Customizing an S&S (Simplicity) stays project

[Mme de Beaufort]

Okay, to appease the goddess Cosmoblue, I've decided to do a little photo essay of my attempt to make a new set of stays.

My current stays/corset was also customized using the S&S (Simplicity Version) stay pattern. The reason why I made a full corset as opposed to keeping the short stays was because my bosom is large, and it caused the short stays to simply angle into my ribcage, and then pan out in front of me. I needed something that wouldn't do that.

Here is a picture of of my full corset on my duct-date torso form. Please excuse its wrinkliness, it has just been removed from the dryer (yes, I wash it).



I simply extended the bottom of the stays, and then gussetted it on my 'dress form' to fit my hips. I also added two very narrow triangles to the front panels where the boning draws together. I inserted a full length of boning along the front, and then put in two small lengths on the diagonal below to keep the corset from crumpling at the bottom when the strings were drawn. There is a drawstring all around the neckline so I can gather the cups around my bosom. This does close the neckline to the point that it comes out from under the gown's neckline.

This is the back. I inserted two long lenths of boning along the two seams where the side-back and the back come together. This keeps it from bunching up or wrinkling when I sit and move.



Problems:
Bottom of boning in front pokes out into my dress when standing. Pushes upwards when I sit, platforming out my breasts even more, and hiking them up to my chin.

Shoulder straps and back show in my gown's neckline.

Solution: Create a stay with thinner straps, shorter length and a wider neckline. Much like this image:



which has been posted around here quite a bit. There are very thin shoulder-straps, pre-gathered, sort of fitted 'cups', a straight front, and a shorter length.

I decided to make these stays using my S&S pattern as a guide, however I will not make this exact set. It will have different boning, likely, and I will add a large tab in the back for a bustle.

[Mme de Beaufort]

I've already picked the fabric for the outer layer. I have a heavy cotton for the 'interfacing', and a lighter cotton for the lining. I had this remnant of an upholstery or drapery grade brocade in the attic for the past few years, so I figured I'd use it for the stay instead of the pillows I originally intended it for. I used a similar weight of fabric for the first corset, and I really like the heaviness and durability of this fabric.



The first step is to cut my new pattern pieces.



I traced them out onto art paper, and cut the top part, leaving the bottom part of the page uncut until I've laid it on my dress form with the corset on it, and decided on a proper length.



I then mark where I'm making changes to the pattern and trim. It looks messy because I didn't use a ruler, but it will work. I tack on the tabs to see what they might look like. They will probably change, since i like the one long tab on the front of the sample corset pictured above that Katherine made.

You can see the right piece is the front, I've cut off most of the strap, and left a tab for a smaller one. The side-back hasn't changed much except the added length and tabs, and the back (which is supposed to be cut on the fold) has had the whole shoulder bit removed. I've also added the back 'bustle'.

Here is a comparison of the new pieces with the old pattern pieces laid on top of them. I may have to add a small gusset on the side in order to shape it more, but this is the beginning. I will cut the fabric pieces from here out of the lining first, so I can see it on the dress-form.



Possibly more tomorrow.

[Sarha]

Thank you for posting those pics! They are very inspirational.

[cosmoblue]

Yay! Photos! Let it be known to all that I am pleased.

[dawnluckham]

This is very cool, Steph. I'm looking forward to seeing the end result.

[Mme de Beaufort]

I've been steadily working on this project and I have been taking pictures, I will upload them Monday. I have alread sewn the pieces together, gussetted the front, made all the layers, and edge-sewn the top layers together. After doing that, I now see I have to add one small gusset on the front or side panel, which I will do, and photograph.

Mind you, this is while also spending a lot of time adding buttonholes and buttons to just about everything I made for the ball, including my white gown.

[Miss Ida]

i want to make a dress too

but money and time is the issue here *CRIES*

[cosmoblue]

admin said:

I've been steadily working on this project and I have been taking pictures, I will upload them Monday. I have alread sewn the pieces together, gussetted the front, made all the layers, and edge-sewn the top layers together. After doing that, I now see I have to add one small gusset on the front or side panel, which I will do, and photograph.

Mind you, this is while also spending a lot of time adding buttonholes and buttons to just about everything I made for the ball, including my white gown.

Nice work! Yay, for a new machine with computerized buttonholes!

[cosmoblue]

idas said:

i want to make a dress too

but money and time is the issue here *CRIES*

Miss Ida - Please don't cry. I think that you could probably work around the cost thing. I got many my patterns for free at the library and you could probably get a simple solid cotton pretty inexpensively. Maybe on ebay or something. However I cannot help you with the time thing. I am sill working on some way to either make the day contain more hours or be able to slow time down while I sill work at the "normal" pace. If I have any progress with that I will let you know. Though I do know that a lot of costumers take months to finish projects when they are just doing them in their spare time.

[Mme de Beaufort]

So I cut the pieces from the customized pattern pieces I made. I cut one layer in the brocade and 4 layers in the cotton (one cotton turned out to be thinner than I'd thought, so I doubled it up as the interface).

I sewed the cup-gussets into each layer, sewed each layer to their corresponding pieces, and then pinned the stay-layers together, putting them on my duct-tape doppelganger to get an idea of how it will look.





It's pretty amazing to see how my 'girls' fall about halfway down the front of the corset; I made the duct tape body with a good bra on, but it's surprising how high up the corset pushes the ladies.

Here are the layers for the heck of it.



It's evident I will probably ahve to add one gusset on each side of the front in order to have a decent shape; but I'm too lazy to do that right now, so I just decide to sew the layers together at the top edge, and in the process, sew on the shoulder straps.



That's where it is for now. I'll have to do the gussetts soon, and then I will start adding the boning.

[cosmoblue]

Steph, you have a very interesting working method. You remind me of a friend mine from design school. Totally makes me flash back.

ETA: Steph you know fabric depot still has 30% off everything. You could get the form I got for 30% off. Then you could make a second cover with the girls in their "regency placement". Not that I am trying to tempt you into spending even more money or anything.

[Mme de Beaufort]

cosmoblue said:

Steph, you have a very interesting working method. You remind me of a friend mine from design school. Totally makes me flash back.

ETA: Steph you know fabric depot still has 30% off everything. You could get the form I got for 30% off. Then you could make a second cover with the girls in their "regency placement". Not that I am trying to tempt you into spending even more money or anything.

Some could call it a working method, I call it flying by the seat of my pants. The extent of my 'training' was Home-Ec where I sewed a shirt and an apron. I do what I can. It seems to work; sometimes. ::smirk:::

[Goblin, esq.]

That sounds a bit how I sew. (And I never had a home-ec class; just instruction in threading a machine in 3rd grade.) It works, but I'm always worrying that I'm re-inventing the wheel.

[cosmoblue]

Whatever you call it I love it. I always thought that my friend was so lucky because she was free to work like that. My OCDness can really limit my creativity.

[Val]

I'm interested in seeing how this one comes out. I tried the short-short stays by S&S last Fall, and couldn't get it to work. I actually think I made it too big but gave up. I also have a regular longer Regency stays I started in a class at Costume College but she never sent us the directions to finish it. Right now I'm halfway done with Georgian/Colonial stays in a powder blue dupioni silk that I'm making to wear under a 1 780s gown & having great luck with. ME! I'm so encouraged, I may just go finish those darned Recency stays, although it uses cording, not boning.
I'm doing the horrible job of putting the binding on those little fiddly things on the bottom ACK!

[Mme de Beaufort]

I know, I'm not looking forward to applying bias to those tab things either.

[Miss Ida]

Cosmo!

we do not have Ebay in Denmark, My mom gets a lot of fabric for free from a drape store, and I have this amazing fabric that could go for regency BUT there is not enough!

[cosmoblue]

I thought everybody could buy from eBay. What about Well, if that is not possible maybe you have a discount department store like walmart that carries inexpensive cottons? I will keep a look out around here on freecycle.org for some fabric for you. If I see anything that would work I will get it and send it to you.

I don't know where in Denmark you are but here are some freecyle groups.
groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycle_cph/
groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycleaarhus/
www.freecycle.org/group/Denmark/Denmark/Esbjerg

[Miss Ida]

Those 3 places is far from me
From Horslunde to Copenhagen (or København) there is 200 km that is a 2 hour drive!

[cosmoblue]

Miss Ida - I love that you made a map for me I am sorry that those places are too far for you to use though.