Vaguely Tudor-ish Stays or I Hate Bras

Modern bras are a wonderful thing - for those who can find one that fits. As a larger lady with an even larger bust bras for me are expensive, impossible to fit, unsupportive and outright painful to wear. 

I had resigned myself to choosing between running with one arm across my chest or ending up with raw rubs and welts from an overbinding sports bra. Then I decided to do a silly costume for a c1700s ish LARP. I would be a lady. Being LARP (live action role play) not re-enactment the overall impression of the costume was more important than an exact historical item. So with a sewing machine I hadn't used in 8 years, a couple of matching sets of curtains, some cotton canvas an a few meters of lighter weight cotton I set out to create something that worked. 

At the event, in a poorly fitting, honestly poorly made, over boned with spiral steel because I didn't realise I didn't need to, in the heat of July, with heavy a huge gathered skirt made out of heavy curtains worn over stuffed hip pads... I was more comfortable moving about than I'd been in years. 

So I decided to make a set of stays, loosley based on Tudor examples but mostly made up for my own comfort and requirement. It's only taken about two years to get started, but here is the process:

The start point: another costume piece I cobbled together out of a mock up for a hobbity bodice, far to big all round and not very supportive:

I made a pattern off it, making the whole thing smaller and shorter to fit better, and made my first mock up:

It came up a bit low in the waist at the hip, and left a 3 inch gap across the front. I actually intend to edit it slightly and make it up into a stiffer fronted costume piece with a seperate stomacher/busk in it like this extant Tudor one. 

Reviewing extant examples made me realise a higher back is more common and looked more comfortable, and less likely to suffer from straps dropping down the shoulder. I had a dress with the perfect fit across the back and shoulder so I used it to create a pattern block for the back piece of a bodice:

Using this, and the last mockup I created a new pattern, and a second mockup from it:

This time the bust was a tad loose and the tabs all the way round the back and front made it a bit loose at the hip, so I altered the pattern slightly and made the final version:

The final corset is made of calico, lined with cotton, interfaced with hessian and 'boned' - actually corded - with 5mm jute cord:

Only the right side is corded here, and it still needs binding which I think I'll use twill tape for. I also plan to gore between the tabs, but it is comfortable and I can jump up and down without getting a broken rib or a black eye!

1880s Working Class Corset First mock up

I did the first mockup... it looks terrible. But that is the point of a mock up and I learned a lot of valuable lessons so the second should work much better. Photos:

As you can see the first issue is that I didn't finish the boning channels so it isn't sitting right, but it was enough to get a feel for the shape and where it needed work. It is also lopsided. Not sure how that happened as the pieces matched exactly but I clearly stitched it oddly. 

It needed to be longer over the hip, it was too loose overall and I had managed to add the extra space in the top evenly all round - so it gaped at the back and was too tight at the front. I also want to bring the top of the front and back up a bit so there is more shaping under the arm. 

We're moving onto mockup 2 now the pattern has been adjusted and the calico I am planning to use for the final item as well as some 5mm jute cord is on its way.

Historybounding Skirt Pattern

 The work skirt went well in the end, with a few tweaks. So I am making some more like it...

Radius of waist circle: 13"

Length of waistband: 49" including overlap and seam allowance

Size of waistband dart: 1" from start to fold so 2" total in each

Cut:

 

 

 Pattern:

 

The waistband attaches to the skirt with the opening at the back and the overlap to close. Sew in the darts, then the bottom with a large 2" seam allowance folded under, right side to right side and straight stitch to the top of the skirt. Interfacing (hessian) is put in and secured to the top of the seam allowance. Then the pockets are added, cutting the sides carefully. The back of the waistband with a small seam allowance is then folded over the whole lot and felled into place. 

Waistband:

The back seam can then be closed to whatever height makes it easy to get into the skirt. A placket could be added behind the opening if required. The overlapping waistband can then be closed with hooks, poppers, velcro or buttons. 

Easiest pocket option so far has been to create a little psuedo seam on each side by just folding the fabric in and stitching from the bottom up to the bottom edge of the pocket, and down from the top to the top edge of the pocket. Then cutting the fabric in between and using the inside edge to sew the pocket to, right side to right side. Using a buttonhole like stictch to reinforce the top and bottom made it feel more secure.

Notes:

 - It came up longer than expected, easily fixable if desired but I quite liked the length. 

- Pockets should be bigger. I made them what I thought was enormous, they are ok, they could definately be bigger. Big pockets are excellent.

- I added two little patch pockets inside the big pockets the same size as my glasses - I put my glasses in my pocket far too often and they get all mixed up with my keys so this will solve that.

Interruption - Work Skirt

I took a break from my corset yesterday morning to make a new work skirt. Mostly because I reached the point where the lack of pockets in my current one is driving me completely more. 

The pattern I made myself is very loosly:

So, I folded the fabric to get a perfect square on two layers at the right width for the length of the skirt I wanted, then used a large jury rigged compass using a pencil, a pin and some wire. 

The waistband started out purely straight and will be darted as required to fit my high waist. I cut it all out of black cotton, and used hessian as interfacing on the waistband. I've basted the interfacing in and built the skirt intially with holes for where the pockets will go in the side seams. Now I need to work out how I'm going to close the waistband at the back and whether I need to cut into the back of the skirt to get it on comfortably.