stay seams

[jennylafleur]

I worked a little on my stays today. All the seams are now sewn, double stiched and everything! I pretty much have only handwork left, plus cutting the boning for the side seams. I totally forgot I don't have any ¼” boning for the center back edges nor any lacing so looks like an order to Farthingales will be in order.

I pinned some of the pink binding along the seams (a la the stays in Fashion in Detail) to see how it looked. Pretty but I'm not sure if it's slimming or not. I'm also unsure if it adds or takes away from the pretty green silk. So now I'm trying to decide if I want the trim and if so, do I want it that width or half that (finished width of the edge binding). *ponders*

Comments

[ms-arabellablue.livejournal.com]

Golly, that's pretty!
Sry I'm no help with the seams decision.

[jennylafleur.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[girliegirl32786.livejournal.com]

I really like the pink trim! But I think you might be right about a smaller width, but I think the pink looks really lovely! :)

[jennylafleur.livejournal.com]

That is exactly what Mom said... thanks!

[koshka-the-cat.livejournal.com]

I am no help.

You see, making the same decision on mine. Of course, in mine it's partially to cover up ugly stitching, which is a lot less noticiable now that there's decent stitching around it ;)

[jennylafleur.livejournal.com]

Well either way you decide, bad stitching or no, your stays will be breathtaking. I wish I had time to hand sew mine (did I just say that?!) but I must focus on the quilted petticoat if it's to debut in Aug. *focusJennyfocus*

[misslemmon.livejournal.com]

Lovely!

I think a binding in a darker color of green woujld be nice...perhaps in silk as well.

I wonder, you put a sort of top cover on your stays...you dont like to show the stitiching of the channels on your stays?

[jennylafleur.livejournal.com]

Umm... I thought about that. Not sure I want to go to that much bother though - so lazy!

To answer your question, no I don't really like my stitching. I like the small channels like Katherine is doing but I think the ½" wide channels of the cable ties look clunky. The "cover" idea also allowed me to rush through the stitching a bit, knowing they wouldn't be seen from the outside I didn't have to pay exact attention to what I was doing. These weren't so bad but my first stays look horrible, which is why I covered them without a second thought!

I also wanted to avoid all that machine stitching on that Dharma silk twill. It's lovely stuff and when worked by hand (i.e. quilted petticoat) it’s fine but on machine it would have been slipping and puckering all over the place. (Just sewing the seams - with it spray basted too - was bad enough). It's just not made for that kind of abuse, as a stiffer fabric such as taffeta is.

Someday I'd like to make a proper pair of stays, with little handsewn boning channels, instead of the rush jobs I've done up to now but I have deadlines to meet and other handwork projects calling my name these days. :>

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

if you had visible pink stitching for your boning channels i think the seam binding would look nice, but as it is it's very stark, maybe if you tried pinning the edge binding in place it would give you a better idea?

[jennylafleur.livejournal.com]

Umm... true but I just didn't have time for that. I'll pin some edging on - good idea - but really it's starting to grow on me already...