thoughts please...

[robinsnest]

So A is going to the Ren Faire with me on the 17th. She has nothing to wear. So I told her she could wear my green dress from 2008. No problemo right? Well I own one good corset. She said she's going to make a set of stays for herself...well that didn't happen. So now it's a week before the faire and I need plan B. I'm going to assume she's wearing my corset. I think there's zero chance of her finishing hers.

So I've thought of two options and I was hoping for a little feedback on what you all would do.

Option 1:

I have an old effigy corset made in High school when I was first first learning. The fit isn't specatcular, the tabs are funky. But it's functional and I wore it my first couple weekends when i worked at faire before I got my current stays.

Option 2:

I fully bone the bodice of my dress, make it front lacing with a stomacher panel. I had inteded to have it close with hooks and eyes down the front but I could do a pinned over stomacher panel. Perhaps not period for this exact dress but it might work.  Just a reminder of the inspiration image




Option 3
Do the old ren faire classic and make it back lacing. A will be there to lace me in...but I so prefer dresses I can get myself into...

So what would you do?

Comments

[laracorsets.livejournal.com]

I vote to bone the bodice.

I have done it with gowns of this period and it works very well. Then later when you wear your stays beneath it will only add to the structure. (The CF opening is ideal especially when you can conceal it within the trim. The one I did also had trim down the Center front and I was able to make it hook & bar close, completely hidden behind the trim.)

[sewloud.livejournal.com]

so you think bone it and still have it hook and eye? will that be strange? I figured I needed lacing somewhere to get a nice snug fit. That's why I figured it needed a stomacher.

[laracorsets.livejournal.com]

When you bone the bodice lining, if you bone the actual folds of either side Center Front it becomes extremely easy to hook it closed. A strait enamel bone or reed keeps the opening perfectly strait. I had also placed a narrow placket behind the eye side to make sure no peeks of the white undies came through.

[laracorsets.livejournal.com]

It was a gown I made in 1992 but I have used the methods since:

http://www.laracorsets.com/images/Gowns_by_LaraCorsets/1992_Tudor_green_velvet_a.jpg

Please forgive the sloppiness & simplicity, I was only 22 when I made it.

[sstormwatch.livejournal.com]

I've done similar some years ago when I made my first nobles gown, including hook & eyes. No stomacher needed, and indeed is not really period for this stretch of time.

http://www.kimiko1.com/dressdiaries/noblelady/index.html

However I did wear a fully boned cable tie corset behind it. But if you do bone the bodice such may not be needed. I think a supportive kirtle of some sort would have been worn underneath the visible gown, instead of a corset. This would just put the boning on the visible gown, instead of the undergarment, as a shortcut.

BTW, I'd otherwise let HER borrow the older corset instead of putting yourself out of a supportive undergarment, provided the older one fit her. Her lack of making herself one is her problem not really yours.

[sewloud.livejournal.com]

I'd always intended to have it hook and eye down the front. It's just figuring it out without a corset that's proving the fly in the ointment so to speak. After talking to curiouschilde I've decided to do a hidden lace placket out of the foundation layer and have the silk hook and eye over the top of it completely hidden...in theory it should work. And it is just for the ren faire so if it's not perfect life goes on.

I don't really feel like I can make her wear the old one as I feel guilty lending out less than my best work. And she's a newbie and so I want her to have a positive experience...and I think I have a workable solution here. I would have boned the bodice lightly anyway so It's just adding a few more bones I don't need a heavily boned thing as I'm luckily small chested and rather conical to begin with.