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| The Wardrobe | Sewing Room | Contact |
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| Making the Corset |
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Fabric: |
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Ninya provided me with calico and cane and steel boning. As I wanted a new silk corset, I provided my own silk top fabric (dupion) in a lovely deep red and a red linen for the lining. The corset was to have the edges bound in its own silk. |
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Other - Thread: |
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I was certainly NOT going to hand stitch all the boning channels - I don't have that much time nor the stamina to do so any more! However, I also thought that using standard sewing thread would not look "right". I wanted to have an effect of "linen" thread and found a thicker thread in exactly the right colour suitable for machine use! Initially, I was only able to buy 3 spools and couldn't find any more for about a fortnight and I used all 3 spools machining the channels of 3/4 of ONE back piece! |
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My mum came to visit me one day and we popped into Remnants in Colchester - and there was the exact spool colour! I bought ALL the spools they had (11 of them!) to ensure I had enough left over! I don't care if I have too much as I can use it on the farthingale I am making!!!!! |
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Other - Eyelets: |
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I have made a slight change to the fastening of this corset. I like having a back fastening (am used to it from my old corset) but it can be a pain to get into when there is no help around! I know some of you CAN get into a back laced corset but I am not supple enough to do it and will end up getting cramp in my back! So, I retained the front lacing as per the usual pattern and also opened up the centre back to take back lacing with a 2 inch gap for fluctuations in size! |
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The back lacing holes have been strengthened with the usual grommets and then overstitched with the thick "linen" like thread. Looks really nice! However, I didn't want the same effect at the front! I had a couple of ideas/issues on the eyelets at the front: |
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1. |
I like having eyelets strengthened with something like metal! | ||
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2. |
It IS authentic to have eyelets strengthened with metal rings! | ||
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3. |
The eyelets on the original are delicate looking (e.g. not strengthened with huge hulking bits of | ||
| metal like grommets) | |||
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4. |
The original are still STRONG! |
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I therefore decided to be more authentic and had a think about what could be used as a metal ring. The answer? |
| Jewellery JUMP RINGS!!!!!! |
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They are really good - even though the ones I am using are split. They are the same size as the grommets but not the same thickness so still make the worked eyelet look delicate! I whip stitch them into place over the initial hole I create with an awl. Once they are secure, I can then use a ballpointed awl to make the hole the size of the ring and then button hole stitch over it with red silk thread (doubled). I make sure the "knot" of the buttonhole stitch is around the outside of the ring and it really does look rather lovely - even if I say so myself! |
| Work so far: |
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Easter 2005! |
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Its starting to look like a corset! What do you think? |
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Top Fabric Showing. |
Lining Fabric Showing. |
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Inside - Seam and boning channel detail. |
Jump Rings whip stitched into place. |
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This the turnings of the seam are hand stitched, but the seam itself was machined. |
These still need overstitching with buttonhole stitch - I have started this on the |
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other half of the corset. |
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Many thanks for the Images to:- |
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