Author Archives: Rotraut

How to line a hem

To achieve the perfect shape for your vintage skirt more support than just flatlining the skirt with cotton fabric is needed, especially the hem line needs additional structure. Depending on the choosed fabrics and materials the skirt will be washable or not.
In extant dresses often buckram is used, not only to reinforce the hemline, sometimes every single skirt panel was interfaced throughout to achieve the desired shape. Buckram is still available, but can not be washed. When I made this skirt, I decided to use a washable and light weight hair canvas from polyester fibers.

After cutting all pattern pieces from fashion and lining fabric (and of course a fitting with the panels basted together to determine the hemline), prepare the hem interfacing the following way: Take your pattern pieces (with all adjustments transferred) and mark the seamline. Draw another line circa 8″ (20cm) parallel to the seamline. Cut out this 8″ (20cm) wide hem-shaped strips and transfer to your stiffening fabric. For a hemline of several meters , you´ll needed to piece the strips, joining them with a simple overlapping seam (don´t forget to add seam allowance)
Place the skirt lining on top of a table with the wrong side up, and mark the hem line. Line up the interfacing with this line.

Sew the interfacing to the lining along both edges, circa 3/8″ (1cm) parallel from the edge. Turn the the hem allowance around the edge of the interfacing and stitch down the hem.

Next step is to flatline the fashion fabric: line up fashion fabric and lining, wrong sides together, and baste the two layers together inside the seam allowance. From her on treat the two layers as one and sew together the skirt as usual.

To finish the seam, turn the seam allowance of the fashion fabric around the edge of the lining towards the gament inside and fell or catch stitch to the lining. Cover the raw edge with a twill or a velvet tape.

Basic skirt for early bustle

I found a lovely fabric in a marvelous color. But what would it look best? I decided to make an early bustle dress. First I started with a basic skirt.
The upper fabric will be lined with cotton fabric and worked as one layer. Historically not correct I neatened the edges with my serger.
The skirt has a front and back part and two gores on each side. On the left side, I made a pocket between the two gores, on the right side the closure with a placket.

The front part and side gores are joined smoothly to the waistband, the back part is shirred to cartridge pleats and sewn close to the waistband.
For the cartridge pleats fold the seam allowance of the back part to the inside and iron. Mark the depth of folds and sew with a strong thread. Two rows with a distance of 1cm (3/8”) are enough. First I chose 1cm for the depth of my pleats but later on, I decided to make the pleats 1,5cm (5/8”) deep for fitting the waistband.

At the waistband do not use any interlining. Sew together the upper fabric and lining right sides together and turn inside out. The seam allowance of the lower edge would be folded to the inside of the waistband.
Historically correct fold the seam allowance of the upper edge of the skirt to the inside and iron. Lay on the waistband to the upper edge, right sides together and sew the waistband with small stitches to the skirt.

At the back part shirr fabric by pulling the threads firmly. Sew fold by fold to the waistband very closely together.

Sew on hooks and eyes and hem the skirt – ready!

Tools needed to make a corset

Additional to a strong fabric like coutil and facing fabric you need for sewing a corset some other materials and tools.
1. Tools
2. Spiral wire + End caps, plastic coated steel boning
3. Busk
4. Waistband, bias binding
5. Grommets (Eyelets with washers) and lacing

1. Tools

1) Metal shears for cutting metal boning, 2) Punch pliers, 3) Wire cutter for cutting spiral wire, 4) Awl, 5) Pliers for endcaps, 6)Tool for setting grommets 7)Grinder or rasp (optional)

2. Boning

Today as an alternative to whalebone mainly to kinds of boning are used. One side plastic coated metal boning, the other is spiral wire. I do not recommend synthetic whalebone or stuff like Rigilene for a classic corset.

You can buy boning in different length, but also continuous. With continuous boning you can cut your boning exactly the length needed. Boning should be about 1 ¼” (3cm) shorter than the boning channel, that you can sew on your bias binding without problems.

Metal boning is cut with metal shears, optionally you can bevel the corners with the metal shears or round ends with a sander or grinder.

Ends must be coated otherwise they would destroy your fabric. You can buy end caps for metal bones but they slip of easily. On the internet you find a variety of tips coating the ends. I can´t recommend using adhesive tape, you can´t insert your boning easily and ends of boning can cut through the tape.

I tried coating with polymer clay, it is getting crumbly over the years and harden in the oven is a little bit tricky with longer boning. I tried coating with hot glue, but it isn´t a good option too.

My favorite is coating the ends with white acrylic lacquer. Dip ends into the lacquer about 5/8” (1,5cm) and let them dry. Turn over boning in the first few minutes some times that you won´t get beads. After drying repeat process. If you get beads that doesn´t matter, just sand them.

Spiral wire is cut with the wire cutter. The spiral contains of two wires twisted together, so you always have to cut two wires. For coating ends use end caps and press them to the ends with pliers.

3. Busk

You can buy busks in different lengths and widths. The narrower metal busks are more flexible and softer than the wider ones. About 1873 spoon busks appeared, narrow at the top and getting wider, like a “spoon” at the bottom. Modern spoon busks are only slightly curved, in the past they were curving into the waist achieving the desired hour glass silhouette. Spoon busks are more rigid than other busks.

The length of the busk is fixed when you do your mock-up. Always try to sit down.

4. Waistband

At waistline there is most tension of the corset, therefore it is reinforced with a waistband. You can choose between a cotton twill tape or a grosgrain ribbon. The band shouldn´t be too wide 3/8” – 1 ¼” (1,5 – 3cm).

Before using cotton tape iron hot to shrink.

5. Grommets and Lacing

Grommets (eyelets and washers) are inserted along the back edge for lacing the corset. You always should use eyelets with washers. I prefer to use grommets with a hole of 4mm. The holes for the grommets I cut with punch pliers. At the area of the waist grommets will be set a little bit closer together than at the top and the bottom, because of the higher tension at that area.
Insert grommets with a setting tool.

Laces for corsets you can buy from cotton or polyester, ready cut or by the meter. The lace should be long enough to put on the corset comfortable.
You can fuse the ends of the lacing with a lighter if it is polyester, for cotton laces you can use heat shrink tubing.
Laces from polyester slide a little bit easier through the grommets, I prefer cotton lacings, because I lace up my corsets by myself.

Paletot 1876 – How to Part 2

Part 1 / Teil 1

5. Close collar facing at center back sew to collar piece, right sides together. Trim seam allowance and clip curves. Within the range of your velvet appliques sew seam allowance with a cross stitch to outer fabric, be careful not to stitch through appliques. Press collar edge so you won´t see your seam at the outside.

6. Hem:

For the hem facing cut a strip of fabric 3 1/8” (8cm) wide, 67” (170cm), size 18-26 (EU 44-52) 79” (200cm) Long. Pin lining and outer fabric of collar at hem line, right sides together, fold front edge seam allowance towards lining. Fold in seam allowance of the loose end of collar facing. Pin facing strip to hem line, at collar seam overlap collar facing.

Sew hem, don’t catch lining of pleats. Trim seam allowance, clip corners and turn right side out. Fold in upper seam allowance of strip and sew with a felling stitch just to lining, spread fullness when needed. Press pleats again.

Fold in seam allowance of collar facing and sew to collar seam. Lay excess fabric to a little fold at bust point.

7. Close back seam of sleeve, make gathering stitches at sleeve head. Close front seam, press. Mark and sew velvet appliques to cuff as described before. Close side seam of cuff and cuff lining. Sew cuff to cuff lining at upper edge, right sides together, trim seam allowance. Turn inside out, press edge so you can´t see the seam from outside. At velvet appliques fix seam allowance with a cross stitch to the outer fabric like you did before at the collar.

Sew cuff lining to cuff. Trim seam allowance exactly to 3/16” (1/2cm), fold cuff hem neatly to the inside of sleeve and stitch down (see profile)

Set in sleeve according marks. With a modern sleeve you will spread most of the fullness to back armhole and sleeve head. This is a Victorian sleeve, at the back armhole insert the sleeve quite plain, spread the fullness at the sleeve head between shoulder seam and forearm pitch. Sew sleeve lining and insert to sleeve. At the armhole attach at seam allowance. At hem fold in seam allowance and sew to hem allowance of cuff. Cover with a velvet ribbon.

8. Sew on Hooks and Eyes, sew velvet placket to the inside of left collar piece between first and last hook. Measure waistband and sew to seam allowance of center back, sew on hooks and eyes in front.

9. Face stripe of velvet 79” x 6” (200 x 15cm) with sateen lining, bevel ends at an angle of 45°, make a bow and sew to center back.

You can by the pattern for this jacket here

Paletot 1876 – How to Part 1

Promised in spring, now the time has finally come. A pattern for a Victorian jacket (paletot) based on a model from “The Bazaar” from 1876. This is a small guide with many pictures intended to support the sewing pattern.

First, cut out all pieces, the lining for the back piece ends at waistline. The pleats will be lined with a separate stripe of fabric. The back, side back and side front are flatlined with lining fabric and processed like one layer in the further. Serge the edges together, that later on nothing will slip while sewing. Interline collar, placket and outer cuff.

At corners of back and side back (waistline) mark seam allowance exactly and sew side back to back, end at markings. Open seam allowance. Sew side of pleat to side part, be careful to stay within seam allowance meeting seam at upper edge. Open seam allowance and fold pleats, press. Sew side front to side back, open seam allowance, seam at center back is still left open. Close shoulder seam.

Prepare embellishment for the collar. Take your collar pattern piece and mark triangles, ad 3/8″ (1cm) seam allowance and copy. Number pieces. Cut 2xvelvet + 2xlining each triangle. Sew velvet and lining, right sides together, at the point use a small stitch. Leave short edge open. Trim seam allowance, turn inside out and press.

With velvet side up topstitch 5/8” (1,5cm) distant from edge, topstitch again at a distance about 1cm (width of presser foot) until the triangle is filled.

Attach triangles to collar piece. Topstitch with your sewing machine between edge and first stitching. Sew along edges with small hand stitches. The triangle at the center back will be attached later.

4. Sew collar to side front, fold seam allowance toward collar, trim the inner part of seam allowance.

Sew back parts together, take care to match collar seam exactly. At the bottom stop exactly in the corner at waistline. Open seam allowance and sew the last triangle to center back of collar.

Attach velvet ribbon close to collar seam.

Close peplum at center back and open seam allowance. Take your stripe of lining and baste it to upper edge of pleats, fold pleats and press. Turn in seam allowance at the sides of strip and sew with a felling stitch to seam allowance of outer fabric.

Part 2 / Teil 2