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I have always wanted an 18th century Stays(as they were not called corsets until the 1800’s) and on Friday, I just decided I was going to make’em.Ingredients: 13 eighteen-inch Heavy Dut…

In preparation for making your Simplicity 8162 18th c. stays, you may wish to re-draw the boning pattern. The pattern comes with an accurate layout for half-boned stays. If you would like to deviate from this, perhaps to add more support or change to a fully

I have decided to make some 18th century stays, in preparation for making a chemise a la reine for April 2015, as part of the same group that have been 1830s Romantics and Gibson Girls! I am using …

I always get a bit gushy about how amazing the pattern testers for Scroop Patterns are (with good reason), but the testers for the Augusta Stays deserve an extra round of credit. The Augusta Stays are by far the most ambitious pattern I’ve ever attempted, and they took Virgil’s Fine Goods and I easily 4x as long as any other pattern. An ambitious pattern for the maker means an ambitious pattern for testers. Stays are no small undertaking at any time. We’re incredibly grateful for the wonderful sewers who were willing to check a new pattern, and to work with it when it still had rough bits to be smoothed off. Thanks to the testers, the Augusta Stays are a much better pattern. Their input helped us to refine the fit of the stays, and make the instructions clearer and easier to use. And the testers made some beautiful stays. I’m very envious of all of them! They are a little different than the final pattern that we released. Some of the testers tried slightly …

Simplicity 8579 Stays, 1700 - 1770. With the release of our book, The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking, we've given you patterns and instructions for a great many lovely 18th century gowns, accessories, and skirt supports. ...but one thing we did *not* give you in

I have always wanted an 18th century Stays(as they were not called corsets until the 1800’s) and on Friday, I just decided I was going to make’em.Ingredients: 13 eighteen-inch Heavy Dut…

(Français en dessous) Print-at-home PDF sewing pattern for the realization of a late 18th century stays (1780-90). The pattern includes sizes from 0 up to 22 (US Sizes) / from 4 up to 26 (UK Sizes) Instant download: Files will be sent to you as soon as the payment is confirmed, therefore exchange or refund cannot be accepted. If you require any further information or if there are any problems, please contact me. The sewing pattern is composed of 5 different pieces, available in several standard sizes. If you wish to receive a custom size pattern, please purchase from my other ad entitled "made-to-measure". The design of the pattern includes an area for horizontal whalebone that can be embroidered at your convenience : please note that neither the design nor the embroidery file visible on my creation are included in the pattern. The stays have back lacing and a small front lacing that stops at the waist for a better chest fit. The pattern is elaborated with a small size reduction (around 9%) Content of your purchase: With your order, you will receive the following: - A calibration test PDF for your A4 prints - The 1/1 scale sewing pattern of either 6 or 8 A4 sheets depending on the size chosen - A step-by-step illustrated guide to making this pair of stays in a modern way (in French and in English). Note: this pattern is historically accurate. This means that it can also be used for historical re-enactment (with the appropriate fabrics and assembly technique). Feel free to express your creativity and adapt it to your own knowledge! Tips to find your right size: Please use the measurements table to help determine the size you need. If you hesitate between two sizes, choose the smallest one: you can always adjust with the lacing by loosening it (the other way around would be more complicated) - If you have different proportions (12 for Bust and 10 for Waist), favor the measurement of the waist (10 Size pattern). - If you want a pattern perfectly tailored to you, I strongly recommend you opt for the purchase of a “made-to-measure” sewing pattern (See the "made-to-measure" ad available in my shop). Indeed, changing the proportions of a fully boned stay is very complicated if you do not master the method of 18th century stays. The pattern includes the following indications: Seam lines, 1/2" seam allowances, notches located at the bust and waist lines, complete drawing of boning channels and tabs, location of the eyelets for a spiral lacing, grainline and measurements of the material. Pattern fabric requirement (quantities are indicated in the pattern): - Outer and lining fabric, cotton fusible interfacing, drill (or thick cotton serge), thin bias or twill tape, lacing tape, grommets, reed boning. Required Skills: Worked on the guide so that it could be understood by an intermediate-skilled tailor. Don't need to be a confirmed corset maker to make this pair of stays, just need to know how to sew straight (useful when sewing boning channels that are close to one another). The only skill you will need is patience, some steps are time-consuming (inserting reed boning and sewing the bias all along the tabs), but nothing technically complicated. Note: stays pictured is for illustration purpose only, it is not for sale. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patron PDF à imprimer pour la réalisation d’un corps baleiné de la fin du 18e siècle (1780-90). Tailles comprises dans le patron : du 32 au 54. Téléchargement instantané : Les fichiers vous seront envoyés dès que le paiement aura été validé, c’est pourquoi je n’accepte ni les échanges, ni les retours. En cas de problème, n’hésitez pas à me contacter ! Il s’agit d’un patron composé de 5 pièces, décliné en plusieurs tailles standards mais également disponible sur-mesure (voir l’autre annonce intitulée « sur-mesure »). Le design du modèle comprend une zone pour le baleinage horizontal qui peut être brodée à votre convenance : attention ni le dessin ni le fichier de broderie visible sur ma création ne sont compris dans le patron. Le corps baleiné possède un laçage dans le dos et un petit laçage avant d'ajustement poitrine qui s’arrête à la taille pour un meilleur ajustement. Le patron prévoit une petite réduction de taille (environ 9%) Contenu de votre achat : Lors de votre achat, vous recevrez les éléments suivants : - Une page test de calibrage pour vos impressions sur feuille A4 - Le patron à l’échelle 1/1 composé de 6 ou 8 A4 selon la taille choisie - La notice de montage (en français et anglais) illustrée de photos, expliquant pas à pas comment confectionner de manière moderne ce corps baleiné. Nota : ce patron est histo-compatible. Cela signifie qu’il peut également être utilisé pour de la reconstitution historique avec des choix de tissus et technique d’assemblages appropriés. Libre à chacun d’exprimer sa créativité et ses propres connaissances ! Conseils pour choisir sa taille : Veuillez vous référer au tableau de mesure pour choisir votre taille. - Si vous hésitez entre deux tailles, prenez la plus petite : vous pourrez toujours jouer avec le laçage en le desserrant (l’inverse est plus compliqué) - Si vous avez des proportions différentes (Poitrine en 40 et Taille en 38), privilégiez la mesure de Taille (patron en taille 38). - Si vous souhaitez un patron parfaitement à vos mesures, je vous conseille très fortement, d’opter pour l’achat d’un patron sur-mesure (Voir l’annonce « sur-mesure » disponible dans ma boutique). En effet, le changement de proportions d’un corps baleiné peut se révéler très complexe si on ne connaît pas la méthode de patronage en cône. Indications comprises dans le patron : Lignes de coutures, marges de coutures de 1,5cm, repères de montage situés aux niveau des lignes de poitrine et de taille, dessin complet des casiers à baleines, emplacement des œillets pour un laçage en spirale, indications de droit fil et métrés du matériel. Matériel nécessaire (les quantités sont notifiées sur le patron) Tissu extérieur, entoilage, coutil (ou sergé de coton rigide), tissu de doublure, baleines en rotin, oeillets métalliques, biais ou ruban sergé, ruban de laçage. Compétences requises : J’ai travaillé la notice pour qu’elle soit compréhensible par un.e couturier.e intermédiaire. Pas besoin d’être un.e corsetier.e confirmé pour réaliser ce corps baleiné, il suffit juste de savoir coudre droit (utile pour les casiers à baleines assez rapprochés). La seule compétence indispensable c’est la patience car certaines étapes sont longues (insertion des baleines et couture du ruban le long des tassettes) : mais rien de techniquement compliqué. Nota : Le corps baleiné en illustration n’est pas à vendre

My friend Pia (@stepsbackintothepast on Instagram) was in need of a well fitting pair of 18th century stays so I started making her one in the summer of 2019. The new Patterns of Fashion book (volume 5) had just come out earlier in the year so I was eager to try out the drafting method introduced in the book to see if it would yield better results than my own. And I was not disappointed! There's one thing I'd like to mention though. The instructions are easy to use for someone with a lot of experience in drafting patterns but I think beginners might find them lacking, as there are gaps that you should be able to fill in. I mention this because I don't want anyone to excitedly get the book and be sorely disappointed that they aren't able to understand the method and get the results they were hoping for because the instructions are very vague. Other than this, I think the book is extremely interesting and provides a lot of useful information that you can apply into making a pair of 18th century stays, whether you are a beginner or a more experienced historical costume-maker. Sadly, I didn't take many in progress photos of the stays in the making as I was trying to get them ready for wearing as quickly as possible. The first photo shows the finished stays (more of those can be found below the construction photos) so you can already see how they turned out. Disclaimer: This is going to be a long post. :) The idea was to make the stays as comfortable as possible, so we decided that we should use linen that we had already had available in the stash, too. The three linen layers are; a sturdy linen canvas for the middle layer, natural linen for the innermost layer and plain green linen for the outside. Here are the panels after cutting. The construction photos were quickly snapped on my not-so-new phone so the quality isn't ideal but I hope they're good enough. The next two photos show basting around the panels in progress. Later on I realized it would have been smart to baste the middle sections with large basting stitches as well because linen has a tendency to move around when you're stitching the channels but it wasn't a huge problem. By this time I had learned that by using a thicker thread than your regular sewing thread, the stitching looks more like that seen on originals and it also creates sturdier boning channels so I wanted to experiment with that for fun, regardless of that the stays weren't even supposed to be constructed in a period manner. This is how the panels looked after stitching most of the channels by machine. After adding the lacing grommets (this is custom work done as quickly as possible so handstitched eyelets weren't an option), assembling the stays and inserting the uncut zip ties into the boning channels it was time for the first fitting! I didn't bother to do a mockup because I was feeling pretty confident about the pattern and wanted to save time so I wasn't going to be as perfectionistic as I normally have a tendency to be. The main goal, afterall, was to make a pair of stays that create the correct shape/silhouette for the era under a gown - nitpicking about every little minor detail was absolutely unnecessary. As can be seen from the photos, the front panels were too large at the bust as I had overestimated how much room for the bust was going to be needed. Sorry about the mess in the background and the low quality of these photos. The lighting was less than ideal. The pin at the side marks the place above which the front panels had to mostly be taken in at the side, though the side seams was altered even below that point so that the seam line would be smooth and correspond with 1780s stay front panel shapes as closely as possible. See how much extra space there was... Unfortunately I don't remember how much I ended up taking the sides of the front panels in but it was somewhere around 3 cm per side if I'm not entirely mistaken. The back fitted like a glove though. As a side note, it still baffles me that I sometimes manage to lace stays incorrectly after more than a decade of making and wearing them... Anyway, it didn't really matter at this point. Also, notice that the stays were intentionally made to close entirely in the back, as per Patterns of Fashion 5. The following photos are taken from the second fitting. Check out how much better the fit at the bust is! The stays merely hold and support the bust but they aren't supposed to compress nor to shovel the bust upwards too much. She does have a busty figure so it may appear like there's a lot of lift from the photos, also thanks to the angle and lighting. At the top edge of the front panel of the stays near the armpit you can see how the front panels do not compress - there's still a slight bit of extra there. This point would get correctly, gently pressed against the side of the bust once the shoulder straps would be added, as can be observed from later photos of the finished stays. This time I remembered how to lace properly. 😅 At the back we can also observe how the stays merely hold and support the back without compression. There is no "muffin top spillage" of flesh that would be a result of a too tight fit around the bust/back - which can happen to a woman of any size - just to point out that I'm not only taking about plus sizes here. Most of us (unless you're very lean) have more or less flesh that can be moved around and I, too, have certainly experienced spillage after gaining weight, resulting in my old stays becoming too small. It's normal if your weight and/or bust size tends to fluctuate, however, it should be avoided when you're fitting a brand new pair of stays. After the fitting I closed the ends of the boning channels and zig-zagged around the edges of the stays to imitate the whipped edges of the originals and to prevent the layers of linen from fraying. After this the stays were wearable so they had to be put aside to wait for a better time for me to finish them. It took until summer 2020 for that time to arrive, which is when I bound the edges of the stays with tape, and finally right after Christmas I added the straps and hooks that the straps attach to. The stays are mainly boned with 7 mm wide zip ties for more support than the thinner (4,7 mm) ones. We were planning on putting metal bones in the channels next to the center front and center back but it didn't happen. We'll see if we find them necessary to add in the long run as the stays will be worn more regularly and for longer periods of time. Let's address the shape of the stays. Even though I was basing the stays off of 1780s stays we wanted them to work for a slightly longer stretch of time, at least as far back as the 1770s. Hence the top edge of the stays doesn't scoop down as much in the front as it might, nor is there as much shaping in the front overall. The front curve seen from the side isn't as radical as in some 1780s stays but there is still a little bit of that "pigeon breast/prow front" (or whatever you prefer to call it) look but it's not dramatic. If more curvature for the bust is desired for a more distinct 1780s look, the lacing can be left more open at the front. The stays below were one of the examples of stays that I looked at as a reference, although I wasn't going to copy them or any other specific pair of extant stays exactly, instead Pia's stays are a mixture of typical stays from the decade. Just look how much lower the top front edge of these c. 1785-1790 stays scoops down. Stays, 1785-1790 © McCord Museum (Photo shared under the CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 CA licence) Pia's measurements* with the stays are 107 cm (42 in) bust and 83,50 cm (33 in) waist, while her natural measurements are 108 cm (42 1/2 in) bust and 92 cm (36 in) waist, meaning the waist reduction is 8,5 cm (3 inches). The bust isn't meant to be reduced in stays so it's pretty much the same. The pattern itself measures 77 cm (30 1/2 in) at the waist and 104 cm (41 in) at the bust. This is something I've learned along the way; if you draft your pattern to match your desired measurements exactly, your stays will most likely end up being too big, especially if they are made fully in linen, as linen tends to stretch. But I've made stays from all sorts of materials and I've always had to make the measurements of the pattern smaller than your desired measurements. I'd love to provide you with some exact numbers of how much smaller your pattern should be, but that varies depending on the body of the person the stays are being made for as well as the fabrics you're working with and the amount stiffening you're going to put into the stays. But I thought I'd mention this, as a lot of people make the first mock-up of their first stays way too big (including myself) because of underestimating how much smaller the pattern should be in relation to your measurements. After all, that's what mock-ups are for... Anyhow, I hope this helps you to achieve a better first mock-up. Don't be afraid to make the pattern a bit smaller than you think! It rarely is the case that the first one turns out too small. :) (Inches are rounded up or down to the nearest half an inch.) *Please note that these measurement may or may not be labeled as plus size depending on country, clothing brand or other factors. However, we decided to use the term "curvy plus size" in the title and text because Pia herself thought it would describe her body the best due to her proportions, as she is short and busty. I also made this collage to show the difference that wearing a pair of stays makes. Notice her blouse is somewhat loose at the waist so the photos don't give an entirely realistic image of her body but you should be able to get an idea anyhow. Now, as for the arc method drafting instructions in Patterns of Fashion 5 book, the pattern is drawn on a curve. My main issue with it is, however, that the angles of the bust, waist and top hip curve angles are drawn more or less randomly by estimating. This is a problem especially for people like both my friend and myself who have a sway back, which means getting the waist curve exactly right is crucial for the comfort of the stays. A long time ago, when I made my first stays I was unaware of my sway back so the waistline of my first stays turned out to be too low in the back causing pain the lower back where the stays pressed uncomfortably into the back. I've since learned to raise the waist at the back of all of my patterns. For resolving this issue, I recommend you take a look at Mariah Pattie's simple pattern drafting video and/or Sidney Eileen's basic conical block drafting tutorial to compensate for where the PoF5 falls short. In the side view photo above the collage you can see how much higher the waist is at the back. Below is the final pattern. Notice the side of the front panel might be much more curved if a more pronounced 1780s shape was desired. Since these stays are drafted to extend below the natural waist, it's important that enough space is allowed for the high hip in the pattern (this, naturally applies to everyone, not just someone with a sway back). I've wanted to try out the shoulder straps that cross at the back at least ever since Sarah posted pictures of such here. Finally did! It only took me years... Anyway, I think I may have to move the loops they are attached through slightly more towards the back. As can be seen from the photos, the straps go around the shoulders very far out on the shoulder line and I fear they may slip down on the arms. Pia has sloping shoulders so that makes it even more likely. However, the last time the stays got worn to an event, no slipping happened so we might just leave them as they are so we can be sure they also don't show from the wider necklines of the gowns. Time will tell. Another photo of the McCord Museum stays for comparison. Stays, 1785-1790 © McCord Museum (Photo shared under the CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 CA licence) Had I been more perfectionistic about the stays or if I were to make another pair of stays from the same pattern for her, I would probably fix a few minor things about them, mainly, I think the top edge might ideally come up slightly higher in the back, for example. I was afraid of making them too high so they'd show from the back of gowns and that's probably why I ended up making it a bit too low. But none of that or other minor faults makes any major difference to the basic function of the stays and the shape they give. The stays can be laced at the back or the front depending whether there's help available for getting dressed or not. I didn't bother with any of the extra reinforcements for the stomach or other parts - the busk will do just enough for keeping the peak (the lower part of the front panels) of the stays down. Some close-ups of the details... The photo below shows one of the two hooks the straps attach to. Another thing one might nitpick about... the boning channels ought to be ever so slightly thinner. That would provide more sturdiness as well as prevent the channels/stitching lines from twisting as much as they do now. Cutting the bones for the channels longer so that the panels would stay taut might help with the wrinkling of the fabric, however, it is also something that tends to happen when stays are entirely made out of linen without so much stiffening. The straps are sewn to the underarms of the front panels, conveniently providing more protection for an area that is one of the first places where the stays will quickly start to show wear. I managed to stitch the binding at the top on entirely by the machine but the lower edge proved to be too difficult a challenge for me so I quickly basted the binding down by hand at first and then secured it into place with the machine. It worked out nicely; it was still faster than doing it entirely by hand, while ensuring a neatly bound edge at the same time. We also took this video of the stays so you can see them in 360°. And the stays make an appearance on a getting dressed video we did last summer, too. I hope you find the post helpful! If you made it this far, let me know! :)

This year, I finally committed to building a historically accurate 18th century ensemble after having been obsessed with the fashio...

Hi all, I'm having some problems understanding 18th century stay patterns regarding the waistline. Is it directly at the top of the tabs, or is it slightly above it? Some sources say it's at the top of the tabs and some pictures prove that as well: This one seems to have the waistline just slightly…

I started my experiment with modifying the strapless stays pattern from this generator (and also sorta this tutorial) into new stays like the red V&A example. I looked through my books and some online resources as well to find drawings or diagrams of how stays like the V&A pair were patterned. A book I dearly want but haven't sprung for yet is Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh. I have found scans of the pages detailing the exact stays from the V&A that I am basing mine off of here. So this illustration was my goal while editing my stays pattern. This was the first time I have tried to document the patterning process so I attempted to keep things color coded with little success ha ha So supplies: paper scissors, a nice transparent ruler, different colored pens, pins, a french curve ruler if you have one, and of course the generator pattern. My generator pattern is from years ago and is a bit worse for wear and has some modifications already but I will explain those in a sec. So here is a tracing of my current generator pattern in orange marker. Mine has been cut into individual pieces so I lined each up as I traced. It also has tabs drawn on so I drew the lavender outline of what the original generator pattern was like so you can have and idea of where to start from. Looking at this I already noticed where I had made less than optimal modifications to my generator pattern in the past as my waistline above the tabs was wonky. So I have made several pairs of stays and have a copy of my most recent pattern laying around so I traced the center front piece from that over the orange and lavender originals to see what modifications I had done before. The easiest way to understand where to lengthen and where to place the straps is to make a mock-up of the strapless stays and pin on muslin to it while you have it on and trace in where those lines should be. At least that's what I did years ago when I first modified this generator pattern. The easiest way to make corset or stays mock-ups is to tape the boning in place on a single layer mock-up with masking tape and to keep a set of back lacing panels around for just this purpose. I have back lacing panels with metal eyelets laying around to sew to the back of stays and corset mock-ups to be able to try them on without lots of work wasted on the mock-up. I think these mock up lacing strips are probably the best thing to have around when making historical foundation garments because they save you so much time! Because I know I will be trying on several mock-ups I feel can be a little adventurous (haphazard) when it comes to modifying patterns I already know fit. I figured if I kept the bust and waist measurements the same in my new pattern as in the old one I would be okay. So using the diagrams from corsets and crinolines I redrew the side seam of my front panel. I made a point in the center of the underarm and ran the line from there down to the original waist point of the front panel. (the dashed blue line up there ^ ) Looking at the V&A stays it seemed that the front side seam was a bit curved to I tried to add that in as well. I began to outline the second side front piece as well trying to match the shape as much as I could to the diagram of the V&A stays. Using the completely official method of eyeballing it I continued to re-draw the pattern pieces to look more like the V&A stays. When I had something I thought I could start with I cut out each piece. This is where it becomes really convenient to have old pairs of stays and a thin dress form. My new dress form is much smaller than me, meaning conveniently she can be padded out and corseted to match my measurements. I didn't go that far this time but I did put her in an old set of stays and pin the new pattern on to see how it fit together in a 3D way. Here you can already see that the side seam isn't fitting exactly at the waist. And here you can see that the top of the stays fit but the waist is much too small, unfortunately I didn't stop and add more to the waist at this point and jumped straight into cutting out a mock-up to try on. So I made my first mock-up and there was some success but it was way too small in the waist so I reassessed the V&A pattern to see where I had left out the waist ease. I'll show you what I did next, next time!

These 18th century linen stays were an impromptu sewing project with linen fabric scraps from my stash.

My friend Pia ( @stepsbackintothepast on Instagram) was in need of a well fitting pair of 18th century stays so I started making her one in...

My friend Pia (@stepsbackintothepast on Instagram) was in need of a well fitting pair of 18th century stays so I started making her one in the summer of 2019. The new Patterns of Fashion book (volume 5) had just come out earlier in the year so I was eager to try out the drafting method introduced in the book to see if it would yield better results than my own. And I was not disappointed! There's one thing I'd like to mention though. The instructions are easy to use for someone with a lot of experience in drafting patterns but I think beginners might find them lacking, as there are gaps that you should be able to fill in. I mention this because I don't want anyone to excitedly get the book and be sorely disappointed that they aren't able to understand the method and get the results they were hoping for because the instructions are very vague. Other than this, I think the book is extremely interesting and provides a lot of useful information that you can apply into making a pair of 18th century stays, whether you are a beginner or a more experienced historical costume-maker. Sadly, I didn't take many in progress photos of the stays in the making as I was trying to get them ready for wearing as quickly as possible. The first photo shows the finished stays (more of those can be found below the construction photos) so you can already see how they turned out. Disclaimer: This is going to be a long post. :) The idea was to make the stays as comfortable as possible, so we decided that we should use linen that we had already had available in the stash, too. The three linen layers are; a sturdy linen canvas for the middle layer, natural linen for the innermost layer and plain green linen for the outside. Here are the panels after cutting. The construction photos were quickly snapped on my not-so-new phone so the quality isn't ideal but I hope they're good enough. The next two photos show basting around the panels in progress. Later on I realized it would have been smart to baste the middle sections with large basting stitches as well because linen has a tendency to move around when you're stitching the channels but it wasn't a huge problem. By this time I had learned that by using a thicker thread than your regular sewing thread, the stitching looks more like that seen on originals and it also creates sturdier boning channels so I wanted to experiment with that for fun, regardless of that the stays weren't even supposed to be constructed in a period manner. This is how the panels looked after stitching most of the channels by machine. After adding the lacing grommets (this is custom work done as quickly as possible so handstitched eyelets weren't an option), assembling the stays and inserting the uncut zip ties into the boning channels it was time for the first fitting! I didn't bother to do a mockup because I was feeling pretty confident about the pattern and wanted to save time so I wasn't going to be as perfectionistic as I normally have a tendency to be. The main goal, afterall, was to make a pair of stays that create the correct shape/silhouette for the era under a gown - nitpicking about every little minor detail was absolutely unnecessary. As can be seen from the photos, the front panels were too large at the bust as I had overestimated how much room for the bust was going to be needed. Sorry about the mess in the background and the low quality of these photos. The lighting was less than ideal. The pin at the side marks the place above which the front panels had to mostly be taken in at the side, though the side seams was altered even below that point so that the seam line would be smooth and correspond with 1780s stay front panel shapes as closely as possible. See how much extra space there was... Unfortunately I don't remember how much I ended up taking the sides of the front panels in but it was somewhere around 3 cm per side if I'm not entirely mistaken. The back fitted like a glove though. As a side note, it still baffles me that I sometimes manage to lace stays incorrectly after more than a decade of making and wearing them... Anyway, it didn't really matter at this point. Also, notice that the stays were intentionally made to close entirely in the back, as per Patterns of Fashion 5. The following photos are taken from the second fitting. Check out how much better the fit at the bust is! The stays merely hold and support the bust but they aren't supposed to compress nor to shovel the bust upwards too much. She does have a busty figure so it may appear like there's a lot of lift from the photos, also thanks to the angle and lighting. At the top edge of the front panel of the stays near the armpit you can see how the front panels do not compress - there's still a slight bit of extra there. This point would get correctly, gently pressed against the side of the bust once the shoulder straps would be added, as can be observed from later photos of the finished stays. This time I remembered how to lace properly. 😅 At the back we can also observe how the stays merely hold and support the back without compression. There is no "muffin top spillage" of flesh that would be a result of a too tight fit around the bust/back - which can happen to a woman of any size - just to point out that I'm not only taking about plus sizes here. Most of us (unless you're very lean) have more or less flesh that can be moved around and I, too, have certainly experienced spillage after gaining weight, resulting in my old stays becoming too small. It's normal if your weight and/or bust size tends to fluctuate, however, it should be avoided when you're fitting a brand new pair of stays. After the fitting I closed the ends of the boning channels and zig-zagged around the edges of the stays to imitate the whipped edges of the originals and to prevent the layers of linen from fraying. After this the stays were wearable so they had to be put aside to wait for a better time for me to finish them. It took until summer 2020 for that time to arrive, which is when I bound the edges of the stays with tape, and finally right after Christmas I added the straps and hooks that the straps attach to. The stays are mainly boned with 7 mm wide zip ties for more support than the thinner (4,7 mm) ones. We were planning on putting metal bones in the channels next to the center front and center back but it didn't happen. We'll see if we find them necessary to add in the long run as the stays will be worn more regularly and for longer periods of time. Let's address the shape of the stays. Even though I was basing the stays off of 1780s stays we wanted them to work for a slightly longer stretch of time, at least as far back as the 1770s. Hence the top edge of the stays doesn't scoop down as much in the front as it might, nor is there as much shaping in the front overall. The front curve seen from the side isn't as radical as in some 1780s stays but there is still a little bit of that "pigeon breast/prow front" (or whatever you prefer to call it) look but it's not dramatic. If more curvature for the bust is desired for a more distinct 1780s look, the lacing can be left more open at the front. The stays below were one of the examples of stays that I looked at as a reference, although I wasn't going to copy them or any other specific pair of extant stays exactly, instead Pia's stays are a mixture of typical stays from the decade. Just look how much lower the top front edge of these c. 1785-1790 stays scoops down. Stays, 1785-1790 © McCord Museum (Photo shared under the CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 CA licence) Pia's measurements* with the stays are 107 cm (42 in) bust and 83,50 cm (33 in) waist, while her natural measurements are 108 cm (42 1/2 in) bust and 92 cm (36 in) waist, meaning the waist reduction is 8,5 cm (3 inches). The bust isn't meant to be reduced in stays so it's pretty much the same. The pattern itself measures 77 cm (30 1/2 in) at the waist and 104 cm (41 in) at the bust. This is something I've learned along the way; if you draft your pattern to match your desired measurements exactly, your stays will most likely end up being too big, especially if they are made fully in linen, as linen tends to stretch. But I've made stays from all sorts of materials and I've always had to make the measurements of the pattern smaller than your desired measurements. I'd love to provide you with some exact numbers of how much smaller your pattern should be, but that varies depending on the body of the person the stays are being made for as well as the fabrics you're working with and the amount stiffening you're going to put into the stays. But I thought I'd mention this, as a lot of people make the first mock-up of their first stays way too big (including myself) because of underestimating how much smaller the pattern should be in relation to your measurements. After all, that's what mock-ups are for... Anyhow, I hope this helps you to achieve a better first mock-up. Don't be afraid to make the pattern a bit smaller than you think! It rarely is the case that the first one turns out too small. :) (Inches are rounded up or down to the nearest half an inch.) *Please note that these measurement may or may not be labeled as plus size depending on country, clothing brand or other factors. However, we decided to use the term "curvy plus size" in the title and text because Pia herself thought it would describe her body the best due to her proportions, as she is short and busty. I also made this collage to show the difference that wearing a pair of stays makes. Notice her blouse is somewhat loose at the waist so the photos don't give an entirely realistic image of her body but you should be able to get an idea anyhow. Now, as for the arc method drafting instructions in Patterns of Fashion 5 book, the pattern is drawn on a curve. My main issue with it is, however, that the angles of the bust, waist and top hip curve angles are drawn more or less randomly by estimating. This is a problem especially for people like both my friend and myself who have a sway back, which means getting the waist curve exactly right is crucial for the comfort of the stays. A long time ago, when I made my first stays I was unaware of my sway back so the waistline of my first stays turned out to be too low in the back causing pain the lower back where the stays pressed uncomfortably into the back. I've since learned to raise the waist at the back of all of my patterns. For resolving this issue, I recommend you take a look at Mariah Pattie's simple pattern drafting video and/or Sidney Eileen's basic conical block drafting tutorial to compensate for where the PoF5 falls short. In the side view photo above the collage you can see how much higher the waist is at the back. Below is the final pattern. Notice the side of the front panel might be much more curved if a more pronounced 1780s shape was desired. Since these stays are drafted to extend below the natural waist, it's important that enough space is allowed for the high hip in the pattern (this, naturally applies to everyone, not just someone with a sway back). I've wanted to try out the shoulder straps that cross at the back at least ever since Sarah posted pictures of such here. Finally did! It only took me years... Anyway, I think I may have to move the loops they are attached through slightly more towards the back. As can be seen from the photos, the straps go around the shoulders very far out on the shoulder line and I fear they may slip down on the arms. Pia has sloping shoulders so that makes it even more likely. However, the last time the stays got worn to an event, no slipping happened so we might just leave them as they are so we can be sure they also don't show from the wider necklines of the gowns. Time will tell. Another photo of the McCord Museum stays for comparison. Stays, 1785-1790 © McCord Museum (Photo shared under the CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 CA licence) Had I been more perfectionistic about the stays or if I were to make another pair of stays from the same pattern for her, I would probably fix a few minor things about them, mainly, I think the top edge might ideally come up slightly higher in the back, for example. I was afraid of making them too high so they'd show from the back of gowns and that's probably why I ended up making it a bit too low. But none of that or other minor faults makes any major difference to the basic function of the stays and the shape they give. The stays can be laced at the back or the front depending whether there's help available for getting dressed or not. I didn't bother with any of the extra reinforcements for the stomach or other parts - the busk will do just enough for keeping the peak (the lower part of the front panels) of the stays down. Some close-ups of the details... The photo below shows one of the two hooks the straps attach to. Another thing one might nitpick about... the boning channels ought to be ever so slightly thinner. That would provide more sturdiness as well as prevent the channels/stitching lines from twisting as much as they do now. Cutting the bones for the channels longer so that the panels would stay taut might help with the wrinkling of the fabric, however, it is also something that tends to happen when stays are entirely made out of linen without so much stiffening. The straps are sewn to the underarms of the front panels, conveniently providing more protection for an area that is one of the first places where the stays will quickly start to show wear. I managed to stitch the binding at the top on entirely by the machine but the lower edge proved to be too difficult a challenge for me so I quickly basted the binding down by hand at first and then secured it into place with the machine. It worked out nicely; it was still faster than doing it entirely by hand, while ensuring a neatly bound edge at the same time. We also took this video of the stays so you can see them in 360°. And the stays make an appearance on a getting dressed video we did last summer, too. I hope you find the post helpful! If you made it this far, let me know! :)

Continuing with my 18th century foundation garments lets take a look at the stays I made. As this was only my second ‘corset’ I decided to stick with a pattern again, although I ran int…

I tried a few ways to try and develop a pattern something along the lines of this: But wanting to end up with something more like this, with the particular way the straps go over the shoulder: I tried draping it on my dress dummy but that didn't really work. I tried using the pattern method…

After discovering “Lucy’s Corsetry” Youtube channel a few years ago, I was filled with curiosity that anyone would enjoy wearing corsets.

The #1 question we receive about Simplicity 8162 (and will with Simplicity 8579 as well) is how to lengthen or shorten the stays. Particularly with Simplicity 8162, the body block used came up a little short and most seamstresses are needing to lengthen the body