Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Back to our regularly scheduled programming–”Stays Edition”

First, a bit of whining:  I’m incredibly uninspired when it comes to these stays.  I very much understand now why there were two separate and distinct professions; those who made stays, and those who made clothing.  I am very, VERY much not a person who makes stays, or any sort of shaping garment. 

I haven’t been this close to tears over a sewing project in years, and I am about to loose it.  I know how to sew, honestly I do – but for some reason these stays are escaping me!  If I had the time to commission a pair of stays, I very much would at this point, but time is limited, and the very few whom I would entrust them to wouldn’t have the time in such short notice.

Ok, deep breath!  Stays, and my progress (or lack thereof)

Here’s my mockup, which went fairly well.  At this point, I was still pretty positive about the whole endeavor.  I read somewhere on LJ recently about taping boning in place for corset mockups, and I will say, it works like a charm.  I will be using this trick when mocking up my boned bodices from now on!

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I promptly ruined the front panel of the lovely silk that Jaqulinne gifted me to make my stays out of by water staining from my iron.  I’ll have to look at it again in the light of day to see if I need to replace the front section.  (Um, ok.  It doesn’t show up that well in the picture, but I assure you, it’s there.)

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And here are all the pieces cut out and ready to be assembled.  (The front panel is already constructed

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I got as far as finishing all the major seams before I quit for the night.  I need to take a break and look at it with fresh eyes in the morning, because right now, I’m at the end of my proverbial rope!

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Signing off for now!

9 comments:

  1. Oh no!!!! I'm so sorry that this one isaking for so much trouble! I hope it getsbetter soon! It's just underwear! If there's a water stain on it, it's notthe end of the world, and won't they get water stained anyway if we sweat all over them in August in SoCal???

    Um... Also....Don't *I* have to do that this weekend again with you???

    *looks around nervously*

    Do we still think this is a good idea?

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  2. Well, you don't have to do it this weekend, but you will need a pair of stays. I was hoping to get mine done so you could do a fitting with mine, since we're pretty much the same measurements.

    This water stain was nasty old iron water - worse than regular 'ole sweat - and I generally don't sweat on the front of my corsets..... ;)

    Yes, this is a good idea. It is. I'm just being extra-whiny.

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  3. Silly stays! Sorry they are being Not Awesome. My uneducated brain can't even tell in these pics, though. You can do it!

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  4. I happen to think they're looking nice. You can try steaming the stain out, but if it's a fail, just use more of the fabric. Iz no problem. :)

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  5. Don't despair! Are you sewing these stays by hand you crazy person?!

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  6. yes, they are being very Not Awesome at the moment. Grwrow.

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  7. Aw, ty! I think I'm just going to ignore it - they're underwear, after all. >.<

    Dumb iron is getting the ebil eye from me.

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  8. I'm not sewing them by hand...which may be part of my issue, oddly enough.

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  9. If those are the stays patterns I think they are.... did you do a mock up first? Mine came out...uh...less than sightly. Way too big in the bust and made for someone petite (they hit my Mom in the right areas but the bust on me was an underbust. On my Mom -who is not lacking in the proportional curves department- it was "loose" in the bust area and looked like she needed to stuff her stays which was just....odd.). Just a warning. I know they've fit some people but I also know I'm not the only one that had issues...

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