Making the Corset

Hello everyone, corset update here that I've been meaning to do for a while!

 After sourcing some nice linen from Leon's Fabric shop in Chorlton, I was able to cut out the pieces fro the corset. Using the the toile pieces, which were adjusted during the fitting process, I cut double the amount of pieces out that I had done for the toile. This is because you need to make two corset shapes up, which are then attached together, forming a shell for the boning to be inserted inbetween.

 Before I attached the two pieces together i needed to make and attach a pocket to the back layer of the corset for the busk. This is because, unlike the boning pieces, which are constantly attached to the corset, the busk would have been able to be removed when desired. Once this was completed, the two layers were pinned and together, very carefully, making sure all the seams were parallel to each other, so that I could begin the boning process.

Originally, corsets of this period would have been boned using whalebone, or baleen, as its also known. However, due to modern legislation surroundion the farming of whales the use of this material is corsetry is now unheard of. Most modern corsert use rigilene or steel, for more high quality corsets. I was going to use steel for this corset until I came across flat oval reed on Vena Cava's website, a well know corsetry suppliers. In their description they describe it as,

 "Closely approximates the flexibility and malleability of baleen, the keratinous "feeders" of whales that came to be called "whalebone". Terrific for boning 17th, 18th and early 19th century stays."

As I'm trying to keep this corset as authentic as possible I decided to give it ago. Ever since it arrived it the post I have been over the moon with it, it is so much nicer to work with than steel and it looks so much more authentic when its in the corset. 

 Once the boning had arrived I was able to mark the boning channels up following the original pattern (see the second picture above) and stitch them in place. Next was to measure the length of each channel, cut a piece of boning the the required length, file the ends, cover the ends with a small amount of masking tape and the insert them into the boning channels, untill I ended up with a fully boned corset...

Just a few more steps to go now and the corset will be complete!