Foundations Revealed

Corset patterns always seem to be too small or too big at the bust. Here's a deceptively easy fix - a method that works even for large changes.

Jenni alters the antique "Hearts" corset pattern to emulate the archetypal “Edwardian” posture on a modern body, and weighs up the effect on comfort.

Sandra Stuart tackles re-creating a gusseted and gored corset using an 1878 patent diagram, from pattern enlargement to construction and fitting. 

Jennifer shows us an intuitive way to take a pattern from an existing corset. Includes the pattern and shopping list for a simple, authentic 1910s corset.

Re-creating a real Edwardian corset pattern for a modern body, using antique drafting books to find elusive clues.

The sad truth is that people notice how a corset fits first, and the detail last. There is absolutely no point spending hours perfecting your stitching if the fit is wrong. 

In the first of a hotly-anticipated series of articles, Laura rolls up her sleeves and addresses the single most pressing frustration that FR readers tell us they face: just how do you fit a corset properly?

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.

Jill Salen, author of Corsets: Historical Patterns & Techniques, shares her technique for making corset patterns from the original antique corsets that you can find in museums.

With these tools, the whole of the history of corsets opens up to you, and you'll no longer be restricted to the commercially available patterns that everyone else is using. Jill gives you advice about getting an appointment, what to take with you and how to begin making a pattern, taking you right through to mocking it up and considering how to make it for real.

Come with us into the exciting world of antique corsets, where there are so many wonderful, unique patterns and ideas, you'll want another lifetime to make them all!