Loose threads

Various sewing projects. Mostly historical (or historically inspired) stuff. Varying levels of ambition!

Challenge 2016:5 - Holes

Kategori: Allmänt, Historic Sew Monthly 16

Or "The gap makes the corset."
 
This challenge was meant to be something else, but I never got round to it, and then I found myself signed up for the November run of Fairweather Manor and other projects were due. Since I was to play the same character again, I didn't necessarily have to make a new outfit. However, last time I borrowed a corset, which was handed back after the event and was a tad to big to start with. I took the pattern from it beforehand, adjusting the pieces a bit to fit me better, and then tried the pattern for the white party outfit. I should therefore be good to go, but this time I wanted a busk and steel boning. A busk more than anything. If you were supposed to be up until late at night and then be the most awake for morning service at 7.30 the next morning, you'd want to be able to dress as quickly as possible, too. I promise.
 
I ordered from Vena Cava Design and was very pleased, both with the supplies and the service - I managed to order the wrong colour of coutil, and they even sorted that out for me before sending my package. That's actually kinder than they'd had to be!
 
Nevertheless, this was a somewhat frustrating project. Coutil was harder to work with than I expected, and I ended up doing far more machine-sewing than I normally do. I also failed the 3D geometry twice when inserting the busk and the metal eyelets acted up, so in the end I cut a new back panel and added a ready-made lacing strip. I much prefer hand-sewn eyelets, but it's not the thing for 19th century, and to work eyelets in the coutil... I shudder to think of it.
 
In the end, the corset worked if not great, so alright.
 
The lacing is a mess, but it's a lot easier to handle than without a busk!
 
Detail of the busk/inside of the corset. The boning is inserted in channels made of attached twill tape. So far it has worked as expected.
 
The attached lacing strip. It may be cheating, but it's very neat. As you might be able to make out, I added a bone by the lacing in between the lacing strip and the coutil. The lacing is ordinary cotton tape, I know there is corset lacing  stuff out there, but I find it a bit bulky.
 
The finished corset on my mannequin. As my upper part squish a lot more than the mannequin, and is smaller in measurement too, the gap is a lot more even when I wear the corset.
 
As you can see, there are some issues. For some reason, the busk twist sideways. Likely it's small difference in seam allowance making the corset smaller on the upper left than bottom right. Not as visible when I wear it as here, since I'm a bit lopsided, too (I've noticed it before, trims straight down the front on a renaissance garment tend to tilt a bit when I wear it!), but still visible enough to bug me. It also turns out that I'm not as straight-shaped as I imagine. A bit more room for the hips would have made for a nicer shape, but alas: it worked just fine for what I needed at Fairweather, which was more of a posture, stiffness and "have outer garments stay put" thing than a wasp-waist thing.
 
The facts:
 
What the item is: A 19th century corset (a bit too early for Fairweather manor, really, but I played a character who didn't need to be top modern in that regard).

The Challenge: 5, holes (the gap)

Fabric/Materials: Cotton coutil

Pattern: Stolen from an existing garment, but I'm fairly confident that -that- garment was made from the Truly Victorian 1880's corset pattern.

Year: Late 19th century

Notions: Cotton twill tape, eyelet tape, cotton ribbon for lacing, bias strip for binding edges

How historically accurate is it? 75% or so, I'd guess

Hours to complete: With all the mistakes, about 20.

First worn: 3rd November 2016 for photos, then "properly" for larping 4-5th of November. Finished mid September, though, for once I planned.

Total cost: about 30 euros
 
 
 
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