Scrap Happy – Bodies on the Ides of March
Irish Linen Scrap
The pair of Lady Frances’s Bodies that I made last month was not quite right…a little small, a little limp and they didn’t give me joy. So on to #2, this time with an excellent reference book and a scrap of a linen traycloth…
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Leftover Cable Ties
…some cable ties leftover from my husband’s most recent Archaeological expedition…
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Wooden Blind Scrap
…and a scrap of a wooden blind.
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Lining
This is the scrappiest scrap of the project – a 5 cm wide strip of beautiful striped hemp I think, pieced to fit the pattern for the bodies (the front is made of four pieces, and each back section of two).
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Busk
The wood was trimmed, shaped and decorated with a wood-burned design…
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Busk and bones
…and the linen channelled…busk inserted down a pocket at the centre front, and “Whalebones” stitched in at angles.
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Silk ribbon binding
The edges bound with silk ribbon (which match the lining)…
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Laces
…and grommets stitched: 20 down the centre back, and four at the shoulder straps for adjustments. Then the bodies were laced up the back…
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Finally!
…and Lady Frances, finally happy with my corset-making efforts, is keen for me to get going on pockets and petticoats and panniers.
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ScrapHappy is a group of bloggers using up scraps of anything – no new materials…Anything made of genuine scraps is eligible, and posts come out once a month on the 15th! If you like the idea and want to join the group, contact Kate or Gun who devised and run this group. Their blogs are the first two links below:
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Quimper Hittys 
Cable ties as whalebone! Inspired! A Lady always feels uplifted and sustained by the knowledge that her underthings are of the very finest quality… By the way, do you know the YouTube channel of historical costumier Bernadette Banner? I’m a great fan, she’s fun to watch and makes many of her clothes entirely by hand and by authentic processes (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSHtaUm-FjUps090S7crO4Q/about)
I have run across the videos – they are so interesting and useful! And I was very glad that the leftover cable-ties happened to be that size, and black, as baleen usually was! Lady F is very happy to be encased – it does make her feel more stable, I think she actually smiled at me in gracious approval!
I haven’t seen any of your earlier posts abut Lady Frances. She is wonderful and I’ll be looking through to find out more about her.
Creating her new stays with cable tie boning instead of whalebone is inspirational! Never in a hundred years would I have come up with such an idea.
Thanks for sharing her and also to Kate Chiconi in the above comment for giving the link, I love learning about historical clothing, though would prefer never to have to wear stays, or even the mid 20th century corsets that my grandmother swore were essential female wear!
Lady F arrived here on a temporary visit so that I could clothe her authentically and to her satisfaction. She appeared briefly in Scraphappy February 2022’s blog, and hope she will appear again as her wardrobe expands! The cable ties come in different sizes too, I’ve used the very small ones for Hitty corset-boning! The smooth tips of the uncut ties work extremely well, but I cut them along the length of the tie, not wanting to generate any more plastic waste than necessary. The ends of the cut ones can be rounded and sanded smooth so they can be inserted almost as easily, otherwise they snag!
wonderful. Thank you.
You are very welcome!
Wowser! I too will be most interested to learn more of Lady Frances. I see a resemblance in her eyes to…Constance! Wonderful work in every way, Kjerstin. It’s thrilling to see what you’ve created. Thank you so much for sharing.
Lady F was made by master carver Bill Fifer, but Constance preening a little – she is very flattered that you think she looks like a relation.
I showed this to Julie. Her jaw dropped several times. Her eyes even got wider. Kjerstin, you and textiles go toghther like blue skies and sunshine.
Those hand stitched grommets didn;t seem possible to me.
Thanks very much for your encouragement! This corset is iteration #2…I think it is persistence and time that makes things turn out for me – don’t forget you aren’t seeing the disasters! I feel so lucky to be able to have this kind of fun and share it!
oh, for goodness sake – I am just in total awe! That is what has been keeping you busy down the hill.Those tiny grommets are just the icing on the cake/corset.
It was a lot of stitching, I’ll admit! As you know, actually doing the process gives a huge appreciation for the old methods.
That is just so totally impressive. You truly are a marvel. Lady Frances actually looks a wee bit pleased with herself!
The sewing is a pleasure, though some times it takes a little while to settle down to it! I think now that we are getting a bit more daylight, is will be easier! Lady F is pleased, I am doing my best to keep her happy!
Lady Frances is so lucky to be with the Quimper girls. Her outfit is outstanding ….
Thanks so much! The Quimper Hittys are a little in awe of her – she is quite a giantess compared to them!
Love the corset, though I would never wear one myself! 🙂
Thanks so much! I think I feel the same!
Love it! I’ve been out for a while so haven’t been reading. Most of my dollies are packed at the moment…. hoping to move in the next few months, but with hubby in hospital, the fear that we might be moving in the next two weeks if we can’t scrounge rent up is very real.
Thank you so much and good luck with everything.
Oh My Dearest, this is amazing. I loved it so much, great work. Thank you, Love, nia
Thank you Nia – I love to sew by hand, and this is a great project for me!
I love seeing all the steps, and I love the handstitched grommets.
Thanks so much! The grommets weren’t difficult, just a little repetitive, but easy when started off with an awl!