Fabric: Two layers of hemp/linen canvas Boning: 1/4″ flat spring steel bones throughout the entire body of the stays Piecing: Five panels total to distribute bias stretch Edging: Organic cotton ribbon edging Lacing: Offset lacing style Shoulder Straps: Removable These plus-sized stays are constructed using modern materials and techniques, to provide the proper fashion silhouette
Read MoreThese stays are currently on my sewing machine. The pattern has five panels to distribute the significant amount of bias needed to fit the customer properly. It is made with two layers of hemp/linen canvas, ready for full boning, and the bottom edge is bound. I ran short of boning, so I’ll finish this project
Read MoreI am very pleased to announce four new tutorials. These have been sitting on my computer for a couple months now, and I couldn’t be happier to finally share them with you. The first two tutorials cover basic conical corset making, useful for creating a quality, fully functional foundation garment using modern materials. The first
Read MoreI have a series of four workshops coming up in the next month, all centered around Renaissance costuming and corset-making. In the near future this series will be followed up with a workshop on Renaissance-style hoop skirts and bum rolls, as well as workshops on how to draft and construct true Effigy-style corsets using reed
Read MoreI finished these stays for myself last November, and made the partlet the day before taking the photos. The bloomers are plain cotton bloomers I made years ago. The Stays: Fabric: Two layers of hemp canvas. Boning: Partially boned, with 1/2″ flat spring steel bones fanned for the front panel and 2 1/4″ flat spring
Read MoreI finished the wooden busk and took a bunch more detail photos and some still life photos of the corset and busk before packaging it to mail off. The busk is hand-carved from solid oak using a dremel tool, and finished with Danish Oil. It is 2″x12″. I’m hoping to take the time in the
Read MoreI finished two new Renaissance stays which I’ve been working on for the past couple weeks. One is plain, and the other has a brown silk cover and leather edging. Both have a double-layer core of hemp/linen canvas, a change that I couldn’t be more pleased about. The hemp/linen canvas is superior to the cotton
Read MoreUp to now I had been making my plain Renaissance stays with the tabs separate pieces, sewn into the body. While it worked well, it took a lot of extra time and created sometimes problematic bulk at the waistline. I have been experimenting with using integral tabs, with the idea of retaining the simple body
Read MoreToday I finished a silk cover, fully boned, tabbed Elizabethan corset. I did not take fully detailed pictures since I was pressed for time during construction and the size of the corset made the logistics of using it as a detailed example piece difficult. Next time I make a corset like this one I plan
Read MoreOriginally posted on August 4, 2009. Custom Elizabethan corset with front lacing. Two core layers of cotton duck, cover and lining natural colored 100% cotton denim.
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