In this article we will be looking at the cutting and marking process.   This process is often undervalued, but it is key to ensuring that the construction of the corset runs smoothly and the fit gained during the toile process is maintained. Anyone who has been unlucky enough to stitch a panel in upside down (it’s easily done when using a new pattern) will attest to how important this stage is. Most of the techniques used here were borne from the bitter experience of mistakes made in the past, so in a bid to help you avoid my mistakes, we’ll take a look at this stage in some detail.

If you have followed the previous articles (part 1, part 2, part 3) you should find yourself with a correctly fitting toile and two sets of panel pieces (one for the left side and another for the right side of the corset).   Be sure to carefully transfer any adjustments from the toile over to the relevant pattern piece(s). You’ll find guidance on how to do this in the Planning Out Boning Channels article. Speaking of which, be sure to transfer your boning channel placements over to your panel pieces. If I have placed a boning channel next to the seam or used the seam allowance to form the boning channel then I do not transfer these over, as I use the seam as a guide for boning channel placement, but I do make a note on the pattern pieces where a boning channel is placed next to the seam. For those boning channels that are not next to the seam, be sure to transfer their position accurately, as we will be using the pattern pieces to place the boning channels on the coutil.

I have redrawn my panel pieces onto new card (again) to ensure that the details are easy to follow in the photographs. You do not need to do this.

As you can see I have drawn squiggles along the inside of the boning channels, this is so that I don’t get confused between boning channels and spaces in between them when the boning channels are bunched together. I also find it helps to colour-code your markings. That way you don’t get confused between the grain line and a boning channel, which is easily done.

 

My toile fitting was pretty simple; the fit only required a small reduction in the hip of panels 13, 14 and 15 on the left side. I have lowered the top edge of the corset for panels 14 and 15 (on both sides) to ensure the top edge does not sit too close to the underarm area – it’s a personal preference. I also adjusted the waistline slightly as it sat too low on my hip. If people would like a tutorial on how to make adjustments for waistlines that vary in height I will be happy to include it (let me know in the comments section below).

Materials and Cutting

To demonstrate the techniques involved in the construction of a two layer corset, I will be using coutil for the outer layer and cotton for the lining layer. I will be making three of these corsets at the same time and may use photographs showing different coloured coutil layers if it better displays the detail I am discussing. Where this has been used, I will label the panel pieces in the same manner.

The first thing we need to do is cut out the panel pieces:

From the coutil we will be cutting two sets of the following:

(One set for the left side, one set for the right side of the corset)

• 2 x Panel 11 (front panel)
• 1 x Panel 12
• 1 x Panel 13
• 1 x Panel 14
• 1 x Panel 14
• 1 x Panel 15
• 1 x Panel 16 (back panel cut on the fold)
• 2 x Bust Gussets

In total you should have 20 coutil pieces.

From the lining fabric I will be cutting two sets of the following:

(Again, one set for the left side and one set for the right side of the corset)

• 1 x Panel 12
• 1 x Panel 13
• 1 x Panel 14
• 1 x Panel 15
• 2 x Bust Gussets

You should have a total of 12 lining pieces.

Now if memory serves, the pattern directs you to cut differently: IGNORE THIS!

It also directs you to cut additional pieces, IGNORE THIS AS WELL!!!

The additional pieces are to strengthen the layers of fabric when inserting eyelets and the busk, two parts of the corset that will come under a lot of stress when the corset is laced on. But because we are using two layers of coutil at these points there is no need: the coutil is plenty strong enough to handle it. It will also serve to keep our layers to a minimum, making construction simpler and the corset less bulky in those areas.

For this example I will be using the freezer paper technique to cut out my panel pieces because I am making three of these at the same time and it will cut down on time spent drawing round the panel pieces. I also prefer this method because it makes the process of transferring the marks and notches on to the coutil much simpler and quicker. If you don’t have freezer paper, you can draw round the panel pieces directly on to the coutil and cotton. But be sure to read through the next few sections to be sure you don't miss any important points.

So on with the cutting:

First, draw each panel piece onto the freezer paper. Be sure to copy carefully the numbered notches, the grain line and the waistline. Don’t worry about the boning channel markings; we won’t be using them yet. Roughly cut out each panel piece. I usually draw onto the freezer paper with a pencil or a pen, but I will be using a thicker pen to ensure that the markings are visible on the photographs. You will need to draw all of the panels listed for the coutil cutting plan and in the same quantities. So, for each side of the corset, draw the following on to your freezer paper: 

• 2 x Panel 11 (front panel)
• 1 x Panel 12
• 1 x Panel 13
• 1 x Panel 14
• 1 x Panel 14
• 1 x Panel 15
• 1 x Panel 16 (back panel)
• 2 x Bust Gussets

 

As you can see, I have used the straight edge of the freezer paper as the straight edge of panels 11 and 16. With careful placement there is usually very little waste.

Next, press your coutil. Be sure to press along the direction of the grain but don’t “drag” the fabric as you go. This will stretch it out of shape. Let it cool for a few minutes. Make sure your coutil is facing right side up and place one of the freezer paper panel pieces on the coutil.

Herringbone coutil has a very distinctive pattern formed by two adjoining rows of slanting lines. (photographing the weave of the cream coutil was impossible, so here is an example of a herringbone weave in two tones). To place your panel piece on the fabric correctly, position it so that the grain line drawn on the panel piece lines up with one of the lines created by the herringbone design where the two rows of vertical lines meet (the red lines on this image). Careful study of your fabric will reveal the lines made by the weave, and it is important that you follow this line precisely.
Start by placing your freezer paper on the coutil (right side up) and make a small mark at the top and bottom of the panel piece.
Then make a small notch where the grain line is on one end.
Remove the freezer paper. Line up a ruler along the line with the grain line notch – do not draw along this line.
Follow this line until you reach the mark you made to present the other end of the panel piece. Make a mark there to represent the grain line of the coutil.
Place your freezer paper back onto the coutil and line up the grain line on the freezer paper with the grain lines marked on the coutil. Hold in place and run a warm iron over the freezer paper. Don’t apply pressure with the iron, start at one end of the panel and in one fluid motion gently move the iron to the other end of the panel. The warmth of the iron will melt the wax underside and the weight of the iron will smooth the paper as you go.  Once you have done this, gently run the iron over the freezer paper in small circles to ensure there are no air bubbles – it’s rare but it does happen. Do not use steam – the freezer paper does not like it at all.

Repeat the process for all other freezer paper pieces.  Remember that for panel 16 you need to fold your coutil in two and place the straight edge of the panel piece on the fold. Use the weave of the coutil to ensure your fold is straight and on the grain line.

Next cut out the panel pieces. Be sure to cut accurately.   I find a rotary cutter is perfect for the job, while others prefer scissors. Use what best suits you. 

A top tip to ensure that you keep the dimensions of the coutil pattern pieces the same as the carded panel pieces is to draw the outline of panels using a very thin pen or pencil and then cut along the inside edge of the marking. The narrow nature of the line will ensure that your focus remains on the edge and cutting on the inside edge ensures that your coutil piece hasn’t gained a millimetre or two around the edge. (These can soon add up and result in your fit being off by an inch or more. For example, this corset has twelve panels, and if you add 1-2mm to the sides of each panel that means your corset will be 1-2 inches bigger than you had expected! If you trim off 1 -2mm then your corset could be 1-2 inches too small! Often it is not the initial body measurements, but a poor level of drawing/cutting accuracy that is responsible for poor fitting corsets. So don’t rush this step.)

If you are drawing around your carded panel pieces, be sure to include the numbered markings and waistline points to the outline of the panel.

Labelling The Panel Pieces

Before you pull off the freezer paper you need to label your panel pieces and transfer the numbered notches and marked waistline onto the coutil.

I use a light box to do this for every colour fabric except black, which gives me a headache. It’s really easy to make your own light box, and cheap too. There is a fantastic article on Quilting-Tidbits.com. From experience – use thick Perspex instead of glass and be sure to use plastic frosting like Fablon Plus to defuse the light and prevent headaches. If you don’t have a light box to hand you can hold your panel piece up to fairly bright light source and the markings will show through or simply peel off the freezer paper, turn it over and place on the wrong side of the coutil. I find the light box method much quicker. Simply switch it on, place your panel piece on it (freezer paper side down) and get tracing. Here’s a photo of one of the bust gussets on my light box, as you can see the markings show up easily on the back side. Right, a marked panel.

Marking Advice:

• ALWAYS check that your chosen marker is removable and doesn’t damage your fabric in the process. (It may well say “disappears with water” or“vanishes after a few days” but I have a top that I worked on day and night for two weeks that still has blue blobs in all the wrong places.) Also check the effect that ironing has on it, some simply disappear, others become permanent markings and others are unaffected. I prefer to use chalk on everything except white or very pale fabrics. For those I use Prym Aqua Trickmarker which readily dissolves with a little water. For this article I will mainly be using my Prym marker to ensure markings are clearly seen in the photographs. 

If you are using a vanishing pen, check how long the ink lasts for to be sure it will stay legible for long enough. If it doesn’t then use small tailor tacks over your markings (most likely to be the waistline, unless you plan on cutting the panels out and waiting a few days to start stitching). Be extra careful with fabric pencils: some are difficult to remove (if not impossible) and then can bleed through to the right side during cleaning.

• It is important to transfer all of the numbered notches on to your coutil. Not only do they guide you when it comes to working out which panels are stitched together, but they are also important for ensuring you stitch the panel together the right way up! This is why keeping numbered notches above the waistline is important.
• Wherever possible, draw your numbered notches and waistline on the wrong side of the fabric. If something goes wrong when it comes to removing your marks the worst of it will be hidden from the outside of the corset.
• Make sure you label each panel piece with the panel number and the side of the corset it belongs to. Do this inside the seam allowance in one of the top corners, that way you will know which end is the top of the corset. It can be all too easy to get confused at times. The Silverado helpfully has gussets and keeps almost all notches above the waistline for just this reason. I learnt this lesson and the one on testing your marker the hard way: I made a beautiful white corset, but I made some of my markings on the outside of the corset in pink fabric pencil that refused to disappear!
• Double check that you have transferred all the notches to your coutil and numbered them correctly– you can easily forget one or mislabel one, as I did for this article!
• If you are caught short and need to make markings on a pale coloured fabric, you can draw a very faint line with a soft pencil and then tacking stitch over it. Remove the pencil mark with blue tack or an art putty rubber.

Repeat the process to cut out the required lining panels.

When you have finished, peel off the freezer paper and sort the coutil pieces into separate groups for each side. Keep the freezer paper as you can reuse it several times.

Boning Channels

Next we need to mark out our boning channel placement for all the boning channels not placed next to a seam. It is much easier to do this before you stitch your panels together. You will find a variety of methods for marking out boning channels in the article “Planning Out Boning Channels”. You will need to draw the boning channels onto all the panel pieces except those labelled Panel 11 (it’s easier to use either the inserted busk or the seam for additional boning channels if you want them). At this stage, do not mark out the boning channels that surround the eyelets if you have had problems in the past.   I will be demonstrating how to make the boning channels for either side of the eyelets in the next article.

There are a variety of ways to create your boning channels. The article Perfect Boning Channels discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a number of them and also gives instructions (some using video) on how to create them. If you have had problems with boning channels or are using these instructions to create your first corset I would recommend using the "Two Layer Cheat" method.

Now it’s your time to choose. Do you struggle to line up your twill tape or internal boning tubes? Have external boning channels got you pulling your hair out?

I’m going to leave the decision about what boning channels to use in the next article up to you. So, would you like to see:

• external boning channels
• the inner tube method
• or the two layer cheat method?

Put your preference in the comments to this article and I will demonstrate the method with the most requests in the next article. If it’s a close call between two types of boning channels I’ll demonstrate both if people want.

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Next Time....

Next time we will make the corset ready for its first fitting, finalise the length of the top and bottom edges of the corset and, of course, attach the decided boning channels.   We’ll also be looking as issues regarding waist tapes.

If there are any specific areas you would like covered in the Silverado Series (I’m trying to cover everything I can think of for a two layer corset) or anything you would like to take a closer look at, please let me know in the comments section below.

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