Mocking up fifth

Sewing a corset, Part 1 (again)

So, let's try that again, hmmm?

Mockup V2.0
This time the drafting of a WHOLE NEW PATTERN went much more smoothly. I had the NEW MEASUREMENTS written right there, on a print-out of the instructions, including all of the calculations written out and proper conversions of fractions of an inch (something I'd fudged the first time around).

I also did a little sanity check of summing up all the final pattern waist and upper hip measurements and they all came out pretty much to the actual numbers; a good start!

I added all the notations to the pattern pieces again. Even if I have to abandon the pattern (again) it's still a good habit to get into.

Chopped it all out, then pinned and cut (this time with 3cm seams, 'cause I'm not mucking around again), marked the material with waist and bust lines (for ease of fitting) and then sewed the thing together. I added channels down the back to slip some long cable ties in for fast boning.

And wonder of wonders, it sort of actually fit!!

It seemed to need more length across the top and the bottom at the front (but not at the back), and perhaps the waist might be nipped in a bit more, but apart from that, it was looking good! Good enough even to move to the next step of adding boning channels to all of it.

The fastest way to do this is to just fold over the seams and sew them down to leave a channel for the cable ties to slip into*.  I probably won't do this on the final corset, but it's a good way to test the cinching ability. I dropped cable ties into the channels and a 30cm metal ruler down an extra channel down the front to simulate the busk.  I just stabbed holes in the the fabric and ran the laces through and fitted it to the dressmaker's dummy.

And it fits - as you can see! It's even a little too small possibly. On me it's got about that 2" gap - but this material can't really cinch in particularly well, so I'm worried that the gap down the back wouldn't be big enough on the finished piece.  The bust is also a little large, surprisingly, and could probably loose an inch or so, which would make the sides of the corset parallel along my back.

So, my next step is to draw up another pattern, though this one will just be a modification of the existing one, rather than starting from scratch - a V2.1 if you will.  I'll add an inch to the top, a few to the bottom and take out an inch around the bust and we'll see how we go.

I'll make another mockup, but this time I'll use a heavier duty material (or multiple layers) to give me a better feel for how it does up, and I'll probably sew in the "boning", especially at the back. But that's for another day.

---

* The disadvantages of this method, discovered later, is that it makes adjusting the seam impossible. I'll run proper channels next time.