ebook with video

Makingfor beginners to intermediate

Corset

Julia Brembleof Sew Curvy

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A RAINBOW DISKS EBOOK

Copyright © Rainbow Disks Limited 2012

Rainbow Disks Ltdwww.rainbowdisks.com

5 Linden ValeHowell RoadExeter EX4 4LFUK

First published in the UK in 2012

Text and illustrations © Julia Bremble Video © Rainbow Disks and Julia Bremble

Video by Trevor WigginsEditor: Vivienne Wells

ISBN 978-1-906314-23-1

Julia Bremble has asserted her right to be identi!ed as author of this work in accor-dance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retriev-al system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-906314-23-1

RAINBOW DISKS LTDwww.rainbowdisks.com

G! "# $%& "!!'.Rainbow Disks produce an exciting range of ebooks, available online to purchase for your friends as gi(s (or buy more for yourself!)By buying Rainbow Disks ebooks, you are supporting these cra(s and helping the publisher to pay authors/cra( experts a fair income for their very hard work. Please note that copying this ebook is strictly against the law too! So, don't be a book cheat – stay within the law and buy the ebook!

Contents

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Contents 3

Using this ebook: tips 4

Introduction 5why make a corset? 6

Brief History 8

How a Corset Works 11

Essential Tools 14

Essential Hardware 20the busk 20

Building a Framework 25

inserting the busk

inserting the eyelets

Fabrication 36

Sewing Techniques 46

video: making a lapped seam/inserting

Vital Underpinnings 60taking measurements 60making a toile 62

Making a Corset 69making a single layer corset:

worksheet : single layer corset

worksheet 2: single layer corset

making a double layer corset:

worksheet : double layer corset 90

End Notes 92books for techniques and inspiration 92

Glossary 94

Julia Bremble 96

More Rainbow Disks 97

To go to chapters or projects, click on the headings here, use the Bookmark links (click on the icon at the top le! of the Adobe Reader window) or scroll through the page "umbnails (click on the icon next to the Bookmarks).

Using this ebook: t ips

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an interactive contents list) and page Thumbnails - they will take you

activated by clicking on their icons (looking like tiny pages) at the top

com

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To play a video, click on the image.

Introduct ion

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The archetypal corset shape, the one everybody thinks of when the word ‘corset’ is mentioned, is the

the roundness of the bosom and the hips, creating the classic hourglass shape to any figure, regardless

methods and materials are not exclusive to the pe-riod and can apply to other styles of corset, although there are probably as many methods as there are

you are comfortable behind a sewing machine, have a good working knowledge of basic sewing techniques

There are pieces of hardware to be manipulated us-ing tools that may be more at home in the garden

are assembled in the right order, the result will be a stunning piece of wearable architecture that, with care, will last and be admired for many years, perhaps even generations!

quickly, and teach you to be patient, dextrous, organ-

!) is to pass on the most practi-cal methods of corset building knowledge, built up through years of making corsets and researching the

Julia Bremble

Julia Bremble in her studio. See overleaf for a video introduction by Julia

The archetypal corset shape is Victorian. It creates an hourglass shape by compressing the waist while enhancing the roundness of bosom and hip

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heels hurt if you wear them for too long, and a corset hurts if you lace it too tight, but both make you feel

fitting challenge, and patterns that go right over the

or ‘waspie’ (a shorter version of the underbust), for achieving a flawless hourglass shape underneath a

I N T R O D U C T I O N

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Corsetry will quickly develop your sewing abilities

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a comfortable and professional fit is to wear a corset that has been hand made to your own measurements using high quality components; in other words, a be-

-spoke corset is beyond the pocket of many people so the only way to achieve the fit and comfort of such a

items of couture clothing, making a corset isn’t as dif-ficult as first it may seem!

your corset as plain or as fabulous as you like, and

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In short, a corset is sexy, versatile, funky, fun and time-

-

I N T R O D U C T I O N

The only limit is your imagination. This multi layer corset has silver rubber fabric over coutil

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saw stiff boned corsets replaced by soft-er girdles and bras, which were strategi-

made a brief comeback in the form of the

Our attachment to corset technology re-

in the world of haute couture and on the -

ionable as outerwear once again in sub-cultures such as fetish, goth, steampunk,

B R I E F H I S T O R Y

Corsetry has become fashionable as outerwear

By the 1950s, stays were made from elasticated net

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To make a successful corset, it helps to know how the corset works, both in relation to the body, and as a pat-

-

to the pattern to give space between

the wearer can move comfortably without feeling restricted, and there

In contrast, a corset shapes by com-

-erly, a corset actually gains strength from the even and constant pressure

In spite of this restriction, a corset should not cause pain by pinching or putting strain on the wrong parts of

-derstands the pressure points of the body, and how these and the corset will interact for the best looking and most comfortable result, bearing fully in mind the particular physical at-

amount of knowledge of traditional flat pattern cutting will help when

next to the skin, your choice of fab-

clasped around your torso will soon -

ural fibres are best because they ‘breathe’ and, pref-

that it takes years of training by a corset wearer to

commercial pattern, the most important, compli--

points on the torso, the precise vertical measure-

How a Corset Works

A well made corset should be smooth, without any wrinkles and should not cause pain by pinching or putting strain on the wrong part of the body

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Essent ial Tools

are some quite challenging aspects to corsetry, which are difficult, if

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Good measuring tools are a must There are no half measures in cor-

distances on your pattern if you need to, such as when making altera-

Measuring tools: tape measure, French curve/ruler, seam gauge tools

Suitable hand and machine needles

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Fabricat ion

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for yourself will be the same because you will build your skills as you make each one, and as you work you will have a thousand different ideas for your

and textures to choose from does allow the im-agination to run riot – there really are no limits!

However, because corsets have metal compo-nents and are designed to be placed under a considerable amount of strain, we need to think carefully about the fabrics we use and how we

floaty and sheer fabrics, such as chiffon and some

entirely unsuitable because most fabrics can be

Medium weight silk dupion and taffeta and (below) suiting fabric, often used in corsetry

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FA B R I C A T I O N

Linings

A corset does not have to be lined, but a lining serves -

fabric used, it can wick away moisture from the skin, making the corset much more comfortable to wear,

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the edges, giving a lovely smooth finish on the in-side (preferable when wearing the corset next to the

-ric lining, the most popular being soft quilting-weight

Fashion fabric, turn of cloth and roll pinning

corset in partnership with coutil or another strong, close woven fabric, it must be attached to the strength layer either by bonding or by a process called ‘roll

mention roll pinning or turn of cloth, but it is of the upmost importance if you want to achieve a smooth

built in after all of the fabric pieces are cut and before

To demonstrate turn of cloth and the reason for roll

these rectangles together with the light fabric on top

of smoothing or ironing will persuade your little rectangle to lie flat, and, if you get the outside (soft fabric) to look smooth, you will notice that the stiff

top fabric has become smaller than the bottom fabric

To prevent this happening, we incorporate turn of

Although this corset is beautiful it has not had a turn of cloth allowance built in. You can clearly see puckering

underneath the silk over the hip, where the coutil strength layer is straining against the silk outer layer

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S E W I N G T E C H N I Q U E S

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The minimum requirement of a corset is to have

are: using the seam allowances to make channels, add-ing boning tape casings on the inside, adding decora-tive boning casings on the outside, or ‘sandwiching’ the channels through all layers of a corset (when the

If you sew from opposite ends you may end up with

See: , , ribbon, binding and laces, Seams

Sandwiched bone channels

This is the easiest way to sew boning channels into your corset, but it cannot be used on a single layer

channels through two or more layers of your corset

the exact dimensions of your presser feet or employ

These external boning channels are made of a shiny version of the matt fabric used for the corset panels

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S E W I N G T E C H N I Q U E S

Embellishments

Once your corset is bound at the top and bottom edges, you can then decorate it further with lace,

-times a particular trim requires insertion before sew-ing down the binding, but that is an individual case for

-ing your corset offers the opportunity for ‘hand fin-ishing’, one of the features that will set it apart from

Braid, ribbon and beaded trims

If the binding is not a particular feature of your cor-set, you may wish to sew a braid, ribbon, feathers or

much a personal choice and the method of attach-

ment depends on the type of trim chosen and the

Lace overlays and motifs

A lace overlay can be sewn over all or some of your

Or you can use lace ‘motifs’ or edging attached to your corset as a binding trim or an applique, what-

The green corset has black lace appliqué motif and black flossing at the bottom of the bone channels. The white corset has a lace trim attached to the binding, plus gold flossing with rhinestones. On the black panels are samples of flossing stitches in different colours. Also shown are some gold ribbon and a matching bow

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Making a Corset

The TV110 corset from Truly Victorian

In this chapter we go through the process of making three actual corsets from start to finish, using some of the techniques, tool and materials outlined in pre-

-nents together in the right order, and how keep your work organised so the whole process is as easy as

-

corset pattern which is made by but -

--

A quick reference ‘worksheet’ is included for each

--

velope make a double layered corset (like the I

have converted the instructions to make a single layer

See over for an image of the TV110 pattern.

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M A K I N G A C O R S E T

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Here we are making a single layer corset using fash-ion fabric (silk) flatlined to a coutil -

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fashion fabric, in which case simply ignore the parts of these instructions that deal with the silk, and fol-low

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are sewn to the inside of the corset over the seams and stitched through all layers (the silk is too delicate to take bones sandwiched be-

The instructions here assume that you have made a toile of the corset beforehand, to ascertain fit and

Print out . Use it to organise your work.

Tracing and altering the pa!ern

pattern envelope, trace the pattern pieces accordingly then add the extra pieces (facings and front modesty panel) required to

same length as the centre front/centre back edges

as the centre front/centre back edges of the corset (see instructions on busk insertion)

need extra bone channels running down the centre

toile from calico or other cheap but sturdy -

firm that any extra bone channels are in the right

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The single layer corset, made of red silk flatlined to coutil

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End NotesIf I could convey only one piece of knowledge about the art of corsetry, it would be that cor-

All corset makers – professional or otherwise – have their own ways of doing things, devel-oped through their particular experience and

‘competition’; it’s simply about what works

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Corsets and Crinolines,

Waisted Efforts: An Illustrated Guide to Corset Making,

Corsets: A Cultural History,

Corsets: Historic Patterns & Techniques,

Pattern Cutting for Lingerie, Beachwear and Leisurewear,

Corsets: A Modern Girl’s Guide,

Underwear Fashion in Detail,

Foundations of Fashion, The Symington Corsetry Collection, 1860–1990, -

The Fashionable Lady in the 19th Century,

Forties Fashion and the New Look,

Bound to Please: A history of the Victorian Corset,

Jul ia Bremble

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Julia owns and runs the popular online shop

making and sewing supplies for the home corsetiere and crafter and provides free

behind the be-

Trained in pattern cutting for fashion, Julia is a self taught cor-setiere who has applied a study of anthropometrics to her unique brand of corsetry in order to create exceptionally well fitted and comfortable corsets for the

Specialising in, but not limited to corsetry, Julia works alone from her home studio in Oxfordshire,

works locally and further afield, creating corsets or outfits for any

Julia teaches corsetry and dress-

writes a sewing blog recording her professional and recreational sewing pursuits, including pattern

Read all about it at The House of