fabric decided

After plenty of deliberation the fabric for the stays has been chosen. I think those of you who commented about the Carolyn Quartermaine are right, it would be fabulous. But I also think I'd better hone my sewing skills before cutting into it. I should know how to really handle silk, does it need to be backed with something? Will it pull when I sew it? How fiddly is it when sewing? Such nice fabric also means the rest of the materials must be the highest quality, maybe linen canvas underneath, and silk thread, and I haven't worked with either yet. And what about boning? Will cane or reed be what I need, or will plastic boning be better? In other words, no experimenting with the good stuff. It was a tough call. But I already have an idea which future pattern the silk script can be used for. 

So it will be Toile for this one. I made a mask and laid it over a few of the fabrics from the stash.

The print is too dense on the first one, and too small on the second. It's the right size on the third, but a bit too contrasty. But look at this one.

The motif is the right size, there is just the right intensity of color, and there is a nice balance of white space. La Petite Ferme by Waverly. This piece of fabric was made into a slip cover for a bench, one of the first things I ever sewed. It's been off the bench for quite a while now, and it seems very in the spirit of the 18th century to reuse fabric.