Let's not get ahead of ourselves...Stays suggestions?

So before I attempt any of the projects I desire to after the holidays, I'm going to need a new pair of stays.
The ones I currently have were a hurriedly-made pair I made for a photo shoot, and while they aren't bad, they are a bit early for the 1780s silhouette I want. I long for the low rounded front, curvier seams and the narrower, nipped in waistline of the late 1700s.

I have books, a few patterns, books *With* patterns, but I want to know what the best one out there is, as far as shape and such.
I know I'll have to futz with a pattern to get it to my size, let alone to get the right shape while keeping historical accuracy intact (mostly).
I've made my fair share of corsets, so I'm no stranger to how they go together and what goes into them.

So readers and fellow seamstresses, what have been your favorites to work with and what would you recommend?



While I would prefer a smooth, closed front with the inner horizontal bones such as the image above, I absolutely adore this pair of stays, made by the talented Lauren of American Duchess.

In the end, I may try my hand at sizing this pattern up and seeing what transpires :-)

A Random Find...

After years of seeing this mid to late 1780s jacket style bodice through my various books and travels (I've seen it in person), I stumbled across some hi res images of it from the Kyoto digital archives last night.
Then today, while searching for waistcoat fabric for a Dickens Fair ensemble, I stumbled across the perfect fabric for it in Santa Cruz.

I also have very two very similar patterns for this in Norah Waugh's book, The Cut Of Women's Clothes...so while this is one for the back burner, it will get made. I swear!

The original:


A close up of the original fabric:
Note how the wider, colorful stripe is slightly raised.


My fabric:
I will be using the broader stripe on the vertical, like the original. While it's not an exact match to the one above, I have seen late 18th century textiles with the dotted stripe such as here.


I am also drawn to purples and lavenders, so this one naturally caught my eye.
Perhaps I'll pair it with an off white or ivory skirt in a sheer cotton over a solid backing? I'll have to shop my historic resources, which is always fun ;-)

Bodice nearly done...

Totally different look with a printed fabric. I'm really liking how the motifs are situated on the front.

Dirndl #2 in the works...

The bodice. Nothing different than the previous burgundy one, it's the same cut. The fabric here is what makes it unique and still traditional. A turn-of-the-century French print from Provence, Germans during the 1920s through 1950s were crazy for cotton florals like this one...