Friends

I have just completed the 1st mock-up of my fourth corset this evening, and would like to ask for your help with correcting the fit over the stomach. I have already altered this area to curve in under the stomach, so that the corset is flush with the skin, but I would like to know if there is anything I can do to flatten the stomach instead. I am considering taking it in a little more at the lower edge and/or adding chevron or horizontal boning there, but I am afraid that the hip will no longer fit smoothly when the resulting wider gap is laced to evenness. I don't think more vertical boning is the answer, since my last corset had a wall of it at center front, and it had the same problem.

If you are still interested ;)
Please view my latest journal entry "1st Mock-up Completed" for pics and a thorough overview of the problem.

I would appreciate any help you could give me :) Happy crafting!

Hi
I have some pattern drafting problems, I draft all my patterns myself, and I have made quite a few corsets but all for myself. Lately I have drafted a corset pattern for 3 different people all of different sizes and they have all turned out a tad to big.

I use flat pattern making and all the measurements are exactly as the persons except for the waist that have a reduction of 10 cm (4 inches), I have a gap in the back and all is fine and dandy until the corsets are finished, goes on and laces almost all shut.
I made no mock ups, since the persons were not supposed to get the corsets they just lent their measurements and bodies to me for a while.
It is worst on the two smaller sizes, the larger size laces the gap in the back to half shut but the two smaller laces them completely shut.

One would think that the smaller sizes would be the ones that have nothing to "move" other then skin and bones but they still reduce all measurements with almost 8cm (3 inches) witch is what the gap were.
The bigger size reduces 4 cm (1,6) on all measurements (gap was 6cm (2,4 inches).

So when making patterns from scratch would one want to make it a rule to take of lets say 6 cm (2,4 inches) from all the measurements first when working with smaller sizes? and for larger sizes perhaps 2,5 cm (1 inch)?

Is this a problem you have encountered to and how do you think when drafting? I know there were a discussion about how much to reduce for a while ago and almost everyone said "only reduce the waist" but that have not really worked out that well for me.

Please help me :)

Hi everyone,
I've recently come into possession of a pretty awesome industrial sewing machine and have started back on an old faux leather corset project. My old machine just wouldn't get through it. The industrial sews beautifully, but to do the bias as I do them on regular fashion corsets is way too thick.
Right now I have cut smaller strips so I can just fold it over once, which eliminates some bulk, but it's still a bit messy to sew. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm having problems with corset mockups. I try to use a fabric that won't stretch or stretches the same as the finished corset, but very often the finished corset ends up to be too small - the mockup fabric stretches more than the finished corset. I do corsets by flatlining fashion fabric to coutil or sometimes strong twill (If I run out of coutil). For the mockups, I use whatever I can find or I buy some strong twill.

How do you solve this problem? Would it be just enough t use coutil for the mockups? I find it a bit too expensive as the coutil ends up in a trash bin...but perhaps it is worth the extra money?

I love your feedback!
here is another new shape for me.
It is for a bride!!!

Hello,
I've had a good look through the archives, but haven't seen anything mentioned about this, so sorry if it has already been asked.
I was wondering if anyone knows where I can get ahold of the buckles used on fanlaced corsets (I cannot seem to find their actual, proper name, but the ones with the 3 or 5 holes for threading the laces through). I live in the UK, so preferably somewhere here, though I'd happily order them from abroad too, tho I would need them within a few weeks. Also, it would need to be not a wholesale supplier, as I only need about 6.
Also, if anyone knows the actual name of them, to help me searching for them? As I might just not have found them because I was searching for the wrong thing.

Thanks for your help : )
Steph x

Here's my preliminary list of the proposed FAQ questions. Anything seem too specific? Anything missing that really should be talked about? (warning - I've combined some questions with others, and I'm almost sure some of the combinations are in my head, so feel free to point out holes but please bear with me when I say "I was gonna cover that in #". Feel free to argue with that idea, though, if you think it really needs its own topic). Finally, anyone want to re-number these? I want them to have a logical flow, but I think I've been working with them too long, I can't make it work out.


#1 - How do I get started making corsets?
#2 - What books do you recommend?
#3 - How do I pick a pattern?
#4 - What patterns can I get for free?
#5 - How do you make a mock up/muslin/toile of a corset?
#6 - Where do you buy . . .
#7 - How does body type affect corsetry?
#8 - What is . . . (glossary of terms)
#9 - What is a corset? What makes it different from a bustier, cincher, bodice, waist belt, etc?
#10 - What is the history of corsets? I have a report/project/paper . . .
#11 - What are the cheap, dirty ways to make a corset?
#12 - How do you cut/tip steels?
#13 - What are some alternative boning materials (not steel)?
#14 - What's a busk and what do I do with it? How about an underbusk?
#15 - What's flossing and how do I do it?
#16 - What's a grommet and how do I use it? How about an eyelet? What's the difference?
#17 - What's a modesty panel and how do I make one?
#18 - What's bias tape and how do I use it?
#19 - How do I lace a corset? (includes how to lace and tighten, tip laces, and use lacing bones)
#20 - What's different about a tightlacing corset?
#21 - I don't want to use a busk, what else can I use to close a corset?
#22 - My corset is dirty/torn/wrecked. How do I clean/repair/redo it? How do I take a pattern off it to make a new one?
#23 - How do you set up a corset making business? Should I use a contract? How do I set prices?
#24 - What's boning and how do I use it? How do you pick what kind to use?
#25 - What fabrics do you use for corsetry?
#26 - How do you draft a corset pattern?
#27 - I make underbusts, but I've never made an overbust. How do you do cups/gores? What else is different?
#28 - How do I alter/fit a corset/corset pattern? (aka what are these wrinkles on my corset and how do I get rid of them)
#29 - What commercial patterns do you recommend?
#30 - How do you scale/adjust patterns that are one-size from a book?
#31 - What's a waist tape, and how do I make one?
#32 - What tools do you use for making corsets?
#33 - What's a grommet press? How do I use one?
#34 - What types of corsets are there, and how are they different? (the fashion vs costume vs tightlacing vs cheap debate)
#35 - I need a new sewing machine, what do you use/recommend?


Also, if you wanted to volunteer for helping to look stuff up, now's the time. There are 6 years of posts to go through, so the more hands the better. If we can get 12 people I can assign 6 months to each. If we can get 24 that's only 3 months each! Please volunteer in a comment or pm me if you'd be willing to take a chunk of archive and categorize all the posts. You can even volunteer for a small chunk, like a month, or even a few weeks, and we'll work around you. I'm really hoping to get this done by the end of Feb., so the deadline will probably be around Feb. 15 or Mar. 1.

Hi! This is my first post here, and I'm still new to sewing in general. I've been stalking this place for a while now, and I decided to finally make a post.



I've wanted to make myself a corset for a long time now, and I finally did a bunch of research and then I sat down to do it.

I used Sam's Darkleather to build my pattern. And I built my pattern on un-dyed canvas. With the help of the previous place and following the tutorial of Corset and Tute! I put together my corset. x.x It was difficult, and I broke a lot of needles.

I used metal boning that I had to cut and file myself. The outer layers are cotton, and there is a layer of canvas in the middle which the white layer is sewn to. I had issues with finishing the edges, but I like it.

Any advice, or comments would be appreciated.

( Picture Heavy )

OK, I searched all over here I swear, and didn't find what I was looking for and my toddlers nap is almost up...

Before I get started building another wrinkly-in-the-strength-layer corset by simply flat-lining my dupioni to coutil I thought I'd ask you masterly people what your personal experience with this is. 

Here is what I'm *thinking* of doing...  if you see anything wrong with it please say so and help prevent a work-shop catastrophe!  :)

1.)  Cut out the three layers I will be using --dupioni, coutil, drill or soft cotton lining
 
2.)  Match up dupioni to coutil and fold over edges to check turn-of-cloth, marking the allowance on coutil

3.)  baste dupioni to coutil using the allowance as my "edge" ...  I expect there to be a bubble of dupioni until I get the seams sewn and folded over 

4.)  Seam the edges.  If I seam using the hidden sandwich method described here will my master plan work?

5.)  I haven't decided yet on internal or external bone casings, though I'm pretty sure want external bone casings on all outside seams, at least.


Is this a dumb idea?  Brilliant? Is there a better way to do this that I can't figure out yet?

Has anyone made a corset with sleeves?

I'm hoping to start work on my bridal corset next week. I'm making myself a split skirt (really big culottes) and a corset. I'd like to have sleeves and would prefer off-the-shoulder sleeves, but I'm not sure exactly how to go about this.

The way I see it, I have three options:
1. Make a top to go underneath the corset, but out of the same fabric so that it will match up and cover my arms.
2. Make a shrug or similar short jacket of the same fabric as the corset, but this will cover my shoulders and back, which I would rather not.
3. Integrate sleeves into the corset.

Does anyone have any experience and/or advice?

Thank you,
Esdi

Hello Ladies,

I find myself in an interesting situation. I am mid-process in creating a rather elaborate and unique custom corset for a dear client of mine. Well, everything is progressing quite beautifully but she recently got some surprising news. Yes ladies, she's pregnant. So I turn to the Great Corsetry Hive Brain™ and ask you mothers out there - Are you able to wear corsets from your pre-pregnancy days with still a reasonably good fit? I realize this is an extremely general question and that individuals by nature are quite unique, but any sort of info would be appreciated. This will be my client's second child and she was able to regain her original size after giving birth to little Athena, so we are reasonably hopeful. Can you share your experiences?

Thanks,
L.
Wilde Hunt Corsetry


(x-posted to corsetry)

Hello all, I'm new here!

...and I have questions, of course.  Many, many questions...  but I'll start with just this one:

How do you put in a crisp, clean exterior bone channel using both the fashion fabric (silk dupioni) and a strength layer?  I tried this once and ended up with messy, uneven, raveling channels that I ended up ripping out. 

I did not fuse the fabric to the strength layer before (or after) making the channel.  Would that have helped?  Do I need to compensate for turn-of-cloth? If so, how?

So  that's for the silk, which I think would be easier.  What if I wanted to do this with a synthetic brocade?  (This is my current project and I don't think I'll ever work with a synthetic embroidered fabric ever again).

Thanks!

At the request of a client I made a simple grey and black overbust corset, she is nice subtle and understated.
She is a grey drab drill.

Herro and happy new year! 

im thinking of buying some, the 5yard minimum order.

Prior to this i am tryign  to work out how much per corset that would end up being.

I havent used coutil before so i would like to know do you need to cut it on the weft grain only?
Or which ever way the herringbone is running?   O_o

thankies! :D

Hi all,

I'm making a corset with an outer layer of lace+sequins (not my choice; this is a commission!) and have run into a big problem. I've had 5 sewing machine needles snap while sewing in the busk. (I'm not hitting the busk!) I think it's the sequins. I'm already using leather needles.

Has anyone had this problem before or have any suggestions for me?

Here's a picture of the busk+fabric.

Hello again :-)

So, one quick question then I promise to stop hounding the comm this week!

Those of you who saw my corded mock-up/sample/lord-only-knows-what-to-call-it will know that I was umming and ahhing about how best to negotiate the seam at the corded bust gussets. I now have a plan, and wanted to ask if anyone has done this before or seen it on antique corsets in real life...

( The plan... )

Hello everyone,
I am hoping you can help me out a little bit. I briefly looked in the archives but honestly I'm not sure what subject to look for other than the one I came up with so I didn't find much.

I have only made two corset to date and the style of both of them left me looking rather flat chested. I'm fairly small anyway so for my next corset I would like something that keeps the curve of the bustline instead of just squishing everything upwards. Will gussets alone do this? What style corset is best for this? Thanks for any help.

Hi all and Merry Christmas!



I used a little bit of time over the holidays (I'm still technically on holiday until the 31st which is sweet!) to make my first mock-up version of the 1890s corded corset from Jill Salen's book. I say mock-up, I have done certain things that you wouldn't generally do in a mock-up, so really this is kind of inbetween being a sample and a mock-up. Odd, I know. But you'll see why...

( Right, onto the details! )

Does anyone know of any corsetry suppliers in Asia? I'm living in Japan, and shipping from pretty much everywhere costs a lot. I'm willing to spend the money to import it from the US or UK, but especially since this is my first time making a corset, I'm a bit weary of spending a whole lot if I don't have to. I've looked around online, and it doesn't seem like corsetry is a huge deal here, but I'm hoping to find a Chinese supplier if possible. (Sucks for me, the only person I know here that speaks Chinese is out of the country for the next few weeks :( )

Also, what sorts of fabrics should I always have on hand? The shops around here are extremely limited, but I plan on going to Tokyo in a week or two and will go by the textile district then. I'm sewing by hand--which, at least on my mock up, is going much faster than I expected--if that would change my options at all. I figure I'll grab some coutil and/or duck, but is there anything else (fabric or other supplies) I should keep an eye open for?

Thanks muchly in advance, and sorry if this has been answered before.

 A hot pink ribbon corset made from Norah Waugh's Corsets and Crinolines 1904 pattern.

( more )This is made from 1 1/2 inch wide rayon petersham ribbon. The pieces for the busk, lacing, and boning at the sides were fused to cotton batiste, but that's it for strength. This corset is light, light, light! I was worried because the ribbons are not anchored to each other, just to the front, back, and sides panels, so I thought they be loose and when worn. But they worked exactly as they should. Here you can see them all slack.

Here is a view from the back.



And a detail of the flossing.



The bottom row is the exterior or the corset, the top the interior. I used silk thread for the first time and it went through the fabric so easily. No knot ups at all. And it has just the right amount of shine. I can't wait to use it again. Let's see, other details. Steel boning at the sides and back. And I ran into a problem when I inserted the busk and the stud side of the ribbon ended up a different width than the loop side. With nothing else going on to distract it was pretty noticeable. Here is a sad close up of the issue.



Yuck. I fixed it by stitching thin ribbon down each side of the busk to cover the uneven edge. Problem solved.

I made this pattern before with coutil and satin, and I have to say I like this ribbon version better. I intentionally made this one in the same color so I could compare. The texture of the petersham adds a bit of life, as does the flossing, but the biggest difference is my skill. The corsets were made 8 months apart and I can see an improvement. Hooray.