Corded Regency Stays

So I've finally started my first sewing project of the year. Long ago I bought some fabric to make a new Regency dress. In order to get started on it though, I first had to make myself a new pair of stays. This is an endeavor I set out to do last spring, but never got around to starting at that time.

Future dress plans

As a reminder, I did make some half-stays, but wasn't wholly satisfied with the fit and design. I finally pulled out my Laughing Moon Regency and Romantic Era Corset pattern (#115) and started reading through the directions (there's a lot of material).

Challenges to this project include gussets (I've never done these before) and of course modifying for my non-existent bustline. After following all the modification instructions, I traced out my pattern pieces and cut out my mockup. Next came the channels.

I'm used to Victorian corsets with metal boning, so the channel tracing for the cording in the stays just about drove me nuts. After all the tracing was the gussets.

What have I gotten myself into?!

Two hours later - Okay that wasn't so bad.

Okay, for as much grumbling as I did about these, they're not so bad once you get the hand of them. Perfecting them is a different story though. While my bust gussets are far from perfect right now, I still have plenty of practice to get in since this is just a mockup. Thank goodness because I'm already suspecting the bust area will be too big for me.

Remember those boning channels I traced?

Now I get to carefully stitch over each and every single one of them. I'll be checking back in a few days, and hopefully I won't lose my mind by then.