Feeling Fancy: HSM "Blue"

So... I finished these stays back in february in good time for the HSM challenge, got some decent photos and then promptly forgot about the blogging part. I thought about blogging them this summer after their first official outing, but that obviously didn't happen. Then my historical sewing "club" started talking about stays, and I remembered to write this post.

Long story short, let me show you my finished stays:

I love them. They give me the fashionable 18th century shape while still being deceptively comfortable and undeniably cute to look at.

The outer fabric is a heavy cotton upholstery brocade I found as a remnant at Videbæk Stof-Sycenter (my favorite fabric shop). It is a beautiful periwinkle blue with small tulip-like flowers in dusty pink and pale green woven into it (see picture below). It is still available at Historicum for anyone interested. I used about a half meter. This particular length was bought for me by my boyfriend as part of a swap.

It is interlined in a heavy tan linen/viscose blend from my stash. I made the coordinating pink binding with half a meter of cotton broadcloth from Stof&Stil in the color "antique rose". I used 25 mm binding for covering the inside seam allowances in lieu of a separate lining, the 18 mm for binding the edges and the 12 mm for decorating/highlighting the seam lines on the outside.

The pattern is Butterick 4254 view B. I had to make a few modifications, mainly due to the weird big-4 sizing and the pattern being very short-waisted. I had the size 12-14-16 packet, but the recommended size (14) was WAY to big for me. The 12 was a little better, but not ideal. I ended up taking it in a couple of cm at each center back edge, lower the back neckline, moved the front strap toward center front, adding height to the front neckline and narrowing the straps.
I also changed the boning layout a bit to allow me to do spiral lacing.

The boning is made up of 98 separate pieces of zip-ties, all cut and filed down by hand with a nail file. Each zip-tie was only 0,5 cm wide, so I put 2 ties in every boning channel marked on the pattern. Only the channels and main seam are sewn by machine, as all binding, lacing holes and finishing is done by hand. I LOVE my thimble!

Needless to say, these stays were a labor of love, and OMG I love them! They are so "me", and ohh so nice to wear. In fact, I wore them for 3 full days at the 18th century fair in June, and loved every minute of it. Never will I ever have cut marks on my waist from wearing 3+ heavy skirts all day again!

As this is my official entry for the HSM, here are the specs:


The Challenge: Blue (February 2015)

Item: Half-boned mid-to-late 18th century stays

Fabric: Blue cotton upholstery brocade with woven flower motif for the outer layer. Heavy tan linen/viscose for interlining. Dusty pink cotton broadcloth for coordinating binding. 

Pattern: Butterick 4254 view B, size 12,  modified for fit

Year: 1750-1780-ish

Notions: 98 pieces of "plastic whalebone" (aka zip ties), coordinating pink 12 mm, 18 mm & 25 mm single fold cotton non-bias binding tape and coordinating pink poly satin ribbon.

How historically accurate is it?  50-80 %? The pattern pieces and boning layout looks decent compared to historical garments, despite being laced both in the front and back. The zip ties are also a good approximation to whalebone, and the spiral lacing is spot on!

Hours to complete: Mockup: 2 hours. Machine sewing: 4 hours. Hand sewing, hardware & finishing: 20-40 hours? 

First worn: For pictures and singing practice at home and at the Oceanos festival in Frederikshavn, DK in June 2015. 

Total cost: 
- Blue fabric: a swap with my boyfriend ~ free!
- pink fabric for contrast: 10 dkk
- pink thread: 16 dkk
- zip ties ~ 10 dkk
- pink ribbon: 30 dkk
- Linen lining:  from stash ~ free!

Total ~ 66 dkk or just under 10 USD

Final thoughts:
Did I mention that I love them? I do. I really, really do. The colors, the fit, everything!

Sneak Peak

As the end of February draws closer, the probability of me NOT finishing the corresponding HSM challenge grows higher. It is truly my own fault. I got pulled down the creative rabbit hole of patchwork/quilting, and thus only started my rather complicated make this last Saturday. 

In the meantime, here is a sneaky peak at my project. Can you guess what it is?

Regency Beginnings: HSM "Foundations"

This is my first ever entry for the Historical Sew Monthly/Fortnightly. I had my eyes on some other participants historical makes all of last year, so when the format changed from fortnightly to monthly, I jumped in with both feet.

This was not my first choice of project for this months "foundations" challenge, but 3 other projects, all corsets, had to be postponed due to lack of time and materials. 

The 18th century stays might get done for next months "blue" challenge, the busk for my victorian corset has not yet arrived in the mail and I simply didn't have time to make regency stays as I had already wasted most of January making muslins for the other 2 corsets. 

Luckily, I also needed a new chemise to kick-start my regency wardrobe :D

A chemise is the inner-most layer of clothes. It keeps sweat, body oils and dirt away from the non-washable stays/corset and more precious outer dresses and gowns. When making costumes from the skin out, it is the first garment to make and fit other clothes over, making it the "foundation" on which every other garment is made ;)

This chemise is made to go under regency stays and dresses, but it is an almost timeless shape that can be used for anything between Elizabethan and mid-19th century without problems. 

The fabric is an old cotton Ikea bedsheet that I found in my fabric stash. It is the perfect fabric for chemises: soft, lightweight, tightly woven, breathable and slightly sheer. It has already been washed and tumble dried many times before, so it is easy to wash after events.

Seam at the back due to the period cutting. 

For the pattern, I used this lovely tutorial, in size C but used the shoulder measurements between the B and C sizes, as my chest is 36 inches. I used the "period cutting layout" on my wider-than-normal bedsheet fabric, and lowered the front neckline 2 cm after the first "fitting".

I made my own self-fabric bias tape for the neckline. I put a narrow, off-white grosgrain ribbon in the neckline drawstring, but I might replace it when I find something more suitable.

Sleeve gusset. Flat-felled seams all around :D

The fit is a little big on me, but otherwise fine. Next time I might just make the smaller size (B) and make the sleeves a bit narrower and perhaps without the gathering. 

I sewed most of the chemise on my sewing machine and did the eyelets and finishing of the bias tape by hand. I used the recommended 1,2 cm seam allowance throughout and flat-felled all seams. 

It was oddly meditative sewing the (very long) flat-felled seams, and I am happy to have replaced my old chemise with a newer and more lightweight model. Next project: corsets!

The Challenge: Foundations (January 2015)

Item: Regency chemise

Fabric: An old Ikea cotton bedsheet

Pattern:  Online tutorial

Year: ca. 1800-1810 but suitable for 1600-1850

Notions: 1 m off-white grosgrain ribbon for drawstring. White polyester thread. Bias tape maker.

How historically accurate is it? 50 %? The fabric, cut and sewing techniques are all fairly accurate, but the "modern" sewing machine wasn't invented until the 1840's.

Hours to complete: about 6 hours of active sewing work spread over a weekend.

First worn: For fittings only. To be worn this summer.

Total cost: All stash and re-cycling materials, so I'm counting it as FREE!