Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Insert your arms through the armholes of a fitted vest. Wrap duct tape around your hips over the vest. Continue wrapping the duct tape around your abdomen with the aid of an assistant, until you reach the top of your ribcage, just below your breasts.
Rest scissors against the middle of your abdomen at the bottom of the taped vest. Cut the front of the taped vest in half vertically. Move the scissors to the back of the taped vest and cut the back side in half vertically.
Cut both pieces of the vest in half again, you now have eight pieces to use as a pattern. Position the pattern pieces on top of pattern paper and trace around each piece carefully in pencil. Label the pieces.
Measure 1 inch from the inner sides of the pieces and draw new lines to mark this reduction. Cut the pattern paper pieces out and pin the paper pieces onto the draft fabric. Trace the patterns onto the fabric with pencil or chalk.
Repeat the lines 1 inch out on all sides, to provide adequate space for seam allowance. Cut along the seam allowance lines. Sew the pieces together where they join, but do not sew the front or back center seams.
Stitch across the bottom hemline between the front and back center seams, which are left open. The side seams should now have three closed sides.
Position the spiral steel boning inside each partially-enclosed side seam pocket. Sew across the top of the side seam pockets so they are fully closed.
Measure the inside edge of the back-center draft material piece, then measure the desired distance between the lacing grommets on the back of the corset. Measure and cut a piece of draft fabric that matches these dimensions, and sew this piece of fabric to the back-center seams.
Try the corset on by pinning the front center seams together. This is how your finished garment will fit. If it feels too tight or loose, enlarge or reduce the width between your lacing grommets until you have a more comfortable fit.
Pin the pattern pieces onto the "wrong side" of the outer fabric. Draw lines 1/2-inch out from the pattern lines and label the pattern pieces in the space between the lines. Cut the pieces out and lie them down in the correct order. Repeat on the coutil.
Lie the wrong side of the coutil pieces against the wrong side of the corresponding pieces of outer fabric. Put the looped side of the busk against the knobbed side of the busk. Lie the looped side of the busk along the front-center seam on the left, and set the knobbed side along the front-right center seam.
Sew a line 1/2-inch in from the edge of the front-right piece and turn the pieces of the corset right-side out. Press the seam line down with an iron.
Sew another line 1/16-inch in from the edge of the fabric and position the knobbed half of the busk along this line. Trace around the knobs in chalk.
Raise the fabric to reveal two seam allowances and slide the knobbed half of the busk between the seam allowances. Lie the fabric back down to cover the seam allowances.
Insert an awl through the knob holes you traced in chalk. Place the knobs in the holes and sew a line down the the busk piece. Pull the fabric on the left side of the cincher inside out.
Measure 1/2-inch in from the edge of the center seam on the left side of the corset and make a mark. Set the looped side of the busk onto the fabric at this marked point. Draw around the loops wherever they cross over the marked point in chalk.
Stitch a line down the fabric, starting at your marked point. Lift your needle when you hit the "crossover" points along the line for the loops. Pull the material right side out again and press the seam line flat.
Stick pins through the loopholes and sew a line 1/8-inch in from the edge of the outer layer of the fabric, while raising you needle over the pins. Position the looped half of the busk between the seam allowances for the lining material.
Fold the fabric over so the lining and outer layer of fabric touch. Sew a line down the looped half of the busk, then sew all the outer pieces together, followed by all the coutil lining pieces.
Lie the wrong side of the outer fabric against the wrong side of the coutil lining fabric and sew the side edges of the bone casing, between the seams and seam allowances, on the wrong side of the coutil fabric.
Fold the right side of the outer fabric over of the right side of the coutil and sew the final pieces together. Stitch another line 1/8-inch from the edge of the right side of the outer fabric. Lie a lacing bone between the outer fabric and coutil against this line.
Draw the holes of the bone with a pencil. Punch out the holes with a grommeter. Repeat on the other side of the corset. Push the grommets and eyelets into the holes permanently with the grommeter.
Sew all the way around the lacing bones. Fold the bottom seam allowance over two times and sew it down. Position the boning in the bone casings and fold the top seam allowances over two times. Sew across the top of the corset to hold the folded seam down. Criss-cross the laces through the grommet holes on the back of the cincher.