Regency Short Stays, Dress and Spencer

 Update.......

They are finished.  I shortened the shoulder straps and sewed on hook and eyes down the front. 

I want these to be something I can put on myself.  There's nothing worse than having to have help to get dressed.

Unfortunately I used the wrong hooks. They were all that I had but they are not at all suitable.  I can get 1 or 2 hooks done up but as soon as I go to do up number 3, number 1 will undo or 1 and 2 undo. It doesn't matter if I start at the bottom or the top edge.

Solution......remove the hooks and replace them with some that have a lump in them. The lump helps stop them coming undone.  Thus will mean a physical trip to my local sewing centre - not a trip I can do atm as, well, covid lockdown.

The dress I made went together quite well. The pattern called for inter lining as well as lining.  I only did the lining in both the bodice and the skirt.  I used a purple print poly cotton fabric with white satin lining. It also uses ties at the back that are threaded thru casings. Again, I want to be able to dress myself so I did not do the casings.  I installed a zip up the centre back.   This needs replaced......the type it is requires the zip tab to be locked down otherwise it just opens extremely easily.

The Spencer I am happy with. I used a plain purple polar fleece and lined it with white satin. I did shorten the sleeves before I realised the cuff is supposed to be folded back.... oops.  But they finished the right length to  my wrist. So if I fold the cuff back they become 7/8 sleeves. This is acceptable to me.

I have more plain poly cotton fabric in a purple to make another dress, this time with long sleeves. The print dress has short sleeves.  Not too sure at this stage if I want to make another dress the same,  make the other one in the pattern  (the neck line is a bit different) or try to work out how to make a open front bib style. I dont have a pattern for this. If I did the bib front style I think I will be able to dress myself easily....

I have also made a cream chemisette which is basically an under shirt that only goes down to your waist. I used a seamwork dress pattern, only did the bodice part and left the side seam open where the zip would have gone. Going to put ties at the side but it fits and looks nice on.

When I get all these issues sorted I will pop us a few pics for you all.

Making Regency Short Stays

As part of my making of some Regency styled clothing I had to think about underwear. Whilst knickers are not a problem a bra might be. Modern bras usually cover more of ones chest than a Recency dress allows for, even with an under shirt (chemisette).  I dont really want to wearing my new dress out on public and have my bra on show, even if it is a lace one. 

After a bit of research I found a couple of pattern ideas that might work as short stays.

What is a short stay, you ask?

Basically they are the Regency era equivalent of a modern day bra.  No hooks and eyes back then so ladies were actually tied into their stay.

Think of a bustier and you get the idea. 

My first attempt might work, eventually. I used a bather/swimwear pattern for the bust section and added extra at the sides as well as a back piece.  I want my stays to do up in the front so I dont have help in getting dressed. They are a bit too flimsy at the moment to decide if they will work in the end.

I then had a look for something else and came across what is basically a rectangle with some  'vee' inserts in the top edge. Others have made ones along these lines and they seem to work.

I measured my underbust and my actual bust to help with what I had to cut out. I also measured the depth of my bust.  This is what I have so far.....

I will make the loning the same as the front and will add heavy interfacing to the bottom band and up the centre front and I will use lighter interfacing in the straps.  Once together I will sew on hook and eye closures down the front, but I think it will work. It still looks kinda flat across the top edge though. I need to put it on and check the fit.