The Little Corset Book

THE

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A WORKBOOK ON PERIOD UNDERWEAR

Bonnie H olt Ambrose

(O 1997 by Bonnie Holt Ambrose

Ali rights reserved under the lntemational and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. For information address Quite Specific Media Group Ltd., 7373 Pyramid Place, Hollywood, CA 90046. Printed in Canada.

Email: [email protected] Voice: 323.851.5797 Fax: 323.851.5798

The Uttle Hatmakiog Book and The Ut tle Bodice Book were originally published by Drama Publishers. Quite Specific Media Group Ltd. lmprints include: Drama Publishers Costume & Fashion Press EntertainmentPro By Design Press Jade Rabbit

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ORSET· ·18 02

PATTERN MAKING···I890,s COI\SE.T Ih.~

FOLLOW THE GRID A80VE ANO TRAN5FER THE PATTERN PIEC.E5 TO TRU-GRID PELLON OR I " GRID PAPER. CAREFULLY FOLLOW MEA5UREMEHT5 ANO DRAW ALL DIREC.TION5 ONTO THE PAI I ERN PIEC.E5 WITH A FELT PEN. lf A DIFFERENT 51ZE CORSET 15 DESIRED, 5EE THE C.HART ON PAGE ELEVEN. CUT OUT PAT I ERN PIEC.E5 ANO PIN TO C.OTTON C.ORSET FA8RIC.; THE IDEAL FA8RIC. 15 C.OTTON C.OUTIL, A DKILL C.LOTH, A SATIN 8ROCADE, OR CANVAS. TltE C.ORSET WILL NOT 8E LINED, THEREFORE TIGHTL V WOVEN C.OTTON FA8RIC. IS 5UGGE5TED.

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PRESHRINK , PRESS.

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ARRANGE PA I I ERN PIEC.ES C.AREFULLV ON FOLOEO FABRIC.. PATTERN PIEC.ES SHOULD 8E PLAC.ED ~ITH THE FA8RIC. GRAIN

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ntE ltPPAOXIMATE AODITIOM

TO E AC:M SEAH IS ~" TO Y+•. F01t A ltE.I>UC-TIOM IM SIZ.E CUT .SUC.MTL"{ .Sfii\AU..E.R

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Y4° ME.TA\. Sli\V5 SHOULD BE OllDE.RED tN ~f.1lTAlN Lf.NG'lttS. FOil P. Sll..E. .1'1.. CORSETOitDE.R 2./fl", 1~/6'"., 4/JO", tS/12.'" ..r 8 /to ".

THESE QUANTITIES FOR M ETAL STAYS ARE APPROXIMATE ANO MAY CHANGE AS THE CORSET IS FITTEO ANO TAKEN UP. AN INE XPE NSIVE PROOUCT T HAT WORKS WELL AS 80NING IS M ETAL STRAPPING USED ON CRATES ANO IN SHIPPING. TlfiS PROOUC"f MUST HAVE THE E NDS TIPPE O WITH A PLASTIC SEALE R SO IT WILL NOT CUT THROUGH THE FABRIC. SPRAY PAINTING THIS M ETAL STRAPPING WITH A NON- RUSTING PAINT IS SUGGESTEO. THE AOVANTAGE OF THIS M ETAL 80NING IS COST ANO THE ABILITY TO CUT TO THE EXACT SIZE.

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USE IRON -ON C.ANVAS INTE RFAC.ING TO STIFFEN THE ARMHOLES ANO N EC.KUNE OF THE C.ORSET LINING. STEAM PRESS ALL INTERFAC.INGS IN POSITION. SEW LINING FRONT 80DIC.E SEAM TO SIDE 800IC.E PIEC.E ANO SIDE 800IC.E SEAM TO LINING 8ACK 800IC.E PIEC.E l AS SHOWN ). SEW OUTER FA8RIC. PIEC.ES TO EAC.H OTHER IN THE SAME MANNE R. LEAVE THE 8ACK SEAMS OPEN .

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WITH PENC.IL ANO RULER DRAW' STITC.HING UNES FOR EVERY STAY POC.KET ON LINING FA8RIC.. WORK ON THE TOPSIDE OF C.ORSET LINING FA6RIC.. PIN OUTE R C.ORSET TO C.ORSET UNING. WITH LINING FAC.ING UP MAC.HINE STITC.H EAC.H PENC.IL UNE TO PRODUC.E POC.KETS FOR STAYS. LEAVE TOP OF STAY POC.KETS OPEN FOR INSE RTION OF STAYS. FINISH 60TTOM OF EAC.H STAY POC.KET 6Y MAC.HINE STITC.HING ~4- " A60VE LO\.IFR C.ORSET EDGE.

31

CUT ALL PE PLUM PIEC.ES. PIN ANO MAC.HINE STITC.H EAC.H PIEC.E Of PEPLUM TO LINING. llJRN AND PRESS. NUM8ER Of PEPLUM TABS WILL 8E GOVERNED 8Y WAIST LENGTH.

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CAREFULLY PIN TA8 PIEC.ES TO WAIST SEAM OF C.ORSET. VIS UALL Y C.HEC.K TO 8E SURE PEPLUM TA8S HANG C.ORREC.TLY WHEN VIEWED FROM T HE FRONT . MAC.HINE STITC.H PEPLUM TA8S TO C.ORSET WAIST. fiNISH THE WAIST SEAM 8Y SERGING OR C.OVER THE SEAM WITH 81AS T APE.

39

FINISH THE 8AGK OPENING Of THE GORSET IN A SIMILAR MANNER AS THE VIGTORIAN GORSET. SEW A 8AGK FAGING DOWN 80TH SIDES Of 8AGK OPENING. FOLD IN1 PRESS1 ANO WHIP STITC.H FAC.ING TO FINISH 8AC.K SEAMS. MARK WHERE EYELETS l SMALL GROMMETS ) WILL 8E PLAGED. E YELETS SHOULD 8E PLAC.ED IN AISLE 8ETVE"EN TW'O 8AGK PIEC.ES OF 80NING. fOLLOW DIREC.TIONS FOR SETTING EYELETS ON PREGEDING PAGES. USE A 54 • SHOE LACE TO FASTEN C.ORSET.

40

FA8RIC. ANO NOTIONS : I YO. FA8RIC., I YD. LINING, I 'h.. YDS. RI880N, I YD. IRON-:-ON C.ANVAS, 2.0 SMALL GROMMETS, HOLE PUNC.H, GROM.M ET SE I I ER, 54 " SHOE LACE. M ETAL STAYS :

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THESE QUANTITIES FOR M ETAL STAYS ARE APPROXIMATE ANO MAY C.HANGE AS THE C.ORSET IS FIJ I E O ANO TAKEN UP. SUGGESTEO FA8RIC.S : E M8ROIOE RIE O C.REWEL, TAPESTRY WEAVE, HEAVY 8ROC.AOE, WOOL, VEL VET, SATIN. LINING FA8RIC.MUSUN, C.ANVAS, SATIN, C.OTTON.

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FOLLOW THE GRID ABOVE ANO TRANSFER THE PAI I E RN PIE C.E S TO T RU -GRIO PE LLON OR I " GRIO PAPER . CAREFULLY FOLLOW MEASURE M ENTS ANO ORAW ALL OIRE C.TIONS ONTO T HE PAI I E RN PIE C.E S WITH A FEL T PE N . lF A OIFFERE NT SIZE C.ORSET IS DESIRE O., SEE THE C.HART AT THE 6At.K Of T HIS 600K. CU T TWO EA C.H Of THE C.ORSE L ET FRONT _, 6At.K ANO STRAPS . 00 THE SAME WITH THE UNING FABRIC.. USE IRON- ON C.ANVAS T O C.UT F OUR FRONT INTE RFA C.INGS. WIT H THE RIGHT SlOES Of FA6RIC. T OGETHE R SE W T H E BAC.K SEAM. SEW SIDE SEAMS. PUT THE LINING PIE C.ES T OGE THE R IN T HE S AME WAY.

43

PRESS C.ANVAS INTERFAC.ING C.ENTER FRONT OPENING.

TO

LINING

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80NING WIU 6E APPLIED ONLY TO C.ORSET LINING. USE A C.HALK PENC.Il TO INDICATE WHERE 60NING Wlll 6E SEWN TO LINING. FEATHER WEIGHT 60NING MAY 6E USED INSTEAD OF METAL 60NING. CUT 60NING TO SIZE ANO STEAM PRESS FLAT. PIN IN POSITION LEAVING A