Adventures in 18th Century Stay Making

A Strictly Un-Historical Guide (part 1)

Oh dear...so I've officially started on the 18th century costuming excursion and I'm making the stays.

I'd really much rather work on any other part of the out...but stays first, since they're the foundation (literally) for everything else I'm going to make.

Lovely stays from Before the Automobile.

Full disclosure: I decided (many years and many dress sizes ago) that I wanted to make a pair of stays.  I was fresh off a Victorian corset adventure and totally feeling up to it.  I cut the pattern and fitted it and then I started gaining weight and decided that it probably wasn't a great idea to continue making something incredibly time and labor intensive that I probably wouldn't fit for very long and which I couldn't even wear.

I think I still have that mockup around somewhere.

At any rate, even if this isn't really my first time, I'm definitely green as far as stay making goes.

I've read a lot about it, which to be honest is only making more terrified of making these stays.

I cut the pattern out and measured it since the finished garment measurements are weirdly not on the pattern back or the pattern itself.  It seems like it should make up to a reasonable size for me, but that remains to be seen.

I used some spare cotton duck cloth in my stash from when I decided it would be cute to make shopping bags.

Look!  Roosters!

I never made them (shocking I know), but the fabric seems like it'll be OK for a mock up and fitting, although I may use a different fabric for the finished item since there's a bit of stretch to it.

There are only a few pieces for the stays, but of course when I actually make the finished garment I'll need to cut multiples.  Can't wait.


Shoes and stockings will be ordered by the weekend.  Baby steps.