First Corset Finished, Almost...

I got the two 11 inch bonings from corsetmaking.com on Saturday.  I didn't get to get working on my corset until yesterday, Sunday, because my craft room had been taken over by fourteen and fifteen-year-old girls.  I mentioned in an earlier post that my very creative fourteen-year-old daughter has been making duct tape corsets and using up all of my grommets.  She and her friends decided to get together and make a bunch of duct tape waist cinchers as a fund raiser for band camp.  They had all sorts of decorative duct tapes and lacings and were up there in the craft room for about eight hours straight.  They asked me to order them pizza for a dinner break at 5:00pm and then went right back up until people's parents started calling and coming by to pick them up.  I couldn't believe that they got so many done.  Most of them are waiting for grommets, but are otherwise finished.  The order with the grommets should be arriving on Wednesday.  I will be posting some of their cinchers in my etsy shop for them to see if they sell there.  When the post is ready I will also put a link to it here and on my Facebook page.


So, I finally got to work on my corset on Sunday morning.  I knew we would be going to my aunt and uncle's house for the Superbowl and I wanted to get the machine sewing parts done so I could bring the hand sewing with me.  I was not too excited about watching the super bowl, because the Seahawks weren't in it, but the Superbowl at their house is a tradition and the food and company is always good.

The last two bonings had to be inserted into their channels, and then I sewed across the top edge to keep them all in.  I then began the painstaking ordeal of finishing the top and bottom edges. I trimmed them up neatly and cut off all the scraggly threads.  I have read how to avoid having all of these.  I will give it a try next time.

I pinned and sewed on the satin bias tape.  I had to rip and resew the first one because I misjudged the width I would need to wrap over the edge.  Still, the first one I sewed (twice) was still not perfect, but ripping it again would not be good for the tape or the corset, and I didn't have extra tape, so I just said, "heck with it," and left it.  This is my first corset and I don't expect it to be perfect.  I am trying my best though.  The rest of the edge binding looked better.

Next I folded the binding over and pinned it so I could hand sew it during the Superbowl.

I put them in a pillow case for transport to try and avoid dirt and cat hair.  I also ate my hot wings first, washed my hands and stayed far away from the food while I worked. I only got half done, during the Superbowl. I must admit I didn't work the whole time.  I also had to hold my baby cousin, eat a bit of Superbowl food, and drink a beer.  I finished the hand sewing after I got home.  I put "Hot Fuzz" in the DVD player and sewed while sitting on the couch until I was done.  I do like that movie. It is pretty funny.

 

Here it is as it was when I went to be last night:

 

It is finished enough to wear at this point, but I still want to add some details.  I want to floss the boning ends to reinforce them, make them stay in one place and prevent wearing through the fabric. 

This is the first one I did this morning.  It isn't perfect.  The stitches are too close together and not very even.  I also noticed that after I started stitching the first end the bone shifted towards the other end.  This is hard to prevent.

This is the second one I did.  It is the other end of the same boning channel.  It looks a lot better.

 Here is the whole bone so you can see both ends. It being white on white, or whitework, it isn't very noticeable.  It will give the corset a little bit of fanciness without making it really busy.  I think I will like it when it is done.

 

I only had time to do the four bones around the grommets so far today.  It is painstaking work. I will probably get faster at it as I go, and better, but it will take me a while.  I will try the corset on for pictures as soon as I have time and someone here to assist me.  I can't wait.

 

Here is the top of the back.

And this is the bottom.

From a few feet away it is not very visible, but I think it is still worth it.

 

 

I have been reading about how to make corsets, stronger and how to adjust the patterns so that they fit better.  I have loads of ideas for next time.  I also read about how to make and add an underbusk and lacing panel. I think I might do that for this corset.  That will, of coarse, mean another corsetmaking.com order, so I will wait on that.  They are added after the corset is done anyways.  Next time I will put my twill tape waist reinforcement in before I put in the busk and I will add my grommets after I sew all the layers of the corset together and put the bonings in.  This is supposed to make them turn out straighter and smoother.  Also, instead of pressing the seams open I will try pressing them to the side and topstitching them.  This puts the stress of tight lacing on the fabric grain instead of the seams.  My next corset will have a facing fabric of silk brocade.  I will also try making my own bias binding.  I think it will look better. 

 

 

 

Getting Ahead of Myself: I Ordered Supplies for My Next Corset

No, I haven't finished my first one, no, I don't actually have any outfits I can wear them with, and no I can't afford it, but I can't help it.  I am so excited.  This first one is turning out so great and it is so fun.  I love it. 

 

It is still waiting fo thte last two bones.

 

I might have mentioned that the next corset will be black.

 

I chose not to have a fancy facing fabric on my first one because I didn't want to make it more complicated.  I didn't really know if I would be able to finish one.   There are a lot of steps, and some of the techniques are new.  Also, I have been emailing back and forth with Andrea at corsetmaking.com and have discovered that I could have included boning casing in the corset, even though it is not mentioned in the patter instructions.  It makes the corset last longer by protecting the coutil and lining fabric from the inside.  Usually the first thing to wear out on corsets is the boning tips wear through the fabric and make a hole and eventually poke out.  Adding boning casing will also make it a bit harder, because when you sew the layers together you have to be very careful to catch the edges along the entire channel.  I am determined to incorporate the casing into my next corset. I was going to attempt the Silverado for my second corset, but I think that because I am already adding all of the extra steps and complications, I should stick with the pattern I am familiar with.  The Dore has fewer pieces, and I never did fit the muslin so that it fully satisfied me.  I think I will work on that some more before I try to sew it. 

 

I ordered a yard each of: black coutil, black lining fabric, and black on black silk brocade.  The silk brocade is only 27 inches wide so I had to do a quick check and make sure that I would have room to cut all my pieces.

I folded black tissue paper to 13 inches by a yard and fit my pieces on.  It looks like it will fit.  I think that if I were making a larger size, though, I would have to order more than a yard.

 

The coutil and the lining fabric I used for the white corset is much wider.  I figured I can cut three corsets from one yard for both of those.

 

I also ordered two continuous rolls of spiral boning with tips so that I can cut and tip my own to the lengths I need, rather than ordering and hoping the channels turn out the same length.  I ordered an assortment of the strait bones as well for the strait channels.

 

The real reason I went ahead and ordered all of this now and not after I finished the first corset, is because my daughter is making duct tape corsets and waist cinchers with her friends and I am almost out of grommets.  I had to go ahead and order the grommets. The cost of shipping is getting so outrageous that I had to try to order everything I thought I would need for a while.  I already have enough black boning casing, black twill tape and a black lacing which I accidentally ordered with my white fabric when I made my first order of the kit and pattern.  That just leaves a 13 inch busk and black satin bias tape, which I also ordered.  With my two 11 inch boning on the way and my black corset materials ordered, all I can do is wait.  I will need to buy a tool for cutting the spiral steel boning.  I found something that will work at the hardware store, but I haven't purchased it yet.  It is called a cable cutter.  It looks just like the tool that corsetmaking.com sells, but it is bigger and beefier.  The tool that corsetmaking.com sells is out of stock a lot.  It must be hard to get ahold of.  I think the cable cutters will do nicely.  They cost about 30 dollars. Once I buy them I will post a picture.

 

I also went on a hunt for tool dip. That is what people are saying they dip the tips of their bones in, even the ones with nickle plated tips to keep them from popping off. I could only find it in black.  That would be fine for my next corset, but not for a white one.  The company that makes it also makes yellow, red, and blue. None of these colors would be perfect for a white corset.  I think if I had incorporated the boning casing it wouldn't matter. 

 

 

At the hardware store I was at I found that the same company makes a compound for patching the white vinyl coated metal racks in dishwashers and metal shelving.  It is more expensive and is in a smaller container with a brush, but it will probably work. I will try using it to patch up the poorly dipped bones that I got in my last order.

I did a google search and found that they make a kit that allows you to mix your own colors.  I can only guess that because they have a white tint to add that the compound in the container is clear.  That might be nice.  I will think about ordering this if I decide to make several more corsets after this one.

 

It turns out that the Plasti Dip company has a very large range of products that are not available at any of our local hardware stores.  I might have to order some.

 

I have to mention, also, that I have been very pleasantly surprised by the level of service I have received from Andrea at www.corsetmaking.com.  She has emailed back and forth with me several times.  First, figuring out what I needed her to replace due to the poorly dipped tips. Then she explained to me how I could cut and tip my own spiral bones. She also explained how to use the boning casing in the pattern I am sewing.  All together she read all of my emails, and responded about ten times in two days.  She was very nice and professional.  I think, if this level of service is what I can expect, I will be a loyal customer.

My Corset Supply Order Arrived on Friday

 

I couldn't believe it.  My order arrived after only three days.  I was so exited to get to work on it, but I had a few other things to do first.  My Grandpa's 80th birthday party was on Saturday and I had to help with that, so I didn't get to work on my corset until Sunday. My auntie came over and sewed her muslin while I worked on mine.  First, I had to try it on again to mark the waist for the twill tape reinforcement:

I took this picture in the mirror.  You can see that without the bones the waist puckers, but it is already a pretty shape.  I think I am going to love it.

Sewing the twill tape on is one of the harder steps of this process.  You have to be careful to make it exactly the same on both sides of the corset.  It is also hard to sew the ends of the twill tape down close to the busk and back boning channels while making a strait seam.  This seam shows though because you are sewing it onto the coutil layer before you attach the lining.

Next I sewed the lining pieces together and to the coutil pieces.  You have to turn it right side out with the busk in place after ironing the whole think.  My aunt and I decided to look into getting a tailor's ham.  Ironing all those seams open on the hip and bust curves without putting in creases is challenging. The next step was to pick stitch all of the seams to keep them from moving around while I sewed the boning channels.

Here I am stitching though the seams of both layers along every seam line.  It took me over an hour.

 

Here I am sewing along the bottom edge of the corset. 

My aunt took this picture of me sewing the boning channels from bottom to top.

 

 Here I am using a seam ripper to pick the pick stitches at the seams back out after sewing the boning channels.

 

Here are the channels.

 

Here is the work station with all the supplies getting ready to start putting in the bones.

The straight steel bones went into the channels on both sides of the grommets in the back.

 

 

  My aunt helped me by measuring them and handing me the ones I needed.  I hit a major hiccup here.  I ended up two 11" bones short.  I was unable to finish the corset because of this.  To order just these two bones (sixty cents each) I will have to pay $8.95 for shipping.  It would make sense to order other things I will need for my next corset to make the shipping feel more reasonable, but I don't have the money to get all of that stuff right now. 

 

So here is where I am at, just waiting for two 11 inch bones.

It is looking very nice.

This is the lining side.  The tracing paper and tracing wheel I used to mark the boning channels worked pretty well.  There were three channels that were pretty hard to see, but I was able to make it work.

 

This is all the bones I have left over.  I am thinking about trying to cut two of these longer ones.

 

The corset supply company, corsetmaking.com, has changed the way they do the bone tips.  They dip them in a kind of epoxy resin instead of using the metal tips that you can see on the longer ones.  In theory it seems like a good idea, but the execution might be a bit lacking.  Some of them look like this:

 

The ends that look like this do not slide well into the boning channels and I really wonder how long it will take for them to wear through the coutil.  I tried not to use these ones.  I will be stabilizing the ends of the bones with embroidery to help prevent wear, but for the amount of work and money I have invested in this corset I want it to last a long time.  I have written an email to the company.  So far, I haven't heard back.

This is a picture of my calculations and measurements for the bones I needed to order.  Next time I will at least use real paper with lines instead of a scrap piece of tissue paper.

Here I was tallying the lengths I had from the silverado kit I ordered a long time ago, and figuring out what I needed to order to make the Dore.  I ordered the white straight bones for the straight channels, I ordered extra, just in case they worked in some of the other channels.  They are very inexpensive as long as you are already ordering something else, so you don't have to pay shipping.

 

When I get the bones I need, all I have to do is sew along the top edge and sew on the bindings.  I will also embroider the boning tips to add strength and durability.  I am going to do white on white, so it won't show very much, but it will add some texture. I will let you all know what I decide to do.  I am going to the hardware store to check on tool dip, that is what people suggest using to tip the spring steel bones.

 

Victorian Corset

My latest projects are: curtains for my house, a cross-stitched creeper, scrap books of my cousin's wedding for the bride and the mother of the bride, and my favorite: an authentic Victorian corset.

I have been dreaming about making one for a few years.  You need lots of special equipment to make one: a good pattern, some special fabrics, steel boning, grommets and grommet setter, lacings, seam binding, and twill tape to do it right.  I spent some time mulling it over and doing my research.  I bought a pattern about 2 years ago:

 

It is from Laughing Moon Mercantile, I bought it on http://corsetmaking.com/, but I think you can order it direct.  It has patterns for two different corset styles (the Dore and the Silverado), pantaloons, and a chemise and it comes with every size in one envelope.  The instructions are very detailed and the materials list is very thorough.  I couldn't decide which style of corset to make, so I made muslins of both corsets and had my husband help me pin them on. 

 

Dore

Silverado

 

WARNING! Don't ever ask your husband to help you fit sewing projects on yourself unless you have no other choice.  If your husband is anything like mine, he will first whine for half an hour about how he might poke you, trying to get out of it, then be so timid and full of doubt about what you are making him do that you have to talk him into each step against his will.  Seriously, it is like pulling teeth. When you finally get it pinned on do not ask him what he thinks.  He won't know what to say, trust me.  He didn't poke me, though.  That is something.  I didn't really like how the bust gores turned out the the Silverado.  I needed to either take in the top of the bodice pieces all around or choose smaller gores.  I tried it with the A cup gores, and it fit better but the overall look was too strait and flat.  I think I will start with the Dore style.  It has fewer pieces and the shape is really nice and curvy, a classic Victorian era hourglass shape.  My muslin seemed a tiny bit on the small side (it is supposed to be about 2 inches apart in the back), but since I do want to tight lace it and I do plan on losing my winter chubs come spring, I think I will just go with it. The length of the muslin was perfect so the boning that comes with the kit that they sell on corsetmaking.com would have worked, but after reading the instructions in the envelope I decided to order straight steel for the straight boning channels and spring steel for the more curved channels.  The kit comes with all spring steel bones. I had ordered a yard of white coutil and a couple yards of the lining fabric along with my pattern so I can get sewing while I wait for my bones, twill tape, bias tape and lacings to arrive.

 

The first steps after making and fitting your muslin are to put the busk and grommets in. You have to sew the fabric and lining together at the front and back seams first then get right into the muscle work.

 

 

The busk was a bit challenging from a sewing perspective,  You have to sew the front seam leaving openings properly spaced for the busk loops to poke through and back stitch for strength.  It was nerve racking, but I got it without having to rip more than a few stitches. Then you have to use an awl to poke the holes through the coutil for the pegs of the other half of the busk. I was worried when I saw that some threads appeared to be breaking. I tried to be so careful. Now that it is done I think it is fine. I had to borrow my daughters sewing machine to use her zipper foot on the backsides of the busk halves.

 

The instructions say to start the grommets one inch from the top edge and space them every 3/4 inch until 1 1/2 inches from the bottom. It took 32 grommets to finish mine.  The instructions say to practice setting a few grommets to get the hang of it, so I did.  It isn't too tough.  The hardest part is making the hole with the awl.  You have to try to work it in gently and strait.  If you stretch the fabric in one direction more than another you can end up with off-center grommets.  There are so many and they are so close together that you can't really notice it.  When the lacing is there, I think it will be even harder to notice.  They are all set well and will be strong enough to lace even my muffin top into submission.

 

Here are the awl, and grommet setting tools. The flash went off.  My craft room is light challenged when the sun is not sunny. (pardon the Cat in the Hat reference)

 

Here is the rubber mallet.  Take it from me, rubber mallets can hurt.  I got a nice little bruise on my index finger of my left hand after I hit it a couple times.

 

The next step was to sew the rest of the coutil fabric panels in place and do a fitting check.  Yay.

 

 

Here are the two halves all sewn together. I inserted bones into the straight channels around the grommets and laced up the back.  Another WARNING: if you can get someone to help you with this it will be much easier.  I did it by myself.  Given my earlier warning, I didn't want to wait until my husband got home.  My daughter doesn't like to see me in my underwear, or help me dress so I didn't wait till she got home either.  I laced the back lacing very loosely, as loose as it would go with the ends tied.  Then I wrapped it around and did up the busk in the front.  This was pretty difficult, but I finally managed.  Then I pulled on the lacing loops left in the center waist and tightened it.  It tightened right up.  the fact that there was no boning allowed it to pucker at the waist a bit, but otherwise it looked really cool.  No alterations necessary, Yay!  No pictures, sorry.  Not because I was indecently exposed (I wore the chemise from my pioneer costume), but because I was so excited. I went and called my aunt and forgot to take pictures.  I also forgot to mark the waist for the twill tape, so I will have to try it on again for that.  Hopefully, I will remember to take pictures.

 

This pattern has many boning channels that you have to trace from the pattern to the lining pieces on the right side of the fabric.  I didn't want to leave permanent marker on there so I bought a tracing wheel and some double-sided tracing paper at Joann's.  I had never used it before.  So far so good.  I won't be able to sew the channels until my order comes in the mail, though.  We will see if the markings last until then.  I am at a good stopping point until my order comes in. I am hoping the order will arrive by Monday of next week.

 

My Auntie is also wanting to make a corset.  She made a muslin of the Silverado, but it is very apparent that she needs to shorten it by at least 2 1/2 inches and the bust gores just aren't right, so I offered to help her alter the Dore pattern in her size so she can try another muslin.  She was so happy that she bought me a pattern altering ruler. It is a french curve and strait edge and ruler all kind of rolled up in one.  I have already found it very useful in measuring boning channels and seam distances.  I traced off and altered her pattern for her and even cut out her muslin pieces, so hopefully she can catch up to me.

 

 

Here is my auntie's sewing machine, in my craft room with her muslin pieces on top waiting for her to come over. I bet she can hear them calling her name.

 

Well, I guess I have nothing else to sew except my dreaded curtains, I better get to work on them.  Have I mentioned that I hate sewing curtains?