A month ago I blogged about making 1790s jumps that finally fit well and were super comfortable.

In blogging about them, I realised I made a pair of jumps last year that I never blogged about – because they didn’t fit well, and weren’t super comfortable.

These jumps are based on one of the 1790s corset pattern in Jill Salen.

I loved the multiple back panels in the original, and the little tails they formed.

However, there were other elements of the original I didn’t love so much: tabs cut along the front that didn’t seem to do anything and would have been so much work to bind, so I adapted the pattern based on a few other extant pairs of jumps, and other patterns.

Unfortunately, partly because of my alterations, partly because of the original pattern, (and possibly because I did a weird job grading the pattern up) these did not turn out well.

They look cute lying flat, but on a person? Not so much.

The pattern was weird to start with: when I resized them to fit me I either ended up with a pattern that was proportionally WAY too wide across the back, or way too wide across the front, and cutting in to my front arms. To achieve a reasonable fit I had to change the proportions of the pattern a significant amount.

And then they still don’t fit well. There are weird bubbles and bulges up the back, gaping across the back, and very high in the back.

With a lot of tweaking (and removing of bones) I got them to fit me, and be comfortable-ish, but they still aren’t great.

I mean, I understand bum-rumps were fashionable, but why do these stays have space to smuggle a whole battalions worth of handkerchiefs under the back panels?

Because they were so disappointing I haven’t taken proper on-me photos. I’ll do that the next time I have occasion to pull them out.

They have been worn though: I’ve already lent them out to a number of friends for Regency events.

So, a win?

But I might need to re-check them against the pattern, and cut in and bind those front tabs. They would be a good candidate for an ‘eco-costumer re-make the things that weren’t great instead of making new’ post…

What the item is: 1790s front-lacing jumps

Material: Midweight brown linen inner, light-midweight white linen outer

Pattern: 1790s stays pattern from Jaill Salen’s ‘Corsets’, with some adaptations based on other jumps and stays of the era

Year: ca. 1795

Notions: metal boning, cotton twill tape

How historically accurate is it? Not particularly – the fabrics are OK, I think, but I machine sewed most of it, and used metal bones (instead of whalebone). I meant these as working toiles, so I’m not too fussed about the accuracy. But hey, there are hand-worked eyelets! (using a stitch that it turns out I can’t find any evidence for on jumps of this period, so…)

Hours to complete: 20 ish.

First worn: April 30th, to fit a bodice over

Total cost: Under $10, all the materials except for the bones were thrifted