The Making of A Corset

So, I have been wanting to do a sewing post lately, but unfortunately I do not have anywhere to sew because one of my brothers decided he wanted to use the desk I was using and put it in his room. So my projects and patterns are scattered around in baskets. However, awhile back (I think it was in October of 2011) I took pictures along the way of my adventures in corset making. So I will relive it. Excuse the grainy pictures, this was before I had a digital camera, so they were all taken with my iPod touch.


This was actually my second "muslin" for the corset. The first one I made up was terrible it was too big and much too short. So for this one, I had to add 3 inches to each of the bodice panels. I was kind of sad that I didn't line this one, because it turned out really well. I used a Simplicity pattern, 5006. Which has a corset, and a few different petticoats. Most of the process photos of the light blue corset muslin, were from my first rough draft (I used a dark blue contrasting thread).

Because boning is so expensive, I decided to only buy some boning, and then cut up this old shape-wear corset I had had for a very long time. I got it secondhand and never wore it because it was too small.

Yes, my pincushion is an old teddy bear. It looks a little gruesome, but it's how I justify keeping her. I have had this teddy bear since I was 2 or 3. My mom bought it at a sale at an old folks home. Some lady made it by hand using upholstery fabric and thick red thread.

Pinning away (which is much better than pining, let me tell you).

This is the extra boning I used for the rest of the corset. The shapewear I cut up had steel coil boning, which I vastly prefer, but I could not find steel boning at the fabric stores, and did not want to order it online.

In the spirit of recycling, for the muslin version of the corset, I re-used the boning channels.

Putting the steel boning in, to see if it would fit.

This was the last panel, where the grommets were going to go.

 Rough draft grommets.

All the lovely seams! I didn't add boning channels, or boning to most of my rough draft, I only did it enough to feel comfortable when I made my final draft.

Okay, so now some process photos with my brocade. I was disappointed by the selection, but this blue with a feathery, silvery design was really pretty, so I went for it. You can see in this picture, where I cut the pattern to add length. I supplemented with brown paper from grocery bags.

For my finished garment, I used unbleached cotton muslin fabric as a lining.

I thought this was funny, my machine sewed all the way through my plastic pin! I had to cut it out, because it was literally stitched down. :)

You can buy boning channels, and sometimes channel fabric comes with the boning, but for the boning channels on the brocade, I wanted something a little sturdier. So I decided to make my own using the brocade. I cut strips of brocade, and then lined those with cotton for extra durability. So it goes brocade, cotton, space for boning, cotton, brocade. Then I sewed them down on the seams like regulars channels!

And the final product!

This picture was not the greatest, but you get the idea.

A better picture. This was the night I wore it out. I wore it to a friends New Years Eve party. I thought the silvery on the blue was festive, and paired it with jeans and a cardigan.

 

Of course it wasn't perfect. I don't have a serger, and brocade is so prone to fraying. And I never put trim on it. The size was good around the waist and hips, but I took it in a touch too much, so the bust is snug.

But other than that, I was pretty proud of myself.