Year Three - Patterns of Fashion

The Filmer Collection Stitched Stomacher and Stays

The first module for year three saw us enter The Costume Society of Great Britain’s Patterns of Fashion competition, for which I chose to recreate the Filmer Collection Stitched Stomacher and Stays (1660). Using Janet Arnold’s book Patterns of Fashion 5, I scaled up the pattern to make a faithful recreation of the original garment. I made the piece in crimson silk, completely hand-sewn with blue silk thread and boned with 2.8mm reed, sticking as closely as possible to the original pattern and construction techniques. No shortcuts, no modern tweaks — just pure historical accuracy.

This was all about slowing down, paying attention, and connecting with the past through making. Easily one of the most challenging and rewarding projects I’ve done.