Foundations Revealed

Practice + experience = better corsetmakers, but at FR we believe that we can help accelerate that process just a little.

Let's look at a challenge that'll get you thinking ahead and avoiding construction problems to come up with a fantastic corset on the first attempt.

It's all very well to know how to make a basic corset, but when you get a big, inspiring idea, it probably won't be a big, inspiring idea about a basic black underbust.

You want wings; you want to defy gravity; you want rows of tiny, deadly spikes down each boning channel. Whatever it is, you get the sinking feeling that this is going to be a tough call.

I can't believe that it's December already and that the Holiday season is almost upon us!

There are two questions this month. One on patterning/fitting a corset for a figure where the waist is almost as big as the hips. The other is on horizontal boning channels in 18th century corsets.

We also share a letter we received from a reader were she shares what she likes and what she'd like to see more of. Read it and see if you agree!

Do you have an antique corset in your collection that you'd like to see featured on FR? Click to read more about writing for us.

If you read historical fashion magazines looking for corset ads, you'll see these words over and over again: "Available in white or drab coutil, or fast black sateen".

But what color is "drab" exactly? And where can you get that coutil that color today? The answer is that you can dye it yourself using a very easy process. No toxic chemicals are involved, just a very cheap material from the health food store.

If you run your own business as a bespoke corsetmaker, you'll know how fragile a process you're getting into. How do you know that your client will pay? How do you know that they won't ruin and try to return what you've made them?

The answer to most concerns is to have a good contract. (And it works especially well if you're not in business, but making something for a friend or family member.)

This article appeared in its original form in Your Wardrobe Unlock'd some time ago; it appears here in an updated and reworked form, especially for corsetmakers. If you've read it before, read it again - are you doing all of these things to protect yourself?

To continue from last month’s article, I will be talking about the decorative techniques in the six 1890-1910 petticoats described here.

Last month I talked about tucks and lace insertion.

This month I’ll be talking about embroidered insertion, lace edging and embroidery. Next month I’ll talk about the construction of the six petticoats.

After the October issue, in which the article Pattern Challenge- Thomson Glove-fitting Corset about Patent 611,116 issued to T.S. Gilbert was published, David in the UK wrote to me asking:

"Are you certain that this patent is for a Thomson Glove-fitting Corset?

This led me to look more closely at the patent and realize that he was right! So I did a little (ok, a lot) more research into T.S Gilbert, the owner of patent 611,116.

I'll share what I found about him, along with my method of patterning this corset, and next month I'll show you the finished piece.