Symington Pattern REF #32730

Something awesome and monumental happened recently in our little world of corsetry! The Leicester County Council recently released a batch of 109 images of antique corset patterns entitled Symington Corset Patterns. The Leicester County Council holds The Symington Collection, which includes a beautiful collection of corsets made by or acquired by R. & W.H. Symington and Co. Ltd. The Symington corset collection is a sparkling gem. These corsets are admired and studied by many a corset enthusiast. Now, with the generous release of the Symington Corset Pattern images, the secrets of the Symington corsets are more accessible to corset makers and costume makers worldwide.

As you can imagine, this great news hit the corset-making forums on social media like a big, happy bomb. Corset makers were aflutter with delight, posting links and spreading the word. Our little community is simply elated at the opportunity to try to recreate one or more of these corsets—corsets that have long been admired or forgotten. The released pattern images are selections from The Symington company’s own book of patterns. They are beautifully hand-drawn and need only a little manipulation to make them ready for use.

Here, in a series of two articles, I will discuss my experience with image number 104 in the collection, Symington Pattern REF #32730. I will cover the process I used to make this corset from my selection of a corset pattern all the way through to my photo shoot of the corset on a professional model.

This first article will focus on choosing the model and pattern, studying and analyzing of the pattern, and working with the pattern. It will also discuss the mock-up construction and fitting. This article will conclude with some broad ideas of the alterations and decisions that need to be made in order to make the final corset.
 
The second article will discuss the alterations I made to the pattern post-fitting, construction of the final corset, and the flossing and other chosen embellishment. It will also discuss the photo shoot of the corset, and my final thoughts on the pattern and corset in general.

Hopefully, this series of articles will help you discover and make your own Symington corset from one of the many patterns now available.

 

Choosing a Model

Like most of you, I have a shortlist (or maybe a long list) of models that I would really love to collaborate with. Myrna Moonstruck has been on my short-list for a while. She has such a timeless, romantic look.

 

I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to make a historical corset for her to model. When I knew that I was going to make a Symington corset, I immediately thought of Myrna and approached her about working with me on this project. She was happy and even excited to be my model. She sent over her measurements, and I was ready to get to work.

 

Choosing a Symington Pattern

As you can imagine, I eagerly flipped through all 107 photos studying each looking at pattern and decorative embellishments. My clever approach to choosing a corset pattern was to rule out corsets that I did not have the skill set or the desire to make. There were many that I knew would be too challenging for me. For example, I have a hard time with Edwardian patterning, especially if the pattern were to need any kind of alteration. So, I ruled out all Edwardian S-curve patterns. In addition, I also still struggle with making a gore look pretty and well finished. So, no gores. Also, no cording, it’s just not my thing. With these boundaries in place, I was able to scan through and make a short list of patterns that interested me.

I saw REF #32730 and thought “I can handle this one!”

 

This is a simple four panel corset that has a bit of flossing. My made-to-order line of waist training corsets is a four panel corset, so I have been making lots… LOTS… of four panel corsets. Also, I really enjoy flossing and embroidery. All I had to do is download the file after paying for it through the Leicester County website, and I was on my way.

 

Getting the Pattern the Correct Size

After studying the lines of the pattern, I determined that the pattern must be drawn pretty close to scale. The side seams seem to show that they would line up pretty well when sewn together. So I sent the file to my local print shop, and had them blow up the pattern. I had them make it in two sizes, one where the busk would be a 12 inch busk, and one where the busk would be a 13 inch busk. The markings on the pattern clearly state that the waist tape is to be placed “5¼ in from bottom.”

 

So, after the pattern was enlarged, I measured the distance from bottom to the marked waist tape on the pattern, and decided that the pattern with the 13 inch busk was the way to go.

 

Studying and Analyzing the Pattern… Understanding the Markings

Now, time to really get a grip on what the Symington pattern makers were trying to make clear with their markings on the pattern. First, the obvious… As mentioned above, the corset is to have a waist tape. Also, there is a spoon busk to be inserted in the front of the corset.

 

The boning channels are clearly marked. Some channels are drawn to be wider than other channels. The seams are marked “No.3 Seam” or “No.1 Seam.” I concluded that this has something to do with the width of the bone that was encased in the seam. It could have something to do with the seam allowances or the type of seam, but I didn’t want to complicate things too much by overthinking. Also, the width of the channels seem to match for the ones marked “No. 1” and the ones marked “No. 3” so it made sense to me.
There are flossing designs clearly marked on the pattern with a letter stamped near them. It took some thought and time to discover that wherever the letter stamped by one design in placed, that is where on the corset the corresponding design should be flossed.

 

Hence, the markings at the center top of the pattern with the upside-down “M” and “K” and the script “Fan Reversed.” I took this to mean that I should sew the M or the K design at the bottom of the corset except do it upside-down… AKA “reversed.”

 

Also of note were tiny (pencil drawn?) numbers written in the seam allowances.

 

I am taking this to be the length of the bone intended for the channel as when measured out these seemed to correspond. Although some of them made no sense. I still don’t know what to think of the number “5” written in some of the channels.  

From this point, I started marking the pattern with my own marks. I marked a line through what should be the waist. Then, I marked what seemed to be the underbust. Finally, the largest part of the hip on the corset pattern.

 

Measurements

Through looking at the pattern with my waist line drawn, I saw that there was a clear difference between the smallest part of the corset (waist) and my drawn waist line… I decided to take the measurements at my line and work from there. (This proved to be a poor decision. More on this later.)

The pattern clearly doesn’t include seam allowances. So I measured the waist on each panel and added them up. Then, I multiplied the sum by two to account for the other side of the corset. I also measured the underbust and hip and did the same. I added two inches to each measurement (for a lacing gap) and came up with the approximate dimensions of the finished corset.

• Bust (at apex – 4½ inches from underbust): 34½,
• Underbust (4 inches above waist): 26,
• Waist: 23½,
• Hip (4¾ inches below waist): 35¼.

I was going to have to alter the pattern to fit Myrna… her measurements:

• Bust (at apex – 4 inches from underbust): 36½,
• Underbust (3.3 inches above waist): 29½,
• Waist: 23 (corseted),
• Hips (7 inches below waist): 36.

 

Adjusting the Pattern

I needed to give the underbust a bit more room and adjust the waist to be a just a tad smaller. For the hips, I added just a tiny bit.

 

Here’s a photo of the altered pattern. (The red lines are my pattern and the blue lines are the original pattern.) I added or subtracted from each panel to get to the desired measurements. I also lowered the waist a bit to be more congruent with the waist line that I had drawn across the pattern.

For the bust, with the shape of Myrna’s body in mind, I added the ease a bit unequally to each seam. My reasoning was that Myrna has a D cup and I wanted to give her more room in the bust. (This turned out to be unnecessary and will need to be adjusted for the final corset.)

At the waist, I took reduction from only panels 2 and 3. The division of the inch just seemed easier this way and I also wanted to see more reduction from the sides than the front and back.

And for the hips, I put the ease in at the side and back hip but not in the front as I wanted to keep the belly as flat as possible.

 

Adding Seam Allowances

To add seam allowances, I traced my pattern to butcher paper (also called freezer paper). Then, I cut the pattern out. Once It was cut out I taped it to tag board (also called poster board.) Then, I measured ½ inch from the edge of the pattern on each side of the pattern and drew my new lines.

 

I then cut the pattern out of the tag board.

 

Creating the Mockup

I chose to make the mockup out of a soft, white herringbone coutil. The soft coutil is not as crisp or stiff as most coutil, but it is inexpensive and acts much like the coutil that I will be using for Myrna’s final corset.

 

To decide which constriction method I would use for this project, I looked at as many photos as I could find of the Symington collection of corsets. It was a great help to have friends who have seen the Symington corsets close up and have taken many close-up photos if these corsets. It seemed that this corset would have been made with welt seams or with two layers sandwiching the bones between two layers. I decided to try the welt seams for the mockup.

I started with the busk insertion.

 

I have never used a spoon busk. So, I thought I’d to just try to insert it like I would a standard busk. It worked until I realized that the busk wanted to pop up and away from my presser foot (the zipper foot.) I pressed down on the busk to dry to get it to flatten out as much as possible and continued to sew it. I found that, if I flipped the busk over and sewed it from the wrong side, the curve of the busk remained much more flush with the sewing machine and I didn’t get as much pull away from my zipper foot. However, I do want to attempt to baste the busk in place for the next go-round and use some other suggestions made by friends for the final corset.

The rest of the welt seams went smoothly.

 

I lined them up using the marks I had made for my waist even though they clearly are not the waist of this corset finished. It was also very important to clip the curves of this corset as there are some pretty dramatic curves in this one. A trick I learned from Marianne Faulkner of Pop Antique was to stagger the clips on the curves, if you intend to use the seam allowance for a boning channel. This makes it less likely for your bone to slip out of one of the little slashes.

 

I experimented with sewing the diagonal boning channels over the breast bit two different ways: One way was to sew them beforehand. The other way was to sew them after I’d sewn the vertical channels. I think that I prefer sewing them after, as there is a clearly defined line of where to stop your stitching and back tack.

I closed the center back by using pressing bars and stitching the lining layer and the fashion layer together, and completed the boning channels.

 

Fitting the Mockup

 

Fitting the corset was tricky. Since I am based in the U.S. and my model is in the Netherlands, I initially considered shipping the mockup to Myrna. However, after discussing it with Myrna, I decided that it was best to try to use the dress form/mannequin and find a local body double. First, I tried it on the mannequin.

 

I just love the silhouette and I am very pleased with the look of the mockup.

Next, I tried it on the mannequin with my 34DD bra (stuffed with socks) on the mannequin.

 

I noticed some buckling in the center front panels at the underbust… something to look for at the in-person fitting. I also think that I would like the seam boning channels to hit at the center of the bust rather than off to the side. There is also a tiny bit of gapping at the seam bones at the center front bottom of the corset, from about an inch and a half up the bone. I may need to taper the pattern in a bit there. Now I need to put this corset on a real live body.  

In my search for Myrna’s body double, I was most concerned with the vertical measurements of the corset. If the vertical measurements were off she would be filling out the corset in the wrong places and it could throw he whole fitting off. The search wasn’t easy, but in the end I found a local friend who came pretty close to Myrna’s body double. I approached her, and she was willing to meet for a pseudo-fitting.

 

From this fitting, I was able to deduce really very little. My friend has a smaller hip circumference than Myrna, and a different hip shape, so I am hesitant to make any changes to the hip. I did throw the corset on one more friend with hips slightly closer to Myrna’s size and the fit was very different than pictured. It was more like the fit on the mannequin.

I took a pencil and marked the actual waist on the mock-up, which I will use to correct the pattern. I need to give some ease to the waist because it was higher on the mock-up than I had marked on the pattern. The waist ended up at 22”—including the lacing gap—and we need it at 23”.

The bust fit is a conundrum. I am going to try to find yet another friend with a bust closer to Myrna’s before I sew the final corset. My inclination right now is to take back the ease that I gave to the front bust between panels 1 and 2. Another possibility would be to take some from panel 1, and give it to panel 2, to rotate the seam to run over the center of the breast. I also need to nip in the top of the bust to cup the breast a bit better. I intend to address this issue further and I will write more about this in my next article.

 

Struggle with Model Choice

My model was not a very well thought-out choice. I should not have chosen a model based in the Netherlands. Although I absolutely adore Myrna and have been wanting to work with her on a project for a while, I failed to take into consideration the inability to do any kind of fitting without exorbitant shipping cost for toiles, etc. Distance makes a good corset fit more difficult; as with any corset that involves a bust fit, fitting your actual client or model is crucial. Hindsight being 20/20, finding a model in the Seattle area would have made this project easier.

 

Plans for the future of my Symington REF #32730

The final corset will be a chutney dupioni silk flat-lined with a herringbone coutil. The lining will be a peach satin corset coutil. I am going to floss the corset with two colors of cotton embroidery floss. I’m still undecided on the flossing colors, but am leaning toward a brick red and a bronzy-brown.

 

It should turn out lovely. The next chapter in this article will show how I applied what I learned about this pattern to create the final product, and will include photos of Myrna in this Symington REF #32730. I am looking forward to creating this corset and sharing my experiences with the community. I also look forward to seeing many more Symington pattern corsets appear here on Foundations Revealed and in the social media forums. It’s an exciting time in the world of corsetry.
 
(To be continued…)

 

Foundations Revealed would like to thank the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland for the use of the images from the Symington Collection patterns that were used in this article.

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