My Edwardian Ensemble so far

 I mentioned earlier this week that my most recent sewing project was a complete Edwardian Ensemble. Here are the pieces I have finished so far.

Here is the chemise, which goes against the skin and protects you from the corset and vice versa.

This is the corset cover and split-crotch drawer combinations as seen from the back

 I sewed everything using my sewing machine. The chemise and combinations are made out of a high quality cotton lawn. I used various ribbons and other notions from my stash, as needed.

The combinations as seen from the side. Look at those poofy ruffles!

 While I know a lot of existing Edwardian undergarments are encrusted in lace, I decided to keep my new-fangled undies relatively simple. There are still plenty of fluffy ruffles, though, which suits me just fine.

The combinations from the front. It closes with several smaller buttons and a larger button at the waistband. The pink ribbon on the corset cover part and the star-printed bias tape on the drawer parts are being used to cover the seams and keep the fabric from fraying.

This beauty is my favorite part of this ensemble. Unfortunately, my dress form doesn't squish nearly as much as I do, which is what causes the large gap. When I wear it, I can comfortably lace to within a 2 inch gap with very little reduction in my waist.         

 I used Truly Victorian patterns for all of these pieces. The blouse, not pictured (yet) is made from a Past Patterns pattern. The petticoat and skirt, which I have not gotten to yet, are also from Past Patterns. A leather belt will round the outfit out nicely and will be made from a Truly Victorian pattern.

From the front. I love the shape this corset gives me and how well it fits. I opted not to reduce my waist very much since my hip spring helps with the illusion of a small waist. It's really just meant to smooth the torso and provide a stable base to support the outer clothing.

As seen from the side. This corset is made from a single layer of sturdy white canvas. The bones are encased in a special kind of flattened fabric tubing made especially for use in corsets. The bones themselves are 1/4 inch spring steel that I cut to length myself. I did include a waist stay tape. The garters are easily removed. The lace at the top I received from an uncle whose mother had it in her stash. I didn't realize that it had once been a peachy color (but has since faded unevenly) until I started measuring it out to see if it was long enough.