I think I'm going to add some flossing to the newest corset I made. However I'm not doing it for fashion but for function. I noticed some wrinkling in the waist and I believe I cut my bones to short in the center panel on both sides so I was planning to floss it but only on the lining through the boning channels since I don't want it to show on the fashion side.

Do you think it's necessary to use the recommended thread and beeswax even if no one will be seeing it? I just want some stitching to hold the bones more taut.

Thanks for any advice!

I've made so many victorian style corsets now, and ren faire bodices, that they kind of feel like old hat.  I know what patterns I like, I know how to alter them to fit me or the person I'm making it for, and I haven't had to read any directions in some time.  I know how long it takes me to make a fully boned corset from start to finish, provided I'm taking breaks for things like food and sleep and emergency trips to the fabric store (about three days).  I'm not saying they're perfect, but I'm pretty confident I know what I'm doing these days in regards to a basic over/underbust corset, or making my sister a boned pirate bodice, for instance. 

BUT I decided to try something different.  For Halloween this year, a friend's company is hosting a masquerade.  Well, nothing says "masquerade" to me like an 18th century gown!  Except me being me, I want to alter it, of course.  I'm not going for historical accuracy.  I'm going for a more modernized "look" that will also look good on my short waisted body (no easy feat with historical gowns.)  At first I thought I'd just use a pattern for stays, like Butterick 4254 or Simplicity 3635, and alter the bottom to get rid of the - whatever they're called, the flaps that will inevitably flair out on me and make me look short and squat.  Similar to the bottom edge of this corset by Rosseti:



After cutting out the pattern pieces from the Butterick pattern and reading through their (granted, always screwy) directions to see how everything fits together, I am at a complete loss as to how to get this non-flapped (I'm certain there is a more technically correct term, LOL) bottom edge to the corset.  I almost always alter a pattern when I work with it, and this is the first time I've ever truly been stumped.  Possibly because even as short waisted as I am, I'll also have to lengthen the pattern by two inches or so (again, this has been the case with every single corset or bodice I've ever made, with the exception of the Laughing Moon Dore) to fit me properly. 

Has anyone here made stays with the kind of alteration I'm talking about?  Any ideas or thoughts here? 

My full costume will be as follows:

The corset will be its own piece, worn over a very full and pleated underskirt, with panniers and an overskirt that will be gathered up for added fullness.  I have yet to decide if I'm going to bother with a chemise or more likely, sleeves, but if I do, they'll likely be attached to the corset via ties or somesuch.  Right now I'm still trying to figure out the corset, so sleeves are pretty low on the priority list. 

Hello All,

I'm making my first corset with leather. I've read through the memories and found lots of good advice that will definitely help. Still.... Has anyone worked with chamois leather? Anything specific I should know? My plan is to sew all the boning to the coutil foundation layer and sew the chamois as completely separate fashion layer. Am I correct in thinking that chamois is light and will stretch so I want the coutil to take all the stress off it? Any other suggestions?

So my supplies are slowly trickling in and I thought up another question. I looked at the memories section about layers and realized i didn't really get it. I know you're all probably wondering what is there not to get so I should probably explain. i feel like i haven't gotten an adequate enough explanation about the difference between twill and coutil and how it affects a corset. I mean I get the general gist that coutil is stronger and costs more, but I feel there still hasn't been an adequate enough comparison of the two fabrics. I know there are people who swear by twill, and I know there are people who swear by coutil. Why is that? What is that deciding factor?
     I will be wearing my corset for Dickens this year and therefore want it to last as long as possible. It's won't be an everyday sort of wear, but I will be wearing it five weekends in a row. I want it to be comfortable and durable. And I would like to make a corset that is both pretty and functional. I  will admit that I am typically not a brocade girl, and I must admit that I don't find any of the decorative coutil all that attractive. I also don't want to play with silk because well, like i said, I'm kind of simple. So I think my best best is to go with a quilter's cotton I've got lying around.
     I know, that i am sort of a tight lacer as I tend to squish a lot and I can reduce anywhere from 4-7 inches on average (my waistline fluctuates a lot and I swear I'm missing a rib). I've learned from lurking on here and from reading site after site and book after book that coutil is probably the best fabric to use, and I've read and gathered from various places that it'd be best to go with a double layer of coutil and I've got a little  left over from a failed attempt at a corset from two years ago. I've also got some twill lurking around my room as well. So I'm trying to figure out the best  cost efficient way to construct this corset. Knowing what I will be using this corset for, I know that my best bet will be to use the coutil and flat line it to the interfaced cotton. I would also like to line the corset as well. I've got plenty of cotton and linen,  but will lining it with that be sufficient enough? Should I flatline the cotton or linen ( not sure what I want to use) to something stronger like more coutil or twill?  And what about layers? Does two seem sufficient?  Would i need another strength layer?  Should I do one layer of coutil and then line it in sateen or twill ?
    As always your help and feedback are always aprreciated and hopefully I'll have pictures of a first mock up posted tomorrow!

For those of you that make corsets for waist training, how many layers of fabric do you like to use? Also, do you like to use spring steel all around because of the body modification that's going to occur, or still have spiral steel on the sides? Or...spiral steel in more spots because of the extreme reduction...I don't know haha.

I was thinking of simply using only two layers: an outer layer of coutil and a lining of poplin. Is that...too much? too little?


and just as a little teaser, I have a few commissions lined up for corvests, if you remember the one I made :] I'll definitely post pictures once it's completed and in possession of the buyer!

While searching extant pieces I came across a pair of stays that appear to be half boned with exposed channels. In between the sets of bones are a variant of the casings in what appear to be decorative waves.

The link is as follows:http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/M969X.26

The details I didn't expect on this example were the apparently decorative waving casings between the strait boning casings. I also didn't expect to find two hooks on either side of the corset, based on my web surfing regarding civil war era costuming, I presume these to be for positioning petticoats. Not the same period, but the only other place where I've heard of them.

I have several point about this particular piece and any opinions on how they relate to 18th c. stays in general.

What about those waving boning casings? Are they corded? They certainly don't look empty. After reading Marquis.de they indicated half boned corsets don't usually display their casings. I wonder if they made a generalization to simplify.

My other question is what would that be bound with? It's exceptionally thin. The zoom doesn't allow close enough zoom to say what type of thin material it may be, both in width and in thickness. It show harmonhay's binding tutorial as being extremely relevant, not that we ever doubted! ;)

And how do we feel about those straps? I have a wild guess since they are pierced and overcasted at the end: They pass through the tapes on the back shoulder and are *laced* into the back. I got this idea from Laura Mellin and Kass McGanns conversations and conclusions about approaching 17th c./ late 16th c. petticoats and bodies this way. Another anachronism for the example! But it seems so elegant and adjustable to boot.

What a delicous example. Opinoins and deviations? Ideas about that binding. Facinating.

ETA links and corrections

I have finally perfected my pattern, and ready to sew my corset. I have a very thin and super slick silk dupioni fabric that I am going to flatline to the strength layer for the shell. Anyhow, I have been trying to prep my fabric for cutting.

I set my iron to silk, and used a thin pressing cloth over my silk and pressed for at least a half hour over my silk. But I've hardly managed to release any of the folds that are creased into it! What do I do to release the folds? The folds are too close togeher and run crossgrain, so I can't just strategically move my pattern pieces to avoid the folds and creases. Is there some special magic I can use to get these tough crease marks out!? I don't have a steamer... do dry cleaners or alterations places have the means to remove my folds?

HELP! I am determined to use this fabric!

I just successfully drafted my first corset pattern (and its my first corset, ever.) I drafted my pattern for a 22 inch waist, that's a 3" reduction for me (I'm inexperienced in wearing corsets, so figured this was a good reduction to start with.) I measured my first mockup at the waist and it was 24"--even though I calculated all the measurements and the waist added up to only 22 on my pattern original! I figure between seam allowances, and sewing a little less than the 1/2" mark on my sewing machine-- is where I gained the extra 2 inches. But instead of changing my method of sewing, I just tailored the mockup (and original pattern) to accomidate my sewing style. I edited my original pattern, retraced the pieces on tracing paper, lengthened the corset, and viola! I'm SO close to what I want and it looks perfect. All the seams slant where I want them to, I get the perfect hourglass from it.

Now heres the conundrum... I measure the waist and its 23" (this is without bones sewn into the mockup)!!! Even though I altered my last mockup, and removed 2" from the waist on that mockup and adjusted my pattern for it.

Now my question: I was thinking that since I am making my corset from one layer thick cotton twill, and one layer of thin silk dupioni fused to another layer of twill, and sewing the boning in between the two thick layers, wont the finished corset be smaller than the mockup because both layers of fabric wrapping around the thickness of the bone when inserted into the channel will remove some width from the overall corset...? I'd imagine that if I sewed all the channels and could lay the corset flat, measuring from end to end of the corset, it would measure out to be longer before the bones are inserted, than it would measure after the bones have been inserted. When a bone casing is ironed flat it is technically "wider" than when a bone is in it, it loses width in the hight (thickness) of the bone... right?

I saw another post in this forum on the topic, but wanted to know if any of you corset experts recommend I forge ahead with a final (after inserting bones into the mockup to truly test the overall fit and make any last tweaks) knowing that I would probably achieve my desired waist size after some of the width of the corset is reduced by the thickness of the bones inserted into the channels. How much "extra" do you normally allow in width of your mockup measurements to be used up by the thickness of the bones?

Thanks for reading my terribly long rant and I appreciate any pointers you can give me. The reason I ask is just because if boning removed width from the corset, I shouldn't worry if the current waist measurement is 23" without bones because it will be smaller when they are inserted.

So I am attempting to make the 18th century stays on page 134 from Period Costumes for Stage and Screen and I was looking for some help/feedback on boning.

1. The pattern instructions call for Rigilene Boning (http://www.corsetmaking.com/CMSpages/CMSboning.html) but I'm not sure I want to use something so...flimsy. I was thinking about using something more like this (http://www.corsetmaking.com/CMSpages/CMSplasticboning.html) but because of the way the boning is, the boning needs to be easy to taper, or cut down the sides to fit. Has anyone used the second kind of boning before, or know of a better alternative too both of these? I am wanting to avoid metal boning, I have used metal in a 15th century corset before, and while I love the corset, I find it very heavy.

2. Their are places in the pattern where the boning overlaps, and I have been pondering the different ways I could make the boning channels without stitching through the boning. I have enough fabric that I can make a two layer corset (Stitching the channels) or one layer with boning tape. Either way the overlap will be more lose, and look like one bent channel from the outside. The stitching lines on the pattern look more like this (http://community.livejournal.com/corsetmakers/1357456.html#cutid1) from the blue side. That is, the boning is stitched through. Any feedback?

Hey folks!

How are you all doing today?

I happened upon this auction, while perusing ebay, and I was very fascinated by how the boning channels were constructed. Check out how easily removable the bones are. Easy for cleaning, it seems. How neat is that?

The corset itself is not the most spectacular but I really think this is a neat construction technique. What do you guys think? Think it's something that can be implemented in a variety of styles? Obviously, it would work best in an interally boned corset (although visually it could be neat in an externally boned piece, dontcha think?), I'm thinking of trying it out!

I don't know if this would work or not, but I thought of this a while ago and thought it might be worth putting up here.

In my textiles classes at school, we had top stitch machines (I think that's what they were called) that did overlocking at the bottom and double stitching at the top... I think that, if you sewed with two layers, you'd get a gap in between the layers. Would this work for quick boning casings (for those of us who can actually afford a top stitch machine... not me)?

Just an idea that I thought I'd put out there :)

Hello all!

I hope that your sewing is going well...

I wanted to share with you all my finished summer corset and some ideas that occurred to me in reference to mock-up and finished measurements.

( Long Ramble and Pictures )

I'm tempted to try a spoon busk in my next corset but need some encouragement first... Is it a bitch to sew because of the 3Dish shape? Shall I destroy my machine or should it be sewn by hand? Any tricks? Thanks!

I have a bunch of chrome (silver) busks. I don't want to go off and buy more because I have what I need in the size I need them, it's just that they are silver. What If ... what if I sandpapered them? If I did it neatly enough at least that would give them a matte finish. Do it with fine sandpaper. Anyone tried it? How about staining or painting after sandpapering? Advisable or Really Stupid Idea? Anybody tried it? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

I am looking for being about doing something different and perhaps discovering something inexpensive and, well, novel.

Number Two tip is this: use narrow binding. Don't be fooled: wide binding is not easier binding when you're making stays. ( Wanna know why? )

Here's the almost-finished binding... almost finished because I've done things in an unusual order.

(Yes, brass eyelets. My client isn't willing to wait for a lottery win before she can order a pair of period-correct stays with handstitched lacing holes. Call it Rococopunk if you like. Which is different, incidentally, from Rococo Puffs.)

( More photos and details )

Click to enlarge


I took these a day or two ago; actually, the stays are over halfway bound around the bottom edge now. I'll be giving a few hints later, if you're interested, and a full tutorial in YWU - I'll do it again on white fabric before I try to photograph the method!

<a href="http://www.burdastyle.com/howtos/show/642">This is a relatively hassle free way to transfer the changed pattern to the pattern material and be able to change it any way you like.</a> I am drafting a pattern and was wondering how I was going to effectively transfer the new lines to pattern making material and be able to see where the new pattern starts and the old one stops. It is a hassle adding the seam allowances as well. Not any more.

The idea came from PatternReview.com which is a very nice and very practical on line sewing community for general sewing and the like.

Not sure where to post this question. If there is a more suitable community please let me know as it is not directly corset related. I figure there would be some here that have experience in what I'm trying to make, or at least some with exponentially better pattern making skills than I have.

Anyhow...my quandary:
Ages ago I posted here concerning the pink or black vinyl trim dilemma for an emerald green corset. That's been long finished along with some accompanying pieces. I've created a small set of panniers/pockethoops and now need to make the skirt to go on top that matches the outfit. I'm planning for it to be a short skirt, just passed the length of the pocket hoops, possibly a tad longer in the back. It'll be closed in the back and open in the front meeting at the waist with possibly some ruffling at the front edges or at least pink trim. The problem I have is I'm running *very* short on the brocade. I bought the stuff at a steal a couple years ago for $2 a yard but there wasn't too much there...I think it ended up being just over two or three yards. I've bought a pink satin-esque material to line to skirt. I'm wondering what the smartest way to cut the fabric and still retain the idea I'm going for.

( pics and more after jump )