Corsets and hip padding, minimising belly pooch question, please help me brainstorm.
I had previously posted that I wanted to make make very short corset (similar to a waspie even) here http://corsetmakers.livejournal.com/2172309.html
I had decided on a construction method with the help of the community members and I was ready to move to the pattern phase.
( here is what I thought of after )
I had decided on a construction method with the help of the community members and I was ready to move to the pattern phase.
( here is what I thought of after )
So put corset on first, then the long underwear over that and the padding in the pockets of the underwear.
Anyway, that was the best idea I could think of that works with all styles of dress and even trousers. And it's not sweaty shapewear.
Even with something like this; https://topvintage.nl/nl/vintage-retro/50s-madison-pencil-dress-in-red and this https://topvintage.nl/nl/vintage-retro/60s-dolce-vita-sarong-pencil-dress-in-emerald
It's not skin tight but it does hug the hips.
And then there's dresses like camille wears http://thedreamstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Camille_Clifford_1.jpg
She did pad her hips and buttocks, but she couldn't have gotten that far with the pads like the ones in the truly victorian edwardian corset pattern. Those mainly go under the corset in the rear. That still leaves padding needed where the corset doesn't reach at the lower buttocks and the hips.
Here's another http://www.staylace.com/gallery/gallery05/camilleclifford/3.jpg
Petticoats are naturally a good choice for flared skirts, I own a petticoat. But that's not an option for the hip hugging/loose pencil dress.
I have to say the hip pad you linked to is a nifty idea for other items of clothing though.
I wasn't planning on wearing the corset on my skin, just not over a synthetic shapewear piece. I was thinking of using a natural fibre thin stretchy knit top to use as a liner.
I have an old custom made corset (that's currently still one size too small but I can get it on for, won't wear it though) that squishes my belly in enough. I'm going to have to emulate that bottom shape and the shape of the panels.
If the front point still flaps up too much I'll try an s-bend.
"Something about the cut and/or the long hips really helps support the belly. I don't think it's just the shape of the bottom edge - I think it you whacked this edge on a vertical-seam Victorian/modern style, it wouldn't give the same effect. I'm still not sure exactly why this cut produces the straight front effect, but someday I'll get there."
I had previously planned on asking "what makes the s-bend different from other corsets aside from having the front straight?".
It's weird, although I have seen the same trend of swooping diagonal panels in most s bend corsets I have also seen ones with vertical panels. Some with gores/gussets and some without.
I've been considering purchasing the truly victorian edwardian corset pattern or another edwardian corset pattern that comes with instructions, if only for the construction information. They say you're supposed to pick the size according to the waist size you want, and then pad the bottom/hips/bust.
I would prefer making an s bend pattern by drawing the shapes over my duct taped torso, but I'm not sure that will work in the way that it will produce an actual straight front.
After all I don't need the rest of the edwardian silhouette, just the flat front.
So the plan for now;
1-end of january do duct tape over torso thing to make normal front vertical panel corset
2-if that doesn't work buy edwardian corset pattern and use the information to draw a pattern using the duct tape method
3-if that doesn't work just use the pattern as is and get a better shape with a mock up.
4-make padded underwear to go over the corset
Reply
Because of the curious shape of s-bend slanted pieces, I think you are going to have trouble tracing them off a duck tape mold. The issue is that the mold is precisely you-shaped, but a corset needs to be narrower. It's easy to see how to modify vertical seams to give the right shape, but harder to modify slanted seams. Like I said, I used the marquise.de pattern and found it pretty straightforward. The top edge flared too much, especially in back, and I had to make the hips a bit fuller at the top by curving the seam between the two gores. The error in the pattern is really obvious - one of the top corner points is some half an inch out of place (can't remember which point, sorry), and of course you don't get a specifically marked waistline, but that was easy to discover once I taped it together and then taped the front and back edges down parallel to a table.
Reply
Taking the slanted pieces of the s bend in at the waist is fiddly but doable.
I've had to do far worse pattern alterations in fashion school.
Naturally I might just decide to start from a purchased pattern anyway, if I am lazy.
Would you mind sharing pictures of the finished marquis.de corset?
Reply
I also was reminded of Atelier Sylphe, which pulls patterns from antique corsets. She's got several S-bend styles.
Reply
Thank you for your lj link, and atelier sylphe makes the edwardian pattern I think is the best of all of them I have seen so far (both ref W).
I mainly liked this pattern http://www.handmaidstrade.com/2016/01/an-edwardian-slip.html
http://corsetmakers.livejournal.com/2098662.html
From the corsets I have seen made from the truly victorian pattern I only really like this one
http://frolickingfrocks.blogspot.nl/2013/02/edwardian-corset.html
The sylphe pattern is more expensive, but I think it's worth it. I will probably buy it next month.
Duct taping for a non s bend is scheduled on february 4th.
Can't wait to start.
Thanks for everything so far :)
Reply
That's a lovely pattern. I have a different one of hers. Haven't tried making it up yet, but the pattern is very clean and you get a huge number of photos of the original - it's totally worth the price.
Reply
I live in the netherlands and had found a (yes only one) website that sold coutil in my country, but it seems to have gone.
Also fabric stores have never heard of it. I spared myself the trip to amsterdam by googling and calling the best fabric store.
I'm going to play it safe and order it in england.
As for mock up fabric, do you think pillow ticking is suitable?
Or any old style tightly woven sheets? I might have some that are pretty warp resistant.
I hope I can use that in one layer, with a waist tape, as a mock up.
What do you think?
Reply
The really important thing is that it be very firm. If you pull it on the bias, does it stay flat and stretch smoothly (bad, too stretchy) or wrinkle up in those little bias stretch wrinkles (sorry, that is not the clearest description - but this is what you want)? Ticking is probably a good option, as long as it isn't too thick. Bridges on the Body used ticking in a teens corset as the final fabric and she didn't mention any issues with stretching.
Denim and duck canvas are usually too heavy and not firm enough. Sheets are likely to be too soft - they will wrinkle at the waist in ways that coutil could not do.
In England, Vena Cava Design is probably the best known supplier, although I'm sure there are others. I've ordered from them and I like their fabric - the spotted and satin coutils.
Reply
The problem with a lot of the names of fabrics that are recommended for corset making is most of the names don't really translate into dutch or have dutch equivalents at all.
I'm just going to have to get up close to some fabrics and subject them to the pull test.
Reply
Duck is a kind of canvas where the warp threads are paired. It's a common artist's canvas. Like denim, it often starts out very stiff but because the threads are bulky, as they wear they create a lot of space in the fabric and it softens.
Reply
I read that denim isn't a good choice for corsets in "the basics of corset making".
Twill translates to a type of fabric with particular weave (slanted, not crossed at right angles) in dutch, but the quality of that weave differs widely. Some are thin and fine, others are thick and sturdy. None that I have seen would be as stable against warping as pillow ticking though.
Canvas translates directly to canvas in dutch, but the fabric as it is used here is only used for sails, tents and painting on. Ask for canvas in a fabric store and you'll get weird looks.
Do you buy artist canvas on the roll at art stores and use it for mock ups then?
Reply
In the US, you can buy canvas at a fabric store, especially one that sells upholstery fabrics. I've never particularly gone looking for it, because it's not actually useful. If you go back through the mockups here, you'll see that a fair number of them use or ask about using canvas, though.
Pillow ticking is a good option.
Reply
But no matter.
I won't make the same mistake I once made with a dress long ago when I was in my first year of fashion school.
I had a dress pattern with very slanted side front panels to accommodate a large difference between shoulder, bust and waist.
I made a mockup of the bodice out of plain white sheets which had always worked for me.
I made the necessary adjustments and moved on to actually making the dress itself.
The armseye turnout out too tight. The problem was that that part of the mock up had stretched over the bias making the armseye larger.
The actual dress didn't stretch much there since it was reinforced with iron on interfacing and with fabric interfacing.
I ended up giving the dress to a friend who it did fit without being uncomfortable.
I have since adopted the practise of ironing old scraps of interfacing onto the inside of mock ups with slanted panels to prevent stretching in the bias where I don't want it to stretch.
Takes barely any time and is a good use of scraps.
I would hate for my mock up fabric to stretch and ruin the finished corset, so I think pillow ticking is a good option indeed.
I'm still very happy a mother of a friend gave me 64 kilograms of sheets once.
They were the kind of industrial sheets used in old people's homes. Sounds gross but they had been boiled so I wasn't worried about any nasties.
Reply
Leave a comment