"To claim to be on the cutting edge of technology, first you must be willing to sharpen it." Mark Garbarczyk

For this article I will have a rest from bra making and share some hints and tips for corset making (my other interest and business) that will save time and give you some new ideas.

 

Many of the techniques in this article require a high degree of safety awareness, as you may find yourself using such diverse tools as soldering irons, naked flames and bench grinders (although not all at the same time.) Do remember to take reasonable, common sense precautions to ensure your safety. This information is provided for your entertainment only, and neither Mark, nor Foundations, nor Harman Hay Publications can be held responsible for exactly how you use it. Please be careful.

 

 

How to Make and Use a Cording Needle

At university we were shown how to do corset cording using the zipper foot method, but when I was researching the history of the corset I learnt that the Symington corset company of Market Harborough used a 45cm (18") long needle to pull hemp twine into stitched cording channels. I tried this method, found it much faster than using a zipper foot, and now I use a needle all the time for cording corset panels.

To make such a needle you will need:

• a length of "Piano Wire"
• soldering iron plus electrical solder
• small metal work smoothing file
• emery paper (wet or dry paper)
• surgical spirit (rubbing alcohol)

The piano wire I am referring to is not the string of the musical instrument but high carbon steel "springy" wire that can be obtained from model making shops (model making as in model airplanes, boats and cars). It comes in straight metre lengths and SWG thickness. SWG stands for "Standard Wire Gauge" e.g. 8swg is thick and 20swg is thin.

You will need a 46cm length of 16swg or 18swg piano wire for one needle.

First, clean the wire with surgical spirit to remove any oil or grease, then cut the wire to length with a large pair of electrician's wire cutters (it's hard stuff). Using a pair of "snipe nosed" or "radio" pliers, bend 1cm of the end over to form the needle eye. We will join the eye with solder.
The trick with successful soldering is keeping everything clean, so before you plug in the soldering iron make sure the tip is clean. Use a file to clean the tip. Now plug in the soldering iron and give it a few minutes to warm up fully. When warmed up, apply some solder to the tip to "tin" it.
Apply the soldering iron where the bent-over wire end touches the rest of the wire, then apply the solder and allow the melted solder to run into the gap. Do not apply too much solder or you with fill in the eye of the needle with it.
Allow the needle to cool down and use a file to remove any excess solder from the joint. Smooth with emery paper and clean with surgical spirit. Your needle is now ready to do some cording.
To cord a corset panel, start with the paper pattern for the corset panel.  Punch small holes through the pattern using hole punch pliers at the start and end lines of the area to be corded. Place the pattern on a sheet of paper and draw a rectangle around the pattern about 1.5cm to 2cm bigger than the corset pattern and mark through the cording area holes. Draw lines through the marked cording area holes to the edges of the rectangle.
Cut out the rectangle. This will be used as the "first" pattern for the corded panel. Place the rectangle on the corset outer fabric, mark around, and transfer the cording area lines to the fabric. Now mark the rectangle onto a lining fabric. Light cotton fabric is perfect for this. Cut out the fabrics and put the two rectangles together. Now sew the required number of straight parallel lines of stitching 5mm apart to fill the cording area. Do not sew the lines of stitches all in one direction but work back and forth just like a farmer ploughing straight furrows back and forth across a field. This will help to stop the two fabric rectangles from "creeping" out of alignment, which can be a big problem when using the zipper foot method for cording.
After sewing, thread up your cording needle with a good length of cord / twine / string and pass the needle plus cord between the two fabric layers and lines of stitching, cutting the inserted cord to length after each pass, until you have corded all the stitched channels. Take your original corset panel pattern and place it on the corded fabric rectangle. Align the pattern to the cording using the holes you made in the pattern. Mark around the pattern onto the corded fabric. Back to the sewing machine, and tack stitch just inside the corset panel pattern markings on the fabric. This will hold the edges of the fabrics together and will secure the ends of the cords.  You can now cut out the corded panel and sew it to the rest of the corset.

When you have tried the needle method I think you will agree that using a needle is much quicker than using a zipper foot. In my example I have done diagonal cording for the bust area of a "Pretty Housemaid" Corset but needle cording can be done in any direction, across panels and up / down corset panels. Look at the corded hip panels on my recreation of the "Pretty Housemaid" Corset pictured above.

A Quick Way to Tip the Ends of Corset Bones

If you are making corsets to sell, then the process needs to be quick as you cannot afford to hang around getting bored "watching paint dry". I am referring to using tipping fluid. For this tip (sorry) you will need to go to an electronics DIY shop or electrician's supply store and ask for "Electrical Heat Shrink Sleeving".

In the UK you can buy Heat Shrink Sleeving from the chain of electronics DIY shops with the same name as the holiday camp in the classic UK TV comedy show "HI DE HI" (sorry, I do not give out free advertising!). 

Heat Shrink Sleeving is basically soft flexible plastic tubing. When heated with a flame or hot air gun, its diameter shrinks by as much as 50%. The tubing comes in different diameters: 5.0mm diameter is good for 5mm to 7mm wide steel boning, or take a sample of your boning along to try against the tubing. The tubing need not to be a tight fit on the end of the bone as when you heat it up it will become a very tight fit and will grip the end of the bone.

To use Heat Shrink Sleeving, start by preparing the ends of the bones.

Cut the bones to length using tin snips. If you have trouble cutting steel boning, hold one handle of the tin snips in a vice and put a length of steel tubing over the other handle to increase your leverage.

 

 

 

Now you need to round of the ends of the bones using a metal work file. Better still, use a grinding wheel, but REMEMBER TO USE EYE PROTECTION WHEN USING ANY CUTTING OR GRINDING POWER TOOLS! Hot metal fragments can fly into your eyes as fast as a rifle bullet.

Grip the bone firmly in your hands and, resting the end of the bone on the "tool rest" in front of the wheel, gently feed the bone end up against the rotating wheel; use a slow arcing movement to round of the end of the bone. 

The profile you are after is a gently curve, not a half round or you will have problems with flossing later.

 

To fit the Heat Shrink Sleeving you need a candle and a bowl of water. If you are tipping a lot of corset bones, invest in a hot air gun instead of using a candle.

Cut the Heat Shrink Sleeving into 2cm to 3cm lengths and put a length of sleeving onto the end of the bone so that some of the sleeving overhangs the bone end.

Now hold the end just above the candle flame - not in the flame or you will melt the tubing. Rotate the bone as the tubing shrinks. 

While the tubing is still hot, dip your finger and thumb into the bowl of water and "pinch" the overhanging tubing flat or use a pair of pliers. Tip the other end of the bone and put to one side to cool down as you tip the next bone. 

 

When you have shrunk tubing on to all of your bones, trim off the flattened overhanging tubing with a pair of scissors. Try to leave a very small amount of flattened tubing to keep the end of the bone covered.

 

 

Your bones are now ready to go into your corset.  You can also use large diameter heat shrink tubing on the ends of a busk fastening if you have to cut the fastening down in length.  I can tip a complete set of corset bones ready to go in the corset in less than 10 minutes - better than watching paint dry!

Fray Stop and “Flame Testing” Fabrics Here goes: My name is Mark and I am a smoker (disgusting habit, there, I said it for you ;D ) but it means that I always have a cigarette lighter handy to stop thin strips of fabric from fraying. To give you some examples: You have got some suspenders / garters to sew onto the corselet that we drafted a pattern for earlier and you would like to sew on to them some ribbon covers. If you just cut the ribbon to length and sew it on, the ribbon would start to fray in no time at all. But if after you have cut the ribbon you run a lit cigarette lighter quickly very close to the cut edge you can stop the ribbon from fraying by melting just the edge.   BUT this only works with synthetic fibre fabrics (more of this in a second).

 

You can also use a cigarette lighter to stop the cut ends of bra strap from fraying, but it can be a bit smelly to do as you are melting the ends of the rubber cores in the strap. (Do it outside, or in a well-ventilated room!)
You can stop corset laces from fraying at the ends by cigarette lighter flaming and then quickly rolling the end between your finger and thumb. This also makes it easer to fit "boot lace ferrules" to the ends of the laces.

 

Fibre Content

Lastly with cigarette lighters, have you ever had some fabric that you did not know the fibre content of?

Is it synthetic or natural?

Get out the cigarette lighter and have a cigarette and do a quick Flame Test.

WHEN DOING A FLAME TEST, TRY NOT TO BREATHE IN THE FUMES AND DO IT OUTSIDE! NOT IN THE FABRIC SHOP!!

Cut off a small corner of the fabric and set light to it. First observe how the fabric burns:

If it burns with a "spluttering" smoky flame that tries to go out then the fabric is synthetic or has a high synthetic content. Now wet your finger and thumb and put out the flame, if you feel a plastic stickiness to the burnt edge then the fabric is synthetic or has a high synthetic content.
If the fabric burns with a smooth continuous flame, then the fabric is natural or has a high natural content. Now wet your finger and thumb and put out the flame, if there is a dark sooty deposit left on your finger and thumb and the burnt edge of the fabric is dark / sooty then it is natural or has a high natural content.

 

Please remember that this flame test is only a rough guide to fibre content. 100% wool can sometimes give a "spluttering" smoky flame that tries to go out, but there should be no plastic stickiness to the burnt edge; it is, after all, animal hair.

 

Eyelet Platform Reinforcement 

The Victorians did it with cardboard, but you can do it with soft, thin plastic strips. I am talking about reinforcing the eyelet platforms (the area of the back of the corset where the eyelets are set through).

Yes, Victorian corset makers did put thin strips of cardboard between the layers of fabric in some of their corsets to strengthen the eyelet area. Cardboard?!? Remember that the Victorian corset makers also sometimes used twisted paper strips for cording.

The thing with this technique is to get the right plastic. It's the sort of plastic that white dishwashing liquid bottles are made from, soft, flexible and not too thick. In fact, you can use dishwashing liquid bottles if you cut around the bottle to give you a 10mm to 15mm wide strip of plastic. I have managed to get hold of some large sheets of a soft thin plastic that I think is intended for gluing to the tops of work surfaces to make non-slip table tops, but I have found that strips of it are perfect for eyelet reinforcing.

Start by marking and cutting out your strips of plastic. The width of the strips depends on the size of eyelet you are using. I usually use 5mm eyelets in my corsets, so I make the plastic reinforcing strips 12mm wide. You can use a ruler to mark out straight strips, or to save time, you can use a woodworking "Marking gauge" to quickly score the plastic.
To use the Marking gauge, cut a straight edge on the plastic then set the metal "spur" (point) of the gauge to the width you require, use the thumbscrew to lock and unlock the block, move the block along the shaft to set the size.
Now run the Marking gauge along the edge of the plastic letting the metal spur score a line on the plastic, cut off the strip and score another strip.
To sew in the plastic strips use the same technique as sewing in a busk fastening. Place the strip in-between the outer fabric(s) and lining fabric(s) of the corset and, using a zipper foot on your sewing machine, sew along the edge of the strips. Feel the edge through the fabric as you sew.
Now you can punch the eyelet holes through the fabric / plastic and set your eyelets. To punch 5mm eyelet holes I use a modified file paper two-hole punch.  I have taken apart the punch and removed one of the punch blades so that the punch only cuts one hole at a time.
I also use a small amount of "Fray Stop" glue around the holes before setting the eyelets with a press. This process sounds long-winded, but I have never had an eyelet pull out, even under the strain of tight lacing.

 

Guides for  Bias Binding Tape and Bone Cases

I'm always in favour of speeding up laborious processes (except where it makes people redundant). Marking out strips of fabric for bias binding tape and bone cases can be tedious, but making a set of wooden guides for the purpose only takes seconds.

 

The first thing you need to get hold of is some thin plywood or hardboard, 3mm to 6mm thick and at least a metre long. Some DIY stores sell thin plywood for re-facing kitchen cupboard doors to change their look or to "skin" internal panel doors.

We will use the woodworking marking gauge again. Now check the instructions that came with your bias binding tape maker as to how wide the strip of fabric needs to be cut, and set that width plus 2 mm on the woodworking marking gauge.

 

 

 

Run the marking gauge along the straight edge of the plywood, letting the metal spur score a line on the plywood. You can run a pencil along the score line to make it easier to see.
Take a fine cut wood saw and carefully saw along the score mark. Lightly rub it down with sandpaper, then wipe with a cloth to remove dust and your marking out guide / ruler is ready for use. If you have a set of bias binding tape makers then make a set of guides. Here is my set: 6mm for seam tape 12mm for corset bone cases, bias binding tape and seam tape. 18mm for bias binding tape and wide corset bone cases. 25mm for corset hem bias binding tape and double bone cases. 10mm hem binder sewing machine foot.
For bone cases and seam tape that do not stretch, mark and cut your strips of fabric along the grain / weave of the fabric. Use a "T" square or set square to align the tape guides to the selvedge of the fabric.
For bias binding tape that gives or stretches slightly, mark and cut your strips of fabric "on the bias" at 45 degrees to the grain / weave of the fabric. Use a 45 degree set square to align the tape guides to the selvedge of the fabric.

When you have cut out your fabric strips, cut the ends at an angle. This will help you to thread the fabric into the bias binding tape maker. With the bias binding tape maker on its back, pull through about 2cm of fabric and using a hot steam iron (test the fabric first) press the folded fabric flat.   Then turn the tape maker plus fabric over and slowly pull the tape maker along the fabric as you press the fabric tape flat with the steam iron. Now you can sew on the bone case or hem binding tape.

 

Some Tips on Sewing Machines

You good people may think that I have a workroom at home full of trick industrial sewing machines for making intimate apparel. Wrong! All the garments I have sewn together for the website articles were sewn on this machine, so you do not need a "fancy" all singing, all dancing expensive sewing machine to follow the bra making articles.

I picked up this domestic Toyota machine a while ago, second hand for £20 (US$30)!! I just oiled it and gave it a good clean before putting it to work.   

The main features of this machine are that firstly it is completely made of metal; even the internal "cams" that give the different stitch patterns are metal. Next, it has the three important stitch patterns needed for sewing bras: straight stitch, single step zig zag and the very important three-step zig zag.  

Plus the "swing" of the needle when sewing zig zag can be adjusted. The "swing" of the needle controls how wide the zig zag stitch pattern is, not to be confused with stitch length.

 

If you are wondering why I do not have any industrial sewing machines in my workroom at home, it is because I have wooden floorboards and neighbours. As some of you may not know,  the large electric motors fitted to industrial sewing machines run all the time, even when you are not sewing,  so the noise would be a bit too much in my house.

But the industrial sewing machine wish list for my home workroom would include a three-step zig zag machine. It has a rotating arm mechanism for the needle thread to give consistent stitches at high sewing speeds.

The other industrial sewing machine that would be high on your wishlist for bra and corset making is a true "Twin Needle" machine. You can fit and use a twin needle to a domestic machine, but the two needles share a common bobbin thread.  With the industrial twin needle machine the two needles have separate bobbins so you can sew two separate rows of stitches in one pass.  This ability is so useful for sewing on underwire casings to bras, sewing on seam tape and for corsets, and sewing bone cases.

The machines can be fitted with different spacing of needles for different applications and the machines can also be fitted with guide plates for feeding continuous tapes and casings. So cool!

 

Here's one major maintenance tip for sewing machines, besides the obvious one of keeping the machine oiled as per the manufacturer's instructions. If you do a lot of sewing, unscrew and lift off the needle plate that covers the feed dogs at least once a week.
Then clean out all the compressed lint, fragments of thread and other dust from in-between the rows of feed dog teeth with a toothbrush. This will keep your machine feeding the fabric through smoothly and consistently. All the dust and lint that collects under the needle plate stops the feed dogs from rising up completely to "grasp" the fabric under the foot.
At the same time as you have the needle plate unscrewed, remove the bobbin case and the bobbin race and use a small ½" (13mm) paintbrush to clean out the bobbin racetrack. As the bobbin race and track cannot be oiled, you must keep them clean so that they run smoothly.
On oiling industrial sewing machines: If you go and buy an industrial sewing machine, before moving it check that the "oil sump" under the machine is empty. Before using the machine make sure there is sufficient oil in the machine. A lot of industrial sewing machines have a sump for a large quantity of oil just like a car engine, something to take into account before you have an industrial machine in your carpeted workroom! Lastly, if you would like an industrial sewing machine for home use make sure it comes with a Single Phase electric motor. In the UK that's 250 volts, not Three Phase, which takes 415 volts!!  Mark

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