V&A Stays
RH711 - 1670s-1720s Stays![]() [BUY NOW] |
I've been covetting these stays since I first saw them in Hart and North's Fashion in Detail in 2002 or 2003. They're on the front cover -- how am I supposed to resist that? Well, I've just spent the past few months making stays for tons of other people. I figured it was time I made something just for me.
Those of you who have been reading about my other projects know that I recently finished a replica of the pair of bodys from the Effigy of Elizabeth I in Westminster Cathedral. As insane as it sounds, I really enjoyed taking the time to sew all the boning channels by hand. Of course with striped fabric, it was fairly easy.
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I've never been one for pink. Matter of fact, I despise it (You'll note that the results of all my experiments with safflower end up on my husband). So this is the fabric I've chosen -- 100% silk taffeta in peacock. It's a changeable silk, which means it is woven with blue threads in one direction and green in the other, giving it a luminescent look depending on how the light hits it. And guess what else? Changeable silk was used in the late 17th century! I also have a source for 100% silk taffeta ribbon so I should be able to closely match the fabric. But I'm afraid the only good grosgrain I can find has a rayon content. I'll stitch it with 100/3 Au Ver de Soie silk thread. |
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The boning in this set of stays looks far finer than the 1/4" boning in the Effigy bodys. I'm probably going to use 3mm round reed. The smallest size of flat oval reed (my usual choice for boning) is 4mm and I think that's still too large. Plus full round reed will give the bones more structural integrity. Go here to buy reed boning. |