Pair of bodies/stays of Sabina Von Neuburg

Who doesn't love Janet Arnold? I borrowed this book before lockdown and the library system said I should keep it for most of the YEAR. I ought to be breathing and thinking in sync with Janet Arnold now.

The pair of bodies of Sabina Von Neuburg - National Museum, Munich were the inspiration. They were made in ivory silk now discolored to yellowy-brown. Ivory wasn't in stock in the attic so I went with hot pink.

It had a busk. And whalebones, which I didn't do obviously. I did plastic boning. Three layers of linen. 6mm (1/4 inch) apart stitching, 26 channels. 

Janet Arnold assumes that one layer of linen and silk were stitched together, then lined with the last layer of linen. Neckline is bound with ribbon giving 6mm finish width on the right side. She says, feels as if it was originally 13 mm or half inch wide, folded in half over, the raw edges of the armholes finished in the same way. A 5/8 inch seam allowance is visible. Back is tied with the original ribbon, now dark brown and 3/8 of an inch wide.

I was sharing the craft table aka the kitchen table with the kids! 

Back holes were supposed to be level and have a metal ring on front and back and then bound with thread, quite bulky at 3/8 inch wide. I ended up ordering grommits -- didn't know where to find 3/8 inch wide metal rings - and then bound with thread. Took AGES! Weeks. Was very dubious - but turns out it's easier to lace them this way. The ribbon doesn't try to come undone every time you blink.

7 meters of ribbon 4 mm wide to tie it up! 

I finished the pair of bodies! Or so I thought. I realized later I  need to recover it in matching velvet to my outer dress, otherwise I keep flashing bits of hot pink between lacings and at the shoulders!