Marion's Costume Escapades

 My stays are made of a sturdy white cotton and lined in bright blue cotton (I felt it needed a bit of fun). The pattern is from Period Costume for Stage and Screen by Jean Hunnisett. All my eyelets are hand-sewn.

As you can see from the dip at the bottom, my busk is actually a paint stirrer! Cheap, easy to find, and very effective. I know some people like a little more flexibility in their busk and prefer a wide steel stay, but I've always found my option to be very comfortable. And it certainly improves your posture!

This is a very early project (I made it about age 17) but it's held up well over the years and remains one of my favourite corsets.



 A petticoat fills out the bottom of your gown, and especially in the case of my sheer white gown, it creates an opaque layer over my stays. My petticoat is made of an off-white cotton sateen sheet I got on sale. I decided to go for a front-opening style to make dressing myself a little easier. It's also jazzed up a little with some tucks and a self-fabric ruffle around the hem.

The bottom-most layer, this linen shift sits between myself and my stays. Very comfortable and keeps you cool by wicking sweat from your body. It's made of entirely square construction, leaving you with very few scraps.