Laughing Moon corset pattern 100 - Dore and Silverado

the binder twine passed the burn test.  It is a plant-based fibre!  

But it is quite a bit thicker than what I want to use.  It's also harry.  Not sure if I'll like working with it, but I'll put some aside to sample later.

r ranson wrote:

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.  

I see your point with traditional boning materials but plastic is a whole other situation.
When I first started making support garments I of course tried plastic boning because steel was expensive (and hard to find in those days), and who wants to drop that kind of money on experimental garments? What I found was that the plastic bent inward at the small parts (like the waist) and rolled outward at the big parts (like the bust). The more I wore it, the sharper the inward bend became, poking into my waist painfully. And the more the outward parts rolled down until they simply folded right over like a piece of paper--and they couldn't be straightened again, at least not without them doing the exact same thing the next time.

For a cheap alternative to steel bones and a better one than plastic boning, try heavy duty cable ties (zip ties) found in the heating and ductwork aisle of the hardware store. Cut the ends rounded and then take the sharp edge off the cut with a pass thru a flame, or smooth it with a nail file. Since these are pretty thick, be sure to add a little allowance for them, maybe an inch total to the circumference. I have heard that these are the closest to whalebone you can get as far as wearability and body-molding behavior.

Another alternative, although getting hard to find these days, is the steel strapping used to bale large products on a pallet, or to close crates. If you can find it, it's free. It's spring steel and if you want more support you can use two layers because it's really thin. But remove it before washing cuz it may rust.

Spring steel can also be found in those silver shield-things you use to block light from heating up your car. The thin nylon ones that you twist back upon themselves to make them smaller are able to do that and spring back into shape because there's a band of spring steel around the perimeter. They get thrown out all the time when they start to tear.

So plastic dressmaker's boning is likely to make you think your corset project has failed when really you may just need better boning.

Please forgive the rant, I'm Aspie and costume-making is my obsession.

Shea Loner wrote:

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.

That may help:)
Part of my issue is if a zipper is tight enough to work on the corset, I can't zip it. I put on my corsets just "on" then tighten, then adjust to proper tension. Zipper doesn't give me that option. Neither do hooks of any sort. I wear laces. I also loosen them and tighten them as needed during the day. As I switch tasks, I adjust my corset. Working in the garden is one tightness, driving the tractor takes much tighter to support against the bouncing when I hit holes. My need for support is very low in my lower back (L1-S3) not upper. And sometimes when it's bugging me, instead of taking it all the way of, I just loosen it totally.

If you are interested, read this thread   Wearing corsets for support and health It's more a general corsets thread, this one is more about the exact pattern that is being sewn.

M Wilcox wrote:
What I found was that the plastic bent inward at the small parts (like the waist) and rolled outward at the big parts (like the bust). The more I wore it, the sharper the inward bend became, poking into my waist painfully. And the more the outward parts rolled down until they simply folded right over like a piece of paper--and they couldn't be straightened again, at least not without them doing the exact same thing the next time.

Yup. I won't use plastic, same reason.

Another alternative, although getting hard to find these days, is the steel strapping used to bale large products on a pallet, or to close crates. If you can find it, it's free. It's spring steel and if you want more support you can use two layers because it's really thin. But remove it before washing cuz it may rust.

I get heavier steel like that from lumberyards, the wood is strapped with it. They never care if you take it. The look in on their face when you say "oh, I make corsets and hoop skirts!" is priceless.

Please forgive the rant, I'm Aspie and costume-making is my obsession.

I vote you start a new thread and tell us about it! I'm interested!
:D

I understood the zipper and the busk were used when the corset laces are loose.  The basic function is that we don't need to pull the corset over our heads and thus need much longer laces.  

r ranson wrote:I understood the zipper and the busk were used when the corset laces are loose.  The basic function is that we don't need to pull the corset over our heads and thus need much longer laces.  

Traditionally, yes, that's my impression. For people trying to use corsets to correct/support injuries, I can see a place for having laces both front and back to increase the adjust-ability. This would particularly apply to people who get swelling that needs to be accommodated.

Laces in both locations would still require it go over the head compared to a front which opens, but if you need back support and you swell, you might risk shifting the back support to a less desirable spot by having the lacing wider due to a "swollen" day.

Historically, people that needed frequent adjustment might have lace at the back and then partial lacing at the sides, especially at the hips.  But it would still have a busk for ease of putting on and off.

I've seen some with a half-busk and lacing that is threaded in to close the rest of the front (either top or bottom, or sometimes both).  But it still has the main lacing at the back.  

I could definitely see me using the zipper as a busk. I.e. - get in, zip up, then adjust the laces. But, my concern comes in the fact that there will be a good deal of stress on it, as I go about my day. Beyond the zippers they used to use on suitcases, i'm not sure modern day zippers would have what it takes to survive the experience.

There are some articles on Foundation Revealed about which zipper to choose.  One that opens at the bottom is a must.  They mentioned the strain, especially if tight lacing, so metal teeth were mentioned.  I can't remember it all but luggage zippers were suggested, I think.  

I suspect a big part of it is to not have the zipper under strain while doing up or down.  So loosening the laces before putting it on would be important to a long-lasting zip.

I got the grommets in and I attached the back panels to the rest of the corset.  

Now, I want to point out at this stage, the mockup had a generous amount of room.  So generous that I took out the bust gores and it was still lots of room.  I expected to have to take it in.

But... now I'm looking at the two halves and comparing it to the corset I had made to my measurements... I'm a bit nervous to put it on.  It looks very small.

But, this is still at a fitting stage.  I haven't finished the seams with the expectation that I would need to be altering some more.   Although, I did expect to be taking in, and now I'm suspicious that I'll be adding the gores back in.  

...

So what went wrong?  

The mockup wasn't awesome.
- material choices might have had more stretch than I thought.
- I didn't have a busk so I attempted to use a zipper for the mockup.
- I didn't have grommets for the lacing, so I just used a 2 inch wide bit of fabric to connect the back together.  

Possible zipper sources might include suppliers of repair materials for camping equipment.  Good quality tents, sleeping bags, and parkas have good, sturdy zippers, and a lot of them open from both ends.  Might be harder to find the right length, but it should be possible to shorten zippers (I know it can be done, but shortening at an end that opens may require some spare parts and a tool to apply them with).  (I'm sitting here looking at the zipper on my Carhartt jacket -- it's a fleece one, but still has a good, solid zipper.)

Kathleen Sanderson wrote:  (I'm sitting here looking at the zipper on my Carhartt jacket -- it's a fleece one, but still has a good, solid zipper.)

Funny! I was doing the same - looking down at my carhartt hoodie zipper, thinking how it might be perfect, lol.  

Here is a link to a Canadian shop that sells zippers intended for corsets/sports bras, etc.

https://www.braandcorsetsupplies.com/the-bra-makers-manual-by-beverly-johnson/

Good luck!

progress

Thank you for this thread! I have been considering a stay/corset for some time for support and I was told they would help me straighten my back from bad posture. Has anyone experienced an improvement in their posture from wearing them? I was suggested to get an underbust type with straps that go over the shoulders. Which I do realize is not the exact same as what you are doing but I have learned a lot by just following along.

I am horribly uncertain that I have the skill to sew one though from watching along, but I am learning a whole lot still. -_- You are doing great R and keep up the great work. You are awesome!

Aimee Hall wrote:

I am horribly uncertain that I have the skill to sew one though from watching along, but I am learning a whole lot still. -_- You are doing great R and keep up the great work. You are awesome!

As a costume maker for decades, I also was hesitant to try corsets. I figured that if a finished corset cost hundreds, there must be something mysteriously complicated about them. Nope! Once I tried it I was mad at myself for letting so many years go by without churning out corsets.
If you can sew, you can make a corset.

If I could sew and measure and fit myself, this would be super-easy.  It's just small repetitive tasks.  This has fewer pieces and steps than that button-up shirt I made last summer.  

I got the bust and the underbust feeling just right.  

The problem is, all that stuff I took off the hips when I did my mockup - yeh, that.  I got to put it back.  The good thing is that I learned how stretchy that fabric was and that I shall never do a corset mockup in that kind of fabric again.  But knowing I learned something doesn't make me feel like less of a failure.  

I just don't know where to put it.  I could fit some gussets in some of the seams, or I could re-cut that front panel where I took out most of the fabric.  

What I'm going to do is to put it to one side for a few days/weeks/month and let my brain think about it some more.  

Can't remember if it was this thread, but people were talking about spiral steel bone and it being expensive.  Hubby was hunting for a Canadian supplier for something I'd asked about from a company that wouldn't ship to Canada, and while poking around the website I came upon spiral steel bone so I thought I'd post the link:

https://www.cleanersupply.ca/Tailoring/Garment-Construction-Notions/See-More-Garment-Construction-Notions/spiral-steel-bone-10-x-14-12pack/?sku=MTR10

If you click on the 'Tailoring' tab, they have a bunch of interesting stuff that tends to be much pricier in most shops. I suspect to be worth it, you'd have to stock up on a bunch of things. Or get together with someone who lives close and put in one order for two people.

Wow, that's a great resource, thanks!

I'm not sure why this particular conversation turned up on my computer - Weird Brain Day and I'm trying to close tabs for the night - but it's funnily and remarkably on target.
I'm currently arguing with myself about making a set of stays/bodice/corset or a few of them. I've done it in the past and been very happy, both with "SCA compliant" and "over bust, supportive but comfy".
I have gotten to the part of cutting out some muslin to test the new pattern I'm trying (probably something horribly Big 3 instead of something tried and true) and stalled out.

I have a stack of fabric for the potential final fabric and linings. All The Skirt Fabric for when I finally sit down and do those. I have the skills (I can't remember, quite, but I've learned that muscle memory is a wonder and I can let my conscious brain wander and my "underbrain" will happily take over and I'm suddenly competent at something I haven't done since before the surgery.) I just don't trust myself.
And then here's this conversation!! Perfectly reasonable people talking about the trials and tribulations of making a supportive garment and .... I get it.

I still need a little more courage to finally start the process, but I'll get there. I have faith. I have all the bits, got the boning and grommets in from  https://www.richardthethread.com/, and I think it will work out. I just have to take the final step forward and sew the silly thing up - start the actual sewing process.
Sigh.
Y'all have me almost there. Thank you for that. All the tips and tricks and helpful advice, even if it wasn't directly to me, it's very helpful and reminds me of something not quite understood.
Tomorrow I sew!! Wish me luck!

Kathleen Sanderson wrote:  Might be harder to find the right length, but it should be possible to shorten zippers (I know it can be done, but shortening at an end that opens may require some spare parts and a tool to apply with

Actually, the easiest thing to do with zippers that open at the bottom is to adjust the length at the top. You can sew the zipper tape into the seam or create stops at the top by sewing on a little bead or clamping on one of those jewelry findings that you can clamp shut with the little teeth in it. Not sure if I'm describing it in a way that can be understood.

Kristine Keeney wrote:I still need a little more courage to finally start the process, but I'll get there. I have faith. I have all the bits, got the boning and grommets in from  https://www.richardthethread.com/, and I think it will work out. I just have to take the final step forward and sew the silly thing up - start the actual sewing process.

Sometimes the hardest part is making a start (and you've already done that!). Good luck!

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




I need to remember flossing

Awesome! Thanks for sharing