robinsnest | Kicking off the Christmas Season

Rob and I officially kicked off the Christmas season today. We went and saw the new Muppets movie (HIGHLY recommended) and drove around listening to carols on our way to buy our tree. The tree's currently outside on the porch waiting till after dinner to be decorated.

When we got home Rob crashed into a nap and I worked a bit on my stays. I got all the boning channels sewn, and let me tell you people with an OCD urge for symmetrical things to be perfect shouldn't try to do boning channels!

Now I have two dilemmas, well one question and one dilemma.

1. I wanted this to be a fully stash project, I'm unemployed and it's Christmas. I intended to bone with heavy duty cable ties, but I only have a few left, definitely not enough to do the whole thing. I do have some plastic boning that's been hanging around for years, wondering how bad it would be if I use the duct ties on the important points, like the CF and the long diagonal, and filled in the rest with the lightweight boning. My instinct is it's a bad idea, but I REALLY didn't want to spend money on this project, even though a pack of duct ties isn't expensive, it's the principle.

2. The Deiderot pattern calls for little perpendicular pieces of boning in the tabs, I've only ever continued the bones into the tabs and I have them positioned so one bone ends in every tab. Are they necessary?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

the stays I wear now are stash project with a similar cunundrum. I ended up only using the cable ties for the front stomacher area and stuffed the rest of the channels with wool. Works great!

yeah I was thinking put the cable ties in that front portion where it really matters, I don't have boobs that need manipulating on my back...stuffed with wool eh? How'd you get it IN there...I might need a picture of this if you wouldn't mind.

I used one of those tube turners that you need to make spagetti straps. Made the channel, then pushed the turner in, grabed the middle of the length of yarn( I used double length for each casing) and then pulled it through. Easy peasy!

I really need to re bind the damn things though, I have bones popping out.

All my Diderot stays have been completely cable-ties (with the exception of the center back -where the lacing holes are- where I do use steel) without any issues. I use the large, thick electrical cable ties though, is that what you have?

I've always put the boning in the tabs so I don't know what would happen without them. I guess all I can say is that I like the results with... :>

My plan was to use all the large cable ties, but I have less than I thought, and I so didn't want to spend money on this project so I was pondering using some leftover ridgiline I had for less important points. I'm pretty sure it's a bad idea, but it would keep it an all stash project.

I don't know I think Ridgeline might be okay.

joysdaughter (who has been costuming professionally for 25+ years and was good friends with Jean Hunnisett) told me she used Ridgeline to bone all her Diderot stays with good results. Although she may have fully boned them rather than half boned... can't remember now. Anyway I've always wanted to try it. :>

For #2: I just have the one long bone that extends into the tabs in my stays as well, that should be fine!

And as for the Ridgiline... I'm honestly not sure! My instinct would be that it's not strong enough, but then I haven't used it for years, so maybe. Actually the wool yarn sounds like a better bet to me, or hemp cording if you happen to have that on hand. I love that stuff.

In one of the pairs of stays I made, I used featherweight in some channels and used heavy cable ties or steel in important points (like the sides, the center front, and the center back). It worked wonderfully! The only reason I took them apart was because of eyelet issues.

If you really are worried, just double up on the featherweight.

Kicking off the Christmas Season

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject