Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Wear a vest that fits snugly. Ask your assistant to pull duct tape on top of the vest around your upper body starting just above your hips to create a mold of your shape. If you want an under bust corset, direct your assistant to stop wrapping the duct tape right under your breasts. For over bust corsets, have your assistant wrap the tape around your breasts up to where you want your neckline.
Cut the mold in half going down the center of the front side of the mold. Cut the back section in half down the middle. Cut both of these sections in half again down the middle.
Pin the sections onto the pattern paper. Trace around each section with a pencil and label the sections. Take the inner sides of the back center sections in 1 inch.
Copy the pattern sections onto the scrap fabric in pencil or chalk. Repeat the pattern lines 1 inch out on each section. Cut along the most recent lines you have drawn.
Pin the sections together and sew them together along the marked lines at the points where they meet. Do not sew the front center seam and back center seam.
Sew across the bottom of the joined sections leaving the front and back center seams open.
Slide the spiral steel boning into the gaps or "pockets" in the side sections and sew the bottom of the pocket closed.
Cut the scrap fabric wide enough to fill the space you want to have between the grommets and laces going down the backside of your corset. Sew the piece of fabric between the back center sections.
Trace the sections onto the wrong side of your outer fabric 5/8 of an inch out and label the sections. Repeat. Cut the sections out and put them in order.
Perform the previous step on the coutil lining fabric. Place the lining sections on the wrong side of the matching outer sections.
Lay the looped half of the busk next to the knobbed half of the busk. Position the busk pieces between the front center sections with the loops on the left side and the knobs on the right side.
Stitch 1/2 inch from the edge of the fabric down the front right section.Pull the sections right side out right side out and iron the seam. Make another seam 1/16 of an inch in from the edge of the fabric.
Set the knobbed half of the busk along the seam line 1/16 in from the edge. Mark the placement of the knobs on the fabric under the knobbed busk piece.
Slide the busk between the two seam allowances and fold the outer fabric back over the busk.
Push the awl gently through the marked knob holes and push the knobs into the holes. Stitch down the inner side of the knobbed busk piece.
Lay the sections on the left side of the corset together with the looped half of the busk by repeating the procedure you used on the right side of the corset, keeping the outer sides together.
Position the loops on the busk piece 1/2 inch in from the edge of the fabric. Make a mark 1/2 inch in from the edge of the fabric. Mark the areas where the loops go over the 1/2 inch mark you just made.
Sew down the 1/2 inch line and raise your needle over the marked "crossover" areas for the loops. Pull the right side of the outer fabric back over the busk and iron it down.
Push pins through the loopholes and stitch 1/8 inch in from the edge of the outer fabric, lifting your needle over the pins.
Set the busk piece in the seam allowances on the lining fabric and fold the fabric over to meet the lining with the outer fabric. Stitch a line down the busk and then stitch all of the lining sections together and all of the outer fabric sections together.
Set the wrong sides of the lining and outer fabric together. Stitch down the sides of the bone casing where the sections join between the seam lines and allowances on the wrong side of the lining.
Pull the right side of the outer fabric down over the right side of the lining. Stitch the open sections together to bind the open sides of the outer fabric together with the lining. Iron the corset. Stitch reinforcing seams 1/8 of an inch from the edge of the outer fabric.
Position a lacing bone along the 1/8 inch seam line between the outer fabric and lining. Draw the holes and take the bone out. Punch the holes out with the grommeting tool. Repeat on the other side of the corset.
Put the lacing bones back in and punch the grommets and eyelets in the holes.Stitch around the lacing bones and reinforce the stitching along the bottom of the corset. Slide the steel bones into the bone casings and sew the top ends of the casings closed.
Fold the seam allowances at the top of the corset over. Repeat. Sew the seam down. Fold the seam allowances on the bottom of the corset over and repeat. Sew the bottom seam down. Pull the laces through the grommets and eyelets in a crisscrossing pattern.