 Knowing how stays were really made allows us to imitate those techniques and produce an accurate garment. We study the genuine article in detail.  Last month a very decisive 73% of you wanted to see the pattern re-worked twice for the model. This month, we will focus on the first version, as it came off the pattern block.  Guiding you through the process of designing and creating your own maternity corset from the Victorian era.  This month we feature Cristiane Tano, aka CrissyCatt, a corsetiere from Brazil who does unrivalled work in leather. She shares the reasons why she created this series of stunning corsets, as well as how she did it. We've got the inside scoop on her future plans, and amazing pictures of her uniquely breathtaking series of hand-tooled filigree leather corsets.
 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?  Continuing her study of the Skeleton Corset from last month, Amanda demonstrates how to make this very unique busk step by step at home. While the original busk was probably made in a factory using power tools, Amanda reproduces it using with hand tools, which are easily acquired at your local hardware store if you don’t already have them at home.  Two questions and a short story on the Letters page this month: Zeina inquires about how to make a set of the 1660 watered silk stays from the V&A. Bernicia wonders about alternative lacing and where to find colored eyelets (hint: its in the most unexpected place!) A short story from 1913, in which the lady's undergarments play a starring role (it's a nice clean story, nothing risque actually happens!)
 Sunny concludes her exhaustive study of six Belle Époque petticoats by comparing the remaining construction details and techniques to the instructions in various Belle Époque sewing manuals. The result is enlightening (and freeing) if you get hung up on trying to make all the details “right”. You’ll be able to see just how varied the methods were for basic things (like constructing a ruffle or inserting a placket) and be able to relax and sew your petticoat with confidence.  Many makers find inserting gores and gussets a little tricky when it comes to stitching them into a corset. I'll share with you two easy step-by-step techniques that will insert gores and gussets neatly, producing a nice crisp V shape at the bottom.
 Stripes create an unusual visual interest in your corsetry, but you cannot match stripes perfectly along every portion of every curved seam without performing a considerable amount of piecing work - or can you? Laurie shows you how she comes close to doing so (without creating her own fabric) by a simple technique of visualizing pattern matching choices before stitching up the project.  While the original corset was made in drab coutil, I couldn't resist the temptation of bright pink for Valentine's Day. Coutil dyes really well; add a sexy black lace trim and you have a corset far too good for a mere housemaid! Yes, this corset is a labour of love. Yes, doing all that cording takes ages. Was it worth it? YES! This is a lovely corset, comfortable and fun and easy to wear and it looks so unusual and smart.  Follow along as Jema takes her antique Charles Bayer corset, and the pattern she made from it in last month's instalment, and recreates it for herself. Jema shows us the complete details on how one professional corsetmaker would make this one layer corset, step by step. Furthermore, she includes some techniques you may not have tried before, such as a lapped seam for one layer corsets that neatly encases all raw edges on both sides.  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.  In the last two months I talked about the different decorative techniques used to trim Belle Époque petticoats (here and here); now I will discuss the different factors that combine to create the shape of the skirt, and the petticoats that support it. Patterns of the six petticoats are included this month. There are many factors that affect the shape of the skirt, and I will be discussing all of these in this article, particularly as they relate to the six 1890-1910 petticoats described here. Next month I will be talking about the basic sewing techniques (plackets, seam finishes, etc.) that were used in these six petticoats.  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.  If you're familiar with our sister site, you'll know all about Sunny's extraordinary articles in which she studies antique garments in minute detail with hundreds of detailed photographs. Here she looks at six late Victorian and Edwardian petticoats, studying the methods used to produce the beautiful embellishments so that we can either recreate our own historically accurate underthings to accompany our corsets - or take them somewhere more avant garde... |