Monday, September 23, 2013

Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #19: Wood, Metal, Bone

Challenge #19 is ‘Wood, Metal, Bone’: Cloth may be the most obvious material in historic costuming, but wood, metal, and bone are just as important to creating the right look and silhouette.  They are often, literally, the foundations of a period garment, with shoes made from wood; skirt supports made from wood, metal or bone; and bodies and bodices shaped with the same.  Wood, metal and bone provided the finishing touches too garments too, in metal jewellery, wood and bone fan sticks, and straw hats. For this challenge, make anything that incorporates wood, metal, or bone.

Fabric:
1/2 yard off white muslin and 1/3 yard stiff batik like material
Pattern: 
Self drafted, 1 trapezoid front piece, two kinda trapezoid back pieces (backlacing) and a gusset on each hip. One layer lining, one stiff lining and one outer.
Year: 
1839 for front inspiration and 1810-20s for back.
Notions:
6 12" white steel bones and 18 metal eyelets
How historically accurate is it?
Fairly! Aside from forgetting to add shoulder straps but that shall be soon. And I think metal eyelets aren't quite period but I'll be flossing over them  eventually to reinforce them anyways.
Hours to complete:
1 day
First worn:
Today! Trial run to see how comfortable it is. It actually hides under a tshirt pretty well.
Total cost:
$3 for the muslin, everything else was in my stash.
I'm making Summer Stays!
I didn't really take any progress pics while working on this since I wanted to see if I could get it done in a day. :x I drafted the pattern after gazing through a pinterest board of extant Regency stays the night before. 
I settled on these as my solid inspirations for quilting patterning and front pattern piece shaping. The first is honestly a little late to be considered Regency but I loved the corded design and it was made for someone with hips which is my issue. All my previous stays/corsets have ALWAYS been uncomfortable in the hip area. I also decided on my rather Spartan materials (just three layers and two of them muslin and quilting in place of cording) because I need something that will breath and not overheat here in the South. I also left out bust gussets and just quilted faux gusset designs on that area since I really don't have anything up top at all.
The quilting took up 2/3 of my time but it actually really helps with shaping and support (and looks pretty too).

I'm actually quite happy with this set of stays and after an extended wear test I can definitely say that hip gussets and not putting boning directly over my hip bones solved all those fitting issues. So yay. I did forget to put shoulder straps on but staring at the pinterest board more, I think I can just tack those on and it'll be just fine. There is also space for a busk in the front but after the story about how your paramore is supposed to carve one for you I decided to not make one and see if someone will one day give me one. :) I'm also debating adding half boning or some nature of boning in the chest side since it does bunch a smidgen under my arms but it's hardly noticeable and they're really comfortable as is.

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