When I decided to make a new 1830´s corset, I thought a lot about the lacing first. My old one had a back and front lacing; nevertheless, I had trouble to pull it over my hips or my head, struggling with all that mess of lacing cord. I asked my husband for help, but every closure more complex than a zipper causes him shaking and sweating hands. This year I´m going to join our summer ball alone, with no helping hand available. Searching the internet, I found this interesting self-lacing 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) 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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cycling with a corset, is impossible? With one of my half-bust corsets, I couldn´t imagine. But with an underbust corset? Let´s try it! Especially love that gorgeous ribbon corsets. You´ll find a lot of examples on the internet, also in Norah Waugh´s “Corset and Crinolines” there is a pattern for a ribbon waist cincher.
Constructing the pattern:
First I put on a good-fitting corset, above an old T-Shirt. Then my husband wrapped me up firmly with duct tape. Mark the center front and back precisely, also mark your desired gap at the back, the length and width of the busk, and the location of the iliac crest. On Originals the location of the side panels is not exactly at the sides, but a little bit more in the front.
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/157929
Now cut carefully along the center front and back. Place the halves on a plain area and adjust your markings as needed.
Mark your pattern pieces and transfer them to a sheet of paper.
This is how your pattern looks like now, it is essential to mark the parts exactly.
My ribbon has a width of 7 centimeters, therefore I mark the front and back parts the position of the ribbons accordingly. Also mark the width of your busk, the position of the lacing, and the tunnels for your boning at the side panel.
Now trace the single parts for the ribbons, number them exactly, and ad 3 centimeters allowance at the ribbon parts. For the other parts only add 1.5 centimeters.
Cut the ribbons, I prefer to use the rotary cutter.
Mark the seam line, then pin the single parts together and baste. (The trick marker from Prym disappears by itself after a few days.)
Cut out lining for the busk, side part, and lacing of coutil fabric with seam allowance, sew to ribbon parts, fold seam allowance to coutil parts, and topstitch. It is important not to cut back seam allowance, later on by sewing the tunnels the ribbons will be stabilized.
Fold the upper and lower seam allowance of the side and lacing parts to the inside and press.
Now cut again parts from the coutil which will be faced with your Satin ribbon. Therefore cut side parts without seam allowance at all, lacing parts without seam allowance on the upper and lower edges, and also at the edge for the ribbon part. At the busk part leave seam allowance just at the edge for the ribbon part.
My satin ribbon has a width of 7cm therefore I can cover my side part in one piece. If your ribbon is narrower sew two parts together. Pin exactly to the side part of the corset and topstitch. Leave one edge open (red arrow). Sew tunnels. I made 5 tunnels but only 3 bones will be inserted.
At the back (lacing) sew parts of the coutil together with the sateen ribbon between. Open seam allowance, iron. Fold in the upper and lower seam allowance of facing. Fold the sateen ribbon around the edge of the coutil and sew like a side part. Sew tunnels, and leave open upper edge.
The busk part is a little bit more complicated to sew. At the right front edge mark Position for the loops. Sew the front edge, skip gaps at the right edge, and sew along the left front side without gaps.
At the upper and lower edges of the busk part mark the end of the busk, ad about 3/16″ (1/2cm) and sew with small stitches. Cut back seam allowance and turn inside out. Insert busk, at left side mark Position for the posts. Make holes with an awl and pop posts through the holes.
Fold the sateen ribbon around the coutil edge, sew like side part and lacing part. Sew busk in place, use your Zipper foot, and sew as close as possible.
At the back part mark the Position for the grommets and insert them. Insert boning and close upper edges. Insert lacing.
If your corset hits you at the breast bone sew a little pad and fix it with some stitches at the upper edge of the busk. Finished!
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