Construction of the Stays ~ part 1

[@886jules1]

Thanks very much for explaining so well how to sew this project - you're fantastic! As a newbie, no other youtube videos give a step by step guide like yours. Thanks for all the helpful tips too.

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Your Welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! :)

[@karenivanochko504]

You Are So Precise and Such a CLEAR Person when it comes to Teaching!

[@debkrc4111]

I have been looking for two day on how to assemble my cut out stays because my pattern directions were not very clear. I am a new sower. This is the best I have found for help thank you!

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Yay! I'm glad it has helped! Would love to see your stays when they are finished!

[@Nacidodelmar]

Congratulations! Fantastic work.

[@clairebrent8546]

How fortuitous! I began working on a pair of stays from Norah Waugh's corsets and crinolines, and happened to rewatch this video; lo and behold, I chose the same pattern as the one you are using! I definitely will use this as a guide as I create my stays. Thank you!

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Good Luck! I would love to see your finished stays! :)

[@joniibryant6462]

Thanks for posting this! It's so hard to find video of the process for making stays.

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

+Jonii Bryant Thank you for watching :) I know when I was first starting costuming it was very difficult to find any how to videos for historical clothes and undergarments. I'm hoping that will change in the future :)

[@joniibryant6462]

I definitely hope you share the rest of your process with us, that would be awesome. 😊

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

+Jonii Bryant I should have it up by next week :) Hand sewing always takes me longer then I think ;)

[@fernandamachado5973]

Just discovered your channel and I'm already loving it! Your voice is so sweet :)

[@brianaschmidt910]

What adivce do you have for someone who has no idea on how to actually follow a pattern or make it fit? I mean... I learned more about stays and all other garments from watching you than looking a pattern but I'm still not sure about the measurements. Do you have any suggestions? I also do doll customizations and to get somewhat the same shape, I wrap the doll with plastice film and then cover the area for the pattern with tape and just draw the pattern on the tape, and I have the priced for my pattern cut out. And I may just have to do that to get a perfect fit...(film wrap for presents/food wrap)

[@princessboxnazi]

Could you PLEASE Please please do a video on how to enlarge patterns from the book? please?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

princessboxnazi I may try it in the future when I make a new pair of stays or corset, but it wouldn't be for a while.

[@ameliamg9549]

If you're still interested in this, Morgan Donner has a good video on her channel!

[@michelamartino5439]

Thank you so much for this video, super useful! I will make some 18th century stays in the next weeks, I'm still a beginner but I hope I can manage to go through a project like this.

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Good Luck! I would love to see a picture when you finish them!!!

[@koledonlambright8327]

So glad to find a video of someone making these! I just drafted this pattern last weekend and just did my first fitting. When you enlarged your pattern, did you have any issues with the side seams? I found that my two side pieces were about 1 1/2in different. I re-measured the image in the book and they did, in fact, seem to be different lengths; since both side pieces fit generally with the CB and Front pieces I decided to carry on and see what I would get. I had to ease the excess length from the SF side seam into the SB so that the bottom of the tabs were the same length (Maybe the bottoms of the tabs do not align?). During the fitting I found that the slit forming the tab on the SB closest to the side seam extended much farther up than the SF tab and even bisected the waist by 1/2in. In the video it looks like your pieces went together nicely, but I wasn't sure if you had had fittings prior to that point, so I would welcome your opinion. I suspect this will come down to a simple error in my drafting.

[@EVACR]

This video is really helpful, since I’ve drafted a pattern for stays and have no idea how to put it together. :) Thanks.

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I'm so glad this video has helped you! :)

[@sarabowseebowgo7367]

Question: it seemed like when you cut there was a seam allowence around the full patteren peice, but when you whip stitched them down it looks like there was only seam allowance where the seams would meet from peice to peice. So should I ass half an inch around the whole pattern peice or only where the peices meet?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I cut S/A around the entire piece :) I found that it was easier to trim away the fabric on the edges after, and that way I didn't have to worry about the fabric fraying before I could finish the edges.

[@sarabowseebowgo7367]

@@EnchantedRoseCostumes thanks for the explanation! I am making my own stays right now. I am going to try to film the process. Your videos have been so incredibly invaluable to me. Thank you so much for posting

[@MayYourGodGoWithYou]

Can you recommend a good place to look for help on drafting a stays pattern. I don't have the money to purchase expensive tailoring books like the Elizabethan Tailor.

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I haven't personally used this, but the site comes recommended! www.marquise.de/en/1700/howto/frauen/18corset.shtml

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Also if you are unsure of how the patterns fits and you are hesitant to cut out your fabric. I discovered that you can get a decent fit by cutting the pattern out of corrugated cardboard and duct taping it together for a first mock up. This method isn't perfect, but I did a mock up of my maternity stays and they only needed minor tweaking later on!

[@allydickson9553]

So glad you are feeling better. 💞

[@ameliamg9549]

Do you cut the bones at an angle on the end that meets in the front middle, or any of the places where the boning channel ends in an angle?

[@penniecormier8770]

How do you soak or treat the reeds? Are they dry when placing them in the stays?

[@CadeDesu]

Are those the same types of reed that you would use for basket weaving? And you did a fantastic job!

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Kendra Gray yes, they are 😊 i'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@Yolande26]

Also a noob question: between which layers did you put the boning?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I put my bones between the inner lining and the coutil :) I imagine the outer/fashion fabric and the coutil as one layer :)

[@Yolande26]

Enchanted Rose Costumes thank you so much for the reply! Your videos have been so helpful. I made my very first historical costume "project" (the chemise) using your videos and now I'm taking on my first pair of stays. Never sewn a day in my life before this 😜

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

You can do it! I would love to see your stays when they are done!

[@Yolande26]

Gonna be a long wait (will be at work 7 days a week for the next 6 months), but will do! ;)

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

That is fine by me :) I've been working on this series for almost 3 years, so I understand life can get crazy ;)

[@TheNursebear]

What type of material did you use for the main fabric?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Cotton for the outside, coutil in the middle, and linen for the lining

[@TheNursebear]

Thank you

[@KimmiMorningstar]

This looks amazing, good job!

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Thank you Kimberly :)

[@TropicanaThunda]

What would a good substitute for Coutil? Also love your videos. It's nice to watch sewing and the background music is cute.

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Thank you Emily! I haven't used it personally but I've read that Duck, drill, and canvas are good substitutes. The feature you are looking for is a strong, non stretch fabric😊

[@TropicanaThunda]

Thank you very much! I've a small fabric stash that I'm coming to grips with that I don't want all of it to become petticoats. lol -the canvas/coutil/other fabrics

[@TropicanaThunda]

Crud I also was going to ask does it matter if the coutil/duck cloth layer is on the outside or the inside? I've found some really awesome duck fabrics that have nice patterns on them. (I hate plain things lol)

[@Felicia-h4p]

Please which bone is this? It doesn't look like plastic bone

[@lunamorte155]

Is there a reason why the straps are boned too? Love the colors btw. 💜🌙

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

It helps to keep the straps from falling off the shoulders, it was also part of the pattern 😊

[@Nacidodelmar]

Thank you vey much! ADORABLE.

[@mariahcareysdaydream2898]

Do you think this could be hand sewn because my machine is broken and tends to only sew satin to would it be possible to hand sew it ?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Mariah Carey’s Daydream I've seen many people sew theirs by hand! I would recommend checking out American Duchess blog or Before the Automobile blog.

[@mariahcareysdaydream2898]

Enchanted Rose Costumes thank you i will look at the blog hopefully it helps thank you ☺️

[@chaelao.4321]

If you attach the sand paper to a block of wood you can sand quicker and smoother

[@NuclearButtonz]

Is that the Little House on the Prairie set on the bookshelf behind you? If so you have made my day!

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Lauren Sancer it is 😄 one if my favourite series when I was growing up. 🤓📚📚📚

[@NuclearButtonz]

Same!! I recognized them instantly! Laura was my hero and I wanted to be a pioneer so badly! She partly inspired my love for period wear.

[@Neppy22]

This is so cool! You're a very good explainer! Noob question... How do stays differ from corsets?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Neppy22 thank you 😊 Everyone starts some where and questions are how you learn so keep asking them! Although corsets and stays are very similar and essentially have the same purpose, the biggest difference is that stays gave the body more of a cone shape and didn't really reduce/change the body other then lifting the breasts and smoothing the torso. The corset focused more on reducing the waist and giving the hour glass figure, it also smoothed the torso but not the same way as stays. The materials and cut were also quite different as well. It was after the Regency Era that corsets became popular, before the 1800 everyone wore stays, jumps or a pair of bodies. I hope that is helpful 🙂

[@Neppy22]

Thank you so much! I've seen the words used almost interchangeably and was very confused... Keep being awesome!

[@Traybuff]

Hi is your pattern from the Norah Waugh book as I have a book called corsets and crinolines and it looks like one form there. but I don't understand it's scaule up grid?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Hello Traybuff. Yes, I did use the 1740's stay pattern from Corsets and Crinolines. I scanned the pattern and enlarged it on my computer. I only printed off the scale ruler until it match a regular ruler. Once it was the same size I printed the full pattern and altered the pattern to fit me from there.

[@Traybuff]

Thank you, I also have the jean hunisette books an dhave done the smae thing but I understand her scale, she puts them on a grid and each small square represents 1", but i cannot understand the norah scale up. Maybjust hit & miss then based on my measurments. Your work is absolutley incredible by the way, I got to look & and tuch some gerogian stays from 17th century and it was like layers of hard as a rock eather and of course no seiwng machines so everything was bound together by hand. The exra work you have put into making and tidying all the seams, you make it look effortless. I also do a mix of costumes form film though I tend to leave the insides either just overlocked or cut with pining sheers, as is can't be seen I feel life is to short. I loveit when people go the extra mile to video form strat to finish as I do as I really hate it when people skips stages, i need to know everything from start to end. I alwasy wondered how those pocket hops were made, but what i'd really like to know is how a grand pannier is made, it is in my Jean Hunnisette book but I have trouble understanding diagrammes, i'm lucky i've had mum over the years to show me in front of my face how to sew something. Thanks again, stunning videos. from Tracy :)

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I believe Angela Clayton made up a grand pannier if you wanted to watch a video.

[@Traybuff]

Wow thank you, didn't even know there was a modern pattern out there. There is one in my Jean Hunisette tv & theatre costume books, but I have trouble understanding diagrames and written instructions. I do better with someone actually showing me like begineers guide. :)

[@Curious.Badger]

What do you mean by soaking and or treating the bones?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

SammySpine9 soaking the reed in water before using them makes them slightly less breakable. In my 2nd pair I soaked them and rubbed them with bees wax to help them glide in to the channels easier.

[@MrsLunaticLuna]

this is really amazing! may I ask where you got the bones?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Thank you! I bought my reed from amazon.

[@Kittehsmahname101]

What kind of boning did you use? Awesome work btw!

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I used reed, and thank you!

[@LaDivinaLover]

This is amazing!!!

[@emilykovenock8873]

Do you have any tips for enlarging the pattern from the book?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

+Emily Kovenock It was mostly trial and error when I was first figuring it out. I scanned the pattern to my computer and enlarged it from there. As for getting it to the right size, I only printed off the scale ruler as I was enlarging it to figure out proportion. I think it ended up being 380% when I got it to the size/scale I liked. I hope that answers your question :)

[@emilykovenock8873]

Thank you! Your videos are fantastic and I can't wait to see more.

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

+Emily Kovenock Thank you for watching :D

[@NuclearButtonz]

Very pretty :) How long did it take you to make them?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Truthfully, I can't remember... I worked on them over the course of 6 months. My maternity pair took me took around 20-25 hours. I really need to start writing down my hours...

[@sofie3313]

You said you used three different layers, what was the second layer? :) looked it up but think the spelling is wrong

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Sofie Lie Jespersen the second layer is coutil. It is a very sturdy corsetry fabric 😊

[@sofie3313]

Enchanted Rose Costumes thank you ~☆

[@AndrogynousABT]

How did you enlarge the pattern? I have the same book but can’t figure out how

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I scanned the page from the book and then enlarged it until the scale ruler matched a real ruler. I hope that helps 😊

[@mariarojas9917]

Hi u could burn the boning edge to

[@osahenselewis8422]

How long did the whole stay take you?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I started them in May and finished them in October...😅 but I moved to a new town and dealt with horrible morning sickness during that time so I didn't touch them for several months. If I think about actual time working on them it was around 80-120 hours

[@tessaleedubitz3716]

Where do you buy the reed boning?

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I got mine from amazon :)

[@jackiegoss5485]

how do I construct stays for plus size i'm bigger then a size 26 AU

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Hello Jackie, the construction process would the same, you would just need a bigger pattern :)

[@jackiegoss5485]

in Tasmania the patterns only go to 22 au

[@dianer5605]

do you sell stays

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I am not selling them right now, but It is a possibility when my daughter is older. I would recommend you contact Red Threaded if you are looking for them right now :)

[@flrn64]

Do you do custom orders for these stays? I'd love to purchase a pair since I don't sew that well at all ;-)

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Katherine A I am not currently making stays to sell, but I definitely recommend checking out Redthreaded!

[@oktaviaherbst5210]

There is no need to bone the straps

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

Thank you for the comment. For the pattern I used the straps were boned :) It is my understanding that this helped to keep the straps from falling off the shoulder. It wasn't used on all stays, but I incorporated this detail into mine :)

[@fancierthangreen]

I really want to watch all your videos but the music is too much. You're stuff is great!

[@EnchantedRoseCostumes]

I have changed out the music in my newer videos. I couldn't find anything that I liked, that was also royalty free when I first started making video 😅

[@fancierthangreen]

Yay!!! I love watching your videos!