Black satin corded “tester”
Hi all and Merry Christmas!
I used a little bit of time over the holidays (I’m still technically on holiday until the 31st which is sweet!) to make my first mock-up version of the 1890s corded corset from Jill Salen’s book. I say mock-up, I have done certain things that you wouldn’t generally do in a mock-up, so really this is kind of inbetween being a sample and a mock-up. Odd, I know. But you’ll see why…
Right, onto the details!
I was enchanted by this corset and so fancied re-building it quite closely to the original to get a feel for the techniques, construction and pattern. With that in mind, I enlarged the pattern and made up this rough sample. I’ve tested certain things whilst not worrying about others. I wished to:
- 1) try out the given flossing patterns (using a perle coton no.8).
- 2) construct fully corded bust gussets.
- 3) consider how to construct the seams (especially at the bust).
- 4) try using satin coutil and herringbone coutil to sandwich the cording.
- 5) see how the pattern came together and get a feel for the proportions of the corset without altering them.
- 6) think about contrast stitching.
- 7) figure out the above quickly and not worry about finish!
The result is an unfinished piece that I will never sell as the quality is rather slap-dash
This isn’t a problem though, as the plan is to take the lessons from this tester and apply them to a re-sized/adapted version of this corset, made to fit a particular person (or mannequin) for photoshoot purposes. I’m still considering who the lucky victim will be! Anyway, some pictures
You can see that I’ve only completed the flossing on one side, and that I’ve used grommets at the bust rather than a full-length busk. I just wanted to try stuff out. If you’re savvy, you’ll also see that there are a fair few ugly floating stitches (even more noticeable with the contrasting thread) and that the whole thing was rather rushed! You can also see that I’ve cut the gusset opening incorrectly on one side, meaning that the right bust gusset sits higher than the left. This is why corsetieres have to take their time guys. And I must apologise to the corsetry gods for all this, but I promise to offer up something more polished and worthy of sacrifice when I re-do this corset!
You can also see how the torso of the corset is very short with the underarm not coming high at all. As a result, the bust gussets (which actually give a very full shape when pressed out) aren’t really supported by much other than the four steel bones over each breast. They also start rather low down on the torso. For modern wear as an outer garment, this would definitely need reconsidering. It isn’t only that the lengths need tailoring to the specific wearer, but that the style lines of the corset may want raising for better support and coverage also. The high hip and pointed centre-front do give a very charming shape though.
Being corded with only one steel on each seam (then the four at the front), this corset doesn’t seem suitable for a very dramatic curve. It may be that anything greater than a 2” reduction might benefit from a steel structure beneath the cording (which would then be almost solely decorative). You can also see here that I’ve just used a basic polyester piping in order to cord this test piece. It isn’t the nicest stuff to work with and en mass it actually makes an odd crinkling sound when the corset is moved
You can also see that my cording channels are wider overall than those of the original corset. Whilst this is mostly personal preference, I would imagine that keeping the cording in proportion to the figure would be the best idea. So, this tiny corset (closing at 21” if I remember correctly) would probably benefit from super-fine cording for a more delicate look, whilst a larger corset may look fine with cording of this size.
The flossing, too, would perhaps have looked better with a finer thread. I’ve also been inspired by selmabouvier’s recent gold silk flossing and have some cranberry silk thread that might do nicely for the final version of this corset. I’m not sure if I’ll keep or change the flossing pattern though.
I also think that I’d prefer either no contrast stitching (just black to disappear into the fabric) or a darker colour. This pale pink just isn’t quite my cup of tea and makes the flossing (which is a delightful colour) look almost sickly. So, perhaps black stitching and deep, cranberry red silk flossing for the final piece!
Laid out flat you can begin to see how the shape asserts itself. The original corset is only shown on the flat in the book (if you don’t own a copy I highly recommend it), and whilst you can see the fullness of the cups the rest of the shape is only really hinted at.
Those “cups” are made of two gusset pieces, with the seam concealed by one of the exterior casings. But despite the fineness of the cording, that seam is still a tricky one to do without producing some bulk. And, to be honest, I’m still figuring out the best way to manage that part of the corset’s construction. The shape of the gussets will also need a good deal of tweaking, in order to ensure they curve back over the bust rather than simply squash it upwards. For this tester, I also cut the satin coutil for the gussets on the opposite grain to the body, to create a different sheen at the bust than the body. So, depending on whether one wants extra attention for their bustline (or to optically make it appear fuller), this may be a useful trick for the future!
Anyway, the plan for this one is to follow the Foundations Revealed manner of adapting historical patterns. My own approach is usually similar to this but a touch more intuitive and less mathematical. I tend to work by eye and proportion (matching the shaping and slant of pattern pieces) then fix the measurements and true the seams afterwards. This is all well and good (and it works for me), but I do think I should discipline myself and learn a few other techniques too. Certainly, a more mathematical approach would be considerably faster for some types of pattern.
This has been great fun though, and I’m looking forward to working on the proper corset. Cording can make one go slightly cross-eyed and stir-crazy after a while, but it does produce a lovely affect. As shown in the very first photograph above, that lovely bumpy texture is really appealing to me
Any thoughts on how to speed up cording, deal with the bulk it produces at the seams, or whether my top-stitching should be black or a colour would be greatly appreciated!
EDIT: I now intend to use seams that are butted up against one another with interior strapping and exterior casings providing the main support. I’ll report back on the success of this at a later date!
