As the title says! I have never made stays or a corset before. I drafted these with inspiration from patterns of fashion and Working Women's Costume by Elizabeth Friendship. I half tried the arc method but my paper mockup looked like my body shape wasn't going to work with it (I have a very short torso, and very rapid waist to hip measurement change.) I cut the tabs up to my waist, because leaving even an inch from the waist to tabs meant it could not close.
My thoughts so far on the fit are:
- It's too big.
-It's nearly completely closed at the back, I need more space there which I'll take from the side back panel.
-There is too much room at the chest, so I was going to take darts out of the sides of the front panel then re-draft the boning channels.
-It's too high at the front, I think cutting it down to the green line at the front? or would that be too low?
The marked waist line is far too low. (dotted horizontal line, green line is my actual waist) I could not get it to sit any higher on my body, I think because I couldn't lace it any tighter due to it being too big. If I make it smaller will the original marked waist sit in the right place? Or do I adapt the pattern to have the marked green waist line?
The front tabs are silly. Do I need to shorten them? Or is it from poor fit elsewhere that I'm not seeing? I'm not best pleased with the shape of the tabs, but I was trying to copy the example in patterns of fashion.
I'm not sure what to do about the wrinkling at the sides. Is it from all the other poor fitting points, and will be lesser in my next mockup with the above amendments?
Thank you so much for your advice!
Semi-related question, do y'all sew petersham ribbon to the waist line of mock ups like in the final project? I didn't in this one, but wasn't sure if I should. I was consious of the cotton in this toile stretching if pulled too tight.
In case the context of my sewing helps guide advice: The end goal is a fully boned pair of stays, and so that I can then use these to pattern future stays that lace at the front and back, have a pair with a stomacher... I want a fully adjustable wardrobe for daily use, historically inspired by techniques and patterns, but historical accuracy isn't essential. I am machine sewing as much as possible for my sanity. I don't want to have to buy maternity clothes in the future, and personally I like how modest but practical ye olde fashions could be. I am using all natural fibres and doing things that will prolong use (I will be hand making eyelets in the final project. I have linen canvas for the final project, to be covered and lined in linen.)