Last month I showed you how I drafted a corset to my measurements following the 1868 patent as a guide, making the first mock-up and making changes to the pattern from that fitting.

I decided to make my second mock-up less like a mock-up and more like the actual thing, but using cheaper materials, since I hadn’t received all my boning and supplies and I needed to have a finished corset to wear under a Victorian dress. This would give the added benefit of allowing me to wear the corset to test its comfort level before cutting into my more expensive materials!

For the final corset I decided that I would use more of the techniques explained in the patent (or attempt to do so, as much as I could) and use spiral and spring steel boning and corset coutil.

So for mock-up number two, I chose to use a “drab” colored light weight denim and use the small cable or zip ties doubled up for the boning, with larger cable ties in the back for the lacing.

I decided to make it a double layer corset and sandwich the boning between the two layers, as this is how it appeared to be done in the patent as well, though I knew I was deviating from the boning placement a bit since I would put a bone on either side of each seam.

I started by cutting just one layer out first. I put it together similarly to the first mock-up, again trying two different approaches to the hip gore. For both trials I assembled the two fronts and the side pieces together, then I attached the hip gore, matching the front/bottom pieces first on one side and then on the other, starting at the side/back piece and working forward. I then attached the back piece to each side. I wanted to see, with the new hip shape, which way worked better.

At this point I basted my fitting aids back on so I could do a quick try on to see if my adjustments were working as they should, especially the hip gore adjustments.

Here are the results of that trial. Ignore the bust as I was wearing a bra under my shirt which caused the bust not to fit exactly as it should. One side of the hip lay much more nicely than the other at the back corner. This was the side where I started at the back and worked forward attaching the gore. Otherwise I was happy with the fit! The adjustment to the hip gores made a big difference: they were comfortable and left room for displacement from my waist. They were a little too long and baggy on the bottom, but I would cut them down before binding it, so that wasn’t a big deal.

At this point I could move on, knowing that my second mock-up, and hopefully the final corset, would work!

First I would have to undo one side of the corset and re-do the hip gore like the other. When that was done, I cut out the other layer and assembled them in the same manner, pressing and clipping all seams open. I was planning on using the same technique that is used in the Laughing Moon Silverado/Dore corset instructions, which is to insert the busk between the two layers, then with right sides together attach the back edges and flip the corset around. Then you’re supposed to baste through the seams of both layers and sew your boning channels. (I always refer back to the article “Flexible Busk Insertion” when setting busks, it just explains things so well!)
It turns out I wasn’t as precise as I should have been when sewing the individual layers and so my seams were off just a bit, which caused some wrinkling and buckling to the lining layer, unfortunately. Being precise when sewing separate layers is so important in corset making and when you’re trying to go fast, it sometimes shows. I’ll go over the method I’ve since discovered that I think is best, as well as what I now think the original patent probably used, in just a bit, and with this technique, you won’t need to worry so much about how straight or even your seams are.
For now, from the right side I “stitched in the ditch” down each seam so I could put boning on either side. It didn’t line up perfectly on the lining side, but I did what I could to make it work as best as possible.
At this point I also needed to decide something about the original patent. There are sewing lines on the hip gores that look to be the same as the boning channels above them. Does that mean there was boning in this hip gore? It seemed possible, but who knew if it would be comfortable. I wouldn’t be able to do that with cable ties since they wouldn’t flex the right way, so I decided to wait and try it on my final corset when I could use spiral steel in it. For now, I stitched a channel there, even though I would leave it empty. Next I stitched boning channels to fit my cable ties on either side of each seam and across the side piece diagonally, as well as channels for the bones on either side of the lacing.

I determined where to place the diagonal bones on the side piece by referring to the drawings of the patent and just guessing what that angle might be while making sure I could fit three bones in the space. I used a great method to stitch a straight line for the side channels by placing masking tape (crepe or painters tape to some of you) and then following it as a guide, stitching close to, but not on it.

All that was left was to insert the grommets and bind the top and bottom edges.  I marked a slightly heart shaped center front (as the busk I used was a little smaller than the pattern), as well as marking the hip gores, following where they fit along my hip best. I used bias binding made from the same fabric as the corset and machine stitched it on.

For fun and for practice, I added flossing to all of the boning channels in a pretty pink perle cotton.

Overall I was still really happy with the shape it gave me. It’s the most waist reduction I’ve been able to get with a corset (or stays) and it seemed to be pretty comfortable. It didn’t feel like the bones were digging in to my waist very much as I’d worried about.

I made a ball gown bodice to fit over this corset for an event I had coming up. This allowed me to try out the corset for the night doing more than just sitting or standing around. I found by the end of the night that the boning was a little uncomfortable, mostly the bones on the side back, especially the point where they ended dug into my little love handles there.

But I wondered... if I had boning in the hip channel, would it help things at all? Or might I make the boning continue all the way to the bottom of the corset, over the hip?

 

The Final Corset

Now it came time to approach the final corset, hopefully employing more of the techniques used in the patent.

First, I tried to analyze the fuzzy lines of the “cross sections” and binding diagrams included in the patent drawings. Unfortunately the copy we have is not very clear. Obviously this corset was made from two layers, one of which is referred to as the “lining”. And as far as I could make out, all of the seam allowance was pressed to one side of the seam and top stitched together.

The description appears to indicate that the cording was placed on the side of bones not next to a seam, because it seemed in the cross section that the side of the bone with the seam was much bulkier.

In trying to figure out how exactly they would have assembled the corset I thought at first that the outer layer and lining were assembled separately and then top stitched together. And then I ended up modifying this for my own construction (which still is not how I think it should have been done) by assembling the coutil layer, top stitching all the seams and then mounting the silk layer on top, piece by piece, top stitching the seam allowance to one side as I went along.

But this is all wrong! There is a much simpler answer that I can’t believe I didn’t think of before! (I think this is because I was thinking in terms of separate layers) What was probably done, and actually seems like it would be a very fast construction method (important when you’re making a large number for retail) is to work in this order:

1. Insert busk between fashion layer and lining.
2. Now, with right sides out of front pieces, pin and sew both lining and fashion layers of the bust piece, right sides to each front piece (wrong sides facing out) so that you have four layers that go like this:

Fashion Layer of Bust Piece Right Side Down

Fashion Layer of Front Piece Right Side Up

Lining Layer of Front Piece Right Side Down

Lining Layer of Bust Piece Right Side Up

3. Now flip the Bust pieces over so they are wrong sides together, right sides out and top stitch along the seam (clip any curves as necessary first and press). You’re stitching through 6 layers of fabric at this point technically because of the seam allowances. But this creates a super strong seam and leaves you with all your allowances to one side of the seam.
4. Continue along toward the back piece the same way for each seam, though I would probably add hip gore in the same manner (four layers together, top stitched after ward), before adding the back piece to both the gore and side piece as one.
5. Then turn the back edges under the amount of the seam allowance and top stitch to finish.

Now you’d add the boning and cording channels, though it would make more sense for the cording, at least, to do this as you went along before adding the hip gore so the cord could easily be inserted. This also means that your boning channels would always be on the left side of each seam on the right side of the corset and opposite on the other, which is how it is in the patent diagram!

Suffice it to say, I’d started my corset in a different matter before figuring this out. It was too late, but it’s definitely going to be the way I make my next corset. I think it would work for pretty much any style of corset.

I’d decided to use a pretty rose colored silk for the outside of my corset with the top stitching in cream silk thread. The white coutil will be my lining layer. I started with the coutil layer. I stitched the front, bust and side pieces together, clipped and trimmed the seams and then top stitched each one to one side.

 

I decided that I would change the boning channels to deviate from the placement on the patent, which would mean deciding which way to top stitch the seams. There would be one on either side of the bust piece, and the side back bone would run along the whole back piece. (Remember, I thought that it might be more comfortable if the boning in the back went all the way down the corset, rather than stopping at my waist, which is why I placed it on the back panel piece instead as the hip gore would have prevented a channel.)

Next I attached the hip gore to the top pieces and top stitched the seam. Last was adding the back piece and top stitching that away from the back.

Next I cut out my silk pieces and flat lined each one with a light weight, though tightly woven, cotton by basting them together with quilting basting spray (I tested it on my fabric first and sprayed the cotton, then laid the silk on top). I wanted to make sure the boning wouldn’t cut through the silk or snag it.  I started by inserting the busk in the front panels again, following the same steps as in the Flexible Busk Insertion article.

Next, I attached the bust piece to the front piece of silk, wrong sides together as normal.  I clipped the curves and trimmed the seam allowance a bit and ironed the seam allowance toward the bust piece. I then laid the silk on top of the coutil to check if the seams were evenly lining up and then and top stitched through all the layers. I repeated this process for the side piece.

 

Then I attached the back pieces wrong sides together to the coutil layer, clipped the seam allowance and pressed them out, then stitched the boning channel for the back edge.

 

At this point, I figured out the space for my grommets and stitched the other boning channel as well, as it would stabilize the back piece. I used the same masking tape method for this line of stitching as well.
Then I clipped and ironed the seam allowance in for the side piece in and then top stitched it in place over the back silk piece through all the layers.

 

Now came the hip gore! I clipped and ironed all the edges of the gore’s seam allowance. Then I machine-basted the top silk pieces down to the hip gore, careful to keep my stitches in the seam allowance so they wouldn’t show once I’d attached the gore.

 

I then pin basted the silk layer to the coutil layer and carefully top stitched the back down and then the curve to the top pieces, making sure to keep everything straight and even.

Now that the silk was fully attached to the coutil I could start the boning and cording channels. In the end my attempts to get cord into the channels failed (which is why I suggest doing that before attaching the hip gore), so I sewed them anyway as decorative top stitches in the same manner as the patent, on each side of the boning channels that weren’t next to a seam.

There are great articles on FR about inserting cords into other corsets, (Fanning's 1878 Corset, 1880 Corded Corset) maybe one of the techniques would work for you.

Here's a closeup view of the masking tape method for marking the boning channels.

 

I inserted my spiral boning (only on one hip gore for now), set my grommets (I chose to space two closer together at the waist level to aid in the waist reduction) and was able to try it on and see how it looked and felt.

The hip gore on the left in the picture is the one with boning in it. I found that I actually liked the boning in the gore. It seemed to lessen the feel of the ends of the boning of the top pieces. I also liked the extended boning down the side back.

The back looks wrinkly but this is because the silk pulled when I made holes for the grommets with my awl. The fibers are stretched tighter along the lines of the grommets. I might add another bone on the side of the inner lacing bones to see if that would alleviate it, but I’m not sure it would help. There is also a little wrinkling along the back of the side panel but I think this may have been inevitable, even in the original. This corset just doesn’t have that much boning. 

Once I had it on I could also mark the shape of the bottom of the corset as well as the top of the front panel just a bit. I didn’t like how it looked to be coming to a point at the center, but I didn’t make it heart shaped like my second mock-up since the original was straight across and this busk was bigger than the second mock-up.
Next came trying to decipher the binding instructions. They describe the “usual method” of binding as sewing piping to the top and turning it over, which then requires hand finishing, I’m assuming to tack it to the inside. I believe the new method they describe in the patent is to attach the piping along with a tape, which then is turned and machine-stitched down, enclosing all raw edges of the corset edge and piping. The diagram is hard to read, as you can’t tell just how many layers are going on in either one. Was the piping part of the tape? Or was it just a smaller width than would have been needed for the original method and there were two layers being stitched to the corset?
I eventually decided to just use bias binding of the silk for my corset. I realized I hadn’t left enough extra at the top of the corset to be able to turn part of it under. I would like to see how piping along the top of a corset would look though, so I’ll try it at some point in the future, but maybe just in the “original” way, without tape.
For this one, I first attached it to the coutil side, then folded it over and top stitched it down.

I plan to add flossing to the boning channels again (maybe trying a new pattern) and lace to the top edge as well. But for now, I think it’s still a really pretty corset. And the important thing is it gives me the shape I was looking for!

Lessons Learned

Since I’ve been able to achieve more waist reduction than ever, I’m excited to now try a method I’ll steal from the Hearts articles. I want to take my original mock up (with the adjustments added) and draw a new corset shape onto that to create my next pattern. I think it will be an interesting experiment to see if the shape I get is still similar to this corset if I don’t use any gores. I’ll also use the “real” way to assemble the corset and bind the top with piping on that new experiment!

I’ve learned a lot of useful things from the trial and error of recreating this patent, and I hope it’s been helpful for some of you as well!

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