Elizabethan Corset - it's DONE

Yes, I finished it.  The bias tape went on and I only broke one needle.  There was some hand sewing that needed to be done, especially where the busk went in.  I was going to make eyelets for lacing holes, but changed my mind when I remembered I had a bunch of small (size 00) grommets.  I used the eyelet tool I bought a while ago.  It is for scrapbooking, but it works well on the small grommets.

So, here is the finished product.  I bet you never thought you would be looking at these pictures.

I need to center the busk properly when I wear it.

This fit gives me a little room to more weight.

Ta Da

Elizabethan Corset - Almost finished

As promised, I resized the corset by folding over the excess fabric so it will reenforce the lacing holes.  I took the bias tape and ran it around the edges.

So, now I have to put in the lacing holes and touch it up with a bit of hand sewing.

...and we're back to the Elizabethan Corset

I bet you thought I forgot all about this project.  You were saying to yourself "She is never going to finish that corset".  Well, I can understand that.  It's been months since I've even looked at it.  "So", you ask, "what have you been doing".  Let me tell you.

In the fall a very dear friend of mine dropped 50 lbs of apples from her old apple trees on me.  That took an eminence amount of time but I got them all canned, except for the ones I used for apple pie.  Then, of course, Christmas was coming and the frenzy of getting all of those presents finished.  "OK", you say, "but what happened to January and February?".  January was consumed with getting stock ready for my first time vending, as Fairely Well Maid, at Birka.  February came and with it the Ice Weasels event and a commission from a good friend to make her a skirt for the "Pirates' Other Salty Ball".  That was this past weekend.  I vowed to myself that I would finish the bloody thing come do or die.

Well, it's a good thing I waited.  I am now about 85 pounds lighter that I was this time last year (happy dance).  So there was some resizing to do.  I have spent today basting on those ugly fitting strips on and lacing myself into the corset, not an easy task, to get an accurate fit.  I've finally found the right placement for the grommets.  Tomorrow will be the resewing and trimming of the corset.

As you can see there is quite a bit of difference in the size (again, happy dance).

Cat Scratcher

Yes, I know, last you heard I was working on an Elizabethan Corset.  It is all finished except for the fitting.  Well, I had a minor adjustment to make, then I had a medical procedure, then my Mom had a health issue (she is better) and then well...life happens.  Now it is Christmas crunch time so it will have to wait until all the presents are finished.

In the process I got a new cat.  His name is Onyx and he is not quite four months old.  He was born at the end of July.

Isn't he cute

We were up at the PetCo pet care clinic today getting his shots and first checkup.  Afterward we went shopping for a treat.  I was looking at the Scratchers and, honestly, not one of them was worth the money they were charging for them.  They were either too flimsy or too big.  So...

I decided that with an old bit of 2x4, some hemp rope and a hot glue gun I would make my own. 

Here's the beginning

Three hours later and a couple of singed fingertips (I can never use the hot glue gun without singeing myself) I have this.  Not bad, but missing something.

Into my store of Rennie feathers I go.  Some wire and a few jingle bells later and it's finished.

Onyx isn't sure what to do with it yet, but I rubbed some fresh catnip on it and I figure he will get the picture.  It can also hang from a door knob if we want it to.

Once the Christmas presents are done, I promise to get back to the corset.

Elizabethan Corset

So, the bones are in and the (very ugly) fitting strips are basted on.  I made the fitting strips out of scraps of heavy duty cloth and some grommets.  I positioned them about where the grommets will be.  Moment of truth comes as my Husband laces me in...and it is too big!  Oh dear.

This is completely unexpected as the measurements are exactly following the pattern, but this will never hold me in and up.  I have to take it in about 1/2" to 1" on each side.  Better to know this now than when I finish it.

Here is the very ugly fitting strip.

So now I have to take it in and refit it before finishing it.

Elizabethan Corset - Boning Channels

After 2.5 hours of sewing and a persnickety bobbin at the end I finally have 28 channels, plus one channel for the busk sewn in.  First I had to mark them with pins, then traced them with a marker.  Tomorrow I need to put the bones in then sew the bias tape around the edges.

Here they are marked and drawn.

Sewing the channels.

Elizabethan Corset - Sewing and boning

I got the two pieces basted together at 1/4 inch seam as per the instructions.  I did the bottom waist edge, then the back edge from top to bottom, again as per the instructions.  I then went over to the table and started laying out the busk and the boning as close to the diagram as I could.  Wow, this is a lot of boning.

This is the diagram that they suggest.

This is the center.  The busk is in the middle.

This is the left side.

This is the right side.

It doesn't exactly match the diagram but it is very close.  Tomorrow I have to sew the boning channels.  What I'm going to do first is use a washout marker to mark them.  Right now they are just marked with straight pins.

Onward and Upward (pardon the corset pun).

Elizabethian Corset.

I finished my orange gored skirt so I started the corset.  I took the pattern and laid it over the heavy linen I have.  It was folded and I laid the front of the pattern on the fold.  I traced around the pattern with a purple washout marker.

Here is the back tracing.

The front tracing and the wooden busk.

I cut the fabric then laid it over the soft cotton outer layer and cut that out also.

Heavy Linen

Cotton outer layer.

This was all I had time for.  I need to put these two layers together then mark the boning channels.

Elizabethan Corset - On hold

I know, lesson one of sewing projects, make sure you have everything you need before you begin a project.  Well, I had to order a busk, didn't have anything here I could use, so until it comes in I'm on hold.  This isn't a bad thing because I am addressing a few small projects that I need to do.

Like the shirt I'm almost through with made of a lightweight cotton in a natural color.  I'm making it with close fitting sleeves with some decorative stitching on the cuff and on the neck band that will go around the square neckline.  It will look something like vines.  I'm also making the cuff a button cuff, that way I can learn how to make a button hole on this machine.  It's not like my other one which was one step.  It doesn't look hard, I just need to practice.  I'll post pictures of it when I'm done.

I'm also supposed to hear from the friend about the pants and that will take some time also.  If they aren't in by then I can start on the orange gored skirt.

Elizabethan Corset - The pattern

This is what I used to generate my corset pattern.   Corset Pattern Generator

I had to tape two leaves of tissue paper together.  Got out my pencil, straight ruler and measuring tape and followed the directions.  Then turned over the paper and started again because I realized I didn't have the whole illustration printed out.  Hint:  Use the small illustration button so it all prints.

Finally got the pattern.

Back of the pattern.

Front of the pattern.

One of the things that isn't intuitive about this is that it is a back lacing corset.  When you cut it you fold your fabric and the front of the pattern goes on the fold.  I have a very heavy linen for the corset and I'm thinking of a lighter cotton for the outer layer and the boning channels.  I have to order a busk as I don't have one.

Cutting and putting together comes next.