you should be proud- it looks sturdy, well made

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joey never met a bicycle he didn't want to ride

Oh me oh my! I've never seen it on, I don't think....it's kindof...amazing!
It has a really pretty line to it. ^_^
Hooray for your first deviation! (sniffles) I'm so proud...

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"Are the gods not just?"
"Oh no, child. What would become of us if they were?"
~Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis

very sturdy...in that 'I can't bend or twist' sort of way. Corsets are such a joy. Thanks for being my first comment ever!

Nice job. I know what a pain it is to hand sew a corset throughout - see my 1598 corset! [link] [link]
I'm intrigued - which corset is this based on? and what material are your bents made of?
I'm not an expert but I didn't think whalebone was in use until a fair bit after 1603 - happy to be corrected - I thought reeds were commonly used in most corsetry from this period. (I'd check my books but they're all in storage )

I think I would have put this into costume as it's a period piece - I post my contemporary corsets in clothing and my historic ones in costume. Personally I think that the 'costume' category should be two cats - one for historical pieces one for 'fancy dress'.

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Website [link] I'm currently booked up until the end of August 2009. Please enquire for corsetry, costume and bridal commissions, I may be able to squeeze you in...

Thanks!!! I totally agree on the costume categories, it's why I was so torn cause so much of what is under 'costume' is fantasy type stuff. anyway...I based this on the effigy corset - it's worn by the effigy of Elizabeth I in Westminster abbey and was dated by Janet Arnold to around 1600. All the litterature I can find on it, including the book Funeral Effigies of Westminster Abbey, say that it was stiffened with whalebone.

The burial corset of Pfaltzgrafin Dorothea Sabine von Neuberg from 1598 supposedly had whalebone, but the boning has disentigrated in the grave so I think it's just speculation on that one.

From what I've read whalebone was a fairly new material at this time. The whaling industry was just starting up and I think whalebone would have been something used only by the wealthy, with reed bents being the more common (i.e. cheaper) choice. My bents are 3/16 inch round basketry reed.

Oh...just found this quote, but then it might just be talking about the busk, and not all the boning...

“I will have a fine Smocke of silke …it shall have a French bodie, not of whalebone, for that is not stiff enough, but of horne for that will hold it out, it shall come, to keepe in my belly…My lad I will have a Busk of Whalebone, it shall be tyed with two silke Points...” – Eldest Daughter of Starkie 1597, aged 14 as possessed by the devil

Thank you for all this wonderful information. I think you're right about the horn being used as a busk rather than as boning though.

In some respects I'm fairly new to corsetry - I'm been making them for about seven years but haven't studied the history in depth. There are more books I want to buy but at the moment I have nowhere book friendly to keep my books so all my reference material is in storage.

I have seen the Elizabeth corset before but haven't studied it - it's one I want to have a go at - it's on the list for when my 'Janet Arnold' comes out of storage.

As for the boning of the Pfaltzgrafin Dorothea Sabine von Neuberg burial corset unless there is documentary evidence or some residual boning it can only be speculation as to the content of the bones.

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Website [link] I'm currently booked up until the end of August 2009. Please enquire for corsetry, costume and bridal commissions, I may be able to squeeze you in...

very nice! you have so much patience! My friend stitched my boning channels for me, and I only have 12 lacing holes on mine. 60 holes... just wow. I hate making eyelets. I always make them twive as far appart as I think I want them, lace the thing up and look to see if I really NEED to add another hole inbetween all the holes (making the distance what I wanted). usally I decide no, or that I will wear it like that and do it later (and never do).

May I ask about the lacing? Do you just spiral lace differently than I do (around and around in a spiral) or is thats what's called herringbone lacing? I've heard of it but never seen it before. either way it looks neat!
Also, how have you attached the straps?

As for categories, I feel that I don't make costumes, I make everyday clothing from a different time, but still I put it into costumes as most people consider period clothing costumes it seems.

But you did a great job!

ye gods the eyelets! If I hadn't had to make it as historicaly accurate as possible (it was for a class) I probably would have done WAY fewer. In application having this many eyelets is a problem because it takes ~forever~ to lace it up. I'm talking like...40 min. to get it fully laced. Of course I did make it so it really squishes me in so that's part of that time thing. On most of my costumes I work in the realm of "good-enough" and go for wearability and practicality.

As far as the spiral lacing... uh, *embarassed* I took this pic at like 4 in the morning it was due ... and I didn't look at reference on how to lace, so there is just one lace goin' around and round but it doesn't really look like it should. But hey, if it's actually some sort of real technique I'll claim that! Herringbone - sounds all fancy and intentional.

The straps are just pinned because at that point if I'd had to sew anymore eyelets...lets just say it would have been a baaaad scene.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments!

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{O,o}
/)__)
-"-"- Owl.

Oooh, very well done. How is it to sit in since the front is so low? Most of the versions I have seen have the front modified to make it easier.

Also, spiral lacing:
[link]

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Heather

Founder of the *HistoricCostume
Member of ~TextilesAlliance , *MedievalCommunity and ~Elizabeths-Court