Making short stays with a pattern for long stays

[Miss Credit]

Ok this is just a wild and crazy idea that I have and since I am not the most experienced at sewing I wanted to get opinions from you ladies here.

I made a pair of long stays, they lace up the back and have the big busk in the front, and I was wondering if it was possible with some crafty alterations to the pattern to make a pair of short front lacing stays.



Honestly, and I hate to say it, I am not concerned with whether or not the construction is accurate or if they are based from extant pieces but I am looking for the right silhouette and I would like to make something that opens in the front and that I can use for nursing stays later on.

I have looked at my stays and the pattern I have, from Corsets and Crinolines(above), and it looks like I can just shorten the front to be about the length of my ribs, and the place where the busk sits after the two front pieces are joined gives from for the eyelets and lacing. I think I will have make up an insert to attach the two sides of back but after drawing things out I think I can do it!

Is this a crazy idea or does it sound possible?

[Val]

I think the only problem you might come across would be keeping it from sliding up. The length of these holds them down.
I've made one pair of short stays, and it needed drawstrings along the bottom and top of it for them to work. That said, I wasn't able to get mine to work because I made them too large, so there was no way to keep it tight and not slide up over the girls.
Dawn can probably give you a much better opinion than I can. But I wish you good luck with this project.

[nonsuch]

Since your not going for strict historical accuracy, perhaps it might be easier to add buttons or snaps to the gussets like this corset...?
www.laracorsets.com/Antique_corset_2003.0023.htm

[Miss Credit]

I thought about modifying the pattern just to have another pair long stays with buttons or ties on the cups but I dont want to have to deal with a busk while nursing, Im pretty sure it would be difficult to do.

I will wait for input from Dawn before undergoing this project, I didnt really think about it riding up but I can see how it is possible.

[cosmoblue]

If you aren't concerned about accuracy I don't see why you couldn't do this.

You would probably have to do a rather large bit of alterations but it is doable. The back of the pattern would probable have to be filled in because they are made for a gap to be at the back. Also the front would need to have the gap added.

[Miss Credit]

Cosmo,
Thats exactly what I was thinking! I figured I would have to make up a piece to fill in the gap at the back that way I would have the closed back. The front I thought I could separate where the busk lies. The pattern has you make the right and left sides and then sew them together, creating the pocket for the busk. I thought instead of sewing the two sides of the front together to leave them separate and insert the boning on either side of the edge to make a channel for the eyelets. I planned on making the cups of the stays with a drawstring, I have one on my long stays and it is nice for preventing spillage but I thought putting a separate one on each cup this would allow me to loosen one for nursing while still supporting the other.

After looking at Dawn LJ I read over her entry about a pair of stays that are similar to what I had in mind. She did not mention anything about having trouble with them riding up, only that she did not like the shape they gave her.

[dawnluckham]

Just coming into this discussion!

I’ve been out of town for a bit.

I’m going to toss a bit of a curve to this discussion.

First of all, if historical accuracy is not an issue, but obtaining the correct period silhouette is the main purpose, there are a couple of things to think about:

I would certainly start with an actual period stays pattern. There is no way you’ll obtain the silhouette if you don’t start accurately. I like the “Corsets and Crinolines” pattern that you’ve chosen, but remember, for 1812, the gussets would be shorter. What I mean is the higher bust was in style in 1812. By 1820 the bust line had somewhat lowered (slightly) and by 1825-30 it was lower still. Between 1800 and (roughly) 1818 the bust was pushed up about as high as you could get it.

But yes, this pattern will do well for what you want – just shorten the gussets for a higher bust line.

Yes, close the back if you’d like – BUT – If accuracy for your undergarments is not an issue, here’s what I’d do instead:

I’d keep the lace-up back. Shorten to natural waist (or slightly above it) with a nice curve or dip downward at the front over the belly. (This prevents the “belly pooch” that happens when you cut the stays short.) The dip only needs to come to belly button level.

Here’s the *shocking* change: I’d replace the busk with a modern separating busk, like this: “Straight Busk Regular – 7,8, or 9 inches” www.farthingales.on.ca/busks.php

This allows you to open and close the stays from the front and still achieve a period busk look and exacting fit with the lacing in the back. You may want to make a fabric cover for the busk (much like a covered button placket) in order to hide the potential show through of the “buttons” on the steel busk.

With regard to the “climbing up” issue. This has to do with how much boning you put in the stays. For sure, I’d add boning to both sides of the eyelets and I’d place boning at each side panel (maybe more than one). The busk in the front will help keep the stays in position there. It will be tricky to get exactly the right fit for busk length in the front. That “belly pooch” I mentioned can cause the stays to pop upward when you sit. You need to be sure you make the stays long enough to come over the belly OR you need to make sure that they are short enough (which will have that little bit of tummy sticking out) so that when you sit the stays are unaffected by what happens to your tummy when you sit and slump.

I hope that helps!

[Val]

Sept 3, 2008 8:53:03 GMT -5 dawnluckham said:

Here’s the *shocking* change: I’d replace the busk with a modern separating busk, like this: “Straight Busk Regular – 7,8, or 9 inches” www.farthingales.on.ca/busks.php

Just in case you want to do any shopping from Farthingales in the US, not Canada, the owner Linda Sparks has a branch in Los Angeles. I also noticed she has 4" busks. www.farthingalesla.com/busks.php

[Val]

Sept 3, 2008 8:53:03 GMT -5 dawnluckham said:

That “belly pooch” I mentioned can cause the stays to pop upward when you sit.

Hehe, yeah, that COULD have been my problem. I'm going to be giving it another shot, using another pattern for short stays.

[Miss Credit]

Thanks Dawn! I really like the idea of the separating busk and I think I might go that route. I have ordered from Farthingales before and I thought they were great!

I completely understand the popping up of stays now, I have a very lightly boned bodice that will pop and curve and dip when I sit down, but basically what you are saying is either A. it has to be boned enough or B. it has to be the perfect length? Would you suggest making them about belly button length for bustier women?

[dawnluckham]

I would say perfect length is more important than boning.

It’s really, really important to find that perfect length where you either make the stays long enough that your waist folding doesn’t catch the bottom edge of the stays and push them up as you sit down or make them short enough that they are not pushed by your posture.

(When you get into the full-length stays it’s your lap that can push the stays upward so again, the perfect length for each individual body is important to figure out.)

Boning only supports the fabric: It does not support the body in any way. Boning will prevent the fabric from rolling up on you or scrunching and wrinkling. Boning keeps the fabric in the shape that you’ve intended the pattern piece to be and keeps all seams straight and flat.

One little tip about purchasing your “perfect” busk length, though – It’s better to purchase a busk that is slightly too short rather than try to work with a busk that is slightly too long. If you discover that your busk is too short, you can add a hook and eye or two to the top or the bottom of the stays – whichever works best for the design of the stays.

Just curious – why did you choose the “Corsets and Crinolines” pattern over this one?
www.19thus.com/corset.html

[dawnluckham]

And looking over the whole thread again, I kind of like nonsuch's suggestion of the opening gussets for nursing. "corsetrasewing" on LJ has done quite a bit of research into nursing corsets. It might be worth looking up some of her postings. I don't know if it's a locked journal or not, but this is what I have: corsetrasewing.livejournal.com/

She's also posted some good info on The Sewing Academy here: thesewingacademy.org/index.php?topic=3372.0

[Miss Credit]

The "Corsets and Crinolines" pattern is the one that I had Betsy draw up for me and after looking over the patterns on the 19th website I noticed that the pieces were basically the same shape, just some differences in the front of the stays. The reason why I asked Betsy to draft me the one from "C and C" was because I am familiar with the fit of those stays and it looked a little less time consuming than all the cording on the other stays.

Since you are familiar with the website what do you think of the 1800 Brasierre pattern? Have you ever worn anything similar to these?

I will be sure to check out her LJ when I have time, thanks for the link.

[dawnluckham]

;D My version of the Kyoto bra: regencysa.proboards59.com/index.cgi?board=reviews&action=display&thread=195