Looking to challenge myself this year, and also to create something show-stopping that I can bring to the Oxford Conference of Corsetry, I recently found myself sketching more and more Edwardian style corsets.

Turn of the century corsetry is elegant and wonderful, with swooping seamlines and flowing curves. Corsetry of this era is generally midbust (i.e. stopping at nipple height) though there are also examples of underbust corsets. Corsets were worn with a chemise and sometimes also with a 'bust improver'. The ideal figure of this era is encapsulated by the Gibson Girl with her sweeping S Curve figure, tiny waist and pigeon breast. Corsetry was key in attaining this wonderful silhouette.

I felt that the sophistication and elegance this style of corsetry is synonymous with would be ideal for the grand venue the Oxford conference is taking place at, and would also push me artistically as it is out of my comfort zone.
 
Although I could 'fake it' by creating a pattern with Edwardian seamlines from a toile of one of my own vertically seamed patterns, for various reasons I wanted to use an original pattern. I have rather frustratingly lost my copy of the Truly Victorian 1900s corset pattern, so I put the idea to one side to be filed in the 'some day' category (you know the one – mine is filled with replicas of fashion plates and copies of extraordinary antique corsets). However, as I am sure many of you can sympathize with me, I was just not able to shake the idea of an Edwardian style corset from my mind, and after a few more days of sketching and contemplating, I remembered that there are Edwardian patterns within a number of the books on my shelf.

I ruled out Robert Doyle’s 'Waisted Efforts' because I know that some of the patterns within this can be a bit difficult to navigate and a little bit inaccurate, and the 1900s corsets within Jill Salen’s book are all ribbon corsets. This left me with the pattern I have chosen to use – the 1901 corset pattern from Norah Waugh's 'Corsets and Crinolines'.

I have always loved the patterns within this iconic book and often daydream about recreating them all in a 'Bridges on the Body' style feat. Unfortunately, I have never really had the time to make this a reality. The pattern itself is one I am reasonably familiar with – it was the second one I ever made up when I first started making corsets a few years ago. However, at this point I had no clue what a gusset was, let alone how to properly sew one, so my finished piece was not brilliant (to say the least).

In this instalment I will be explaining how I accessed the pattern, modified it to fit my model and prepared it for stitching...

 

My first step in recreating this corset this time was to enlarge the pattern to full scale. The patterns within the book come with a small scale at the bottom, which is used to calculate how much to enlarge the pattern by. In this case the ruler should be enlarged to six inches in length.

To enlarge the pattern I first took a picture using my mobile/cell phone. Next, I sent it to my email address so that I would have a copy on my computer. I opened the image on Photoshop (I use CS5) and then opened a new blank page, sized 11” by 8” which is just smaller than an A4 sheet of paper.

On this new black page, I used a free Photoshop plugin called “guideguide” which you can use to create grids. I find it a lot more user friendly than the inbuilt grid tool, and I used it to create a 1” square grid on the new page.

Once my new page had a grid on, I copied the section of the pattern with the ruler on and pasted it to the new page. Following this, I enlarged the ruler using the “free transform” tool until it was the right size according to my grid and then I printed off this new page. (In fact, the original image did not need enlarging much at all - only by a couple of percent.)

Next, I measured the ruler I had just enlarged and printed-off next to a real ruler.

It was 6" exactly and so I knew that if I enlarged the whole of the pattern in this way it would come out full scale. To enlarge the whole pattern I created a 1” by 1” grid over the image I had taken of the pattern. I then enlarged the pattern so that the ruler matched up to the grid, as I had done with the sample piece. (Unfortunately I am unable to share an image of this stage because sharing an image of the full pattern with a 1” grid overlaid would be a breach of copyright.) Once the full image was enlarged to the right size, I started to select 11” by 8” sections of the pattern, copy them and then paste them onto new pages. I printed-off each of these pages and then taped them all together to create my full-scale printout of the pattern.

On the full-scale pattern I determined the bust, waist and hip measurements so that I could make any necessary adjustments. Luckily for me, the waist and hip measurements are already perfect for the model who will be wearing this corset, but the bust measurement is 2” small overall. This means I have to add an extra inch into the bust of the pattern.  I also measured the length of the pattern at the centre front, centre back and side of the pattern and decided that I will add half an inch at the top edge and an inch at the bottom edge, because it is really very short.

I looked at each of the pattern pieces and determined that the second panel across would be ideal to add the extra inch into at the bust. I thought that “slash and spread” would work to do this, and so I cut out all of the pattern pieces at this stage.

To add the extra inch I cut down the centre of the second pattern piece, leaving a couple of millimetres joined at the very tip. Next, I laid the pattern piece on a sheet of paper and “spread” it open so that there is a 1” gap at the top. Finally, I taped this down and then cut out the new pattern piece.

The pattern is net of seam (you need to add your own seam allowances) and so the next step I took in creating this wonderful corset was to sit down and have a think about what construction method I would be using, so I would be able to determine what size seam allowance to add. I made notes about a few options, but eventually I decided that I will be mounting my fashion fabric to a layer of coutil and then constructing an inner shell from coutil, which the boning channels will be mounted onto. This is because I do not want the boning channels to be visible on the outside of the corset as I feel it will ruin the seam lines.

I have decided that I will be making the corset with no front busk, which means I did not need to add any seam allowance to the centre front. Because of the construction method I am using I do need a seam allowance at the centre back (I usually cut this panel on the fold, however the centre back of this pattern is not a straight line. I also need a seam allowance because I am stitching the fashion layer to the lining rather than using a floating lining.) I have chosen to use a 15mm seam allowance at the centre back.

On the other seams, I opted for a 10mm seam allowance. This is because using a narrower seam allowance makes sewing curves such as those in the Edwardian seamed pattern I am using a lot easier due to the physics explained in the wonderful binding article on YWU.

Once I had decided on my seam allowance, I got out a large roll of paper. I use a plain white paper which comes on a roll for creating my final versions of patterns. It is a sturdy paper, available in Hobbycraft in the UK and it would be available in craft stores and teaching supply websites in other countries. Its intended use is to create a backdrop for displays on school walls.

I taped the first pattern piece down to the paper, making sure the tape didn’t come out further than my intended seam allowance. Then I took my highly professional freshly sharpened “Viking ship museum” pencil and “top gear” ruler combo and added my 10mm (3/8") seam allowance, as well as the 1/2" (13mm) at the top and 1" (25mm) at the bottom (I am sorry for switching between measurements - I instinctively use inches for most things but mm and cm for seam allowances.)

Once my seam allowances had all been added, I cut out the pattern and then made some final adjustments.

Differences between the image shown before cutting out the pattern, and my final pattern, are as follows:

• I had also added a 15mm (5/8") seam allowance at the centre front because at this stage I was still planning on using a busk, but by the time I cut the pattern out I had changed my mind so this was shaved off.
• I decided I would combine the two hip gore panels into one. I made this decision because the seam here was, on antique corsets, to allow for weight gain/loss, so that the hips could easily be adjusted. The intended use of this corset is not for daily wear as it may have been with the original corset, but for a photoshoot. I do not intend on adjusting it at any stage, which means this seam would be purely decorative, and I think it will look nicer with the seam eliminated.
• I made the sweetheart line at the centre back a little more pronounced

Now that I had a pattern sorted, my next step would normally be to make a mock-up. Unfortunately on this occasion I cannot get this to the model before the event, and her measurements are different to my own and those of my mannequins. This means that I have to take the risky step of making the corset up with no mock-up. It was pretty daunting to accept this, but having made the pattern up a few years ago I am confident it goes together well. (If I managed to do it at that stage it is certainly manageable now!)

In this case, my next step was to cut the corset out in coutil (twice) and in my fashion fabric.

For this corset I am using a silk satin which I purchased in London. It was originally over £100 a meter, although this is not quite what I paid for it as I got a significant discount for it being end of roll. (Oh how I love having a hobby which does not require vast yardage of fabric.)

This means that I was anxious to make sure every piece was cut out absolutely perfectly first time.

I used pattern weights to weigh down the pieces and then drew around them with my (again freshly sharpened) pencil.

After this I removed the pattern pieces from the fabric, but replaced the weights so that the layers of fabric would not shift when I cut the corset out.

After some procrastination - due to absolute fear - and double- and triple-checking everything was right with the grain etc., I cut the corset out of the silk. For anyone who has not had the experience of cutting out ludicrously expensive fabric, the sensation can be surmised as 'pants wettingly terrifying'. However, after the mild terror of cutting the silk out I was able to regain my composure and cut out the two copies of the pattern I need from coutil.

I’m happy with how things have gone up to this point. I am a little nervous that something will go wrong, but I am being meticulous in my approach to this project to make sure it is immaculately finished.

 

At this stage I have:

• Enlarged and printed my pattern,
• Adjusted it to fit my model,
• Modified the pattern slightly to fit a modern figure (elongation at top and bottom edges),
• Added appropriate seam allowances,
• Transferred the pattern to fabric,
• Cut out my pattern.

 

Next time:

• Basting the fashion fabric to the strength layer,
• Basting the boning channel markings to the inner layer,
• Stitching together the corset,
• Finishing the corset off (boning, eyelets, binding, etc.).

 

 

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