Things I'm pondering about my stays

[robinsnest]

I'm avoiding working on pondering things about my stays. 

1. Cording vs boning on the back edges. I know cording is period and all but as an apple shaped girl if I don't have something to keep it straight sometimes my rolls eat things so to speak. It'll just get all bunched in at the waist. So I was thinking about boning those edges. 

2. Eyelets, hand sewn or metal. I know handsewn is period but frankly I have very limited faith that these are even going to fit. Yeah a did a muslin...but without being really finished it's so hard to tell. The bust gores LOOK to small when I hold them up to myself, but they don't go as high as a bra, are meant to push up, and holding them up over a fleece, a sweatshirt and a modern bra probably isn't helping me. 

3. A busk. Paint stir stick or wooden ruler? Wish I had something in the house that didn't require a trip to go get. 

Comments

[estela-dufrayse.livejournal.com]

1. if you are back lacing, use boning there. Also, I have found in mine that I need more cording down the side seams to keep the sides flat and down. Use more cording than they call for over all.

2. Hand sewn eyelets are much more secure and stronger than metal. Period. Metal eyelets require you to make a hole in the cloth to insert, and are never long enough in the shank to cover the material and stay put. A hand worked eyelet asks you to move the fibres around to make the hole, and by going over the edge with a strong thread, you will have a super strong eyelet. I am a hefty woman and have had so very few hand done eyelets give out compared to the metal ones poping on the first or second wearing. I am hard on my clothes.

3. I used a paint stick. They come in longer lengths now and are free at my local hardware store. They are also thinner than rulers.

Just my two cents, take it for what it's worth...

[sewaddicted.livejournal.com]

Only self-cutting grommets require you to make a hole in the cloth instead of moving the fibres to make a hole for inserting the grommet. I've used metal grommets and never had to cut a hole to insert them, I use an awl to manipulate a hole. The wider flange on grommets compared to eyelets (they're differentiated in this country but not in all) helps the grommet stay in place without popping.

[heidilea.livejournal.com]

I would do boning on the back edges. The original stays are clearly for someone without "body."

As for the eyelets--do you mean you are afraid the stays will not fit, so you don't want to spend all the time making eyelets? If this is a fear, I'd do metal ones, then cover them later with stitching. It does make them stronger and look more period (did this with my S&S bodiced petticoat).

Paint sticks are free.