Four and a half years after launching our first collaboration pattern, the wildly popular Augusta Stays pattern,  Amber of Virgil’s Fine Goods and I are super excited to introduce you to our second stays pattern: The Cassandra Stays!

So many of you have asked for an earlier 1760s-70s stays pattern,  and for front lacing stays.  Inspired by this, we’ve created a pattern based on a number of extant 1760s-70s stays with a fully historically accurate closed front option, and a front lacing theatrical option that still gives a beautiful shape.

Buy the pattern here!  – and get 15% off for the first week!

While the Augusta Stays create the short-waisted, prow-fronted silhouette fashionable in the 1780s, the Cassandra Stays are designed to create the long, conical silhouette that was a la mode in the 1760s and 1770s.

View A: Historical features a closed centre front, back lacing, and detailed information on sewing the stays using historically accurate materials and methods.

View B: Theatrical features back and front lacing, and detailed instructions for sewing the stays by machine, for a much faster make perfect for theatre, cosplay, and historybounding.

Both versions include instructions for an optional curved bust-rail, to give that perfectly rounded front so characteristic of the 1770s.

Plus, you can make the stays with or without straps, and mix and match instructions and patterns for a more historical look to the front-lacing stays.

 

The pattern comes in bust sizes 32”-54” (81-137cm) – one size larger than the Augustas!   To help you get the perfect fit there’s a 5-page fitting and pattern alteration guide.

We put so much work into this pattern to make it as well fitted, historically accurate, easy to make, and fun to wear as possible. Hopefully you’ll like the result!

Buy the pattern here! – and get 15% off for the first week!

The Cassandra Stays are the eighth collaboration between Scroop Patterns and Virgil’s Fine Goods. Our patterns combine Amber of Virgil’s Fine Goods’ extensive mantua making skills with my patternmaking skills.

Our goal is to bring you easy-to-use historical patterns with comprehensive size ranges and detailed historically-accurate instructions. The patterns are available as downloadable print-at-home patterns, to make historical sewing more accessible to sewists everywhere, and as paper patterns through Virgil’s Fine Goods and other stores.

We’re extremely proud of this pattern, and are so excited to see your versions!

All the gorgeous tester versions will be coming shortly! Their makes are so inspiring. They combined views, used our trim and fabric suggestions, and styled the stays to their own taste.

Many, many thanks to the following testers who have kindly let us use their images of the beautiful View A stays they made.  Our photoshoot of View A had to be postponed due to extreme weather, so we are so grateful they let us use their images so we could launch on schedule!

Purple stays worn with yellow skirt: Cecilia of @cecilia_theresa_design, model Jasmin of @mangaliker148  and photographer Lars of @till0.36

Mauve stays (not shown in this blog post): Jessica of @scotchirish1775 has made her View A: Historical stays in Size 44 Straight Fit, without straps.  Her stays are made from linen dyed with logwood, resulting in a beautiful mauve shade.  They are bound in pale yellow lambskin.

Black stays worn with blue skirt: Klára of @klara-posekana has made her View A: Historical stays in Size 48 Straight Fit, with straps.  Her stays are made from brown linen, and bound in ivory kid leather.