I made a pair of short stays from the Sensibility pattern, but I was really interested in making a pair of wrap stays. They seem so utilitarian. I’m always looking for historical clothing that is easy to put on without a lady’s maid, and the wrap stays promised to fall in that category.

I got Reconstructing History’s 844 1800’s Kyoto Brassiere Pattern. I used two layers of white cotton canvas for the stays, and machine quilted the areas at the bust for support. I put in the metal eyelets and added my straps so I could try it on, and it just…. didn’t fit.

The size (A) seemed to be OK, but the shape just wouldn’t wrap around my body in any way that made sense. I tried them on every way I could think of (including upside down) without success.

The stays proceeded to spend months in sewing time-out. I finally pulled them out for a second look with the Jane Austen retreat fast upon me – I was doing a talk on the layers of a Regency wardrobe, but if I was wearing my stays, I wouldn’t be able to use them as an object lesson.

The wrap stays were to be my back up pair, so I had to find a way to make them work.I cut the shoulder straps off of the wrap stays, as well as the pointy bits above the bust, and used the back and side back pieces from the Sensibility Short Stays for the back of the wrap stays. These pieces replaced the mess of straps and eyelets that had been the back of the wrap stays as they were drafted.

I reattached the shoulder straps to the Sensibility pattern at an angle which allowed me to re-use two of my grommets. Getting the right angle for the shoulder straps was the hardest part of the project and I was so focused on it that I put the straps on so the wrong side of the grommets are facing out. I put new eyelets on the front of the wrap pattern pieces (also wrong side out, so they would match the others). I used 1/2 inch twill tape to close the gap. I shortened both of the wrap pieces by 4.25 inches by cutting that amount off the narrow end of each side, then reattached my tying straps. I machine sewed my binding on and then whipped it down on the inside by hand.

The Sensibility pieces are one layer of canvas, and one layer of cotton broadcloth, since I didn’t need support in the back and was trying to keep the stays as lightweight as possible.

This iteration fits. They stay in place, although midway through the day I had to re-tie the straps because they had begun to sag. Even with the straps sagging, though, the stays didn’t slide down. The stays are really pretty, and it was a good exercise in taking something that didn’t work and making it work.