18th Century stays are so beautiful, and actually fairly straightforward to make (at least in my view, compared to Edwardian corsets).  But everybody seems to dislike the binding process, and I can't say that I don't understand the complaint.  Either it seems the end result looks untidy, the binding itself is difficult to work with, or the procedure is hard on the hands. 

Yet I think there are ways to make the process less disagreeable and the result more attractive.  First, I have to say that in looking carefully at a number of extant stays of the 18th C., the binding was not always smooth and perfect.  If its purpose was mainly to seal the raw edges and prevent fraying, and only secondarily to look beautiful, then I think you can justify a less than perfect binding on historical grounds.  So relax a little, but consider the following alternatives. 

First, I firmly believe that for modern reproduction stays, a bias binding is easiest to work with, and available in many colours.  It is also, in my view, more beautiful than leather binding (unless your purpose is to accurately reproduce historical stays that would only have been bound in leather/chamois).   

Bias binding presents two main options: purchased bias binding or self-made binding.  Personally I prefer the latter.  On silk or fine woollen or linen stays, closely-woven silk taffeta, cut into strips about 3.5cm (around 1-1/4") wide is beautiful, easy to work with, and tough enough to withstand a lot of normal wear.  On linen or fine wool stays, self-fabric binding (in a contrasting colour) is a good option as well, although the linen binding will need to be closely-woven to work well. 

The problem with purchased bias binding is that it tends to be made of polyester (or a poly/cotton blend).  This fact alone rules it out for use as binding in my view, because it will be much less workable than a natural fabric that has good resilience, spring, and flexibility to go around tight corners and edges.   

My favourite choice then for the type of stays I make is silk taffeta bias.  It can be machine-stitched on, but I honestly find that the process of machine-sewing binding onto the closely-spaced and deeply-cut tabs of 18thC. stays is so fussy and requires so much twisting and turning of the work and contortions of the hands, that it's not much faster than hand-applying the binding.   So I hand-apply my silk taffeta bias binding, using a very short back-stitch. 

Whether the binding has its inner edge pressed in order to finish that edge neatly on the inside of already-lined stays, or whether the raw inner edge is just turned to the wrong side and loosely tacked on before the lining is applied, the same application process can be used as shown in the short video below (the link will take you to the video on my Facebook page).  

I've found that this method minimizes undue bunching at the inner points, and gives a smooth appearance to the finished tabs.  The silk bias is also quite lovely on its own merits as an embellishment, and of course can be had in almost any colour.   

It took a massive effort, but I've finally managed to move all of my "Construction Help Photos" from my old, outdated photo gallery (that was no longer compatible with this website), to their new home here. 

For any of my customers who have purchased a pattern that included a link or links to the old help photos, please be aware that these will no longer work (the technicalities are beyond my ken, it's all Geek to me!).   I'll be attempting to update the links in the PDF versions of all Sewing Instructions which contain the old links, but if you've purchased a paper version in the past, the instructions won't be updated and you'll need to use the link below to access the new one. 

​Find the new "Construction Help Photos" here on my site: 

These photo tutorials are intended and designed for those who have purchased a 'History House' antique pattern.  Not every pattern will have help photos/tutorials, but I've tried to focus on the more challenging designs or those with particularly unique or unusual construction points.  I feel the construction of most of the other patterns is well explained in the Sewing Instructions that come with those patterns.  But there will be additions from time to time, so please check back again.  

And of course... you can also send me a message on Etsy or Facebook if you need particular help with some aspect of construction (see links below). 

Happy Sewing!