cording my stays
Continuing our series with More Than You Wanted to Know About Cording with Hemp...
Actually I didn't take as many pics of this process because I basically followed my own tutorial.
I did discover a few tricks though; one is using the correct tool. This handy awl was the only tool I ended up needing to open & close the holes. It turned out to be just the right size and super efficient to use, which was nice. I got my awl from Jas Townsend & Son but I know other vendors also carry this same awl.
Another trick I learned was you can use your awl to easy the hemp into the hole. Slide your hemp up to the hole opening. Insert awl into the hole, making sure to keep on top of your hemp. Ease the hemp into the hole while pulling the awl out. It's a bit tricky and you need to go slowly to maintain the right amount of tension but it did enable me to use pieces of hemp that I would never have been able to get in otherwise.
Otherwise the cording was pretty straightforward. I used twill as my "lining" this time, as opposed to the quilting muslin I used last time. I was a little concerned that the holes would be difficult to create or the weave would not allow me to close the holes afterwards. I shouldn't have worried - it worked just fine!
Once all the hemp was in, I trimmed the bottom of the stays a bit and ran a basting stitch to hold all the cording in place. Once nice thing about hemp is that you can sew right through it, using a large needle of course. :> I'm going to wait to trim/baste the top until I can try it on but that will have to wait until I can get some eyelets worked. *sigh*