Bodice

The bodice is what was scaring me the most, but so far it has turned out well. I used a Truly Victorian pattern, but I have not followed the instructions it gives. Instead I looked at some of my own pieces from around the same era to see how those were constructed. Unlike the more complicated designs from later eras, these are all made very simply. The seams are visible, and pressed open in most cases, with exception of one of the side back seam which is pressed to the front. Two of the bodices have pinked seams, the seams on a third are left raw. Boning channels are sewn over the seams. In the bodices from this era the side back seam is very curved, and they do not have bones - I chose to tape the seams anyway for neatness, but they won't have a bone slotted in. One of the bodices I have from the Early Bustle era goes over a dress, and the dress is what has the bones - on this the seams are just pressed open, but the internal belt is still present.

For my belt, I sewed on one of my labels. None of my older pieces have a maker on the waist tape, but the higher quality pieces I have from later eras tend to have the makers name woven into the waist tape, so I thought this was a nice tough. The belt is sewn down to the centre back and side back seams as this is how it is sewn on both of the black pieces below. The purple piece is a very tiny polonaise, which must have been for a young teen (bust is around 28") This doesn't have a waist tape at all, but this one has a number of clues as to being home made and this could be why it was left out.