Last month you read how we created an S-curve pattern based on the 1906 patent from Daniel Kops. We did this by drawing onto a fitted bodice block for a specific model. The month prior to that, we tackled the same patent by draping the design directly onto an S-curve mannequin.

We then asked how you would like to see the project progress and I’m very grateful for your responses! A very decisive 73% of you wanted to see the pattern re-worked twice for the model. One version based upon the pattern as it came off the bodice block: and a second version in which we attempt to put a more “Edwardian” posture into the corset.

This month, we will focus on the first version, aiming to produce a well-fitting, flattering and comfortable toile. The main aim of this toile is to mimic the 1906 patent, whilst also producing something that would be comfortable for regular wear by a contemporary body. We will also learn a bit about construction options.

Preparing the Flat Pattern

As you may recall, the flat pattern was traced directly from the sketched design. Sections of the design were estimated by shading out areas for waist reduction whilst the model (the delightful “K”) wore her bodice block.

No other alterations were done to the pattern, and we could see some very clear differences in shape, scale and slope of the pattern to its mannequin-shaped sister.

Before cutting and stitching the toile this month, I wanted to have another look at the pattern. The initial thing that comes to mind is that the shaping around the waist was intuited, not tested. Whilst I attempted to keep these sections equal across either side of the seam, we may have sliced off uneven amounts. This can have consequences for our toile. For example, if the newly created curves on either side of the first seam are different lengths, this will have a knock-on effect up through the seam.

At this point, I should tell you that I measured and trued the seams. That would have been the proper thing to do. I do love, however, to throw myself in at the deep end and trust my eye. It doesn’t always work, but I learn a huge amount! Making mistakes when studying just isn’t something I consider to be a problem, it’s actually very useful. So I simply eyeballed the pattern and ploughed ahead, trusting that I might get it right.

Figure 3: The cut down bodice block, with shaded areas for extra waist reduction	Figure 4: TOP: the pattern created on the mannequin, BOTTOM: the pattern created on the model’s bodice block.	Figure 5: A section like this demonstrates how important careful matching of the pieces will be.

 

Tracing the Pattern

For this toile, we are going to use a small ¼” (6mm) seam allowance. Each piece is traced onto baking paper, then the seam allowance added. The waist line is also marked onto the pattern, for reference. 

We have traced this pattern out from a bodice block that was designed to lace closed in back. Whilst Victorian and Edwardian corsets would typically be purchased to wear with a 2” (5cm) gap, I am going to design this toile to close so that we can get a clear smooth view of the whole torso’s shaping.

Figure 6: Tracing Panel 1 The centre-front edges are given a ½” (13mm) seam allowance, whilst the centre-backs have no seam allowance (they are to be cut on a fold).	Figure 7: Panel 1 and the Heart insert.	Figure 8: The two front facings. I also created two front facing pieces. The two front facings are identical, except that the stud-side piece has a front seam allowance of 1” (25mm) instead of ½” (13mm). I then traced and cut the rest of the pattern as normal.

Grain

Some Edwardian corsets feature diagonal and curving panels that look utterly beautiful but are quite un-intuitive to figure out. Our “Hearts” corset is reasonably straightforward as its seams are mostly vertical. In order to think about grain, I referred to one of the wonderful resources that I imagine you are all familiar with, LaraCorsets.com. Looking through Lara's collection of antique corsets, there are various examples of the warp (length-wise grain) being used in different ways.

Here’s a super-simple breakdown of warp and weft to bookmark if you wish: http://www.trueup.net/?p=920

This 1890s corset (ie: late Victorian) has “a double layer of thin cotton coutil cut with the grain running vertically”, whilst in this 1904 corset the “grain of the fabric runs parallel to the waist, around the body”. Other late Victorian corsets have “the grain of the fabric running horizontally”, some also using a waist-tape and others finding it unnecessary, and some having only one layer of fabric instead of two.

If we check other resources, we see that the Past Patterns 106 Edwardian corset features vertical grainlines (ie: perpendicular to the waist) except at panel 4 (front hip), where it is angled ever so slightly. In Jill Salen’s “Corsets: Historical Patterns and Techniques”, the grain often runs at a slight angle (close to vertical) in the Victorian corsets, then almost perfectly vertical in others such as the German corset from 1917 (page 91). In most commercial patterns, the warp (lengthwise grain) seems to run vertically. If you have any additional interesting examples or thoughts, please do mention in the comments box below.

In short, the grain can vary depending upon which corset you’re looking at and which corsetmaker you’re speaking to. Where coutil is concerned, modern makers use both grainlines with great success, so don’t worry excessively about there being a right or wrong way. But do note that the grain always appears to run parallel or perpendicular to the waistline so that either the straight or cross-grain provide much-needed support at this place of stress. The warp thread (lengthwise, straight-grain) is invariably stronger than the weft (cross-grain), but both have more integrity than their shared bias. So quite simply, you want to keep the waistline, an area of great stress, far away from the bias!

For this toile, therefore, I’m going to keep the waistline on the cross-grain, and we’ll see what happens. I found myself working with a terribly stretchy canvas for this toile, but fingers crossed it will be okay after washing and steaming!

 

Why make toiles?

The reason there is such an emphasis on using a toile to check fit is that most of us who begin studying corsetry soon become perfectionists about the craft (whether we were perfectionists beforehand or not!)

Say you’ve been daydreaming about a glorious silk satin overbust dripping in Swarovski crystals (I have dreamt about this piece quite often!) If you’re anything like me you’ll probably rush straight in, eager to see it come to life. Then inevitably, if you’re anything like me, you’ll feel disappointed that the final piece isn’t quite good enough. You’ve learnt an awful lot, sure, but you think, “if I’d just spent a little time making a toile and checking fit then that wrinkle wouldn’t be there, and the bust would fit a touch more smoothly”. You’ve invested time, effort, and your own money into your dream corset, only to regret the fact that you rushed in. You say to yourself, “imagine how much better it could have been!”

Toiles can be produced to varying levels of complexity or refinement, and vary wildly depending upon the preferences/requirements of the maker and garment. One of the wonderful things about corsetry is the level of disparity between our working styles! We’re all striving to produce beautiful and functional corsets, but we all take our own routes to get there. For example, with this toile I haven’t worried about finish or covering the seams. But I have included directions for a front modesty panel! Now, a front modesty panel clearly isn’t needed on this toile… but it’s quick, simple, and lets you become familiar with the process so I thought I’d include it. In short, each toile serves a purpose.

You may find that you hate toiles or love toiles… that you make only one that is almost identical to the final corset, then plough onwards… that you make five, just to be sure that every single detail is perfect… The important thing is to find an approach you’re happy with that gives you an end result you can be proud of.

 

Preparing for Construction

Figure 9: cutting the fabric Having traced out the pattern, I can now cut my toile fabric. As with the bodice block I’ve used canvas, but you may have other preferences.	Figure 10: marking the pattern pieces. I cut my pieces with a ¼” (6mm) seam allowance, as mentioned above, and marked the waistline and other key points directly onto the fabric.	Figure 11: the cut fabric

 

Once all the pieces were cut, I thought about the order of construction. It seems obvious that we should firstly put all those “shield” inserts into place, effectively creating larger panels that are easy to stitch together.

You can attach your front facings whenever is most convenient to you. They will be explained in a touch more detail further down.

The order of construction is as follows: The centre-front Heart insert into Panel 1 (centre-front). Shield 1 into Panel 1. Shield 2 into Panel 2 (side piece). Shield 3 into Panel 3 (centre-back). Panel 2 and Panel 3 (side back seam). Front Half and Back Half (ie: Panel 1 and Panel 2, side seam).
	Figure 12: Steps 1 and 2	Figure 13: Step 3
Figure 14: Step 4.	Figure 15: Step 5.	Figure 16: Step 6.

 

Stitching

With this curvy toile, I wanted to try a particular kind of foot that is designed to effortlessly stitch opposite curves without worrying about pinning or hand-basting. The CurveMaster foot is something I had seen pop up in discussion here and there, most recently in the Corsetmakers community on Livejournal.com, and it seemed like the perfect solution to stitching this corset. I purchased one, stitched a couple of scraps of fabric, and thought, “yes, this could be good!” Disaster struck a couple of weeks later, however, when I realised I had lost the foot!  Hopefully it will turn up, but in the meantime it forced me to re-think construction techniques for those of you without such a gadget.

Being without the CurveMaster foot, I decided to use a different technique on each side of the corset so that I could compare the results.

 

The Back

Figure 17: the centre-back pieces were cut with the outer edge on a fold. Firstly, let’s secure the folded centre-back edges. Cutting on a fold essentially produces an “extended facing” which can give a clean and smooth finish.	Figure 18: the stitched channels Stitch your boning channels through the two layers that the extended facing gives.

Stud Side of Toile

I stitched the left-hand side of the corset by pinning and manipulating those seams into place, starting with the first “heart” insert.

For this piece, I tried to push the fabric into place without pinning at all, so I matched up the waistline points and stitched out from there in a bid for accuracy.

Figure 19: Stitching the “heart” into place, starting from the waistline.	Figure 20: the “heart” and Panel 1, curving in different directions.	Figure 21: manually lining up those pieces by stitching very slowly!

 

I then flipped the pieces round, and stitched the remaining part of the seam from the waist point down to the bottom of the “heart”. The seam allowances are to the inside. I notch the seam allowances (figure 24), press from both the inside and outside (figure 25 and 26), then top-stitch about 1mm from the seam to hold the allowances down (figure 27).

Figure 22: Stitching the rest of the seam from the waist line down.	Figure 23: the first stitched heart.	Figure 24: the notched seam allowance.
Figure 25: pressing from the inside.	Figure 26: pressing from the outside	Figure 27: top-stitching the seam allowance into place.

 

As the Heart insert gives no shaping to the corset, I am pleased that the final seam sits flat enough. The gentle curve of the heart insert works well with this stitching technique.

When it came to inserting Shield 1, however, things were considerably more difficult and I lost that degree of accuracy. The more extreme curves were almost impossible to manually push into place, and I began pinning the pieces before stitching. The result was not very accurate, however, and the inside of the corset is especially unattractive where certain points have not lined up correctly. This of course would be completely impractical when making a corset to fit a client as exactly as possible!

I continued in this way until the left hand side was done.

Figure 28: the Heart insert stitched to Panel 1.	Figure 29: Panel 1 with the Heart and Shield 1 inserted

 

Loop Side of Toile

On the right-hand side of the toile, I decided to mark out the stitching lines on each piece, then overlap and pin them in place so that they matched up.

Stitching the pieces into place using this technique was considerably easier and neater. The final visual effect is very different, as this technique would require that you cover the raw edges on the outside of the corset with some bias tape or decorative stitching. You would do this prior to inserting the busk. How you would conceal or finish the interior raw edges is something else to consider.

Figure 30: The right-hand Heart insert. The seam allowances weren’t marked on this piece as it simply needed to lay flat.	Figure 31: Shield 1 and Panel 1 with their seam allowances drawn.

 

The full-length vertical seams, however, were stitched in the normal way with their seam allowances pressed and stitched to the inside.

Panel 1 and it’s corresponding facing have ½” seam allowances down their centre-front edges. They were pinned together and the busk inserted as usual.

With the busk secured and the panels stitched, we can begin to see the shape this toile will hold. At this stage, we can begin to see the extra curve at the waist that we created by pinching out those areas when fitting the bodice block (those green areas, remember?). It’s quite exciting!

Figure 32: marking out the busk loops.	Figure 33: the shape is coming together.

 

A Couple of Options

Here are a few other ideas for constructing these seams:

• Use a hand basting stitch to secure the pieces together, then machine stitch the seam.
• Insert as though they are gussets: both the negative space and the inserts have a ¼” (6mm) seam allowance. Clip and press this allowance to the inside of the corset on the negative spaces. Stitch a guideline ¼” around the insert, then line it up beneath the pressed edge of the negative space. Top-stitch in place. You now have an internal raw edge to cover and will have done a lot of clipping and notching!
• Cut the negative spaces with no seam allowance, whilst the shield and heart inserts retain their ¼” allowance. Stitch a guideline ¼” around the insert, then line it up against the raw edge of the negative space. Pin in place and stitch down 1/8” (13mm) in from the insert’s raw edge. Quicker and easier than the other methods, but you are left with raw edges on both sides of the corset.

Any quilters among you will no doubt have other tricks and ideas for dealing with crazy curves, feel free to share them in the comments section!

 

The Left-hand Facing, with front modesty panel

As you will recall, the loop-side facing had a ½” (13mm) seam allowance, whilst the stud-side facing had a 1” (25mm) seam allowance.

Mark the left-hand facing at both 1” (25mm) and 3/8” (9mm) in from the raw edge. Then mark, fold and press it at the half-way point between these two lines so that they match up. The centre-front edge of Panel 1 is marked ½” (13mm) in from the raw edge (ie: on its stitching line, figure 35) and then pressed inwards (figure 36).

Figure 34: pressing in the front facing edge.	Figure 35: the facing and top piece.	Figure 36: pressing the seam allowance inwards.

 

Figure 37: pinning the facing and top layer together. The pressed line (or simply a drawn line if you prefer) becomes our guide. Lay the top piece over the facing, carefully lining up the stitching line (folded or drawn line) with the line on the facing 3/8” (9mm) in from the raw edge.	Figure 38: the stitched centre-front. Stitch along the fold/line.	Figure 39: the stitched facing. Your stitching will go right through to the other side of the facing
Figure 40: a petite front modesty panel. (right)  Flip the top-layer over and press the seam. Hey presto, a nice and neat front modesty panel that prevents the showing of skin or clothing at the busk, but doesn’t cause excess bulk!   Insert the stud side of the busk as usual from this point.

 

Casings and Waist Tape

As the facings are quite substantial in this toile, we can use them to sandwich a few steels and catch the waist tape.

Whilst stitching your toile, you’ll probably be thinking continually about how to improve the finish in the final corset - how to finish or conceal those raw edges, and so on. Where the facing matches up to the first seam is another point to consider. You would ideally press it under to encase the raw edge, or cover it with another interior bone casing.

Starting from the centre-front, I stitched some vertical channels up against the busk, angling and curving them outwards slightly up to the bust. Bone placement is generally as vertical as possible, but I find that I like the look and functionality of a few slightly diagonal steels at front.

For the rest of the corset you may wish to use exterior or interior casings. Each option would give a dramatically different look. Exterior casings, for example, would hide all those lovely curving shapes that we’ve tried so hard to create unless we used only a bare minimum. I’ve gone with interior casings for this toile.

Apply your boning channels. I’ve worked from front to back keeping the waist-tape taut so that it is caught beneath the casings. The original patent diagram shows the steels spread out in pairs, along with a conical busk, but you can vary this as you see fit.

Figure 41: provisional placement of the waist tape.	Figure 42: stitching down the facing along the first seam. I’ve used a leftover strip of coutil as a waist tape here as I don’t trust my canvas!	Figure 43: applying interior casings and catching the waist tape beneath them.

 

At centre-back, you can do the same thing as at centre-front, catching the last of the waist-tape in the stitching line.

Stitch all along the bottom edge, insert the steels, then stitch along the top edge to anchor. Insert some grommets (or stitch down ready-made lacing strips) and you’re done!

 

The Finished Toile

We’ve gone from a flat pattern taken from a bodice block (figure 44), to a nicely curvy toile (figure 45) and will finally get to see how it looks on the model.

You may also have spotted how the different construction techniques have affected the look of the toile on each side. Ie: the top-stitching that emphasises our curvy shapes is placed inside the stitching line on the left-hand side and on the stitching line on the right-hand side. The result being that the heart and shields seem to be more full and “plump” on the right-hand side. If decorative stitching or bias tape were added, the shapes would be emphasised even further. Would your finished piece have decoration to emphasise? Contrast top-stitching? Or would subtlety be the goal?

Figure 44: the flat pattern from last month.	Figure 45: the completed toile, inside and out. Please forgive the interior finish, it’s one of the things that annoys me about toiles!	Figure 46: front view of the toile.

 

Fitting the Toile

First let's remind ourselves what last month’s bodice block looked like:

 

The block was made with 3” (7.5cm) waist reduction, but the model and I both felt we could easily take a touch more. Those green areas were duly removed when tracing the pattern, creating a more pronounced curve at the waist.

Firstly, we laced “K” into the new toile and had her hold her ordinary posture. We discussed comfort, movement and shape, and looked at the difference between each side.

 

• COMFORT: “K” was very comfortable. She said that the toile felt no less comfortable or supportive than other “Victorian” corsets she has worn for me. We made this toile to be quite contemporary in silhouette, so this is a good result.

• MOVEMENT: “K” did not have a great range of movement in this toile, much like other corsets she has worn. Her posture was quite fixed.

• SHAPE: I was very pleased with the shaping and, thankfully, “K” was too! The mid-bust is at a nice height, although I think a more pronounced sweetheart dip at centre-front would be nice. Whilst it looked curvy enough on the bodice block (figure 47), the pressure of “K”s chest has pushed it down into a more straight edged shape. The back top edge is prettily curved, but could do with a touch more room (1” extra per side would help). The bottom edge curve at the side seam is not as dramatic as I would have liked, so I may change that.

 

• LEFT SIDE (figure 49): the difficult seams and their subsequent inaccuracies are visible here. The side back seam, in particular, is not smooth enough at the hip and there is some puckering. Whilst I do like the subtlety of these seams (as opposed to the right side where the shapes will be made more obvious by their required finishing techniques), they are so awkward that I don’t know if I will repeat them. If I find or replace my CurveMaster foot I may have an easier time with them and will let you know accordingly.

• RIGHT SIDE (figure 49): The construction technique for the right hand side gives a considerably smoother and more pleasing shape. I’m still undecided about how to finish the seams as I want them to be rather understated and not too obvious. But this is the joy of toiles! You can think all these things through instead of rushing in. You can see on both sides of the toile that the side-back might benefit from flat steels rather than spirals.

 

To summarise: the toile was very structured and supportive, with little range of movement.

 

Edwardian Posture

I then described the “Edwardian” posture to “K” and asked her to mimic it as best she could.

 

• COMFORT: When “K” tilted forwards her comfort was not compromised. This would not be a posture she could easily maintain for any length of time though. But I suppose it may be akin to wearing high heels… a discomfort that people will often put up with for the sake of fashion!

• MOVEMENT: “K” could not arch her back to any noticeable degree. The shape of the corset prevented it, even with the light spiral boning at side-back. In altering the pattern to allow or encourage a more arched back, it may also be worth manually curving the flat steels at centre-back. As Jo discovered with her post-Edwardian replica, it may not be a case of the corset pushing the body into shape, but the body finding that the corset sits more smoothly once the necessary posture is adopted. So this toile sits more smoothly when ordinary posture is adopted. I am also reconsidering garters and may develop this corset back towards its original purpose as underwear. The garters, one assumes, would also contribute to the needed posture.

• SHAPE: It becomes very noticeable when “K” tilts forwards that some extra steels would be useful, especially in order to keep Panel 1 and the Heart nice and flat. I have used a combination of flats and spirals for this toile, and would probably do the same in the final corset. You can also see how the back panels are wrinkling up into the waist as “K” attempts to arch her back. But although this toile does not allow an S-curve back, it still provides a beautifully elegant slope from bust to waist when viewed from the front.

Being able to mimic this style in a flattering and comfortable way is still the main goal for me, and next month we will be attempting to create the Edwardian posture by altering this corset pattern. Even if we do not create a successful S-curve at back, there are other changes we will make to give the impression of an S-curve. I shan’t go into any detail here, but take a look at figure 51 and have a think about how the different postures affect the placement of seams and steels…

It will also be very interesting to see how the next toile may prove or disprove my assumptions about the comfort of the Edwardian posture. I am assuming that the curve at back will be uncomfortable for anything other than temporary wear, but it will be interesting to get my model’s feedback on that.

Next Time

The big questions for next month’s instalment are: can we successfully alter the pattern to encourage a more “Edwardian” posture? Will that posture be attainable and sustainable for the wearer? How different will the pattern look? I intend to also use the next toile to try improving upon the seaming technique or to try different methods, so it will be interesting to see how that may improve the design.

I truly do look forward to tackling this, as it is a challenge that pushes me out of my comfort zone and that can only be a good thing! I hope to put a lot of emphasis upon the model’s experience of being corsetted in the altered pattern, but if you have any particular ideas or questions you would like me to consider, please do comment below.

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