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!