Regency Stays

Of late I've been making and selling quite a few regency short stays. They are definitely the more common choice especially for the more petite figure, and less ample upper body. They are more like the modern day bra than any other stays (A.K.A corset or pair of bodies) being as they do not extend below the rib cage.

I haven't done much to embellish them yet but perhaps I should since they I suspect could be 'cute' enough with some embroidery or lace detail.  I'm not enamoured by them the way I am with other much more elegant corsets. But I guess embellishment is the key. Even the longer full body regency stays...the plain ones leave much to be desired. I started a pair years ago and added some very basic cording detail and a touch of embroidery. That on it's own was enough to make them quite lovely. I think I will add even more embellishment to the next pair.

This one is done in a sand coloured cotton twill. There is a drawstring at the bust to help contain the bosom a little more.

The busk inside was meant to seperate the breasts and give the rigid 'grecian' column inspired silhoutte desired at the time. Pushing the bust up to an unnatural height implying a perkiness most of us never had even at our most youthful.

The busk I made is very plain , unlike the often very intricate carvings on the originals. Young gents would often carve a busk as a gift for his sweetheart. Just because something is going to be hidden inside layers and layers of fabric and petticoats and outergarments...is no reason for it not to be attractive right?

An example of a pair from 1796 at the Museum of Civilization

Nowadays we can buy a much lighter and more forgiving metal busk from most costume/corset suppliers if we so desire..

So this particular stay could use a little more shaping with a gusset added to the bottom (for more of an 1820's shape) as opposed to the starighter more columnar 1810 silhoutte. , lacing at side seam below the waist would allow flexibility as a riding stay.

And certainly dress forms are not the best models for corsets as they have no give, they are hard, rigid and can not conform to the desired shape which is after all what corsets and stays are essentially for. To hold in, lift up and genrally manipulate the body into what we want it to be.

Here are a couple of this weeks completed projects.

The cushion began with the emboidery. I love knotwork, so it's not uncommon for any of my decorative details (be it quilting or embroidery) to take on this form.

I didn't want to waste my efforts by leaving the cushion otherwise plain as it seemed to do the embroidery a disservice. So a few tucks, some contrast ruching, mitred corners and here we have the final result. (well admittedly there may still be some tweaking)

Another project was ofcourse flowers. both synthetic ad natural fibres. I'm never sure which I like better. I guess they both have their own purposes and I've no need to choose a favourite...simply a favourite for the specific occasion.

The synthetic ones involve scissors and fire. Obviously not a craft for unsupervised children (or accident prone adults) I'll gladly add a tutorial if you like, though I suspect there already exists a number of them out there. Once you get used to the melting properties of each fabric you can experiment to get different looks though so this is fun.

Here are the basic cut circles with small slits around the edges. I used satins and organza for the layers.

Then there was the linen flowers (made the way ribbon "flat roses" would be made but with a folded strip of linen , raw edges left unfinished and exposed. a touch of fraying cotton crochet lace, a few pearl beads and they somehow pull off a crafty yet elegant look.

Fathers Day arrived and we were still without the perfect gift. So a run to the store for stepping stone supplies was in order. However it was too late to have one ready in time and I had to work from 12-5. So instead of a simple unexciting IOU. Here' is what my 15 month old son gave his father for Fathers Day. In booklet form.

Hey Dad...we need to have a little talk. Man to man, Father to son, you get the idea.

So last year I gifted you a stepping stone kit. A little box of "Pas Japonais" (which I still don't get) regardless, the intent was good. Make you a stepping stone with my perfect little hand and/or foot displayed front and center. It came out of the kids craft section, in a pretty little box with images of perfectly made stepping stones and shiny rocks sitting in a little garden surrounded by flowers and butterflies.. Bullroar!! We saw how that turned out, it was a bust, sad little plaster casts that dried too fast and didn't serve our purpose at all.

Now.. we won't say Mom was wrong, because we both know that Mom is never wrong...we'll say she was mislead. Mislead by those evil wizards of advertising to believe that she could ignore what she knew to be a tried and true method (As proven years earlier by my big brothers) and try the 'kids craft' version.

So Dad... this year we do things my way...the smart way...the right way.

We're going to take this here cement mix from the hardware aisle NOT the craft section. We're going to add water and mix (not stir) mix...in a manly fashion.

There will be no heart shaped moulds, no butterfly imprints.

 I love you Dad but come on...we're men. So nothing 'pretty' or 'soft' in this project.  We copacetic?

copacetic, copasetic, copesetic, copesettic [ˌkəʊpəˈsɛtɪk]

adj

US and Canadian slang very good; excellent; completely satisfactory

Very satisfactory or acceptable; fine: "You had to be a good judge of what a man was like, and the English was copacetic" (John O'Hara).

Come on Dad keep up.

So we're going to put the cement into these.

Empty meat trays. Why? Because they are deep enough, they are rectangular and they had meat in them. What’s more manly than meat and cement?

Trucks you say?

 

 Motorcycles and cars?

okay Dad I'm only a year old I don't even get an allowance yet. So back to meat and cement. We mix and pour the cement into the aforementioned meat trays, I stomp..(okay okay Mom I place my foot and or hand firmly but gently) into the still wet cement, add a few rocks or bits of coloured glass and Voila! Perfection.

Happy Fathers Day