We are now at 13 days out until I am in Williamsburg for Under the Redcoat. I finished one of two linen gowns (since my 18th c wardrobe consists entirely of wool gowns and jackets!) and have the second cut out and 50% sewn together. I had planned to make up a striped silk gown to wear to dinner Friday and a concert Sunday, but it's becoming more and more apparent to me that I need new stays.
Things preventing me from having new stays are:
- limited time (I still need to mend my petticoats and make a pocket)
- limited resources (I have outer fabric in the stash, but no lining or interlining)
- limited funds (I still have a ball ticket and drop spindle to purchase...)
The smart move would be to just fix my current stays by adding shoulder straps, thus eliminating the side-bosom that is bothering me. But my issues with my stays go beyond that: I want to achieve a different silhouette. And that can only be done with new stays. I feel like I have to choose between new stays or a new gown, or ditch both and fix my old stays and wear a chintz gown that I made last year and wore once.
To some, with stronger constitutions and sounder logic, the choice would seem apparent. But I am fretting over this considerably.
2 comments:
I have all the belief in the world that you could bust out a new pair of stay in one day if you wanted, but I also understand that kind of pressure, to do both new stays AND a new gown, can be a pain. Comfy undies is the priority for me, though, otherwise you're just fidgeting all the time you're wearing the not-right stays, or you're in pain.
Will your other gowns and jackets look appropriate with the new silhouette, if you were to make new stays? If they're really more for the earlier (or the later) style you've gone with before, I say stick to that, fix the straps on your old stays, and get a chance to wear the chintz gown you've only worn once :-)
All that said, though, the pull of making a new gown is strooooong, so we're back to my first sentence - I think you can do both new stays AND a new gown before Redcoat :-)
Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm worse off. None of my 18th century dresses are fitting. I had grand plans (and fabric) to make a new pet-en-l'air, but I've realized I just don't have the time. I'm going to be dressed as a Muggle at Under The Redcoat. I hope my costume peeps will still be willing to hang out with me. :)
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