Making Your Own Corset?

[Tookie]

Hmm, after reading (most) of this thread, I received a commissioning (well, sort of, she's only paying for the supplies, not the labour) for a corset from a friend. Now, she doesn't have any specific ideas, so I was thinking the standard over-bust loop-laced, hook&eye tape-busked, rigilene-boned easy peasy corset (is that an oxymoron?), as she'll probably only wear it to the occasional anime convention.  But I'm thinking making my own pattern would be somewhat of a hassle, seeing as Simplicity patterns are $2 at my local fabric store. Has anyone tried 5006? I think she'd like the shape of that one.
Thanks.

[ewushka]

Simplicity 5006 is a nice bodice but definetely not a corset! Still for a friend who will only use it once and isn't really into paying for the work I suppose it's ok.
Doesn't seem so very difficult since there's no busk involved and it's probably something you'll fix over a night.
I find  ALL of Simplicitys patterns work very well, so I'm sure this one does too.

Good luck!

[Tookie]

I talked to her again, she wants something more "old-fashioned", so 5006 is out.
I suppose I'll do 9769 with cable ties instead of rigilene (steel bones are out because neither of us has a credit card to order them).
I I hope I'm able to weasel some labour-pay out of her. I do want the sewing practice, but it's not an easy project.

[andi_sunrider]

9769 is good; I just made one last weekend. I found that the pattern was quite short to wear without a chemise, so I'd suggest doing a mock-up or measuring it out. I think I added 1 3/4 inches, but I've misplaced the altered pattern with the moving.... It has nice lines:)

[ewushka]

I've made 9769 aswell. Not much of an overbust, but very nice lines and fairly easy to make. Good instructions aswell.
Iäve made it both with rigilene and with steel boning, and it works either way as long as you're not putting too much strain on the rigilene. Don't expect to practise tightlacing with it. For that you need a custommade pattern.

Have fun (and squeeze her for money for God's sake! A corset isn't a walk in the park!)

[andi_sunrider]

I've made 9769 aswell. Not much of an overbust, but very nice lines and fairly easy to make. Good instructions aswell.

Because I'm a camera ho, and also to reiterate what ewushka just said, below is a photo of moi in the corset that I made last weekend.  This is with the simplicity 9769 pattern, with nearly 2 inches added to the length, and it still barely covers the girls, so if your friend isn't a flaunter, it'd be a good idea to add some length to create a larger overbust. I initially used the widest cable ties you can get at home depot for boning, and this would prolly look cuter if it was with spring steel boning. I added the spiral steel, I think it's called, to several channels after wearing it for a night, but it really needs the non-curving in some spots. If your friend is curvy/hour glass shaped, I'd add more boning channels so there's more support; I only did them at the seams. I found the back and side "bones" bent the most, which hasn't been a problem with past projects that had more channels, also done with the cable ties. If she's fairly/medium thin, she could prolly pull in a few inches if you use the wider cable ties, but prolly not as much as the thinner ones (depending on the strength of the fabric, of course). I love the wide ones! Once I'm done moving, I'm attempting to make a bustle with them.


Andi

[ewushka]

Here's two of my tries with 9769





Both of these is with different kinds of steelboning.

[Kristen81]

This is with the simplicity 9769 pattern, with nearly 2 inches added to the length, and it still barely covers the girls

Is this made with a busk in the front or is that left out??  I can't tell by the pic.  I know the pattern has a bust but I'm not about to buy one when I'm using $1.97 fabric.   I was thinking of using hook and eyes (not for tight lacing anyway)  or leaving it out alltogether...what did you do??

[andi_sunrider]

Is this made with a busk in the front or is that left out??  I can't tell by the pic.  I know the pattern has a bust but I'm not about to buy one when I'm using $1.97 fabric.   I was thinking of using hook and eyes (not for tight lacing anyway)  or leaving it out alltogether...what did you do??

Sharp eye, as there isn't a busk in the front, just the two front peices sewn together and an extra boning channel where one would be. I totally feel the same way as you in many respects -- the place I would buy busks from, for the quality that I want, are about $18, plus shipping! That's about how much everything else costs on mine, depending on the fabric, whether it's lined/interfaced with how many layers, how many channels, and so on. If I'm making one to wear to one specific thing, I haven't bothered to order one because usually I think of it a day or two before I want to wear it, and as a result, I haven't done one yet:) I think I'll put one in the next black one I make, as it's really a right hassle to get it laced up when the lacing is only in the back (but I can do it on my own now!). I'm really itching to make one out of black coutil, with a proper busk and everything, but I'm enjoying practicing and getting a lot better with every one, so that one will be hopefully a marker:) I actually want to experiement with D-ring straps, and a long line of snaps down the front, as well as lacing up the front, back, and perhaps sides, just as ways to make it funkier without going to the expense and time of ordering a busk (I'm so impatient!!) My first one ever had hook and eye tape, and it didn't turn out so well. That's largely because I'm quite busty, and to get it tight enough to support my girls, the hooks and eyes were too taught, and you could see my skin though the gap, which isn't how that was supposed to look! I have more petitie friends who have ones with hook and eye, and as long as you're not looking to tightlace, it seems to work fine to just pull it tight in the back; i think it takes only an inch or so off, mostly making you stand up straight and look skinnier because of that, rather than pulling you in very much. I'd suggest going to a lingerie shop at the mall, or something, to see how they're made and perhaps try some on, because I followed the directions of the pattern and it didn't look very good (you could see the tape way too much for my tastes, like).

Anyhoo, i need to stop talking!

Ewushka, I don't think I commented when you initially posted those, but they're fantastic! I adore the neck peice; it's a great idea that I keep thinking I should emulate, but keep running out of time when I'm making one at the last minute! How exactly did you do the bias edging? I don't see any stitch marks on the front, and it looks so nice:)

Andi

[ewushka]

Ewushka, I don't think I commented when you initially posted those, but they're fantastic! I adore the neck peice; it's a great idea that I keep thinking I should emulate, but keep running out of time when I'm making one at the last minute! How exactly did you do the bias edging? I don't see any stitch marks on the front, and it looks so nice:)
Andi

If you mean the hemming (my sewing english still has a lot to want) I took ribbons cut on the diagonal thats folded and sew them onto the front on machine and then handstitch them on the back.
I haven't made any corset without busk and I personally think it adds to the straightness of it all. Besides, I'm inpatient when it comes to getting the darn thing on and off.
I get my busks for $10 + shipping and they get here in two days so I'm quite pleased.
When I make a corset for my friends I do tell them that materials only costs about $70 and then comes the work (that I do very cheap I may add) $180-200 depending on how much details they want.
The one with the neckpiece I was payed $250 for all in all, and the plastic one was a birthdaygift for my best friend. She only got it yesterday (since she lives in Stockholm) and I got a textmessage that it fit perfectly. *phew*

Seems like I need to stop talking aswell
Did I even answer your question?