Cassandra Stays (1760-1780) Pattern || Scroop Patterns & Virgil's Fine Goods

 Difficulty: Expert    The Cassandra Stays are based on numerous extant 1760-80 era stays and create the elegantly elongated torso with high back and rounded bust fashionable in these decades. Choose between detailed instructions on how to make the stays with period accurate materials and construction methods (View A), or equally detailed instructions to make the stays with methods taken from modern theater and film costume construction (View B). Mix and match the two methods to get a historical look with less hand-sewing. View A, the historically accurate pattern, features a solid front with angled boning meeting at the front seam, back lacing, three layers of construction fabric with an additional buckram bellypiece for more reinforcement, and an optional loose lining. There are instructions for binding with leather, linen tape, or straight-cut fabric, and for optional taped seam finishes View B, the modern 'Theatrical' version, features front and back lacing with an optional separa