Blue Bodice

It is Renaissance Festival season here in Central New York, and a friend of mine asked me to put together a new bodice for her!  I was, of course, more than happy to comply, especially considering that she provided me with lovely fabric to work with.  However, there were some considerations for my friend.  She is asthmatic and we didn't want to stifle her with a typically tight-laced bodice.  Instead, we came up with this...

This is made from a pattern that was given to my Mother by a member of the SCA.  We have lovingly referred to it as the "Fishwife's Bodice" for many years.  I lengthened the original pattern, though, and was careful about the straps, as they always seem to be a bit wacky.

This is the back of the bodice, which *does* lace at the side-back seams.  This is an important feature for adjustability.  In this way, if my friend is having a bad-breathing day, she can loosen it up at the sides and not just the front.

While the idea was to make a soft-bodice, I will say that the entire thing is interfaced with duck canvas and boned at the grommets with nylon cable-ties.  This makes it impossible for those grommets to bunch and pucker, and it gives the bodice a "solid" look.

The shoulders of the pattern are also grommetted, which is another adjustability feature.