Laughing Moon corset pattern 100 - Dore and Silverado

To get a better understanding of how corsets work, I've decided to try laughing moon.

 

Laughing Moon's Victorian Underwear pattern includes chemise, drawers, and two styles of corsets.  

My goal is to create back and bust support.  Eventually, I want to recreate The Pretty Housemaid, but I need to get the foundations down first. Thus working from a pattern.

The big advantage of this pattern

it's been around forever so there are lots of blogs and videos of people making it - in theory

it gives a subtle victorian silhouette without the major hourglass effect

It looks pretty easy

this page is about working with LM100 corset pattern
Apparently, the bust runs big.  So if I go with the DDDD cup size, it should be about right for me (I fall in the middle of the alphabet - which might explain the dyslexia).

I you planning to try the "Dore" or the "Silverado"? The Dore doesn't seem to go as far down over the hips. I don't know if the longer one will give better back support, or make it more difficult to bend over to get work done, or if it just depends on your body type - I run "short waisted", so I suspect I'd do better with the Dore.

I'm going to go with the silverado as it offers more room for the bust.  The Dore looks nice, but I would feel too squished.  

Wow!

The first mockup of Silverado finished.  It is incredible how much better this is than any pattern I've tried to create/alter myself.  

So the gussets/goars/whatever I used were DDDD and they are far too large.  I tried taking them out altogether and it's still fine.  I'm wondering if I should have gone a size smaller.  But I don't have a proper busk or lacing yet (I'm using a zipper for the 'busk' and a two inch strip of fabric to stand in for the laces.  So when that arrives, I'll add it to the mockup and see how it fits.  From there, I'll make changes.

They were supposed to be here yesterday, but no such luck.  

R, that's FABULOUS!!! You're turning into a pro! Is it an easy pattern to read? It makes sense? I've been hemmin'&hawin' over trying my hand at it, too.

Ohhh... the supplies are in town.  So they might get to my box today.  That's the advantage of a PO box, it usually shaves a couple of days off the waiting.

It means I could start cutting out the fabric today.

So... my decision.  Do I make the corset at the size I choose but shave a few bits off here and there where I want it snugger, or do I make another mockup at the next size down?  

r ranson wrote:So... my decision.  Do I make the corset at the size I choose but shave a few bits off here and there where I want it snugger, or do I make another mockup at the next size down?  

If it were me, I'd make the smaller mockup.

Have you actually re-sewn the seams on the "too big" one to make it smaller?

Can you take it apart and use the fabric as the pattern based on your chosen stitching lines + seam allowance? If I could do that, I'd be happier. I'm *really* fussy about having the fabric cut just right... I'm not a fast sewer, but at least I end up happy with the results.

The stuff arrived.

I put some bones in the mockup and pinched and sewed bits until it felt like a snug hug.  I don't want anything too tight for my first corset.  I just want something 'good enough'.  

I ended up taking in an inch on each side all around and at the bottom, I took in about 3.5 inches per side.  

The bust is fine without the triangles/gussets/gores/whatever.

Looking at my measurements and what the pattern says, my hips are about four sizes smaller than the rest of me (weird).  

I sewed the changes on to the mockup and tried it on.  Snug but good.

Right now, I'm feeling that I'll just go with my adjusted pattern instead of trying a size smaller.  There's a fitting stage partway through the making of the corset when I can still easily make changes to the seams.  But it's easier to take in than out at that stage.  

progress

Drat!  

The library wanted their book back.  So the fool I was, I returned it.  

But in that book it gives advise.  Summary: It's better to have too short a busk than too long.  When the busk is too short, you can simply add a hook and eye to the place where the last post/eye would be.  But it's very important to remember to ... otherwise, if you add it to the wrong end it's going to be really awful and not work.

But I don't remember because I was going to reread the book at that stage.   To add the hook and eye to the top or the bottom of the front closure???

r ranson wrote:The library wanted their book back.  So the fool I was, I returned it.

Arrrgghh - frustrating. I've been following with baited breath to see how this works out! Can you post this as a question to a couple of the "sew your own corset" videos in the comments section? That might get you an answer from someone who's made these things before.

The real sad thing is that I had this book 10 years ago and sold it because I would never be able to sew well enough...

https://www.amazon.ca/Basics-Corset-Building-Handbook-Beginners/dp/0312535732/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=building+corset&qid=1612025733&sr=8-1

75 physical book (4-10 days for shipping)
15 for the ebook.
3 weeks wait to get the book from the library

Maybe I can find the information I need with google?  

You want your busk to end about an inch or two above the pubic bone. You do NOT want it to end lower. Don't know what measurements they made you take with that, but the one I use: Sit in a chair, put your hands on your low belly. Poof your belly in and out, and feel where you move and where you don't. You want the busk to end at the bottom edge of the muscle that poofs in and out. It'll be an inch or two above the pubic bone. If that feels too short for you, put a hook. I'll give you high odds you won't use it, as you won't be able to move right.

Top end of the busk generally works best ending right where your breasts leave the ribs, so cup your breasts with little fingers on ribs, the line the little fingers are making is as high as you want the busk. If you are making a full cup corset, anything above that, make it hooks. This all has to do with flexing where you need to, and not where you don't.

I've learned that the stays on the front need to be a bit shorter at the legs than I expect, but that I can use longer ones in back. I take my measurements, knock about 1/2 to 3/4 inch off the front, and add a inch or so on the back ones. This could be just how my body is shaped, but it's consistent on me. I measure where I think the stays will hit my legs, but when the corset flexes, it moves differently than when I'm not wearing one, and I get stabbed in the upper thighs (OW!) The cloth can be that low, but not the stays.

Don't know if this helps any, I don't use a pattern like yours, so I work off different numbers. But in general, think about how you move, the corset needs to stabilize exactly where, and that's here your stays and busk go.

And FWIW, I have never managed to make a zipper work well as a busk. Again, might be how I'm shaped. I have one corset that I used a steel roofing tie as a busk (rounded the edges) and one that I used a wooden ruler, those worked, but zippers move too much for me. And I don't do tight compression, ever. The wasp waist look correlates really consistently  with constipation issues and lack of deep breathing, which is not good for your body in the long run.  

:D

Historically, the 'wasp waist' was achieved by padding out the hips and bust.  But later on, in the 20th Century, it seems that we stopped padding and started squeezing.  I suspect it was my generation that did this in rebellion against shoulder pads.

But I'm not going for the skinny look.  Support first so I can be more active and build up muscle tone.  

Pearl Sutton wrote:
And FWIW, I have never managed to make a zipper work well as a busk.  

:D

Do you think adding boning channels to either side of a zipper would work? I've been tinkering around trying to find a pattern that will work for me, but I A- want it in a waistcoat style and B- definately dont want a soild busk. I move around alot for work. Often times crawling or contorting into small spaces. Main goal being to contain the girls firmly so theres no shifting or bouncing while giving some manner of back support.

I cut out the fabric this morning.  

Heart is fluttering and yelling at me "you should have made a second mockup! Those changes are huge!"  

I try to calm it by saying "it's only cloth.  There's a fitting stage partway through and if it needs less cloth, I can take in the seams.  If it needs more cloth, I can add a panel."  If I do add a panel, it could be a rectangle with cording like this one has.

I have to take a break because I've overthought how to insert the busk and have confused myself terribly.  

Busk - I'm a bit worried by how flexible this busk is.  It isn't going to offer much support.  I shall need to apply bones either side.  And more bones because this plastic bone isn't very stiff.

I got the basic starter busk for this corset as it's the most affordable.  They call it a "flexible busk".  I'm not going to have any trouble bending in this.  But is it going to offer enough support?


More importantly, the instructions for the pattern also mention that I should put the busk higher and put a hook and eye at the bottom as needed.

Once I get the busk in place I will be deviating from the pattern quite a bit.

I want to construct the corset in the same method I will be using for the pretty housemaid.  This means cording!

For inspiration on where to put the cording channels, I'm looking at the Symington Fashion Collection

I want to do minimum boning at front, back, side, and each seam.  I'll be using the seam allowance to create the bone channels.  

But for the cording, I need to add that in before I assemble it.  

ahhhh... I'm so nervous.  Going to make my first stitches onto the cloth in a moment.  

and then I suddenly realize that I hadn't chosen the thread yet.  Oh, noses.  Do I have enough thread in the same colour to make this work!?!

r ranson wrote:and then I suddenly realize that I hadn't chosen the thread yet.  Oh, noses.  Do I have enough thread in the same colour to make this work!?!

If you aren't sure, consider using a close but not quite colour for the side that will show the least - I tend to sew with the finished side down, so I put the "perfect thread" on the bobbin.
There is an advantage of having one side a little off colour when sewing something unusual - easier to see to unpick if you screw up (which I absolutely have faith that you won't - but it is a remote chance...)

r ranson also wrote:

I'm not going to have any trouble bending in this.  But is it going to offer enough support?

It seems to me that just having a fitted "tube" of fabric will offer some support. Bernadette Banner talks about how too much support will weaken muscles, even though you're reducing back pain - it's a balance. You want to relieve pain and support your back enough that you can get exercise that will strengthen the muscles if possible. It's more complicated than that, but what I'm trying to say is that I would try to have it so that I can add and subtract support easily -  more support on "I'm really sore" days, but less on good days. Support that's easy to slide in if I've been working for an hour, can't stop and feel like I need extra help to carry on. Does that make sense?

Jay Angler wrote:There is an advantage of having one side a little off colour when sewing something unusual - easier to see to unpick if you screw up (which I absolutely have faith that you won't - but it is a remote chance...)

I do this, too. I try to stay close enough in color that it isn't noticeable, if all goes well, but**just** enough difference that is easy to frog, if I must.

Jay Angler wrote:
It seems to me that just having a fitted "tube" of fabric will offer some support. Bernadette Banner talks about how too much support will weaken muscles, even though you're reducing back pain - it's a balance. You want to relieve pain and support your back enough that you can get exercise that will strengthen the muscles if possible. It's more complicated than that, but what I'm trying to say is that I would try to have it so that I can add and subtract support easily -  more support on "I'm really sore" days, but less on good days. Support that's easy to slide in if I've been working for an hour, can't stop and feel like I need extra help to carry on. Does that make sense?

This makes tons of sense, to me! One of my biggest concerns about 'support' wear - of any type - is that something very supportive would actually take over, and leave the muscles and soft tissue weakened, from disuse - like allowing a baby to learn to walk barefoot vs with hard-soled high-top shoes, that actually prevent natural movement and strengthening. I adore having options, and never even thought about this possibility. Do you have ideas of how to put the pockets in for the removeable stays, so they won't work their way back out, with your movement?

progress

and I broke a needle.  Wasn't even sewing in the busk.  

Good thing I'm remembering to wear eye protection.  Even better I picked up a pack of new needles last week.

Let's hope I don't break too many more.  I have 4 needles left in the pack.  

As for support, I'm planning on having at least two (and hopefully three) corsets with various levels of support.  That way I can switch between them.

But first I need to get this one done.  The sewing spirits have told me I need to step away for a few hours and do something entirely different.  

Carla Burke wrote:

Do you have ideas of how to put the pockets in for the removeable stays, so they won't work their way back out, with your movement?

I would put a flap at the top that is partly sewed down the side of the pocket so you have to lift the flap to slide the stay in. It's a balance between having the flap long enough to keep it in, but short enough that you can still get the stay in. If that's not enough, I'd add some sort of hook to the flap, but that will be bulky. Personally I avoid velcro because it catches on stuff I don't want caught.

progress

for later
http://sidneyeileen.com/sewing-2/sewing/corset-detailing/flossing/3/#.YBdweNVyhTs




I need to remember flossing

I worry about saying this out loud, but things are going well so far.  I don't feel confident it will fit me, but I have another fitting stage once I get the panels together but before I add the bones.  

The problem is, I forgot to buy grommets.  ops.  I went to a few shops in town (boy are craft shops crowded right now!) and every shop had huge gaps in their shelves.  Even the big box chain shops had less than 50% normal stock levels!  Kind of scary.

No grommets or eyelets.  Not spare sewing needles (getting urgent - I need to put some energy into buying some).  No rough cord or twine from hemp/jute/scissel kind of deal.  

I had to get the grommets from Amazon.  They should be here by the end of the month!  UG!

I found some eyelets in my stash, but they are said to leave a rough edge.

So, do I put the project to one side while I wait for the correct supplies, or take a chance and sew the holes by hand?  Tough decision.  

If this was going to be something to wear occasionally at a fair, doing it by hand would work fine. However, as this will have daily wear and tear, possible multiple adjustments throughout the day, I think it wise to wait for the grommets. I would expect hand sewn eyelets to fray very quickly.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:If this was going to be something to wear occasionally at a fair, doing it by hand would work fine. However, as this will have daily wear and tear, possible multiple adjustments throughout the day, I think it wise to wait for the grommets. I would expect hand sewn eyelets to fray very quickly.

My thoughts, as well.

This is only a "slightly" crazy idea.
Story first - I wanted to hang a tarp with a wire through the grommets sort of like a drape. BUT I figured a grommet every 3 feet wouldn't stand up or do an adequate job. SO I cut off grommets from an old mostly dead tarp with a generous amount of fabric around them. Then I carefully sewed the fabric to the top of the new tarp evenly between the original grommets so I now had grommets every foot or so. This has worked well now for over a year.

So, have you got any dead footwear where you could cut the eyelets out with enough material around them so you could sew them into your fabric as reinforcement? I'm picturing in my head putting the "shoe eyelets" between two layers of your fabric and doing the "hand sewn eyelets" through the shoe ones possibly?  How close do the grommets need to be on your project? Does this give anyone else ideas of some sort of "ring - preferably metal - but very smooth" that could be sewn into the edge at least in the short term, and could be replaced eventually with commercial grommets?

I found  a hockey stick thingy.

I did some test holes with hand sewing.  The kind of thread makes a huge difference.

The hole kept closing so I had to get the awl to re-open it again every second stitch.  anoying.

It also takes up a lot of thread.  It would use up the thread I have set aside for the flossing.

I've done all I can do before I do the eyes, so I'm going to put it to one side for a couple of weeks while I wait for the grommets to arrive.  

Would baling twine work for your rough cord?

Kathleen Sanderson wrote:Would baling twine work for your rough cord?

Funny you should ask.

I don't want to use the plastic stuff as I need the garment to breathe.  But we often get a kind that looks a bit like jute.  I'm going to do a burn test and see if it's a plant-based string.  If it passes, I will sample.  

If it's what I'm thinking of, it's what we used to use before plastic baling twine, and it is made from jute, I think.  Definitely plant based, anyway.  I haven't seen that kind of baling twine in a long time, though.  I was thinking that maybe the plastic twine wouldn't be a problem because it's not a solid sheet of plastic?  Anyway, you mentioned rough cord, and that's what popped into my mind, because we've got lots of it in the barn!

r ranson wrote:Busk - I'm a bit worried by how flexible this busk is.  It isn't going to offer much support.  I shall need to apply bones either side.  And more bones because this plastic bone isn't very stiff.
[/b]

Oh dear! Never use plastic boning. If you want good support with flexibility, use coiled steel bones. They bend easily in every direction but always spring back to their original shape. And they really aren't that expensive. Plastic boning will take on permanent bends and make your corset useless and without proper support.
I've been a historical costume maker forever, making costumes for daily wear and work, so I'm not just talking theory. I'd love to see pics of y'all's corsets!

M Wilcox wrote:
Plastic boning will take on permanent bends

That's another reason why I'm going with plastic bones (price being the biggest reason).

Traditional boning materials like bailing, cane/reed, and cord take on the shape of the person's body.  The moisture plus warmth of the human gently shapes the bones.  

But later on, I do want to try different boning materials including spiral steel.  But it's not worth me investing in something that expensive until I can get the pattern right.  I'll make this one, wear it, learn, then adapt the pattern to my needs.

Kathleen Sanderson wrote:If it's what I'm thinking of, it's what we used to use before plastic baling twine, and it is made from jute, I think.  Definitely plant based, anyway.  I haven't seen that kind of baling twine in a long time, though.  I was thinking that maybe the plastic twine wouldn't be a problem because it's not a solid sheet of plastic?  Anyway, you mentioned rough cord, and that's what popped into my mind, because we've got lots of it in the barn!

Thinking about what the cording does.
It offers some support and shaping, but it also provides an insulation layer to help keep the wearer cool while working.  The air space in the rope and the natural fibres are able to wick away moisture the body produces.  I suspect plastic would have the opposite effect and heat up the wearer.  We can see this effect with different insulation layers in jackets.  

Greetings!
I’m so glad you are trying out the Laughing Moon corset! I’ve been busy cleaning my sewing room now that I’m able to be up and around after surgery, so haven’t been following here.
For temporary, try it out boning I’m a big fan of zip ties cut to length. Be sure to trim ends into a round shape to avoid poking.
When you are ready, spiral binding is the best as previously mentioned.
The bones are secured in place with the bias binding on the top and bottom. Easy enough to change boning by unstitching the below the channels.  You will probably find you don’t need to change the boning daily or weekly.
Some notes on wearing a corset: Be sure to wear a snug cotton undergarment like an A-shirt underneath to protect your skin. Plan other under garments carefully as you can’t pull down high rise briefs from underneath the corset. Go ahead and make the drawers, they are so comfortable! Be sure to put your socks and shoes on before the corset.
Levels of support can be adjusted by the tension on the lacings to a great degree.
Corset supplies: http://www.richardthethread.com
I’ve been working with this company for ages and have been pleased.
That hockey stick is a seam guide designed to sew straight rows at varying widths just as you are using it. Just make sure that first row is perfect.
And my new exercise guru is: https://www.nutritiousmovement.com. Katy Bowman has written several books about biomechanics that have been very helpful with understanding and correcting my chronic back pain.
Ok, I think I’ve gone way over my advice quota. Feel free to throw things at me. I will check back often if I can be of any help at all.