Back in the winter, I got inspired to try and update my long-neglected Regency period wear. In particular, certain world events have had a lot of us Canucks thinking about the War of 1812 a lot more than we ever had before… which got my little historical sewing group planning an 1812 picnic on August 24. First off, I wanted to make a new set of regency stays, since my old ones aren’t fitting quite how they used to. And I’ve always wanted a set of long stays, anyway.
I actually mostly finished these back in April, but I wasn’t quite satisfied with the fit. Recently, I finally made some tweaks that I think have saved them.
It’s the Redthreaded pattern, but my copy is from back in the day when they only came in single size, which is no longer the size I am. So I had added some width, but apparently I overdid it because it was lacing closed and not really doing what it needed to. This period of corset was aimed less at waist reduction and more at bust lifting (with a side of keeping a flatter tummy to look a little less pregnant in the high-waisted gowns), but at least at my age I need the underbust area to fit snugly, like a bra band, to get the proper support/lift. So, since I couldn’t quite bring myself to redo the binding, I just took a half-inch tuck right beside one of the boning channels at each side seam, all the way from top to bottom, so that my stitching was right on the seam line. The tuck is hidden on the inside and hopefully the tuck won’t be too irritating during periods of longer wear; I didn’t notice it at all while trying it on.
But let’s back up a bit. While sewing, I had a lot of regrets about my decisions with this project.
First, the materials. Corsets of this period are usually made of a double layer of cotton sateen (ticking would work in a pinch) with quilting, embroidery, and cording supplying a lot of the support. I could not for the life of me find my original digital pattern and instructions, so I was kinda winging it, just modifying my old printed version, and somehow I settled on single layer construction (so no cording or quilting) using the last of the grey coutil from Farthingales I used for this Edwardian corset. This stuff is beautiful and the finished corsets are great, but it’s stiff as cardboard, hard to sew even on a machine, and not even remotely accurate to the period in this case. I mean, my historical accuracy is never super high, but what was I thinking?
I didn’t have a lot of the coutil left, either, so when laying out my pattern it became obvious I would have to add a front seam. However, I seized on this opportunity to add some lacing in the upper front, similar to these transitional stays at the V&A:
Or the ones included in the Scroop Augusta Stays pattern. This detail really makes no sense in a pattern with bust gussets, at least for someone like me who has no space between their breasts, but I do think it’s a cute detail and I don’t really regret going for it.
I did a LOT of hand stitching on these, and I regretted just about every moment of it, because this coutil is so dense and hard to stitch. I inserted the bust gussets by hand, including turning and stitching down the seam allowances on the inside. I love the look, but the process nearly killed me.
I used a different technique for inserting the hip gussets, based on looking at some 1830s corsets on the V&A website. See how the point of the gusset is actually square, covered in a satin stitch? You get this if you cut your slit as a T, and the edges you fold under are the same width all along instead of tapering to nothing at the point. It was so much easier than trying to taper the seam allowances to a V point, especially when sewing by machine! I do still have to go back and do the satin stitch across, though.
The boning is a mix of spring steel, spiral steel, and a bit of plastic imitation baleen when I got lazy. I also added a pocket for a wooden busk in the front (aka a paint stir stick) although I had to make it a bit shorter due to the presence of the split section at the upper CF.
The binding is a coarse linen(?) type bias binding I originally made for this corset a billion years ago.
It’s been kicking around my overflowing bias tape box ever since. I really should go back and revamp that corset, actually….
The hip spring isn’t quite adequate (hence the flare out of the lacing gap at the bottom)—I should have tested that more closely, and enlarged the hip gussets as necessary. But for the moment I’m going to live with it. I also spiral-laced it, which is period appropriate but a pain to tighten up and I have no idea how to tie it off efficiently. More research needed. If you know the secret, please let me know!
But anyway, it’s done (however imperfectly), and I am excited to start work on my 1812 military-inspired riding habit….
(Inspiration from these guys)
Just not sure if I will manage the red sash or not…
Tanit-Isis Sews 