How to Make an Edwardian Corset

The Edwardian era's long-line corsets were worn under long-line dresses.

During English King Edward VII's brief reign from 1901 to 1910, known as the Edwardian era, corsets were American and British women's main foundation garments. They were used to reduce the waist, elongate the torso, push the bust outward and push the hips backward to create what was known as the S-bend. Edwardian corsets usually began under the bust and extended over the hips, with a front opening and back lacing. Does this Spark an idea?

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Cotton, coutil, jean or silk fabric
Iron
Edwardian corset pattern
Scissors
Stick pins
Hand sewing needle
Twill tape
Steel bones
Straight busk
Awl
Tailor's chalk
Grommet punch
Double-faced satin ribbon
Corset lacing

Instructions

- 1
  
  Wash and iron the fabric. Cut out the pattern pieces and pin them to the fabric on a flat, clean surface, like a table or floor. Cut out the fabric pieces -- including panels and facing strips -- and set aside the stick pins and paper pattern pieces.
- 2
  
  Sew the panels together creating two pieces -- one left side and one right side. Lay them, wrong side up, on your work surface. Arrange lengths of twill tape -- which will serve as the bone casing -- at the boning locations detailed by the pattern. Pin in place. Put a steel bone into one of the twill tape lengths and sew along both edges, creating the bone casing. Repeat with the rest of the twill tape lengths.
- 3
  
  Pin the (4) horizontal facing strips, with right sides together, to each edge. Unhook the busk. One side should have the hooks and the other the eyes. Insert the hook side of the busk between the facing and the panel edge on the front opening on the corset wearer's right-hand side. Change the placement of the pins as necessary.
- 4
  
  Mark the location where the hooks will protrude -- on the inside of the corset -- using tailor's chalk. Remove the hook side of the busk and sew the facing to the panel edge, taking care not to sew where the tailor's chalk marks are. Insert the hook side of the busk. Do the same for the eyes side of the busk. However, the eyes will protrude not from the side, like the hooks, but from the front of the corset. Use an awl or scissors to make the tiny holes from which the eyes will protrude.
- 5
  
  Mark where the grommets should be -- as directed by the pattern directions -- along the back opening's two edges, using tailor's chalk. Use an awl or scissors to make tiny holes on the grommet marks. Insert the tube part of a grommet on the underside of the corset and let it protrude to the outside of the corset. Place the top hat or washer part of the grommet on top from the outside of the corset. Flatten them together using a grommet punch. Repeat with the rest of the grommets.
- 6
  
  Fold the ribbon over the top and bottom edges of the corset. Sew down. Lace up the back of the corset with strong ribbon or cord.