So last time I told you that this was my first foray into using historical corset patterns, never mind patents, and I certainly learned a lot from the experience of making the toile and finalising my pattern – in this second instalment, I’ll take you through the process of making the final corset and see what else I’ve learnt!

 

Return to the Pattern

It was only after I’d cut my toile apart to trace my pattern and piece d that I realised I hadn’t drawn on the waist line. *Insert expletive of choice here!* Annoying! This is definitely one to chalk up to experience and remember to do next time, as I like to draw the waistline across all pattern pieces , using it to match at the seams and align with the cross grain when cutting. Normally I draft my own patterns, so the waist line is there from the start, so this is my inexperience with patents showing, alas! Never mind, onward we have to go!

Still looking at the pattern, I also realised that I didn’t necessarily have to use spiral steels in piece 2, because of the apparently curved boning channel mentioned in part 1. In Fig 8, piece 2 is shown as having two separate bones to get around that corner – much more sensible!

And piece 2 was troubling me in other ways, too… In part 1, I had decided pieces 2 and 3 would have to be two layers, to allow for the boning pockets throughout, but I have a confession to make – I hate sewing seams in double-layers of coutil. It’s possibly the most frustrating thing I’ve ever had to do in corsetry, particularly on any degree of curve. I pondered for a while and remembered the ‘fake sandwich method’ I’d read about on Foundations Revealed a long while ago (it's described here). I’d never tried it, but this seemed like the ideal method for this corset – wrangling double-layer seams just didn’t seem to fit with the theme of lightness within the patent description.

 

Construction

So, with those realisations and decisions, it was time to move forward with the construction. I used my trusty spiked tracing wheel to transfer the updated paper pattern to card, so I could draw around more easily (again, using my beloved mechanical tailor’s chalk pencil). I also included the angle for the boning channels on panels 2 and 3.

 

I went on with the Belle coutil, as I’d planned, cutting in a single layer, using the horizontal lines of the printer paper to give me a grain line to use instead of that missing waist marking (which I had done with the toile, so I knew it should work). I had bought duchesse satin bias binding, so there was no need to cut that from the coutil. I did still need to cut piece d, but I decided to wait to do that – more on that later!

 

I did have some regrets with using this fabric – I found when I was cutting it that it wasn’t as firm as all the other coutils I’ve worked with and it shifted off grain fairly easily, rather than staying flat and firm and cardboard-like, as with most other coutils. This meant I had to be a bit more careful when tracing my pattern, but I managed to get it all cut out, looking straight and on grain, so I thought I’d better reward myself with a coffee:

 

For the seams, I did the usual wrong-sides-together construction used for external boning channels. Trying to speed up (I seem to work quite slowly!), I sewed in an order that allowed me to do as much as possible before needing to pause and press:

1. The facing for the back panels and set those aside (as I wouldn’t be able to do more to them without pressing that back edge nice and straight).
2. The seams of 4, 5 and 6 (all the single layer panels).
3. The facing for the front panels (leaving the usual gaps for the hook side of the busk).
4. Those millions (at least that’s how it seemed!) of boning channels in panels 2 and 3! These would be boned with 5mm synthetic whalebone – I used some scraps of the Belle coutil to check how wide my channels needed to be and find the right spot on my presser foot so I could sew that width consistently. I ensured I didn’t sew into the seam allowance when doing this (marked lightly with pencil dashes, visible in the third image below), to allow me to do the next step…

 

1. Trimming the outside layer of pieces 2 and 3 to remove the seam allowance.
2. The seams between pieces 2, 3 and 4. Much easier with just one layer of coutil in each panel! Below you can see me sewing a seam with the trimmed seam allowance on top of my stack of pieces.

 

This allowed me to get to this stage all in one batch, without touching the iron once!

 

Fig 9 of the patent shows the seams are pressed towards the back of the corset before being covered with the external boning channels.

 

I followed suit, pressing curves over my tailor’s ham and trimming down the seam allowance to help smooth over curves. Again, only having seam allowance on two layers, rather than four, made this job much easier!

 

Once pressed, I could finish inserting my busk in the usual way (with single layer corsets, I always top stitch the front edge) and sew the boning channels on the lacing panels (which would contain 8mm flat steels, whereas the rest of the corset was sewn to take 5mm synthetic whalebone) and next to the busk, before attaching to the rest of the corset. The seam between panel 1 and 2 was straight, so I was happy to sew that with the two layers of coutil.

 

I took this opportunity to check the pattern I’d made for piece d during my original toile, to see if the proportions were right. Pinning the corset-so-far onto my dress form, I placed the calico piece d and had a good look, turning this way and that.

 

Immediately I noticed that the back edge of piece d still flared straight out, rather than curving to echo the seam next to it. This was probably because I’d made the seam a bit more curvy when I took in the bottom edge of the corset. I sketched in a new line.

 

I also wasn’t entirely convinced by the width I’d drawn from piece d, so I made some adjustments, using a combination of my fabric version and the width of the channels needed for the 5mm synthetic whalebone I was using. I noticed there were 13 boning channels showing in the patent, so I did the same and used this to create the back line for piece d.

 

You’ll also notice that I drew at the top and bottom the position that the seam between panels 4 and 5 would sit, to help me ensure I got the piece in the right spot. I cut out the piece and pressed back the 5mm seam allowance – there was something pleasingly neat about that!

 

Next for the remaining boning channels, those sitting over the seams. I didn’t have the right size bias maker to make double channels and I didn’t much fancy hand-pressing bias – what to do?! I pondered for a while, then remembered I had some pressing bars somewhere amongst my kit. It took a while to find them, but I did indeed have one of the right size – score! I cut bias strips, sewed the tubes over the pressing bars (using my zip foot), twisted the tubes around, so the seam was in the middle and pressed the seam allowances open. In the spirit of continuing my “batch production”, I sewed all the tubes, then pressed them all together. Working in this way definitely helped make things quicker, so it’s a method I’m going to try to continue in as much of my sewing as I can.

 

When I went to sew these tubes down, I had to leave part unstitched, to allow me to insert the bones in panel 3; I’ve lightened this image to show the boning channels and gap a bit better (the challenges of working in black fabric and thread!):

 

I always find with corsetry that the moment I finish adding the boning channels is the moment the stitched, scruffy pieces of fabric start to suddenly, magically, look like a corset - and this was no different!

 

Immediately I could see those lovely swoopy front lines I’d so loved in the toile. Most of the machine sewing was done at this point and it felt like I was over the brow of the hill – huzzah!

Perhaps I shouldn’t have got too excited – I still had what felt like miles of boning to and finish! This was my first time using synthetic whalebone and it felt great to only need these basic tools:

 

That’s a bit of a change from the usual bolt cutters, Dremel tool to file flat steels, PTFE tape to seal them, two pairs of pliers and end caps for tipping spirals! Phew, I’m out of breath just saying all that! As I worked to cut and file the bones, starting with the many short piece required for panels 2 and 3, as well as piece d, I was struck by two things: (1) this was so quick compared to working with metal and I had much more control over the results and (2) if this worked, it could be a radical change in the time and way I make corsets. Exciting stuff!

Just look at the lovely curves I managed to get in just moments of filing:

 

And for the angles at panel 3:

 

I was even more excited when I saw the beautiful curves developing once I had all the bones in panels 2 and 3:

 

I have to admit, I tend to use spirals everywhere except next to the eyelets and busk, so I wasn’t entirely convinced about using flat boning throughout the corset, worrying it would give a similarly flat corset. Clearly I was wrong! Tell you what, these 19th century corsetieres clearly knew what they were doing!

 

But by the time I boned panels 2 and 3 and piece d, I had run out of synthetic whalebone! I had ordered somewhere in the region of 15 metres – all gone. Luckily, I had some 5mm flat steel, so I had to use that for the boning channels on the seams. It was a shame, as I wanted to see how the synthetic whalebone behaved on its own, but I didn’t have time to wait for an order. Going back to working with metal, I was immediately struck by how much stiffer it was.

I went on to add my two-part eyelets, following the spacing from the original pattern:

 

Which reminds me of something I’ve so far omitted to mention – the diagonal boning next to the eyelets. I had originally planned to include it, however if you recall, my toile fitted with the back closed, so I took out three quarters of an inch at the centre back, which left that back panel too narrow to really fit boning and I felt it would have looked crowded, so I left it out entirely.

All that was left was the binding, so I zoomed through machining it in place with my zip foot, then sat down to hand finish the rest, all the while thinking of trying on the corset at last.

And I was very pleased with the result:

  

  

 

 

I love the shape this pattern gives – it’s a beautiful, graceful curve just like all those inspiration pieces from my last article. I’ve already mentioned the swooping front seams that work so well. I also love the look of all the boning channels, it’s a lovely texture and the boning in piece d, together with double channels over the seams add to that.

In terms of the ‘unique’ features of this patent, piece d looks great and the whole corset feels quite comfortable, but I would be curious to see how it would feel with heavy skirts of the era and whether it would really make any difference in terms of the comfort and durability of the corset.

Considering the amount of boning in this piece, it is remarkably light, thanks to that synthetic whalebone. If I made it again, I would probably estimate how much boning I would need, then triple the figure!

I’d be very curious to play around with this pattern and make it with boning only at the seams, as I did find the front a little stiff for my taste. I might also use it as a basis for my own patterning experiments, trying to capture those swooping seamlines.

The main issue with the pattern is the bottom front sticking out – I suspect it’s exaggerated in my own mind, but it is definitely sticking out. This wasn’t a problem with the toile, so the amount of boning at the front seems to be a contributing factor. Boning only at the seams might help this, as might ending the boning higher than the bottom end of the corset. I also might need to take in the bottom of the pattern at the front a little more.

I’m definitely going to work with this pattern further and I’ve learned a massive amount from using a historical patent – I think this might be just the start of my adventures in historical patterns!

add