love,

Sarah

October 26, 2009

Well, so much for glorious notions of being a consistent keeper of a dress diary. It's been a while since I've updated!

Since I last posted, I finished the stays. Shortly after my last post I bound all the edges and made eyelets. I really liked how they looked once this was done. Here are some pictures from last week showing the front, back and side views of the stays and the shape they give.

Back: Side: As you can see I used 3 bones down the center of the stays instead of the more period correct busk pocket and busk. I did this because I figured I would never use a real busk and that more support there was better. I started making a dress to be worn over these stays and soon realized that I would have to make a modification down the center front. While the bones down the center front gave great tummy support they made an odd little ridge at the center front bust line. This line would usually be straightened by a straight busk, but the boning is not that stiff and bends to my form. It "cups" over my bosom and pokes up above the bust line - not a pretty sight when worn with a fitted dress!

So, I ended up undoing the binding at the center front top and I removed the 3 center bones. I sewed 3 lines of cotton cording down each side of a 1.25" space that will be my "busk pocket" (even though I will probably never wear a busk with this!) I used the bone channels as spaces for the cording, just sewing two lines down the center of each off-center bone. I then threaded the cords through with a big needle. The center bone channel is still intact but theoretically I can remove those stitches to leave the 1.25" wide opening for a busk if I decide someday I need to use one.

This took care of the pokey ridge problem. The corded center section cups my bosom but it gently curves and conforms rather that sticking up oddly! Problem solved! Whew! I think these are DONE now! :) Love,

Sarah

19th Century Three-Piece Baby Cap

The pattern for this cap came from Mrs. G of Pastoral Symphony Farm. When she recently posted about clothing items she was making for her new baby I fell in love with this cap style and she very kindly sent me the pattern and permission to share it with you all here! To see photos of her baby caps (and other lovely baby clothing!), please click on the link to visit her blog.

This cap consists of three pieces; two sides and one center piece. Mrs. G., as well as I, fully lined the cap for ease of construction and added warmth. If desired, I suppose you could finish the inner seams with baby binding or felling for a one-layer cap but I do like the ease of fully lining it. It does not take long at all to make!

As is, this pattern should be about the right size for 0-6 months. To make it fit my currently-8-month old baby boy I added 1/2" around all edges and sewed the pieces with a 1/4" seam. This made a cap that fit well with a little room for growing.

I made mine from a white-striped white cotton.

Pattern Pieces:

Please click on the link to take you to each pattern piece. Save the files to your computer and print at 100%.

Side Piece

Center Piece

Construction:

Pin sides to center piece, right sides together, easing side pieces as necessary to fit center piece. (You should not need to run easing stitches - I simply evenly pinned mine out and it came out pucker-free). Stitch.

If lining your cap, repeat this process for the lining.

Trim seam allowances. Press seams to one side. (I pressed towards the center as it seemed the best way to do it).

Pin lining to cap, right sides together. Sew all around cap edge, leaving the portion between the back neck seams free.

Trim seam allowances and turn cap right sides out. Press neatly. Press under your seam allowance at back neck opening to the inside and slip stitch closed. If desired, top stitch bonnet around edge to stabilize it.

Attach ties at chin point on each side of cap. I used tape for mine but self fabric ties should work well, too.

If desired, embellish with embroidery, lace, etc. I whip stitched some lace around the face edge for my baby's cap. The possibilities are quite endless!

Put on baby and enjoy!