Anyway, as a second part to the former, in drafting these things, here’s what I want:
A) has to be back laced for the body part; nothing else will do in respect of both support and gravity defying. Trust me: I know this from bitter personal experience. Back lacing also allows for a degree of size shifting as well
B) Needs to have crossover straps. There is already the example I am mostly basing these off, as well as others in contemporary drawings. Do not ask me to link these; I am not good at embedding links, images as I think we can tell from part 1. The straps will be fabric and twill tape. There will be strap guards in two places on the main body of the stays, to secure the straps at the cross point and side. These will be tied in front. I dithered about whether or not they should be entirely twill tape, but experience of bras tells me that the fabric strap part will be more comfortable and dig in less than twill tape on its own, if it comes to it.
C) Needs a busk at the front, which I have from the previous project. It’s an interesting, not entirely straight shape. This also helps with the classic “lifted and separated” “shelf” cleavage shape.
D) Gravity assistance - this will be in the form of small “pillows” creating a squishy shelf under each of the twins. I will also put in some short boning under the gussets to help keep its shape. The former has been documented in extant examples and boning under the gussets is recommended in a couple of patterns I’ve seen. I strongly suspect that the cording in many extant examples also fulfilled the purpose. I, however, have never corded anything in my life and despite the YouTube videos showing it to be relatively easy, I’m not confident.
E) This thing needs boning, so it will be boned at the back, on either side of the eyelets, at the side seams and will also have diagonal boning at the armsyce side of the gussets. I will probably double the boning at the side seams, but then again, I might not. That’s TBD. As mentioned before, there will be a busk centre front, with a slightly wide flare to the bottom of it and some short boning pieces. I currently have steel bones, as well as synthetic whalebone kicking around, but I also have a packet of plastic zip ties and I am SORELY tempted to try those for the most part. We will see.
I did intend to use a basic back lacing, but then I watched a YouTube video with fantail lacing last night and aside from the fact it looks a) stunning and b) would make it SUPER easy to get oneself into, I’m not sure if I actually have enough ribbon or twill tape to do this. What I do think is that if I decided I wanted to change the lacing in future, I would be able to. The big thing for me would be if it would work, given gap required to get it over the head, therefore the amount of lacing and so on. So I am sticking with the usual way I lace mine for ease (and lack of maids or helpers).
The other key part of my project was to avoid buying any more materials unless I absolutely had to. During the abortive search for the Mantua Maker pattern, I not only found a lack of coutil for yet another corset project I haven’t made, but what I think is enough cotton drill (period accurate), plus a LOT of muslin/natural cotton for mock-ups. Yes, I can hear you from here that a layer of cotton isn’t enough, but all I need my mock-up for us to check the gusset position and depth - anything else will come from as I am making it.
Naturally, I am delighted at avoiding fabric expense for this (and the next project, which will be the replacement white dress). With the drill and all the twill tape kicking around, I think we are nearly good to go. As an even bigger bonus, I have a whole load of bias tape that I carefully unpicked from the chemise a La reine failure I can use to bind this. Binding will be along the base, along the bust and top edges, but probably won’t include the straps, due to their design.
Of course, having Long Covid, needing to do things round the house etc has left me a bit wiped out, plus I’ve been distracted looking for patterns and images of how I want my replacement white regency dress to look, not to mention getting carried away with future regency wardrobe planning… so far I am at a morning over gown (Costume in Detail), a Black Snail Patterns sleeveless spencer, probably an open robe based on that pattern, new spencer (we don’t talk about the one I made before) and I really, really want a new bonnet. I am torn between an image in one of my books and a Timely Tresses pattern, for which I suspect I have enough buckram kicking around, but I do need some other little bits and pieces to make. This then resulted in my going into a rabbit hole of online fabric retailers, but I have now found silk. And possible Melton, from which I can remake my red cloak. And I may have found another garment pattern to work from in respect of drafting a mantelet… but I am getting carried away.
So, once I have showered today, the plan is to cut out the mock up and check the placement of one of the gussets, which will decide placement of the second (and gap between). It *is* possible to have a third gusset if needed, but I am hoping to avoid that.if it comes to it, I’d rather do a full drawstring cup (which is basically a cup shape, with lots of drawstrings and drawstring channels, which then help push the twins up and into the shape required).
I also just realised I do need to buy some macrame cotton for drawstrings… I also need some kind of disappearing or chalk marking pen. I cannot find mine anywhere.
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