Lily Alexander

Thank you Lady Brower & Kate. They are very supportive and comfortable. It does feel a little different without the busc but it does make them more comfortable. I thought about making my own but I didn't have enough left over material. I barely had enough for the stays, lol I will be using cotton twill tape purchased from Booth Draper. I'm keeping the color a mystery until they're finished.

I finished the eyelets on the straps this morning while I patiently waited for the mailman to bring my binding. Here are the unbound stays. I need to make a slight adjustment to the straps. All I have left is the binding. I forgot today was a holiday and no mail. It should be here tomorrow.

The eyelets are done. Yippee. Now I can watch the end of the movie in piece. I did try them on and lace them up. That was soooooooooo much fun doing that by myself. I should have woken O'Keeffe up but I don't think he would have been too happy about that. They fit wonderfully. I don't know if the cross pieces are helping or if it's just because I made them smaller but I do seem to have some extra lift. The end is in sight. Tomorrow I'll do the eyelets for the straps and start working on the binding.

Arrr we voting??? They are all very nice but my favorite is this one.

hehe. No this is a job for the Lord of the Rings, extended version.

That's not a bad idea Michael. However, the thought of sewing twice as many eyelets isn't all that appealing to me at the moment, Plus I have no idea how to make the lining removable without having to undo the binding. The thought of that task makes me shudder. I guess I just won't get dirty. I'm halfway through the eyelets now, there's a good chance I'll be done by this evening. Here's Sophie making sure I do a good job.

Since yesterday I was a slacker, today I hit the ground running (after coffee). I trimmed up the excess lining and made a few adjustments to a couple of tabs. Then it was time for marking the eyelet holes. Using a white marking pencil, I began marking 1/2" from the top and ending approx 1" from the bottom. I know this has been posted several times before but here it is again. "The Zen of Spiral Lacing" http://www.festiveattyre.com/research/lacing/lacing.html Using a button stick, I'll open the holes and begin sewing the eyelets.

Today has been a pretty slow day for sewing. I made a pocket for the cross pieces and whipped stitched them in place. I'm not sure if this is the correct way to do this but it seemed like the logical thing to do. I believe I have them in the right place. At least that's the way it looks in the Waugh book. I can't wait to see if the cross pieces help. After that, I sewed the lining together, trimmed of all excess seam allowances and pressed them flat. Then I placed the lining on top and using a running stitch, sewed the lining to the stays.

hmmm..................that doesn't sound so bad. I think I could do that.

Bwahahahahaha. Oh my goodness. This is the first pattern I've ever made. I'm still waiting for someone to teach me how to actually read a real one. Ask me about the attempt I made to make a pair of bloomers using a simplicity pattern. They would have turned out great if I were 300 pounds. I really should have paid more attention in home economics. All kidding aside, what is Oak Tag? It sounds like a wonderful idea and I'd really like more information. Do you know how to do this Mistress and would you be willing to teach me?

Considering it's Valentine's Day and all, could there be love in the air (or up a tree) between Rusty Nell and Cousin Robbie. Inquiring minds want to know.

Whew.......................thank goodness.

I do??? Very glad to make your acquaintance Rose.

Thank you.

Thinking about it now, both does seem slightly redundant. Thank you for clarifying.

Oooo, do tell Callenish. I have a question regarding lacing. ok, so this has nothing to do with my current task at hand but I didn't want to forget. My preference is to lace top down, while I've noticed others prefer lacing bottom to top. Is there a benefit to one over the other or just a matter of personal preference? Enough random thoughts for today, on to the regularly scheduled program.

I just use fabric. The choice of cardboard, poster board or any other material anyone chooses is really a matter of person preference. Do what works well for you. There is more than one way to skin a cat and it's great that so many choices are available.

Appreciate you looking into this further Captain. Thanks Mistress McKinney. Well, I decided I'd like to try the cross boning at the bust so I'll go without the busc for this pair. I'd really like to see if it makes much of a difference. I'm moving pretty slow today so I haven't started a thing yet. Time to get in the shower and get my butt moving though.

hmmmmm, great question Captain. I just assumed they were both used. Looking at my ball gown again, there is no boning where the busc is. Why did I think it was boned????????? From the little bit of digging I just did, the early 17th century pair in the Waugh book on page 18 looks like it has a space in front that is not boned but shows there is a busc there. On the next page it talks about the busc being placed in between the linen and tied with lace. Often highly decorated, which could be removed and the lace worn by the gentlemen on their arm or hat. Presuming they had their lady's favor. :) I can't wait to hear what Rose has to say about this one.

As you can see, all the pieces are sewn together and the tabs have been cut. This time, I checked and double checked that the straps were on the correct side. What a pain in the ass it was last time having to remove the straps. I swear it took me an hour to get the darned things off. It seams to be a good fit but it's hard to tell without being able to lace it tight. Tomorrow I'll add the busk and I think I might try adding the cross pieces. I could sure use a little help in the bust department. (Maybe) Once that is done, I'll sew the lining together and hand sew it in place.

The boning is now complete. Closer view of the long boned channels closest to the seams. I drew in my tabs in using a drafting compass. You don't have to say it, I know I'm fussy. Now it's time to sew it all together. Woohoo!!!!!

Thank you Lady B. I appreciate the vote of confidence. While I'm getting a decent handle on making my own stays, I would be scared to death to make them for someone else unless, of course, they were a carbon copy of myself. I'm almost done boning and should be posting a pic soon.

The channels are all sewn and the boning has begun. While sewing the channels, I like to clip the loose threads frequently. As tempting as it is to wait till the end, they have a tendency to get in the way. Another thing I've done is to put in a long piece of reed right next to the seams. This way when it comes time to sew them all together I have a nice straight guide for attaching the pieces. This is a VERY important step for me. As for the boning, this time around, I'm filing the ends. It's a little more time consuming but it sure makes it a lot easier to insert the reed. What time is taken by filing is made up by not struggling with the pointy edges catching on the fabric. To help straighten the reed or when following the curves in the channels, I borrowed a trick from my wood worker hubby and steam iron the reeds until it takes whatever shape I want. I can see the benefit of waxing the reed to protect it from moisture. First I tried it with bees wax, way to sticky. Then I tried it with parafin. That really worked well. However, I am not waxing all the reeds. I'll post a progress pic later.

I just came back from the fabric store. There is no way in hell I'm going to run out of burgundy thread anytime soon. I also piked up a pair of Gingher scissors. They must be good, they came in a metal case. :angry: Actually, I really needed a good pair of scissors, the other ones kept sticking. Poor O'Keeffe tried his best to sharpen them but they were just to worn out. OK, so now I'm set with thread, I've got James Blundt on the stereo, and a large cup of coffee. I'm ready to go. Today's goal is to sew the boning channels and insert the boning. I'd also like to get all the pieces sewn together and try it on for size. We'll see. Silkie, I hope your arm gets better soon.

Uh, hmmm, I don't think so dear Captain. I may have a handle on stays but there are many more things for you to teach us all. You aren't getting off that easy.