Date:	Thu, 04 Apr 2002 19:24:39 -0800
From:	"Barbara Smith" <barbara_a_smith@usa.net>
To:	"Mara Riley" <corbiegirl@yahoo.com>
Subject:	Notes on Stays

Mara,

Okay, brace yerself! :-))))) Maybe get a beer... :-))))

MATERIALS NEEDED page:

Give approximations of yardage on linen canvas, outer linen, and 
lining. I
would say two yards of canvas, one yard of each of the others, with 
the note
that this is probably more than they need, but will give them plenty 
in case
of errors. 

Note that they want the WHITE auto chamois.

Note that all materials - linen, chamois and/or twill tape should be
pre-wahsed. We're dummies, remember? :-))))

DRAFTING THE BASIC SHAPE page:

Second paragraph, wording sorta awkward. How about: "If you want to 
skip most
of the calculations below, you can have them done for you via the 
internet. Go
here:"

Under STRAPS:

I'd like either a dimension to cut out, or an illustration, or better 
yet,
both. :-))) I used the MF strap pattern piece last night to cut a 
strap for my
JP Ryan stays. It is basically a long rectangle. I figured out the 
base was
too wide for the place I wanted to sew it, so I narrowed it, 
elongated the
rectangle so it was overlong, and cut it. When the stays are complete 
enough
to lace up, I'll cut the strap to length, and possibly narrow it 
around my
neckline. This works for my mind, but without a good idea where to 
place the
strap (I just picked the top of the second to the last back piece), 
I'm sorta
praying it fits right in the end.

I don't get what the point of 10 one-inch long paralell lines is 
supposed to
do for me. ???? :-))))) Are you just marking where to sew the strap 
on?

Under FITTING THE PATTERN:

When you cut this out of posterboard, you have one pattern piece. You 
don't
tell them to cut it into individual pieces yet, but you've got them 
doing the
duct tape thing and trying it on. :-)))) SO..... do I test-drive this 
in the
whole, bending it around me? WHERE do I bend/score the posterboard? 
Or do I
cut it out into the littler pieces FIRST? And what about the tabs? 
Draw them
first then cut the posterboard? Or cut without?

Which leads me to.....

You don't illustrate how to draw the tabs. I'd like an illustration 
of that
process, and more detail on how long the tabs should be from the 
natural
waist, and how far the slit should go between the tabs. You say tabs 
should be
2.5", does that mean length from the natural waist, which is the 
cutline of
the pattern we just drew? :-)))) ALSO, in my humble opinion, when 
cutting
tabs, they should be cut square and rounded off in the finishing 
step. Cutting
them round is a pain in the patootie, not really necessary, and can 
impede yer
quilting. :-)) Also, I'm experimenting with not slicing between my 
tabs until
after all the quilting is done. I had a heckuva time quilting the 
tabs of the
jumps when the bone was right on the edge of the tab.... :-)))))))

AND THEN... I want to know where to cut the individual pieces. You 
just jump
to it in your one photo at the bottom of the DIVIDING THE PATTERN AND 
ADDING
TABS section, without giving any kinda measurement to go on. If I 
felt
confident eyeballing this, I wouldn't have bought your book in the 
first
place. :-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Now, on to boning.... :-)))

You don't speak about the various styles of boning. My little 
collection of
picture books shows only originals with straight up and down boning, 
no
horizontal boning visible, and no real diagonal (that my memory 
recalls). I
dunno if this a fixture of time period or not. But in your photo 
showing the
cut apart pieces and the drawing of quilting lines, I see diagonal 
lines. I
think you gotta say what your theory is in bone placement. Right now 
all you
say is "continue drawing in boning channels to match the style of 
corset
appropriate for your period." This might be the place to outline some 
basic
shapes - such as here's one boned straight up and down, good for X-Y 
years -
here's one with diagonals, good for S-T years - here's one with 
straight
boning crossed with horizontal boning, good for A-B years. You see? 
Maybe you
don't wanna go there, and want to refer them back to their other 
sources. But
it occurs to me that this could stand alone with these additions.

I'd also like to see more detail on the stomacher - boning placement; 
how
worn; that many extant original stays that lace in front show 
evidence that a
stomacher was worn between the stays and the chemise, not just a big 
wide V
gaping over the chemise; that there are many period illustrations 
showing
this. You've shown us photos of your corset with the stomacher in 
place, show
us the stomacher alone as well.

CUTTING AND SEWING AND ASSEMBLY page:

I+IBk-m not clear in the second paragraph how you want me to cut the 
outer
lining. I envision this: Lay interlining canvas onto outerlining. 
Rough cut
around pattern piece. Baste two together. When done quilting, trim 
outerlining
to match interlining. Is this what you mean?

Also, specify what color thread to use. Just had a discussion with 
Sue about
this. Sharon said to use matching color thread. I bought matching 
color
thread. Sue said to use natural or white. I thought about it, and had 
to agree
that all the pix I+IBk-d seen of originals show contrasting natural 
color
thread, so I bit it and bought natural colored cotton hand quilting 
thread. 

If I+IBk-m boning each individual piece, do I need to make sure NOT  
to sew on
the seam allowances, so I have something to sew to when I+IBk-m ready 
to sew
each unit together? You might wanna just point that out. :-))) 
Remember,
we+IBk-re dummies you+IBk-re writing for. :-))) AND, if you quilt as 
I do +IBM sew
a line, butt the bone up against, and sew second line with the zipper 
foot +IBM
it+IBk-s gotta be tough to sew those seam allowances together with a 
machine.
Explain HOW to do this, and what kinda foot and stitch to use. You 
might wanna
add some instructions on how to do it by hand. I+IBk-ve heard you can 
finish
those edges off, butt them up, and then do a sort of whipstitch to 
bind the
units together, but I+IBk-m leery that I+IBk-ll pull it off, so I 
decided not to
do that. You might also point out here that those seams can be 
finished on the
outerlayer by covering with a strip of leather or twill tape. Sharon 
says the
originals she+IBk-s seen have that seam covering just sewn one line 
right down
the middle. Seems dorky to me, but there you are. :-))) You might 
also give
instructions on how to do it by sewing all the pattern pieces 
together into
two +IBw-bodies+IB0 and then quilting. I decided to do my new stays 
that way, as
I+IBk-m pressed for time and sewing those units together again seemed 
sorta
beyond me. J

APPLYING THE BINDING page:

You might wanna make more emphasis on the straight of grain binding 
vs. bias
binding. I dunno. Maybe footnote +IBw-Costume Close-Up+IB0 or maybe 
not. J

Make sure you tell them to wash the chamois first. I got yellow 
stains on my
chemise, even though it was the white chamois. Now, admittedly, I was 
being
ground into the lawn by a 250 pound sex object, and the pressure may 
have
contributed to the dye rub on the chemise, but you just never know 
what
someone+IBk-s going to do in a corset. J

MAKING THE EYELETS page:

Give the reader a number of eyelets per side. AND, you forgot to tell 
them
about the +IBw-extra+IB0 eyelet and how the pattern works. Explain 
this, they may
not notice it in your illustration. It+IBk-s not PATENTLY obvious to 
anyone who
has never heard of the concept before. Draw it out, or better yet 
steal it off
the NWTA website. :-))) I+IBk-ve found that I really don+IBk-t need 
much more than
10 eyelets. If you need more, explain why you think so. And if you 
think you
need more in front, vs. back, explain why.

In the second paragraph, be more clear about what you are doing is 
pushing the
threads apart, and trying hard not to cut the threads. Also be very 
clear that
the hole should be plenty big enough to pass your lace through 
without having
to lick and stick, just stick it in. My new test size is my lacing 
cord with a
knot in the end has to pass through without pushing. I don+IBk-t tip 
my cords as
you have suggested here (no one told me to do that), I have just 
knotted them.
It+IBk-s important to get that hole big before you sew. Explain that 
the eyelets
really WON+IBk-T stretch out, because of the boning, and the 
tightness of the
canvas, etc. etc. I was really worried they would get all stretched 
out, and
made 100+IBk-s of teeny eyelets+ICY. Well, let+IBk-s just say, I 
didn+IBk-t get the
corset anywhere near off the first night, and the second night, it 
took both
of us fiddling with it for about 45 minutes+ICY. He wanted to cut, 
but I yelled
NO!!! It+IBk-s LINEN BRAID! From WOODED HAMLET! J
ALSO, tell them to do the eyelets with buttonhole twist. Also known 
as
craft/button thread, or upholstery thread if they can+IBk-t find the 
other. And
double the thread when you get either tired or in a hurry. J

RESOURCES page:

I personally would like to know that the canvas I want is readily 
available at
Burnley & Trowbridge. I know, yer getting into liability issues here. 
But+ICY.
AND, I buy linen braided cord from WH, and they also have what I 
consider the
best pricing on +ALwgHQ steel boning. So, yer call there. J


Are you still with me? :-))) I really think you did a bang-up job. As 
I said,
I+IBk-m the ultimate idiot sewer. These are all questions I+IBk-ve 
raised before
in sewing my jumps, and really would like to see answers in print for 
the next
generation. :-))) I+IBk-m thrilled you are doing this. Anything I can 
do to help
I+IBk-m happy to do.

Cheers,
Barbara in Tacoma


"C'mere kid, the first TOME is free..." -- The Local Book Pusher