Foundations Revealed

Last month we covered drafting the pattern for this unusual corset design. This month I take you, step by step, through the construction, including how to sew some very tricky seams! (Suitable for beginners.)

I used the drab coutil that I wrote about last month for the corset fabric, so if you were curious about how it would work made into a corset, read on.

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.

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.

The Pattern Challenge feature on Foundations Revealed will inspire, challenge and encourage you to stretch your corset making skills. You're invited to participate and create your own corset pattern and, if you wish to complete the garment, send pictures of your finished corset for our Reader Showcase Gallery.

This month's Pattern Challenge is Thomson's Glove fitting corset. We'll look at the 1898 patent, advertisements, a few extant corsets in collections and work on putting the pieces together.

In November, Marion will share how she created a pattern from the evidence and show her finished corset.