I decided to fiddle with the Courtois dress bodice again. I've sewn the pieces together and also the darts, and now I wanted to see how the bodice looks with the skirts. Also, I needed to mark the waistline on the bodice to determine the placement of the bones and the waistband that go on the inside of the bodice. I'm still undecided about how exactly to construct the centre front, with all the concealed fastenings, the shirred front and the neckline issues. The most recent idea I have would be to cut and fold down the centre front pieces to where the shirred front panel is attached to the centre front pieces and make a separate piece that goes under the shirred piece and has centre front closure and also reaches up to the shoulder seams and acts as a base for the gathered pieces coming down from the shoulders. I swear it's not as complicated and unclear as it sounds.
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| It looks like the gathered pieces around the neckline and the shirred front panel are sort of inserted under the front piece fabric, so to achieve this I should do what I described above. Also, I think it would look neater than just slapping the panel and the pieces on the existing front pieces and stitching them down. |
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Here are some pictures I took today. I think I should point out that the fabric is not actually grey, but lovely smoky blue/violet. It's very difficult to photograph :)
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| My bodice in its current state. The neckline is not final and the centre front is only pinned. |
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| I like the curvaceous shape :) |
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| The bodice length is another problem I'm wrestling with. Here I've folded the bodice hem shorter, it follows the lower edge of the corset. |
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| Of course, as it is only pinned and nothing is cut off, it looks a bit stubby and ungainly, and pokes out in a funny way. I can't decide whether to cut the bodice hem like this... |
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| ...or to leave as it is and just turn in the seam allowances. I'm just worried that if I leave the bodice front long like this it will obviously wrinkle and look ugly when I sit, because the centre front point extends 9 cm past the lower edge of the corset. I like the balanced look and curve of the hem here but it only looks like this when I'm standing. And if and when I put in bones in the centre front, won't it only be worse? Any opinions and suggestions are most welcome! |
I think it looks better longer. Boning that extends too far down in front is super uncomfortable to sit in though! I have a corset with a busk that's too long (made for someone else, so it doesn't quite fit me :( ) and one time I wore it I gave myself a bruise on my leg bending over trying to put on my shoe or something silly like that. So I suggest not putting too much boning in a long front... but it is pretty and well balanced.
VastaaPoistaBest,
Quinn
Thanks for your comment. I haven't found any helpful info anywhere concerning these long bodices. Did they use boning? How did they sit in them, if the fronts were boned? Very frustrating. At the moment I'm considering a compromise, that I'd shorten the centre front a little, but not as much as in the pictures above, and then put in boning as far as the corset edge goes and leave the lowest point of the bodice without bones. Also, I think I might just make a sturdy canvas facing for the shirred front panel that goes on top of everything and not put any bones in that at all.
Poista