Finished Project: Steampunk Underbust Corset

This is my fourth and final version of this corset and it's also my absolute favourite!  I just love how well it turned out.

I'm not normally one for worrying too much about pattern matching when cutting out fabric but I took the time to align the stripes in an interesting and symmetrical way and it adds so much to the finished piece.  The fabric is recycled from a pair of taupe and cream curtains.  I used some rich brown bias binding that I had in my stash and the chains were from a cheap necklace I picked up at Primark specifically so i could take it apart.

A while ago I started work on another pair of 18th Century stays that ended up languishing in a corner because of bias binding issues but now I'm determined they will haunt me no longer....

Finished Project: Blue Striped Underbust Corset

I loved making my little underbust corset and I thought it would be a a great canvas for trying out new ideas.  

 This is the first, made from two shades of blue dupion cut in alternating panels to create a striped effect.

I used steel to bone this and actually I think I prefer cable ties.  My pale blue and gold underbust gives slightly better waist shaping!  Maybe it has something to do with the flexibility of the cable ties?

For my next version of this corset I'm planning on incorporating some embroidery.

New project - red corset!

I have become corset obsessed!!! This one is based on one of the Victorian patterns in Jill Salens's book 'Corsets: Historical patterns and techniques'.  The patterns in this book are easy to scale up as they are all drawn on grids.

This corset is made from three layers of fabric, you could use two though, as long as they were strong. Personally I prefer to use three, it just feels really sturdy and gives it extra structure.  I had a scrap of rich red silk in my stash for the outer layer and quite a bit of gold satin left over from the Sirona gown for the lining.  For the middle layer I just use whatever plain white-ish fabric I have lying around.




















A photo of the busk in place.

The back panels with steel boning inserted either side of the seams.

This is how far I got before I ran out of steel!  Argh!!!

Victorian corset mock up.

This is the first mock up to test out the pattern for this corset. There is quite a bit that needs correcting on it. Looking at it, it feels as though it's lost it's 'Victorian-ness'. The neckline needs tweaking and I need to add some fabric back in at the bust to balance it out a bit and give it back its curves. Also, I need to take out a bit of fabric on the hip on the front of the corset to flatten it against the body better. Second draft here I come........

Victorian Corset - 1892

I'm embarking on another corset, this time Victorian. I have used my trusty copy of 'The Evolution of Fashion' to get the basic style lines and silhouette. Interestingly the book suggests inserting elastic panels in various places below the waist line, which struck me as a little unusual. It's not something I have come across before and after ten minutes of Googling, I believe in late Victorian times, it was common for athletic corsets to have elastic panels for a little extra breathing room! So, I've done away with all that and redrafted ordinary panels.



Also, the bust and hip measurements were mysteriously generous so I've slimmed them down considerably. This is the final draft of the pattern and the next stage will be to make a mock up to check for mistakes.