The Challenge: Foundations
Fabric: Lining is cotton duck for strength and the outer is a very fine silk twill which still has excellent body
Pattern: Red Threaded's Regency Stays pattern, bought off Etsy.com
Year: 1810
Notions: Thread (polyester), German plastic boning (when I ran out of the spiral boning), spiral steel bones, sprung steel bones, silk bias binding (made by me), cotton cording laces, polyester ribbon and black steel grommets. There will be a wood busk, but I have to make that yet
How historically accurate is it? Probably about 70%, some of the materials aren't quite right like the cotton laces, some of the boning for obvious reasons and some machine sewing. A lot of it was hand sewn though and I'm pretty sure the silk was close to accurate. The grommets aren't but I wasn't about to put my RSI through that many eyelets by handsewing, unfortunately I only had black.
Hours to complete: No clue whatsoever, but they're done now so I can now start working on the dress and shift and bodiced petticoat.
First worn: For the photo's, managed to get them on by myself, was worried they weren't going to fit, but with the laces snugged in they fit well.
Total cost: Hard to know, many of the supplies I bought some time ago, but probably around $100
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| See, they fit! The shoulder straps could be slightly longer, mainly cos I'm slung a little lower than ideal for these styles, indeed too low for modern styles too. I have to do pattern adjustments for modern clothes too. |
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| Need to work on my lacing being more even, but considering I had no help this is pretty good. |
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| hand sewn gussets |
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| and all the annoying black grommets |
3 comments:
Your stays are simply superb! And I can vouch for an old school 30 cm wooden ruler, or a couple of flat bamboos like from a placemats, working as a busk :)
Looking good! Comfortable?
Looking good! Comfortable?
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