Corset nearing completion, hopefully

Got all the pieces of the stays stitched together last night, except for the lacing strips. And it's way, way too small in the back. I have no idea how that happened! Apparently there's around 10 inches gap at the back. Oddly enough, the side seams fall correctly under the arms, but the back just doesn't exist. You'd have thought I'd have noticed that earlier, really.

Fortunately, that's a fairly easy thing to remedy. I'll just make new centre back panels 3" wider than the old lacing strips. That'll reduce the gap to about 4" uncompressed; assuming 2" lacing, it leaves me with a 2" gap, which is quite acceptable. In fact, that's exactly what I did this morning; and brought them and the rest of the thing to work so I can get on with the hand stitching at lunch. Go me!

The stays are really very rigid. They are very heavily boned indeed, and I'm doubting the strength of my handsewing. I'm thinking that the stitches will give way rather than allow this thing to be pulled snugly around me. I can always take some of the boning out, but it's all a bit scary. I'll feel much happier when I know I've spent a week's hard work constructing a functioning pair of stays rather than an abortive throwback of cotton and plastic...

In other news, the linen did indeed arrive yesterday, and it's very attractive indeed! It has a self stripe made by using different thickness warp threads, and I love it. In fact, I might have to order some more just to have around... I stuck it through a boil wash on the machine last night to shrink it, and tumble-dried it too. I didn't have time to iron it before going to bed, so it's now bone dry and creased. I'll probably wash it again, to get all its tendency to shrink well out of the way, and to get it wet enough that I can actually iron it! Read on for the item-by-item status update (since it's a week since the last one!)

So, the current status is:

• Shift. Linen arrived; first round of pre-shrinking occurred last night. Several pieces of lace from eBay have arrived. Must complete this over the weekend.
• Stays (corset). Getting there, I think. If these aren't the most time consuming part of the project, I'm in huge trouble. Pray that they fit...
• Pocket hoops. Done! The only part of the project that is
• Petticoat. No progress
• Stomacher. Bought fabric.
• Jupe. Bought fabric.
• Robe. Have one lot of fabric that I'm persuading myself to like, and a second that is tempting me to change to it. Might do both.
• Shoes. Already own them. Phew!!
• Hat. No progress. Have also been looking at other accessories on eBay, to whit: gloves and fan. No wig yet.
• Mask. Hmmmm...