Finishing the Corset....

After boning the corset (see my older posts for the previous stages in making the corset) the next stage was to attach the eyelets. I had planned on using metal eyelets, however the more I thought about it, the more I realised that if I want the re-creation of this garment to be as authentic as possible then I should really hand sew the eyelets. I have never hand sewn eyelets before, so had a quick look on the internet for how to do it, had a few practice attempts, and then got to work on the corset! 

I came across a great tip when I looking for how to sew eyelets, about how to make a hole it the fabric. Instead of cutting a hole straight into the fabric, make a small puncture in the fabric, using the end of some small sharp sissors and strech out the hole out. In the picture above I am using the handle of a paint brush to stretch the holes to the required amount. This makes the holes much more stronger, as you aren't actually cutting into any of the fabric, meaning the eyelets are less likely to snag under the strain of the laces.

One down side to hand sweing the eyelets is that it obviously took alot longer than I had planned when I thought I was putting metal ones it in! However after a couple of extra days work, I am more than happy with the result, they look so much nicer than the modern metal alternative!

After I was done with the eyelets, it was time to attach the tassets and bias bind the edges....

Followed by lacing up onto the mannequin and, hurray, the corset was complete!

 I am really pleased with how this corset has turned out, in particular how authentic it looks!

Shift

Hello.

I made this shift a while ago and have been meaning to do a post about it ever since. Sorry it has taken me so long!

The shift is the item of clothing that would have been worn underneath all the other layers of the garment. Worn closest to the skin, it protected the rest of the clothing from dirt and sweat.

To make mine I turned to Jean Hunnisett's Period costume for stage and screen:1500-1800: Patterns for Women's Dress, again. Although most shifts would have been made out of linen, I chose to make this one out of muslin. This is because I was finding it really hard to locate the right colour linen and then I came across this muslin in a lovely off white/cream colour which is just what I was looking for. I will also be making the ruff out of this same muslin when it comes to it so thought it would be nice for them to be made out of the same fabric, as the ruff will sit partly on the shift when compleate.

I was in a dilemma for a while about whether the shift Vere would have been wearing would have had a low neckline, the same neckline as that on the bodice, and her chest exposed. However once I looked into it, it became more apparent that the majority of shifts of the time were high neck with a small collar. This also made more sense as I looked at the portrait in more detail. What appears to be the skin on her chest seems to be more pale and even, compared to that on her face, meaning that chances are this is in fact an exposed part of the shift, not bare skin.

As for the making of the shift, it didn't take long, and as you can see from the pictures there is nothing that exciting about it! However it was the first stage in getting dressed as a Jacobean lady, or man, and was an important part of their day to day attire.