How to Make a Waist-Cinching Five-Buckle Corset
Corsets, the precursors to modern structured undergarments, are often used today as clubwear and fetish wear in addition to historical costume pieces. The original use of a corset was to create a sturdy foundation for heavy gowns, bodices and skirts, so they were often smooth and plain. Modern corsets, since they are worn on the outside, often include a great deal of decorative embellishments, such as embroidery, ribbon, buckles, D-rings and beading. To make a five-buckle modern corset that is sturdy enough for waist cinching, you can add buckles to any basic corset pattern, as described in the following steps.
Things You'll Need
- Corset pattern
- Sewing equipment and supplies
- Zipper foot attachment
- Heavy-duty machine needles
- Protective eyewear
- Heavyweight duck, coutil or twill fabric
- Fashion fabric
- Cotton lining fabric
- Waist tape
- Busk
- Spring and spiral steel bones
- Awl
- Metal 00 size grommets
- 00 size grommet punch
- Rubber mallet
- 5 buckles
- 5 to 8 feet of 1-inch wide ribbon or cording
- Fabric pencil
Instructions
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1
Choose a corset pattern that you like. For this type of design, a Victorian-style corset pattern, such as Laughing Moon's Silverado, is best. Take your bust, waist and hip measurements, then scale each measurement down for how many inches you would like the corset to cinch and how wide of a gap you would like in the back of your corset. For an average fit, subtract four inches from all measurements, so that you will have a 2-inch lacing gap and a 2-inch cinching effect. Choose the pattern size that matches your adjusted measurements.
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2
Adjust the length measurements on your pattern. This style of corset should hit you at the bust and above the crotch. Measure the center front length on your pattern and subtract 1/2 inch, then purchase a busk in this measurement. Also measure the length of each boning channel on your pattern pieces and purchase bones 1/2 inch shorter than these measurements.
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3
Pin your pattern pieces to your heavyweight fabric, your fashion fabric and your cotton fabric. Cut four layers of each pattern piece in the heavyweight fabric, two layers in the fashion fabric and two layers in the cotton fabric. In your finished garment, this will give you four layers of fabric. Separate your panel pieces into these four layers to keep them straight.
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4
Line up one set of the front corset panel and measure the distance from end to end. Create a buckle strap pattern using this measurement for the length of each strap side. Depending on the center front length of your corset, your straps should be 2 to 3 inches wide. Taper the end of one of the straps. Cut 10 of each strap from the fashion fabric and five from the heavyweight fabric.
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5
Pin together each strap in three layers, with the heavyweight fabric between two pieces of fashion fabric. Fold under the edges and stitch them together, all the way around. In the center of each of the top, tapered straps, make markings with a fabric pencil evenly down the length. Poke a hole at each marking, using the awl, and insert a grommet and washer. Punch the grommets closed with the grommet punch and mallet.
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Baste the corset panels in the fashion fabric to one set of the corset panels in the heavyweight fabric. Follow your particular pattern instructions to insert the busk and stitch the panels of each layer together, so that you have an outer layer and two lining layers. On the outer layer, stitch the buckle straps into the seams between the first and second panels.
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7
Stitch and double-stitch all of the boning channels, then sew up the bottom edge of the corset. Mark out the grommet placement on the center back panels and insert the grommets, then insert the bones into the boning channels and stitch up the top edge of the corset.
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8
Attach the binding to the top and bottom edges of the corset, handstitching the binding to the inside. Attach the buckles to the buckle straps and lace up the back of the corset.
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Tips & Warnings
If your pattern has bust gores, go one size smaller for a better fit. You may wish to create a full mockup of your corset in duck or twill fabric before working on the final version, so that you can adjust the fit directly on your body. To prevent gaping, use spring steel bones on either side of the grommets and spiral steel bones everywhere else.
Wear safety goggles when stitching, since needles break easily in heavy-duty fabric.
