No Victorian Ball

[atherleisure]

The Victorian Ball was cancelled Saturday morning due to fumes in the hall after the floors were varnished during the week. I was disappointed, but at least it wasn’t something I had been looking forward to for months, and I hadn’t made anything new for it. On the bright side, it made me address the differences in shape between the two 1860’s corsets for one dress, and I added net undersleeves to it, which make it look more polished. I think the only thing I have left that I want to do for that dress is to add tails to the belt since they were so very popular in the late 1860’s. The cancellation notice said that they are planning another ball, but it didn’t say when or what period so I’ll just have to keep my eyes on the website.

Since I didn’t go to the ball, I got to work on my stays. I finished boning them earlier in the week except for the cross-wise bones that have to go in after some assembly, and Saturday night I finished the eyelets on one piece. I was also trimming and tacking down seam allowances. The skinnier pieces in the picture are the ones with their seam allowances sewn down so that they’re ready for seaming. Last night I did more of those and marked the eyelets for the second side of the front lacing. I’m hoping to start on that next batch of eyelets tonight.

Comments

[sewtimely]

It's going to be lovely!

[starlightmasque]

THAT COLOR WOW perfection

[atherleisure]

It's the same color as the 1690's stays I made last year - only this time I used the wrong side of the fabric instead of the right side!

[mrs_maupin]

Good thing you didn't put too much extra work into preparign for the ball ! And I love the color of your stays.

[mala_14]

Oooh love the colour of the new stays! Also, just curious, but what are you using for boning? It looks really nice, with the narrow channels.

Too bad about the ball. I hope you get another chance soon! (But one that doesn't involve having to scramble for a costume.)

[atherleisure]

It's 3mm flat reed. I love the narrow channels too. I did 3/8" channels at the center front and back next to the eyelets and cut a 1/2" half-oval or flat reed down to fit. It's the same stuff I used on my 1690's stays last year, and I was happy with it the one time I got to wear them.

They said they're planning another ball so I have that to look forward to, but it's a mystery when it will be or what period! They did a colonial ball in October and a Regency ball in April. As long as it's not Renaissance, I think I'll be able to find something in my wardrobe to wear if they go with such broad categories.

[mala_14]

Ah, that's what I thought. I'm planning on trying out reed for my 18th century stays. It's nice to hear what other people think of using and wearing it.

That's great! Those do sound like pretty broad categories. You have lots of lovely things in your wardrobe for different periods too, which must be convenient.

[atherleisure]

I don't think I'd use the 3mm reed for something lightly boned because it's pretty flexible, but something between 3mm and 1/2" (which is very sturdy) would probably be good. (Sorry to mix units, but that's how it was sold so it's how I think of it.) For fully boned stays, the 3mm seems to be enough. You might ask Ginger too because she used reed for her white wool stays, which I think are either 1770's or 1780's.

[mala_14]

That was my thought. (No problem! I mix units all the time because technically we're metric here, but so much of sewing is in Imperial.) What I'm planning is doing boning like these pink ones in the Manchester Galleries: http://chemise-a-la-reine.blogspot.ca/2012/10/stays-and-chemise-gown.html

[atherleisure]

I think that will work well. Somehow I always think of 1780's stays as being more lightly boned; I forget that they were still doing some fully-boned stays at that point.

[elizabeth_mn]

Wow, they're looking amazing!

[danabren]

An event was cancelled due to fumes the same day as the event? That is some poor planning right there.

[atherleisure]

They said they were hoping the air would clear so that they could have the dance and finally gave up that morning.

[danabren]

That is obnoxious (see what I did there?). Phooey. I hope you got a refund.

[atherleisure]

Obnoxious noxious fumes, huh? Fortunately, they did give a refund.