Stomacher synergy

1590-1610 Blackwork embroidered stomacher

You ever have one of those moments when someone else posts just the right thing on their blog at just the right time? I got most of my research on stomachers taken care of this morning by Pat Poppy over at The Costume Historian. I hadn't really run across much on early stomachers and was a little worried after my early erroneous assumption that the triangular patterns in the lace modelbuchs were stomachers when they are apparently partlets instead that I was completely off base. Granted, the info is on English pieces, but at least (some of it) is in the right century. Most things I'd seen previously were all 18th century which didn't help me whatsoever. I went searching for the references to Elizabeth I's stomachers and the diversity of attachment method and stiffened and unstiffened bases as well as the wide variety of materials is making me heave a big sigh of relief. I like having loads of wiggle room for trying things out.

I've got the first draft of a set of Effigy stays based on my new conic block drawn up and ready to mock up. Once they're tweaked I can draft the bodice and finally cut that lace. I'll be combining my observations about lace over color filling in the center of the open bodice and the information from extant English pieces like this embroidered one from 1590 ish in the V and A. That piece of blue silk that was tossed aside in favor of the printed linen for the pocket may get to be involved after all.