Adventures in corsetry, revisited!
It occurs to me that I've never really detailed the construction process of a real corset here. So this morning, I took some pics and thought I'd post and explain them.
Let me start by saying that my favorite pattern for a Victorian corset is the Dorè corset from Laughing Moon's Pattern #100. It's a great pattern, versatile, and once you know what you're doing, pretty easy to alter and make for anyone, any body shape or size.
Now, I also use all the same techniques I learned making corsets when I make a bodice - a Ren bodice, a pirate bodice, or in the case of my Marie Antoinette dress, the bodice of an 18th century gown. (I don't think I'll be wearing stays underneath, so a fully boned bodice will be a must to get the right support and shape.) What do I mean when I say fully boned? I mean the corset or bodice is lined with lengths of steel "bones" that help it - and you - hold the right shape. This is not as uncomfortable as it sounds. While I couldn't imagine wearing one every day, forever, I find corsets quite comfortable when I do wear them. They certainly help improve one's posture!
Here are pictures of the two types of bones:
spring steel:
Spring steel bones are often covered in a protective coating, but they are lengths of steel that I use in the front of a bodice, and beside the grommets (lacing holes) whether they're in the front or back. They are important for both places, but beside the grommets is absolutely essential, otherwise when you pull your lacing tight, your grommets could easily pop right out of the fabric without support.
spiral steel:
Spiral steel bones go everywhere else. A bit more flexible than spring steel, they will flex and move as you do, while still holding that hourglass shape. I usually use anywhere from 14-18 boning pieces in a full corset. A bodice takes a little less, maybe 10-12.
So, when I'm making a corset or a bodice, I actually cut four layers of fabric - my top layer, or "fashion layer" which is what everyone will actually see, two layers of strong cotton twill, and a lining layer. The lining can be anything you don't mind feeling against your skin - it's just to "finish" the corset and look and feel nice. The twill is the strength of the corset, and it is the twill I use for my boning channels (the sheaths in which the steel boning will go). Here are some helpful pics, taken of the corset I'm constructing for my sister:
The black is the two layers of twill one on top of the other, and the pretty ivory and gold is (obviously) the fashion fabric layer. This is for her dove costume. Isn't it fabulous fabric? It's jacquard, which means it also frays really bad, so I had to zigzag stitch all of the edges to stop the fabric from unraveling itself (and leaving little threads all over everywhere). Twill is tough stuff. No zigzagging necessary. It's toughness is what makes it ideal for boning channels.
Here is a close up of those same pieces, and I've outlined my boning channels for you so you can see them - they tend to disappear into the black. This particular piece is the back, so the boning channels are straight up and down, with just enough room for the grommets to fit between them for lacing. Once I have all the boning channels sewn and the boning cut to the proper length and inserted, I can sew my fashion fabric down to the twill. I sew it together around all of the edges:
This is called 'flatlining' and effectively makes the jacquard and twill one layer instead of three. It also gives the jacquard the strength of the twill, so when this finished corset is laced tight, the stitching won't pull at the fabric along the seams and eventually pull apart.
Once all of my pieces are boned and flatlined, I can actually construct my corset. Here is a pic of the front three pieces done and sewn together:
Four more pieces to add, and then I can fit it to her this weekend and make sure it fits like it should. Once that is done, I'll be able to add my lining, finish the edges with some satin bias tape i'm making (it closes up those rough edges you see along the top and bottom of the corset), and grommet it. Then she can hand stitch on her feathers and it will be done! I will of course post finished pictures, possibly of her wearing it. (If she'll let me.)
But her corset isn't the only thing I've been making for her. I've also put together a pirate bodice. It's the same number of layers and technique you see above, but already put together and ready for fitting. Though it looks leather, it isn't. It's a fake vinyl that actually does a damn good job of pretending to be leather:
Once it's fitted, I'll close off all the edges with bias tape, and add some trim to fancy it up. Oh, and also the grommets, which here will go in front, as all good pirate bodices lace up the front.
Here's a close up of the pattern in the fake leather:
The great thing about making bodices in this way is, they actually fit right! Take a look at the pattern I originally started with. Now, this is a GREAT pattern, don't get me wrong. But just look at the example picture, it's horrible! Who would want to look like that, all sized wrong and wrinkled where it's laced and no support and totally the wrong fabric? And don't even get me started on the rest of this awful costume.
I altered it, first by lengthening it about two inches - the Big Three pattern companies seem to think we're all super short with no waist to speak of. I am short waisted, and so is my sister, yet I still have to lengthen nearly every single corset or bodice I make by 1-2 inches. My friend L, who is tall and also long waisted, must lengthen them by 3-4 inches! Then I cut about two inches off the front, so it's actually an underbust corset, as it should be. Then I took the the twill layers and added boning to them, and flatlined the fashion fabric to the twill, just like with the corset. Even though the vinyl is actually quite strong, I still did this step - this bodice will be able to survive whatever abuse a pirate wench might want to put it through! And she'll look great while she does it, too.
So there you have it, the process so far. I like to tell people, making a corset isn't hard exactly, but it is a process - one that is easier if you view it as one step at a time, and each step takes some time to do. Well...okay, so making a corset is kind of hard, but the first time is the hardest, and after that it becomes more about the steps and the time.
I'll post more pics as the process continues, and there will probably be pics of my gown and wig construction as well.
Let me start by saying that my favorite pattern for a Victorian corset is the Dorè corset from Laughing Moon's Pattern #100. It's a great pattern, versatile, and once you know what you're doing, pretty easy to alter and make for anyone, any body shape or size.
Now, I also use all the same techniques I learned making corsets when I make a bodice - a Ren bodice, a pirate bodice, or in the case of my Marie Antoinette dress, the bodice of an 18th century gown. (I don't think I'll be wearing stays underneath, so a fully boned bodice will be a must to get the right support and shape.) What do I mean when I say fully boned? I mean the corset or bodice is lined with lengths of steel "bones" that help it - and you - hold the right shape. This is not as uncomfortable as it sounds. While I couldn't imagine wearing one every day, forever, I find corsets quite comfortable when I do wear them. They certainly help improve one's posture!
Here are pictures of the two types of bones:
spring steel:
Spring steel bones are often covered in a protective coating, but they are lengths of steel that I use in the front of a bodice, and beside the grommets (lacing holes) whether they're in the front or back. They are important for both places, but beside the grommets is absolutely essential, otherwise when you pull your lacing tight, your grommets could easily pop right out of the fabric without support.
spiral steel:
Spiral steel bones go everywhere else. A bit more flexible than spring steel, they will flex and move as you do, while still holding that hourglass shape. I usually use anywhere from 14-18 boning pieces in a full corset. A bodice takes a little less, maybe 10-12.
So, when I'm making a corset or a bodice, I actually cut four layers of fabric - my top layer, or "fashion layer" which is what everyone will actually see, two layers of strong cotton twill, and a lining layer. The lining can be anything you don't mind feeling against your skin - it's just to "finish" the corset and look and feel nice. The twill is the strength of the corset, and it is the twill I use for my boning channels (the sheaths in which the steel boning will go). Here are some helpful pics, taken of the corset I'm constructing for my sister:
The black is the two layers of twill one on top of the other, and the pretty ivory and gold is (obviously) the fashion fabric layer. This is for her dove costume. Isn't it fabulous fabric? It's jacquard, which means it also frays really bad, so I had to zigzag stitch all of the edges to stop the fabric from unraveling itself (and leaving little threads all over everywhere). Twill is tough stuff. No zigzagging necessary. It's toughness is what makes it ideal for boning channels.
Here is a close up of those same pieces, and I've outlined my boning channels for you so you can see them - they tend to disappear into the black. This particular piece is the back, so the boning channels are straight up and down, with just enough room for the grommets to fit between them for lacing. Once I have all the boning channels sewn and the boning cut to the proper length and inserted, I can sew my fashion fabric down to the twill. I sew it together around all of the edges:
This is called 'flatlining' and effectively makes the jacquard and twill one layer instead of three. It also gives the jacquard the strength of the twill, so when this finished corset is laced tight, the stitching won't pull at the fabric along the seams and eventually pull apart.
Once all of my pieces are boned and flatlined, I can actually construct my corset. Here is a pic of the front three pieces done and sewn together:
Four more pieces to add, and then I can fit it to her this weekend and make sure it fits like it should. Once that is done, I'll be able to add my lining, finish the edges with some satin bias tape i'm making (it closes up those rough edges you see along the top and bottom of the corset), and grommet it. Then she can hand stitch on her feathers and it will be done! I will of course post finished pictures, possibly of her wearing it. (If she'll let me.)
But her corset isn't the only thing I've been making for her. I've also put together a pirate bodice. It's the same number of layers and technique you see above, but already put together and ready for fitting. Though it looks leather, it isn't. It's a fake vinyl that actually does a damn good job of pretending to be leather:
Once it's fitted, I'll close off all the edges with bias tape, and add some trim to fancy it up. Oh, and also the grommets, which here will go in front, as all good pirate bodices lace up the front.
Here's a close up of the pattern in the fake leather:
The great thing about making bodices in this way is, they actually fit right! Take a look at the pattern I originally started with. Now, this is a GREAT pattern, don't get me wrong. But just look at the example picture, it's horrible! Who would want to look like that, all sized wrong and wrinkled where it's laced and no support and totally the wrong fabric? And don't even get me started on the rest of this awful costume.
I altered it, first by lengthening it about two inches - the Big Three pattern companies seem to think we're all super short with no waist to speak of. I am short waisted, and so is my sister, yet I still have to lengthen nearly every single corset or bodice I make by 1-2 inches. My friend L, who is tall and also long waisted, must lengthen them by 3-4 inches! Then I cut about two inches off the front, so it's actually an underbust corset, as it should be. Then I took the the twill layers and added boning to them, and flatlined the fashion fabric to the twill, just like with the corset. Even though the vinyl is actually quite strong, I still did this step - this bodice will be able to survive whatever abuse a pirate wench might want to put it through! And she'll look great while she does it, too.
So there you have it, the process so far. I like to tell people, making a corset isn't hard exactly, but it is a process - one that is easier if you view it as one step at a time, and each step takes some time to do. Well...okay, so making a corset is kind of hard, but the first time is the hardest, and after that it becomes more about the steps and the time.
I'll post more pics as the process continues, and there will probably be pics of my gown and wig construction as well.