May

[mala_14]

This month has been almost a complete wash in terms of sewing. I've been reading pretty much all the time that I'm not eating, sleeping, or out of the house. However, my exam is this Friday, so I will finally get some sewing time after that (well, after the follow-up oral exam on Monday). Things I am going to do the week after I finish this exam (ie. the time before I have to get into reading for the next one):

• read something for fun, a friend published a post-apocalyptic novella recently that I am looking forward to reading
• finish up my silk ballgown, which includes adding the last bit of lace and putting in closures and making the overskirt+sash
• cook delicious food, I want to make pasta and smoke some brisket or something (I watch a lot of Food Network)

After that, I'll have to get started on my suffragette outfit. I think I may have actually finally settled on a plan? I may do the 1910-1911 Tub Frock in Waugh's Cut of Women's Clothes:

The waist measurement is pretty close to mine and the rest isn't fitted, so theoretically I could just whip it up without having to do a mock-up or a lot of fitting. It has an interesting cut, which would add visual interest for my plain solid green fabric. And I could have a violet bow at the neck with a white lace collar to do the suffragette colours. I want it to be a quick project because I really want to get to work on something else...

Namely, 18th century stays! Because I want to do that. I have ideas and plans and that is where my brain is right now. I want to use the pattern in the Kyoto Fashion book for these stays:

The pattern looks like it'd be the right size in the bust, but I would definitely need to add a few inches to the waist and possibly shorten them in the waist too. However, what I was really inspired by for stays was this pair in the Manchester Galleries, picture courtesy of sarahbellem :

I got pink linen in the LA Garment District two years ago when I was at CoCo for this purpose. I'm also into these red wool stays from the V&A that are of a similar style:

But I'm pretty sure that I want to do the tape straps that attach at front with hooks, just to try something new. I also want to try using reed as boning. As far as supplies go, I have the pink linen, cotton pillow ticking to back it with, some cotton-linen blend for lining, wide twill tape for straps, and hooks. I still need some sort of strength layer fabric, reed, narrow tape to cover the seams, tape for binding, and laces for the front and back.
Thoughts/questions that I am pondering and would be happy to hear from you about if you are so inclined:

• Can I get away with not doing a mock-up of my suffragette dress?
• Should I use canvas for a strength layer of my stays? I can get it here and not break the bank
• What should I use for the lacing/cording in the front top half of the stays?

OK, back to studying. Gotta review some poetry. Ugh.

Comments

[theladyrebecca]

I always think it's safest to do a mockup, personally, but I'm also hard to fit. I think you can definitely use canvas for the stays. The lacing question I can't really help you with...

[mala_14]

Thanks for the input!

[elizabeth_mn]

I have opinions!

You could probably get away without a mockup, but doing one is usually safer.

I would personally use a lightweight twill rather than canvas. Canvas can be a bit thick and heavy. In period I guess it would be linen canvas. But it sounds like you are backing the linen with ticking, so that's probably enough on it's own!

For a draw cord, I would find some linen embroidery thread you like and use an electric drill to twist it into a plied cord. (Unless you have a spinning wheel, then use that.)

[mala_14]

You know I always want to hear your opinions! :)

Ah, but maybe I want to live dangerously? Or maybe I'm just lazy. I think I'll scale up the pattern and compare it with some other patterns that fit. And have large seam allowances.

Yeah, I guess I haven't really decided how heavy I want these stays to be. I want to do a layer of the linen, a layer of pillow ticking, a layer of canvas/twill/whatever, and the lining.

Oooh that sounds like a genius idea!

[nuranar]

Medium/heavy linen is what I used for my stays, not canvas. I think canvas is good for earlier decades (and perfect for my 1690s bodice) but not necessary for lesser-boned 1780s stays. I haven't heard of a backing layer before. Oops, what have I missed? I used two layers of linen under my outer layer.

I think I used a random cord I found at Hobby Lobby for the front lacing. It's just a little heavier than #10 crochet thread.

[mala_14]

I may opt for a cotton twill instead of canvas, which might be too heavy. Although Sarah says on her blog that the pink linen stays seem to be lined with linen buckram, so I'm still waffling on how heavy to make these. More research is in order.

What I'm calling the backing is just one of the two strength layers instead of doing, say, two layers of canvas. So it'll be pink linen outside, pillow ticking, canvas/twill/whatever, then lining. I'm just a fan of pillow ticking because it isn't very thick but it is super tightly woven.

Hm, we don't have Hobby Lobby here, but I can probably find some random cotton cord at some point or use crochet cotton to make a cord like Elizabeth suggests.