Starting on my stays

[misslynn]

Hello Everyone!

Newbie here I have Mrs.Chancey's stays, chemise and chemisette pattern and I am trying to get started on them so I can make a dress. I am very much looking forward to that! I have a few questions though before I start and I am also on a budget so I am trying to keep that in mind.

For my chemise, I know that I can use muslin but she also suggests pima cotton. I am fairly sure that muslin is more budget friendly so I will probably go with that. I also plan on taking out some of the fullness.

For my stays, can I only use cotton duck or coutil? They are fairly expensive from what I understand and coutil can only be found online. Do you know if cotton duck can be found somewhere like Joanns? Is their any other type of fabric I can use for the interlining that I could find at a good price and style do its job? I have grommets and a grommet setter but I am not sure if I should use cording or boning or a combination of both. I have plenty of cording but isn't boning more supportive? Where did you all get your boning if you used it? Also, did you all add that little dip in the front or is that already in the pattern?

Thank you all for being such an amazing resource!

Lynn

[Val]

Just stay away from anything w/ polyester for your underpinnings. You need 100% cotton or a linen for those.
I've heard both duck and denim being used in place of coutil, but coutil doesn't stretch so that's to it's advantage. And your corset barely uses a yard so keep that in mind.

[dawnluckham]

Hi Lynn,

I’ll see what I can do to answer some of your questions.

If you’re looking for inexpensive for the chemise, use lightweight bleached muslin. A nicer quality chemise might be in batiste or in handkerchief weight linen (my personal favourite for comfort). I do take out some of the fullness from the S&S pattern and I prefer to use only the front pattern piece for the body cutting it out twice to use as both front and back.

Stays need to be made in a non-stretch fabric. Whatever fabric you choose pull at it along both the warp and weft of the weave to assess stretch. You do not want your stays to stretch as you tighten them around your body. Sometimes you can get a good ticking fabric (which has a herringbone weave that can appear as stripes woven into the fabric). The herringbone weave is very good for limiting stretch. I find cotton duck a bit heavy to make stays. Sometimes the home dec. department in the fabric store has some fabrics that are good for stays. Non-stretch and sturdy and natural fibers are the things you’re looking for.

The stays only NEED boning between the eyelets to support the lacing. All other boning and cording are not really needed unless you want to add it. Rows of cording can be very supportive.

I purchase my boning from Farthingales.

I added the dip in the front and the bustle in the back. They are not part of the original pattern.

Dawn

[tess]

I made my chemise out of a pima cotton (it was on sale), but would choose a handkerchief weight linen if I had it to do over (which I'm sure I will, as soon as all those dresses are done....does that ever happen?). This pima is heavier than I would like. I made it with two fronts, per Dawn's suggestion, and that worked well.

I boned my stays only on either sides of the eyelets, but I may go back and add some on the sides, angled toward the bust. The coutil is really great to work with. I was lucky and our local, big, OLD fabric store carries both giant bolts of coutil and bones in every width and length (one of their employees costumes for the opera here).

Share some pics of your finished product, if you can

[misslynn]

Thank you all so much for your help! I think I might print this off and keep it!

Lynn

[celticgoddess81]

I would stay away from Muslin myself since muslin tends to tear easily because of its loose weave. I tend to use the 100 percent cotton from Joann's that is like three dollars a yard. or I use broadcloth which does have a little polyester in it. But that is my preference. ~Lady Elizabeth