Corset Couture (Part Two)
Feb. 13th, 2012 06:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crystalmoonHello again!
So, continuing on my learning journey into the untamed wilds of corset making, we now move onto putting pieces together. It's not hard but not as simple as it sounds.
As my last entry said, I decided to use the interlining between my lining and the strength layer because the lining is very thin. I cut out two of each piece from each type of fabric (so technically, four of each piece from the organza since it's used to two places) and now they need to be sewn. There's a few ways to do this.
Several years ago, I might have put all the lining pieces together, then the interlining pieces together, then the strength and so on to give myself four layers of a full corset. Then I'd sew them all together to make one piece.
... I've learned better since then.
The fewer "separate" layers you have to sew through, the easier it is. So instead I am putting the lining and interlining together, then putting the strength and the fashion layer together for each separate piece first. This means that once they're joined they become "one layer" of fabric by virtue that they can't slip away from each other.
I could have used pins to put the pieces together but instead I decided to baste them for multiple reasons. The biggest and most important reason being that basting stitches hold more firmly than a bunch of pokey needles.
Here's a close up of the basting stitches. The blue line is the outline of the pattern piece and also my final seam line. By basting on the seam allowance, I can keep the visible side of the fabric looking clean and undisturbed.
They're loose for two reasons. First, it was a fast sew. I don't need the basting line to be straight or perfect by any means. This falls into reason two, which is that it will be taken out once I've gotten all the pieces together. Theoretically, I could leave them in and they won't do any harm... but I really wanna be thorough and professional with this.
So you can see the organza, it's a little bit sparkly. This is a photo of the lining and interlining. The view you see in this photo will never be seen once the corset is complete, as this is the side that will go against the strength layer to keep it slippy and happy.
This photo shows all the pieces for the lining and interlining basted together and laying out flat. They look wrinkly because I haven't ironed them yet, that's all. This is laid out as the corset would look if the back was unlaced and opened from there, leaving the front hooks connected.
Actually, that reminds me of something. I have not yet cut out a modesty panel for the lacing portion. It's just a square of fabric that sits between your skin and the back laces both for modesty (as the name suggests) as well as protection from the lacing. I'll have to remember to do that.
As of this blog, I've also basted together the strength and fashion layers of fabric so I effectively have only two sets of fabric to work with (because remember, once they're basted together, they behave as a single fabric). I've only just begun putting together the pieces to make a shaped garment, so I think I'll get that done and then throw up a post once I've finished that portion.
See you later!
So, continuing on my learning journey into the untamed wilds of corset making, we now move onto putting pieces together. It's not hard but not as simple as it sounds.
As my last entry said, I decided to use the interlining between my lining and the strength layer because the lining is very thin. I cut out two of each piece from each type of fabric (so technically, four of each piece from the organza since it's used to two places) and now they need to be sewn. There's a few ways to do this.
Several years ago, I might have put all the lining pieces together, then the interlining pieces together, then the strength and so on to give myself four layers of a full corset. Then I'd sew them all together to make one piece.
... I've learned better since then.
The fewer "separate" layers you have to sew through, the easier it is. So instead I am putting the lining and interlining together, then putting the strength and the fashion layer together for each separate piece first. This means that once they're joined they become "one layer" of fabric by virtue that they can't slip away from each other.
I could have used pins to put the pieces together but instead I decided to baste them for multiple reasons. The biggest and most important reason being that basting stitches hold more firmly than a bunch of pokey needles.
Here's a close up of the basting stitches. The blue line is the outline of the pattern piece and also my final seam line. By basting on the seam allowance, I can keep the visible side of the fabric looking clean and undisturbed.
They're loose for two reasons. First, it was a fast sew. I don't need the basting line to be straight or perfect by any means. This falls into reason two, which is that it will be taken out once I've gotten all the pieces together. Theoretically, I could leave them in and they won't do any harm... but I really wanna be thorough and professional with this.
So you can see the organza, it's a little bit sparkly. This is a photo of the lining and interlining. The view you see in this photo will never be seen once the corset is complete, as this is the side that will go against the strength layer to keep it slippy and happy.
This photo shows all the pieces for the lining and interlining basted together and laying out flat. They look wrinkly because I haven't ironed them yet, that's all. This is laid out as the corset would look if the back was unlaced and opened from there, leaving the front hooks connected.Actually, that reminds me of something. I have not yet cut out a modesty panel for the lacing portion. It's just a square of fabric that sits between your skin and the back laces both for modesty (as the name suggests) as well as protection from the lacing. I'll have to remember to do that.
As of this blog, I've also basted together the strength and fashion layers of fabric so I effectively have only two sets of fabric to work with (because remember, once they're basted together, they behave as a single fabric). I've only just begun putting together the pieces to make a shaped garment, so I think I'll get that done and then throw up a post once I've finished that portion.
See you later!
