Last month you read how we created an Edwardian style toile from a pattern drawn on a fitted bodice block for my lovely model “K”. Prior to that, we had draped the design directly onto an S-curve mannequin and have also considered the difference between the two patterns (mannequin and model).

This month, we are going to alter our pattern in an effort to emulate the archetypal “Edwardian” posture for a modern body, whilst also considering the question of comfort.

(Search for "Hearts" in the search box at the top of the page to see the other articles in this series.)

 

The Individual Body

Working with “K”, I know her body quite well by now. I know that we can push and manipulate certain parts of her torso, but not others. “K” has broad hips and a good curve on the side-back. She suits a flat-front midbust very well, and is perfectly capable of arching her back having no health issues, though it is an unnatural stance for her.

My only real concern in altering the pattern to encourage “Edwardian” posture is that it may prove uncomfortable or unsafe. It is worth reconsidering what we mean by “Edwardian”, however, and how the individual’s body may affect the end result.

Figure 2: the elegant Camille Clifford	Figure 3: a 1905 fashion illustration. The proportions are accentuated to reflect contemporary notions of beauty	Figure 4: variations on the 1903-1904 silhouette

 

If we look to this image found on Wikipedia (figure 4), we can see that whilst there is a wide variety of decorative finishes for corsets circa 1903-1904, the basic shape is repeated throughout each design. The wealth of angled seams and simple gussets also suggests that our Kops patent is rather unusual in its design.

Now, the ever-developing designs throughout Edwardian corsetry may seem rather daunting! For some of you, historical accuracy will be paramount. For others, the historical functions simply as a reference point for inspiration. Follow your own individual interpretation and have fun! Think about the end use of your garment and the individual body it is for.

 

Summary of the Work So Far

The key thing we have learnt from looking at the two initial patterns and fashion illustration from the time, is that the seams must shift and slope differently in order to be attractive once the wearer is holding an “Edwardian” posture.

We created a quick computer sketch to further explore how an arched back and tilted torso may require the seams to fall in different places. Figure 6: LEFT: The sketched pattern on the bodice block with ordinary posture. MIDDLE: this photoshopped image pushes “K” into a tilted posture showing us that the seamlines have now shifted into less attractive placements. RIGHT: the red sketched lines roughly show where the new seams must fall.

Figure 5: TOP: Pattern 1 draped on the mannequin, BOTTOM: Pattern 2 drawn on the bodice block.

 

We then made the toile based upon the block and designed for ordinary posture (figure 7). “K” was not able to arch her back in this corset, so we could not mimic the S-curve. But when she tilted her torso forwards, it became easy to see how the seams that were previously so pretty and harmonious were now sloping in the wrong direction. Likewise, the steels that were practically perpendicular to the floor were now at an angle to it (figure 8).

This tells us that a huge part of mimicking this style will be reconfiguring the seams and boning placement to look correct once tilted.

Figure 7: last month’s toile, multiple views.

Figure 8: LEFT: last month’s toile in ordinary posture. RIGHT: last month’s toile with tilted posture

 

Visualizing the Changes

The first step is to look again at the first toile (worn tilted) and compare it to the original patent diagrams.

If we also look back to the diagrams, we can see that Shield 1 wraps further around beneath the Heart than on “K”s toile (see figure 1). If we could achieve this in our altered pattern, it would accentuate the bust-to-waist slope.

We will also need to allow “K”s spine to arch more easily. We could perhaps manually bend the centre-back flat steels and/or give extra fullness to the back-hip and upper back. I am finding it helpful to visualise our corset as allowing the movement rather than forcing it. In other words, if we construct a corset designed to hold the desired shape smoothly, our model will find that any other posture creates wrinkles and or uncomfortable pressure. Therefore, the corset will encourage a certain posture.

Having visualised some of the changes required, we can now proceed to alter the flat pattern.

Figure 9: last month’s toile, with tilted posture.	Figure 10: Kops 1906 patent, side view

 

Altering the Pattern

I traced out the pattern onto a fresh sheet of paper in light pencil.

I then printed out a copy of figure 8 and outlined the changes required (figure 12). You can see how some of those changes are purely aesthetic (eg: I have added more curve to the top edge of the bust, and cut into the side hip so that the lower edge has a quirky curve to it), whilst other changes are functional (eg: I’ve split the centre-back piece into two so that the back can be given extra curve).

Most of the changes are a combined consideration of form and function, giving prettier seam lines and hopefully contributing to the shaping we want.

Essentially, I have re-worked this pattern by thinking of it in terms of proportion, fullness and line. As the pattern already gives a good fit, we can attempt to re-distribute certain points by slicing and adding here and there.

Figure 11: the lightly traced pattern with reference images.	Figure 12: the red lines denote the changes I wish to make to the flat pattern.

 

First, I needed to alter the central Heart. It provides no shaping, but is the key feature of the design and so must be attractive! I had made my Heart more plump and rounded than Kops, but on reflection would like it to be somewhere between those two extremes.

When looking at the original patent, you may have noticed that the slope of the Heart and first Shield really accentuate the waist, and this is something I wish to emulate. Figure 13 shows the altered heart and first seam (the black line), in comparison to their original positioning (the broken red line). The slope of the shield was also altered (figure 14), and you can begin to see how when shifting seams I have attempted to keep the overall proportion correct. In other words, if I remove half an inch from one point, I must add it on elsewhere, unless I actually want to reduce the measure at that part.

I then brought the first seam (over the hip) of Panel 1 forward about an inch, as it seemed to be sitting too far back (figure 13). You can also see how I’ve altered the lower edge, simply to give a more interesting and curvy bottom line (figure 15).

Figure 13: Panel 1, altered.	Figure 14: the altered first shield insert.	Figure 15: the altered first panel, at the hip.

 

The inch that was trimmed from the hip of Panel 1 was added to the lower front part of Panel 2 (figure 15), whilst the hip seams of Panels 2 and 3 were given ¼” (6mm) extra space to encourage curve at the back hip (figure 16).

The top sections (ie: around the ribs and underbust) of Shields 2 and 3 were given a touch extra space (figure 18) as our first toile was a bit too tight at the upper back causing spillover (figure 7), and were cut lower.

Panel 4 (the centre-back panel) was then broken into two, allowing us to take a tiny amount from the back waist and add about an inch onto the back hip and upper back, thus allowing for more curve through that section of the torso (figure 19).

Figure 16: Panel 2, altered	Figure 17: Panel 2 and Panel 3, the side-back hip, altered for extra curve.	Figure 18: Shields 2 and 3, altered for extra space.	Figure 19: Panel 4, now broken into two.

 

We can now see the altered pattern in full. There are quite a few subtle alterations, plus a couple of huge changes. At this stage, I feel it is often better to be bold about your changes as they can be refined later on. For example, the shield inserts may now be slightly incorrect but it will be easier to fix them once on the body than it would be on the flat.

As for the back half of the corset, we may need to add even more curve through the seams in order to create a profile that better matches Kops’ diagram. This extra space may allow “K”s shoulder blades a bit more movement so that she may pull them back and downwards (opening up the chest for a bosom that Camille Clifford and the Gibson Girls would be proud of!)  whilst also giving the back hip more room, allowing the body to settle into the required posture.

Figure 20: the pattern, altered to encourage “Edwardian” posture. This will now be referred to as “Pattern 3”.	Figure 21: Pattern 3 with the reference images we worked from.

 

Stitching the Toile

As noted last month, getting a completely smooth and attractive finish with these extremely curvy seams can be a challenge.  For this toile, I decided to try a couple of different techniques and focus on the new shaping more than anything else.

I traced out the pattern pieces, leaving the shield inserts without a seam allowance and giving the main panels a ¼” seam allowance where they meet. We are going to use an ordinary seam where the main panels meet, and an abutted seam for the shield inserts.

 

Figure 22: a clear demonstration of how certain seaming techniques lay more smoothly than others.	Figure 23: the traced pattern pieces.

 

The first noticeable difference is Panel 1. I have left the Heart insert intact within the panel. As the Heart insert provides no shaping, this is another way of approaching it as a decorative motif.

As we have also already considered one way of inserting a busk and front modesty panel, I have opted to make this toile with a closed front. The seam allowance is folded out of the way on the pattern and the canvas is cut on the fold.

Prior to cutting the canvas, the heart outline is re-drawn from the other side of the paper (figure 24) so that once placed on the canvas I can transfer a faint pencil mark which is then made more solid (figure 26).

This is repeated on the other side of the centre-front line, and I also drew in the CF and waistline as reference points.

Figure 24: re-drawing the heart on the paper pattern.	Figure 25: tracing the heart onto Panel 1.
Figure 26: re-drawing the faint outline of the heart on  Panel 1.	Figure 27: Panel 1.

 

I cut the other pieces as normal (figure 28), and also made a front facing (figure 29) for Panel 1. This isn’t strictly necessary, but I prefer to sandwich steels here than use interior casings as it means the steels can be butted up against one another in lieu of a busk.

Figure 28: the cut canvas pieces.	Figure 29: Panel 1’s front facing.

 

 

Now that we have Panel 1 for a closed-front corset, we can consider another way of approaching the final corset. Perhaps you would like a closed-front, to really show off that heart?

Cutting a separate heart may be unnecessary. Using appliqué, bias binding, or decorative stitching you could embellish the heart in any way you wished, without wasting time with superfluous seams.   For this toile, I have simply stitched around the heart shape with a red thread (figure 30), so that I can keep further decoration in mind and ensure my heart is the shape I want it to be.

The front facing is then pinned in place, with a waist tape sandwiched between the layers.

I stitched down my CF pencil line and either side of it to make some channels for flat steels. As the front of this design is so flat, I’m choosing to use more steels rather than less. Hopefully this will help give us the straight-front required of this corset.

We now need to insert Shield 1 into Panel 1. We do this by making abutted seams.

Figure 31: lining up the waist tape and facing.	Figure 32: stitching boning channels at centre-front, in lieu of a busk.

 

Abutted/Strapped Seams

An abutted seam requires no seam allowance. The two raw edges are butted up against one another and supported by tape on either side of the join. The tape “straddles” the seam and this technique can be seen in some existing historical corsets.  A beautiful reinterpretation of this technique can be seen on The Staymaker.

I started with the left-hand side using a narrow strip of straight tape. On this side, I ensured the raw edges of the pieces were fitted together exactly, even where it was apparent they needed altering. This will make any patterning errors clear.

The tape was placed behind the shields and topstitched down. It becomes apparent very quickly that straight tape (which I have used for supporting straighter seams in toiles) is not suitable for these extreme curves.

You can see here how the straight tape does not want to lay at all flat. It may be worth trying the process in reverse next time (ie: stitching the tape into the negative space first, pressing the tape, and then applying the shield insert).

Panel 1 was then butted up to Shield 1 on top of this tape and topstitched in place, starting from the waist to help line things up.

 

Figure 33: shields 2 and 3 with the tape stitched down. You can see it curling over the edges of the curves.	Figure 34: stitching the tape in place on Panel 1.

As Panel 1 has a back layer, the tape was sandwiched between them as shown in figure 35.  You can see that for the reasonably straight sections of the seam this method works very nicely (figure36), but it begins to fail at the strong curves (figure 37).

 

 

 

Panel 2 was treated in the same way, except at the hip where Panel 1 has a ¼” (6mm) seam allowance. This was stitched over the first ¼” (6mm) of the hip on Panel 2. The seam at the hips of Panels 2 and 3 was stitched to the outside before Shields 2 and 3 were inserted.

Figure 35: the tape sandwiched between Panel 1 and its facing	Figure 36: the top half of the seam between Panel 1 and Shield 1, nice and smooth.	Figure 38: the hip of Panels 1, 2 and 3.

 

The rest of the corset was constructed in the same way, except that I tried using bias tape for the abutted seams on the right-hand side of the corset. On this side of the corset, I worked more intuitively, allowing the raw edges to sit apart from one another where the patterning wasn’t matching up. This will allow us to see clearly where the pattern needs altering at fitting stage (ie: any “gaps” where the bias tape is visible, or any sections where the edges want to overlap, are sections where the pattern needs altering).

This bias followed the curves more smoothly and with a bit of pressing I was able to get a flat enough surface for joining the pieces together. Whether bias tape would give the stability we require is yet to be seen.

Panels 3 and 4 have a ¼” seam allowance going their full length, so we can use this as a way of comparing the solidity of the seaming technique.

At this stage, we can already begin to see some of the aesthetic changes we have made. The heart and topline are more full and fluid, whilst the first shield inserts also flow in a more attractive diagonal slope towards the lower centre-front of the corset.

If this were a proper corset, you could now do some hand-stitching to secure the abutted seams further. A baseball stitch, for example, can be helpful. You would then proceed to cover the seams properly. Here, we have simply finished the seams by straddling them with more narrow tape, this time from the outside of the corset. I have used narrow bias strips of canvas, made using a bias bar (figure 42), but on the final corset these strips could be a different colour or fabric if you wished to highlight the shaping of the seams. It would probably be prudent, however, to stick to something very strongly woven such as coutil, to give your seams as much stability as possible.

Figure 41: the new toile in-progress (top) and the old toile (bottom).	Figure 42: stitched bias tubes of canvas and a narrow pressing bar.

 

More on Seams

When “strapping” reasonably straight seams on an unlined corset, you could hand-stitch the raw edges together first, and then baste your strapping in place on both sides of the corset, before machine stitching to secure. This will give a neater finish inside and out.

Alternatively, last month reader “faerieloch” suggested overlapping the seams and then carefully pressing the tiny seam allowance under (on the outside of the corset) and topstitching them down. I haven’t yet had opportunity to try this, but I will keep FR updated if I get the chance!

As the curves are so extreme, I pressed the bias tubing roughly into the shape required before stitching it down (figures 43, 44 and 45).

Figure 43: placing the bias tubing.	Figure 44: manually curving the tubing	Figure 45: pressing the bias so that it holds the curve.

 

 

I found that the difficulty with the straight tape still made itself apparent when stitching down the bias tubing.

Quite simply, there were certain parts where my stitching didn’t properly catch the straight tape, or where the stitching was too close to the raw edge to be very secure. So whilst the seam coverings look quite nice, I’m convinced that the underlying failings of the straight tape will not hold up to lacing for very long…

Then lastly, the lacing panels were stitched as per last month’s article.

 

Casings

Interior casings were applied on the right-hand side of the toile and exterior casings were applied on the left-hand side, so that we can begin to consider and visualise possible aesthetic choices for the final corset. I also made a conscious choice to use a white thread for this toile to see if it significantly alters the character of the corset compared to the black stitching on our previous toile.

Flat steels were used throughout the bulk of the right-hand side, whilst a minimum of spirals were used on the left. I angled the flats quite dramatically, in a bid to get them close to vertical once on the tilted body. If we refer back to figure 4, the design in the bottom far left of the image shows very clearly how the corset would be expected to tilt slightly forwards, be completely flat at centre-front, and have steels placed as vertically as possible.

At centre-back, I manually shaped the flat steels. Once they were in place, I heated them with my iron (figure 47), bent them slowly over my tailor’s ham (figure 48), then used my hands to make a final, more forceful bend (figure 49) so that the end result is a very definite but gentle bend at the waist, rather than a kink.

Figure 47: briefly heating the steels. Perhaps not necessary, but it seems to help.	Figure 48: using the tailor’s ham to begin gently bending the steels.	Figure 49: the completed bend

You can see that I’ve ensured the two sides line up together. The flat steels further out from centre-back were also gently bent in this way. We want the corset to retain and encourage a particular shape, even before it’s on the body. The grommets were then inserted and the toile was good to go!

 

Fitting the Toile

Well, the fitting proved interesting… Again, apologies for the rushed lacing, finding time with “K” is rather tricky at the moment!

 

CONSTRUCTION: As anticipated, the seams supported by the straight tape were not very strong at all. For working with dramatic curves, straight tape appears to be a big no-no. Still, I’ll try anything once! This technique also relies upon very strong fabrication, and my toile’s canvas (which rips very easily) just isn’t up to the job. As a result, the left-hand side of the toile split in a couple of places making us hesitant to lace the toile fully closed as intended and affecting how well we could assess fit. You can see how the failing construction and fewer steels on the left-hand side have made that half almost useless in terms of assessing the shape, though it has reiterated the importance of using toile construction methods and fabrication that are as close to the real thing as possible!

We can also see the effect of forcing the raw edges of each pattern piece together. Those ridges and bumps on Shields 2 and 3, in particular, illustrate clearly how the patterning isn’t quite right on those sections. The left-hand side does also confirm, to me, that exterior casings wouldn’t give the look I wanted for this corset.

The right-hand side, by comparison, is much more pleasing. By approaching seaming more intuitively on this side, I have created a smoother fit and this shows us clearly where the flat pattern needs alteration. Again, look to the seams around Shields 2 and 3. Can you see how the shape and size of those inserts needs altering slightly?

The right-hand side is also holding up very well against the stress of lacing. I may produce a test design using bias cut coutil to strap the seams and see how the bias holds up to a few hours of wear.

STEELS: The extra flat steels created a completely flat centre-front, again pushing the body into the needed posture. The addition of manually shaped steels at back encouraged “K” to arch her spine and this is the crucial difference. Our first toile could be worn with a tilted posture, but without that curved centre-back there was nothing to encourage “K” to arch her spine and pull her shoulders back. The steels around the side-seam of the right-hand side proved too dramatically angled (as I'll demonstrate below), and their placement is affecting how smoothly the hip sits.

COMFORT: “K” felt that this toile put more pressure on her waist (especially at the back) than the previous one. As a result, she was inclined to arch her back slightly away from the pressure. Depending upon your point of view and aims for the garment, this is both a success and a failing.

MOVEMENT: Again, range of movement was limited slightly, but probably more so than in the first toile.

SHAPE: This toile does give a more “Edwardian” shaping from the side view, but the difference is not hugely dramatic. The addition of front garters may apply a degree of pull to the corset, helping encourage that forward tilt even further, whilst more curve could be built into the back of the corset if appropriate.

DESIGN: We can being to see how certain changes (specifically altering the shape of the Heart and Shield 1) have given a more attractive look to the toile. The trick to assessing your toile is visualising the knock-on effect any changes will have, so that you can ensure you fix any flaws but also retain the features that you like.

“ORDINARY” POSTURE: “K” was quite uncomfortable in ordinary posture as the back of the corset put excess pressure at her waist. It was possible for her to stand up straight, but not something she was inclined to do.

 

Further Alterations: Are they worth it?

Having assessed the new toile there are a few pattern changes that I could make to get smoother shaping, whilst it is also clear that reverting to a previous construction method would also vastly improve the corset. The bust could be tightened again by about an inch (figure 52), the topline smoothed out (by truing the seams) and given a prettier curve at the back (figure 53), the shield inserts would be re-traced directly from the toile so that they fill their negative spaces fully and the curve of the lower edge could be altered slightly as per individual preference (figures 54 and 55).

The steel placement also needs alteration. I initially angled these steels very dramatically towards centre-front in the hope that “K”s tilted posture would bring them back to vertical (ie: they would be perpendicular to the floor). I did overwork it though, as they do not need to be quite so angled. The blue pen lines in figure 56 show a better idea for steel placement.

Figure 52: the blue pen lines show where the topline would be smoothed out and the bust tightened up a touch between Panel 1 and Shield 1.	Figure 56: altered steel placement.

Figure 53: the arrow shows where I would raise the curve of the back by 1”.	Figure 54: you can see the wheat coloured bias showing where Shields 2 and 3 don’t fully fill out the spaces they must fit into.	Figure 55: the front curve of Shield 1 needs to be filled out slightly, and the lower edge altered for a prettier line.

 

Pattern Comparisons

If we look back to the mannequin’s draped pattern (Pattern 1), the model’s first toile (Pattern 2) and her second toile (Pattern 3), we can learn some interesting points.

 

 

What we have learnt:

• We get a prettier slope to the front seamlines if we angle Shield 1 more dramatically (as per Patterns 1 and 3).
• We can create extra S-curve at back by breaking the second Shield insert (Pattern 1) into two pieces (Patterns 2 and 3).
• We can create extra S-curve at back by breaking the centre-back panel into two pieces (Patterns 1 and 3) and manually bending the steels.
• Top and bottom style lines can be altered as per your individual tastes.
• The Heart insert provides no shaping (ie: it is purely decorative) so we can alter its shape as we see fit.
• When altering “K”s pattern to give more of an S-curve (Pattern 3), it begins to resemble Pattern 1 more (draped on the “Edwardian” mannequin). It subsequently becomes less comfortable to wear.

 

Conclusions

As shown in figure 58, we have gone through a couple of stages bringing us closer to mimicking the Kops’ silhouette for a modern woman’s corset. With the first toile we looked at the shaping of the panels and thought about posture. With the second toile, we have built upon the idea of creating a rigid corset that encourages the required posture. And at each step, we have played with construction technique, so that we can select and avoid certain methods as appropriate when working with unusually curvy patterns.

 

 

This most recent toile has shown us that building a corset that encourages the “Edwardian” posture is certainly possible, but that there are compromises to be made. It has also shown us how certain construction techniques can fail dramatically, again reinforcing the importance of toiles and product development.

But with regards to shaping, I do not personally think that the extra bit of “Edwardian” flavour is worth the compromises. Looking at figure 58, it is tempting to pursue Pattern 3 further, as it certainly holds a more beautiful outline (when viewed from the side) than Pattern 2. But based on “K”s experiences in the toile, the difference in aesthetic is just not worth it for an uncomfortable end product. Especially when other options such as padding can give a similar effect. Whether an S-curve back is appropriate may depend greatly upon the individual requirements and physique of your client/model.

I do, however, much prefer the slope of Shield 1 (and the shaping of the Heart) on this toile. If we continue with this design (as I am really keen to see it turned into a final wearable corset!) I would either work from the first toile or do a new draft from a new bodice block. This new version would therefore have the more modern, comfortable shape that “K” requires, whilst allowing me a second chance to draw in more elegantly sloping seamlines on the front pieces.

Having constructed this toile using four different techniques, I would probably choose overlapped seams reinforced on the outside with bias tubing for the final corset and perhaps look to creating a vertically-seamed lining layer (as suggested by Kops’ other patents) as it seems the cleanest way of concealing those interior raw edges. I would then sandwich the layers and stitch through them to create the bone casings and use flat steels throughout (possibly manually shaped over the side seams to give an instantly nipped-in waist, but definitely not shaped at centre-back).

 

Opportunities for Creativity

You can also view these intersecting shapes as opportunities for creativity. Think of side-lacing stays, removable busks, lacing angled upwards or downwards, detachable bust sections and even girdles… how is their lacing different? How does the position of the seams affect the lacing placement?

What might happen if you were to finish the edges neatly between Panel/Shield 1 and Panel 2, then insert eyelets over the full length? What about lacing sinuously snaking around the outline of every shield insert? Or perhaps you could have three rows of vertical lacing, by finishing the new seam between Panels 3 and 4 in an identical manner to centre-back? In many respects, sections laced together would be easier and stronger to construct than our curved seams are proving to be!

 

In Summary:

• Mimicking unusual patterns can be as simple as drawing their outline on a bodice block!
• Creating modern approximations of period silhouettes/postures can be done, but there are often compromises to be made.
• Fitting numerous toiles allows you to make deliberate, informed choices about the final corset.
• Placement, type and treatment of steel boning can be altered to suit the function of the corset. For example, manually bent steels may be useful when making late-Victorian dished-front corsets.
• Unlike with “ordinary” vertical seams, if those curved sections do not match up correctly, the fit and shaping will be horrible! Take the time to get the patterning right with repeat fittings.
• Comfort is crucial and construction is there to be explored!

 

Addendum: Further Thoughts on Seams

Just as this article was about to be published, I decided to try just one more seam technique. When overlapping the seam allowances last month, I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t a lapped seam work?” and then quickly decided that the curves would be too extreme.

But I may have been too hasty! Lapped seams are a neat and common way of constructing single-layer corsets. Two methods are described in Jema Hewitt's recreation of an 1890s corset on FR, under the headings "Seam technique" and "Seam technique 2". Here is a very quick test to try lapped seams on a dramatic curve by a third method.

Firstly, I cut a curve through a piece of canvas and then stitched guidelines on each part. One side has a 3/8” (1cm) seam allowance and the other has a 5/8” (1.5cm) seam allowance (figure 59).

The 3/8” (1cm) seam allowance was pressed inwards (figure 60). You can see how the curve has “points” as I haven’t notched it here (for your proper corset you could notch the seam allowance and take your time pressing it over to ensure a smooth curve). This piece is then lined up with the 5/8” (1.5cm) stitched guideline and topstitched down (figure 61).

Figure 59: two opposite curves, with guide stitching.	Figure 60: 3/8” seam allowance quickly pressed inwards.	Figure 61: overlapping the pieces so that the stitching guidelines match up.

 

The inner seam allowance is trimmed and the 5/8” (1.5cm) seam allowance is folded and pressed under to encase the raw edges (figure 62), then stitched (figure 63). Again, this would be considerably neater if you took your time! You may also want to consistently topstitch from the outside of the corset to ensure an even finish.

Et voilà! A potentially ideal way of constructing those curvy seams (figure 64). I may build upon this further by trying narrower seam allowances and possibly trying the Past Patterns method too. It’s a strong seam, but I want it to be completely smooth. Dealing with the “peaks” between the shield inserts may be fiddly, and it may be worth considering some structural/decorative flossing over these points.

Figure 62: the 5/8” seam allowance folded and pressed to encase the raw edges.	Figure 63: stitching the folded edge in place.	Figure 64: the completed seam.

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